Scientists have warned about the increasing risk of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever in various parts of the world, including parts of northern Europe, by the end of this century.
The British “Sky News” website conveyed these warnings from experts, indicating that global warming plays a major role in exacerbating this issue, as it could lead to an expanded range of mosquitoes, thereby increasing the number of cases of diseases they carry.
Figures from the UK’s Health Security Agency show that cases of “imported” malaria exceeded 1,000 last year for the first time in over two decades. This is partly due to increased overseas travel following the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic.
As for dengue fever, cases have increased significantly over the past two decades, from 500,000 in 2000 to over 5 million cases in 2019.
The data indicates that mosquitoes carrying these diseases are spreading in several European countries, raising concerns about increasing cases in the future.
Professor Rachel Lowe from the Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies in Spain pointed out that climate change and rising temperatures could create ideal conditions for mosquito spread and increase the frequency of mosquito-borne diseases.
Project to build an underwater tunnel connecting Europe with Africa