Mosquitoes Spreading Disease On The Increase.

Disease spreading insects being transported to the UK as well as due to climate change.

12:28 24 March 2015

According to experts, due to the warmer UK weather making breeding more favourable, we could see mosquitoes carrying diseases such as dengue fever in the coming decades.

 

Public Health England say there is more than just the climate affecting the increase in the insects.  They have been monitoring the places where mosquitoes prefer to lay eggs.  Examples of this are in used tyres.

 

The mosquito is not new to the UK, with the number of different species here currently at 34.

 

Malaria has spread to Greece over the last 10 years and the West Nile virus is now in Eastern Europe.

 

Other species of mosquito could come to the UK in response to the increase in temperature, such as the Asian tiger mosquito.  This could bring with it dengue fever and chikungunya.

 

It would only take a temperature increase of a few degrees to increase the seasonal activity of tics, mosquitoes and parasites.

 

The climate modelling report did admit that the rise cannot be completely accurately predicted and due to this the effect of the climate change cannot be completely accurately predicted either.

 

Dr Jolyon Medlock, who co-wrote the report, claims that changes in temperature affects all invertebrates, i.e. they increase in population in warmer weather and are not wiped out if the winters are mild.

 

He reported that places which become flooded are perfect for mosquitoes to lay eggs.

 

It is possible that the transportation of tyres into the UK has led to the arrival of mosquitoes originating in Asia.

 

Due to the nature of the UK's transport system and the motorways, the eggs could be deposited far and wide across the country.

 

Dr Medlock suggests an increased monitoring of the tyres be implemented in order to reduce the chance of the eggs being spread.   Some screening is already in place.

 

The report illustrated the point that the increase is not solely the result of climate change and measures could be introduced to reduce the amount of eggs