Evidence is mounting that climate change is bringing new disease threats to the UK. Kate Bowie reports
Climate change is no longer a distant concern for health systems; it is already reshaping patterns of disease in Europe and the UK. Warmer temperatures, shifting rainfall distribution, and extreme weather events are making the country more vulnerable to infections that were once restricted to warmer climates.
Mosquito-borne infections on the horizon
When it comes to diseases prompted by climate change “the ones to watch are those spread by mosquitoes. Things like dengue, chikungunya, West Nile, and Zika are all on the radar,” says Tom Solomon, director of the Pandemic Institute, a partnership between academia, healthcare organisations, and industry aimed at preparing for future pandemics.
“These diseases are carried by mosquitoes that thrive in warm, wet conditions, which are becoming more common in Europe and possibly parts of the UK,” he says.
The spread of Aedes albopictus, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, is perhaps the canary—or mosquito—in the coal mine.
“Ae albopictus is traditionally a tropical mosquito; but it has now undergone a huge global expansion,” says Heather …
