Mainland Europe has seen the largest number of cases of a debilitating mosquito-borne illness, with Italy hardest hit by the disease.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control there have been 1,715 locally acquired cases of West Nile Virus so far this year, compared to 989 cases at the same point last year. Italy has been hardest hit, with 748 cases, followed by Greece with 445 cases, France with 144 and Spain with 139.

There have been 130 deaths, with the greatest number occurring in Italy , which saw 56 deaths.

The number of cases is likely to tail off over the next few weeks as the weather across Europe becomes cooler and less favourable for the Culex mosquito which spreads the disease.

West Nile Virus is in the same family of viruses as dengue, yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis. It causes flu-like symptoms and sometimes vomiting and diarrhoea but in around one in 150 cases it can develop into a disease that affects the brain and nervous system and can be fatal.…