Mosquitoes Could Bring Deadly Diseases to UK within Years, Study Warns
Mosquitoes could bring deadly diseases to UK within years, study warns. Warmer conditions are making the UK a more attractive place for disease-carrying mosquitoes, according to a new study. There has been a 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) increase in average temperatures in the country.
Researchers writing in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal say warmer temperatures in the UK provide more hospitable conditions for the Asian tiger mosquito or Aedes albopictus, which can carry deadly viruses that cause dengue fever and Chikungunya fever, according to a BBC report. Chikungunya causes fever and severe joint pain, which can be debilitating. The symptoms are similar to dengue fever. There is no cure for Chikungunya.
There are already 34 recorded species of mosquito in the UK, but currently they are not know to transmit infections, however there are varieties that can transmit West Nile, but there have been no human cases.
According to Public Health England, there have been reports of Asian Tiger mosquito sightings in Belgium and The Netherlands, and they could very easily be imported into England, and emphasizes the need to monitor imported products like used tires, where mosquitoes can lay eggs.
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