The Federal Office of Public Health said on Monday that 154 cases of dengue fever have been reported since the start of the year, compared with 68 in 2022. The public health office blames this increase on the resumption of travel.
In addition to dengue fever, the number of cases of chikungunya has also risen sharply, from 2 reported in 2022 to 17 this year. The number of malaria cases is following the same trend, with 272 cases recorded up to the 38th week of this year, compared with 241 last year.
According to the public health office, the increase in cases of dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases is due to the resumption of travel after the Covid pandemic. The figures are back to pre-2020 levels. The cases reported in Switzerland exclusively concern people infected abroad.
The presence of the tiger mosquito in Switzerland does not necessarily mean that there will be a dengue epidemic, says the office. But it is possible that a local mosquito could bite an infected person returning from an endemic region and in turn transmit the virus to another person, it adds.
The long-term risk of disease transmission and the fact that tiger mosquitoes can be extremely vicious are the reasons why the spread is being actively monitored by the cantons. The tiger mosquito was first spotted in canton Ticino in 2003, and has since been found in several cantons in French-speaking Switzerland. Control measures have been put in place to prevent its spread.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
This content was published on
A criminal investigation into a Swiss media editor and a former health ministry official over leaked government Covid pandemic strategy is to be closed.
‘James Bond’ Schilthorn summit re-opens in Switzerland
This content was published on
The summit of the Schilthorn mountain in Switzerland will be accessible again from Saturday after being closed for five months.
Swiss lawmakers urge tougher stance with criminal asylum seekers
This content was published on
The Swiss Senate wants to tighten laws to both restrict the movement of asylum seekers being investigated for crimes and to expel the guilty.
Switzerland eyes high-speed train fleet for European connections
This content was published on
Swiss Federal Railways eyes 40 strong high-speed train fleet to service international destinations, such as Italy and France.
This content was published on
Driven by purchases abroad, e-commerce in Switzerland continues to grow, with sales approacheing the CHF15 billion markin 2024.
Switzerland close to further restricting tobacco advertising
This content was published on
Switzerland moves a step closer to restricting tobacco advertising in the print media as one chamber of parliament votes in favour of measures.
Swiss researchers improve therapy for paralysed patients
This content was published on
Using rehabilitation robots and a spinal cord implant, Swiss researchers are helping people with spinal cord injuries to walk again.
New Swiss government minister prepared for defence mandate
This content was published on
New Swiss government minister Martin Pfister says he is prepared for the defence mandate sif he be asked to take on the vacant role.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.