Dengue and chikungunya may soon become endemic in Europe - study
Kyiv • UNN
Global warming is contributing to the spread of tiger mosquitoes to the north, which increases the risk of dengue and chikungunya outbreaks in Europe. Research shows that by 2060, the number of diseases could increase fivefold.
Dengue and chikungunya fever diseases may soon become endemic in Europe, as tiger mosquitoes, which carry these viruses, spread further north due to global warming, according to a new study published Thursday, UNN writes with reference to AFP.
Details
Approximately half of the world's population is already at risk of contracting these two diseases, which were once mainly confined to tropical regions.
Both viruses cause fever and in rare cases can be fatal, they are spread by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
The latter, known as the tiger mosquito, is reportedly spreading further north, amid a world that is getting hotter due to anthropogenic climate change.
The new study, published in the journal Lancet Planetary Health, analyzes the impact of a number of factors, including climate, on the spread of these two diseases in Europe over the past 35 years.
According to the study, the frequency and severity of outbreaks have increased since 2010 due to rising temperatures.
In 2024 - the hottest year on record - the European Union recorded just over 300 cases of dengue fever, compared to 275 in the previous 15 years.
Dengue fever outbreaks have already hit Italy, Croatia, France and Spain.
"Our results highlight that the EU is moving from sporadic outbreaks of Aedes-borne diseases to an endemic state," the study says.
The European research team said that the higher the temperature rises, the higher the risk of outbreaks caused by tiger mosquitoes.
In the worst-case climate change scenarios, outbreaks of both diseases could increase fivefold compared to current levels by 2060, they predict.
Outbreaks were more common in wealthier areas, suggesting that better testing is able to detect the virus, and that cases may go undetected in poorer areas, the study suggested.
Addition
The French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean recently experienced a deadly outbreak of chikungunya fever.
Tiger mosquitoes can also carry Zika and West Nile viruses, which were not studied in the latest studies.