"Mosquitoes" diseases are spreading across Europe and have reached Crimea

Diseases caused by mosquito bites are spreading rapidly in Europe due to the climate crisis. They even reached the Crimean Peninsula.

As a result of climate change, cases of dengue fever and malaria are being recorded in European countries, reports The Guardian. According to Rachel Lowe, head of the health sustainability group at the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, global warming has increased the number of areas where disease-carrying insects thrive – where it is warm and humid.

Over the next decades, outbreaks of illnesses caused by mosquito bites could spread to northern Europe, America, Asia and Australia. Rachel Lowe notes that over the past 80 years, the number of recorded cases of disease has increased significantly. If earlier cases of dengue fever were noted in tropical and subtropical regions, then in 2023 it was recorded in a number of European countries: France, Italy, Spain, Monaco, Malta, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar, Switzerland and Portugal.

The carrier of dengue fever is the Asian tiger mosquito. In cold weather, insect larvae and eggs die. Rachel Lowe explains:

“Droughts and floods associated with climate change may lead to greater transmission of the virus, and accumulated water will provide additional breeding ground for mosquitoes. With climate change seeming so difficult to tackle, we expect an increase in cases and possibly deaths from such diseases across mainland Europe. We must anticipate outbreaks and intervene early to prevent diseases from occurring.”

Dengue fever is an acute infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes. It is most common in Asia and Latin America. Compared to 2000, the incidence rate has increased 8 times. This is due to climate change, migration and urbanization. Most often, Dengue fever is asymptomatic, but is sometimes characterized by the following symptoms:

• heat;
• headache;
• pain in the eyes, muscles and joints;
• swollen glands;
• spotty rash.

According to disappointing WHO forecasts, an outbreak of Dengue fever will spread throughout the decade in the USA, Southern and Northern Europe, and Africa. Dengue fever and malaria, transmitted by mosquito bites, can reach regions where they were not previously present.

In the summer of 2022, a case of West Nile fever was discovered in the Kyiv region. This is a virus that is also transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. An infected person is not contagious. There are no vaccines or medicines against fever. Most people who are infected do not experience symptoms of the disease. About one in five people infected develop a fever, accompanied by headaches, body and joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea or rash. In about 1 in 150 people, the virus can cause serious and sometimes fatal illness.

The best way to prevent West Nile virus is to protect yourself from mosquito bites. Doctors advise to screen windows, carry out pest control, use insect repellents, and wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers when outdoors.

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