2023-06-26 12:23:00
Increasing climate change, travel activities and global trade are contributing to the spread of tropical diseases in Europe as well. Some of them are transmitted by mosquitoes, especially those that are invasive mosquito species, such as the tiger mosquito. Originally native to Southeast Asia, it has spread to many parts of the world, including Europe, North and South America, and Africa. The tiger mosquito can transmit dengue, chikungunya and zika viruses, among others. Just ten years ago it was detected in eight European countries, this year there are already 13.
According to epidemiologist Jozef Šuvada, West Nile fever is becoming more common throughout Europe and in Slovakia: “It is a virus that was also found in Upper Austria, France and other European countries a few years ago could record. We also had a few patients in 2018 who were infected with this virus without having traveled abroad.”
According to the virologist Boris Klempa from the Slovak Academy of Sciences, it is difficult to assess which of the tropical diseases transmitted by mosquitoes is the most dangerous: “The course of the disease with the Zika virus is rather mild, but there is a risk in pregnant women that the virus can harm the fetus. Dengue virus, in turn, can cause fatalities, but it is less dangerous as long as only one of the serotypes is present in our area. Chikungunya virus is characteristic of long-standing health problems, especially joint pain. The sick can be unable to work in the long term.”
The virologist emphasizes that there are no vaccines against these viruses apart from yellow fever. And it is not easy to diagnose the diseases they cause, because local doctors have rarely treated such diseases. Last but not least, there is a lack of the necessary laboratory equipment. According to experts, the best prevention is to fight the mosquitoes as larvae in their breeding waters.
Quelle: RTVS
Juraj Pavlović, Photo: AP/TASR
#Climate #change #brings #tropical #mosquitoes #diseases #Slovakia #topic #day