Climate Change Increases Risk of Mosquito-Borne Diseases in Europe, Study Finds
A recent study published in The Lancet Planetary Health has revealed that the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits viral diseases such as Dengue and Zika fever, is increasingly appearing in Europe due to climate change. Conducted by an international research team coordinated by the Bruno Kessler Foundation of Trento, the study found that the mosquito has not been consistently found in Europe since the 1950s.
The study, which involved collaboration from Italian universities such as the University of Trento and foreign institutions like the University of Miami in the United States, provided a comprehensive overview of the potential ability of mosquitoes to transmit diseases in Europe and America. It also included a map of areas most at risk for mosquito-borne diseases, highlighting the need for surveillance and control of these insects in certain regions.
In Italy, the study revealed that a large part of the national territory is at risk of transmission of the viral disease chikungunya, as evidenced by recent epidemics in Emilia Romagna in 2007, and in Lazio and Calabria in 2017. While the absence of the Aedes aegypti mosquito makes the risk of transmission of Dengue and Zika less high, the study highlighted that the risk of transmission of Dengue is not negligible. Recent outbreaks of this disease in Veneto in 2020 and in Lombardy and Lazio last year further underscore this risk.
The findings of the study highlight the urgent need for increased surveillance and control measures to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne viral diseases in Europe due to the changing climate. Efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change on the spread of these diseases are crucial to protect public health and well-being.