A new study published on Thursday, the 15th of May, in The Lancet Planetary Health warns that the prevalence of tiger mosquitoes in Europe is rising rapidly due to climate change, increasing the risk that tropical diseases such as dengue and chikungunya will become a regular occurrence across the continent, reports Politico.
Tiger mosquitoes are spreading further north as global temperatures rise due to man-made climate change.
These mosquito-borne viruses, which used to be restricted to the tropics, can sometimes be deadly. Symptoms include high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rash.
The study looked at how climate and other factors have influenced the spread of dengue and chikungunya in Europe over the past 35 years. The study found that since 2010, outbreaks have become more frequent and severe as temperatures have risen.
“Our findings suggest that the EU is moving from sporadic outbreaks of Aedes-borne diseases to an endemic state,” the study says.
In 2024, the hottest year on record, a total of 304 dengue cases were reported in the EU, “a historic high compared to only 275 cases overall in the previous 15 years,” the study said.
Countries such as Italy, Croatia, France and Spain have experienced outbreaks, the study says: “The trend shows that in these countries, the disease is moving from sporadic cases to endemic.”
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported that in 2023, 130 local dengue cases were reported in EU and EEA countries – compared to a total of only 71 cases in the ten-year period from 2010 to 2021.
According to the study, under worst-case climate scenarios, the prevalence of dengue and chikungunya could be five times higher than current levels by 2060.