How to protect against mosquitoes
News headlines increasingly feature mosquitoes that transmit various infectious diseases in Europe. There have been several outbreaks of the dengue fever in France and the West Nile virus in Southern Europe this summer. A new Asian mosquito has also been discovered that thrives in urban areas and could cause massive malaria outbreaks.
Mosquito survival areas are expanding
Mosquitoes can survive better today thanks to two different factors. Firstly, mosquitoes thrive in higher temperatures. Further global warming creates a larger survival area. Secondly, mosquitoes are mutating. The new Asian mosquito, for example, is better able to survive in (human) polluted water. The insects therefore have a greater chance of survival in areas where they were previously unable to survive.