Climate change is enhancing the increase in Europe of mosquitoes transmitted by mosquitoes, which forward the continent to a new normal and show the need for a robust and coordinated response in public health defense.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warned, on Wednesday, to increase mosquitoes transmitted by mosquitoes at a time when they Records of infections by the Western Nile Virus (VNO) and Chikungunya in European territory.
“Europe is facing longer and more intense transmission times for mosquitoes transmitted by mosquitoes, including VNO and chikungunya. Change is caused by climatic and environmental factors such as increased temperatures, longer summers, milder winters and changes in rain standard, combined conditions that create a favorable environment for the development of mosquitoes and virus transmission.” ECDC statement, quoted by Lusa.
For the European organism, Europe is entering a “new phase”with longer, disseminated and intense transmission of these diseases, which will be the “New Normal”.
The ECDC claims to be working with the European Union Member States to ensure response to the measure and public health guidelines timely to reinforce the European response.
Ckikungunya returns in force to Europe
According to the ECDC, the mosquito that can transmit the Ckikungunya virus (Aedes albopictus) is installed in 16 European countries and 369 regionsmore than 114 regions of a decade ago.
This combined with the increasing increase in international trips It makes the outbreaks of these viruses more likely, and this year 27 outbreaks of Ckikungunya, a new record on the European continent.
“For the first time, an infection of local origin by the chikungunya virus was reported in the French region of Alsace, an exceptional occurrence to this latitude, which underlines the continuous expansion to the north of the risk of transmission.
Also according to the ECDC, the distribution of cases of Vno in Europe continues to change and in the last decade have been detected infections in new regions every year.
This year, for the first time, cases were recorded in the Latin and Frosinone regions, south of Rome, Italy, with the European continent recorded the largest number of VNO infections in three years.
ECDC data indicate that on 13 August there were 19 deaths and 335 VNO infections of local origin in eight European countries.
Italy is the country with the highest record of infections (274)followed by Greece (35), Serbia (nine), France (seven), Romania (six), Hungary (two), Bulgaria (one) and Spain (one).
“ECDC estimates that infections continue to increase, and it is expected to reach a seasonal peak in August or September”It reads in the health organism note, which warns that with the spread of viruses the number of people at risk in Europe will be increasing.
What can citizens do?
Residents and visitors in areas where these viruses exist should adopt individual protection measures, such as:
- or use of repellent;
- to use long sleeves and pantsespecially at the beginning and end of the day;
- e Mosquitoin networks in windows and bedsespecially for older people, children or with the weakened immune system.
The European body note also states that new vaccines For the chikungunya virus, but there is no human use vaccine for VNO yet.
