Dengue, mosquito-borne diseases rising in Europe

STOCKHOLM, June 11 (AFP): Cases of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases are rising significantly in Europe as climate change creates warmer conditions that help invasive mosquitos spread, the EU's health agency warned on Tuesday.

In 2023, 130 locally acquired cases of dengue were reported in the region comprising the European Union (EU) plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway (EEA), compared to 71 in 2022. This was a "significant increase" from the 2010-2021 period, when the number for the entire period was 73, the Stockholm-based European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said.

Imported cases were also on the rise, with 1,572 cases in 2022 and 4,900 in 2023, "the highest number" since the start of EU monitoring in 2008.

For West Nile virus, 713 locally acquired cases were reported in 123 different regions in nine EU countries.