Mosquito-borne diseases are beginning to spread around the world

Mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever, are spreading around the world, and especially in Europe, due to climate change. Namely, global warming favors the conditions in which mosquitoes live, and experts are worried about the consequences this could bring.

Professor Rachel Lowe, who heads the Global Health Resilience Group in Barcelona, ​​warned that it will epidemics of mosquito-borne diseases spread to parts of northern Europe, Asia, North America and Australia over the next few decades.

– The world must be prepared for a sudden increase in these diseases. Global warming means that malaria and dengue vectors can find habitats in more regions, in areas where people are likely to be immunologically unprotected and public health systems unprepared, Lowe said, the Guardian writes.

Dengue fever primarily spreads in tropical and subtropical regionsbut longer summers and milder winters mean that this viral disease will become more prevalent in Europe.

The carrier is the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus). dengue fever and as of 2023 it has made its home in 13 European countries: Italy, France, Spain, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Greece and Portugal.

The number of dengue cases reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) has increased eightfold in the past two decades, from 500,000 in 2000 to more than five million in 2019.

The breeding of mosquitoes is also favored by the fact that after the drought, the season of floods comes more often, which is also connected with climate changes.

– Lessons from previous epidemics emphasize the importance of assessing future risks and preparations for unforeseen situations – Lowe said.

She said that if the current trajectory of high carbon emissions and population growth continues, the number of people living in areas with mosquito-borne diseases will double to 4.7 billion until the end of the century.

– We can expect to see more cases and probably death from disease such as dengue fever and malaria across continental Europe. We must anticipate the outbreak of the epidemic and intervene early in order to prevent the occurrence of the disease – warned Lowe.

Source: Srbija Danas/Telegraf