In a statement published on Facebook, the Cova da Beira ULS said that the presence of the Aedes albopictus mosquito (commonly known as the tiger mosquito) has been detected in the municipality of Covilhã, Castelo Branco district. The mosquito is "a species capable of transmitting diseases such as dengue fever, Zika, chikungunya, among others."

Given the presence of this mosquito in the region, the Cova da Beira Public Health Unit (ULS) urged the public to take measures to reduce mosquito breeding sites, including removing or turning upside down flowerpots, buckets, bottles, or other containers that accumulate water.

It also urges the public to cover water tanks (wells, tanks, cisterns), change the water in drinking fountains and animal bowls at least once a week, and keep swimming pools treated or properly covered.

The Cova da Beira Public Health Unit (ULS) also urges people to take personal protective measures against mosquito bites, including the use of repellents containing DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), wearing long clothing (sleeves and pants), especially at dawn and dusk, and using mosquito nets on windows and doors.

The ULS also emphasizes that in the event of a diagnosis of a mosquito-borne disease (dengue, Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever, or other), timely notification to the National Epidemiological Surveillance System (SINAVE) is mandatory.

In July 2024, the State Health Department (Sectional) recommended that city governments, tourism businesses, and entities in the agricultural and industrial sectors, among others, adopt measures to prevent and control the mosquito that transmits Zika and dengue.

In guidance published on its website, the DGS stated that, given the detection of the invasive species Aedes albopictus in various parishes and municipalities in mainland Portugal, it is important to strengthen prevention and control mechanisms aimed at reducing the abundance or eliminating this mosquito species.

According to the DGS, the most recent detections of the invasive mosquito in Portugal were recorded in the municipalities of Cascais and Pombal and correspond to risk level 1 (yellow) on a scale of 0 to 3, defined according to the different scenarios regarding the presence of Aedes mosquitoes and the detection of disease cases, as defined in the National Plan for the Prevention and Control of Vector-Borne Diseases.

The presence of invasive Aedes mosquitoes in Portugal began with the detection of Aedes aegypti in Madeira in 2005. The Aedes albopictus species was introduced to the mainland in 2017 in the North (Penafiel), in 2018 in the Algarve (Loulé), and in 2022 in the Alentejo (Mértola).