Emerging vector-borne infectious disease risks: awareness gaps among Dutch travellers in Europe

The risk of acquiring infectious diseases (ID) during travel in Europe is increasing, driven by climate change and international mobility. Awareness among travellers is essential to encourage ID prevention and limit disease spread. This study assessed awareness of these increasing ID risks among Dutch travellers. Dutch adults (aged ≥18) who travelled ≥4 nights to European destinations in the previous year were included in a cross-sectional questionnaire study on ID risk perception in 2025. In 5,042 respondents, awareness of emerging vector-borne ID risks and their importation to the Netherlands by 2035 was assessed. Group differences were analysed with chi-square tests and standardized residual analyses. Awareness was higher for emerging mosquito-borne ID risks (67.6%) than tick-borne ID risks (49.9%). Awareness of emerging ID differed across age groups (p < 0.001), with respondents aged 18–29 and 70+ overrepresented in lower awareness categories and those aged 30–69 overrepresented in higher categories. Awareness also differed by gender (p = 0.023) and education level (p < 0.001), with females and higher-educated respondents overrepresented in higher awareness categories. About half of travellers (46.2%) was aware of the increasing risk of importing ID, again particularly females and those higher-educated were overrepresented in higher awareness categories (both p < 0.001). Higher awareness of tick-borne ID risks and ID importation was associated with seeking pre-travel ID advice (p = 0.002); there was no association for mosquito-borne ID risks (p = 0.135). Awareness gaps require targeted action. Efforts should focus on younger (18-29), older (70+), and lower-educated travellers. Efforts to increase mosquito-related ID awareness appear to have improved awareness, yet disparities persist across population groups. Strengthening and promoting pre-travel advice may serve as an effective entry point to improve infectious disease risk awareness.

Key messages

• Only about 50% of Dutch travellers are aware of the increasing infectious disease risks in Europe by 2035.

• Interventions creating further awareness for infectious disease risks when travelling in Europe should explicitly include younger, older and lower-educated groups.