Mosquito-borne diseases on the rise in Europe

Climate change is turning Europe into an increasingly favorable environment for mosquito-borne diseases, researchers warn. Longer summers, higher temperatures and heavy rainfall are creating ideal conditions for mosquitoes to thrive in areas where they previously couldn’t survive. Data recently published by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) indicates that this year there have been 715 local cases of West Nile virus (WNV) in 15 European countries, exceeding both the numbers for the same period in last year is the average of the last ten years. As of September 4, there were 51 deaths due to the infection. In the view of Céline Gossner, an expert in emerging and vector-borne diseases at the ECDC in Stockholm, Sweden, the situation represents the new normal. WNV cases are expected to increase in September and October, she adds. Researchers warn that people living in areas affected by epidemics should take precautionary measures to avoid mosquito bites, as new outbreaks of virus transmission may emerge.