Popular holiday hotspots are becoming hotbeds for a virus which can cause pain for months, experts have warned.
The chikungunya virus can cause severe organ damage and lead to chronic disability.
The World Health Organization last month issued an urgent call for action as case numbers of the virus exploded across the globe.
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There have been 10,000 reported cases of the virus in China, 7,000 of which are in the southern city of Foshan, in the Guangdong province.
Globally, there have been 250,000 cases reported this year across 16 countries, with 90 related deaths, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
The spike in cases began early this year, with major outbreaks reported in popular Indian Ocean holiday destinations such as Reunion, Mayotte and Mauritius.
The virus is transferred through the bites of infected mosquitos
|GETTY
Professor Will Irving, a virology expert at the University of Nottingham, said: "With climate change, the mosquitos are spreading, and there are reports of the mosquito being present in parts of Europe [France, Italy, Spain]."
The virus, which is spread through infected mosquitos, cannot be passed from person to person directly.
And several experts have warned that tourists in Europe should take precautions.
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Workers in China's Guangdong province have been spraying insecticide to prevent the spread of the virus
|GETTY
Professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, Paul Hunter, has advised travellers to wear loose-fitting clothes which cover their arms and legs.
He added that, ideally, "they will be light coloured, so you can see if mosquitos have landed on you."
In a message to female travellers, Prof Hunter continued: "If you get infected with it later on in the pregnancy, it can pose a risk to the baby."
A study from 2021 found infection just prior to delivery increases the risk of transmission to babies.
Irving warned those most vulnerable to the virus include people with immunosuppression, the very young, elderly, and those with underlying conditions.
So far this year, there have been 26 confirmed cases in the UK, including people who have travelled to Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, Oman and United Arab Emirates.
However, the UK Government has said this number includes individuals who travelled to more than one country, and therefore numbers may be higher than actual cases.