ECDC warns that climate change increases the risk of mosquito-borne diseases
The risk of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya has increased in Europe due to changing weather conditions. This was announced this Thursday by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). This is influenced by heat waves, floods (which are becoming more and more common) and the trend towards longer and hotter summers.
All this has created more favorable conditions for invasive species of mosquitoes such as Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti, which also spread yellow fever and Zika and West Nile viruses.
In a decade, Aedes albopictus has gone from being present in eight countries and 114 regions of the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) to 13 and 337, respectively.
In the EU, 71 cases of locally contracted dengue were registered last year (six of them in Spain and 65 in France), which is equivalent to the total number reported between 2010 and 2021.
The number of West Nile virus cases rose in 2022 to 1,133 (1,112 locally contracted), with 92 deaths, the highest number since the 2018 peak, with Italy (723) and Greece (286) leading the way and four cases in Spain.
“In recent years we have seen a geographical expansion of invasive mosquito species to previously unaffected areas in the EU.. If this continues, we can expect more cases and possibly more deaths from diseases like dengue, chikungunya and West Nile fever,” ECDC Director Andrea Ammon said in a statement.
Ammon urged controlling mosquito populations, tightening control and imposing personal protection measures.
ECDC, which is based in Stockholm, mentions initiatives such as eliminating stagnant water sources, where mosquitoes breed; use environmentally friendly larvicides and promote community awareness about the control of these species.
Protective measures include the use of mosquito nets on the beds, sleeping in air-conditioned rooms, window grills, repellent and wearing clothing that covers “most of the body.”