(Press-News.org) Most people recover from Dengue fever, which is caused by a virus transmitted from the Asian tiger mosquito, but some infected individuals experience serious bleeding, a sudden drop in blood pressure, and even death. Although Dengue fever has long been recognized as a disease of the tropics and sub-tropics, a study published in Global Change Biology reveals that it is likely to spread increasingly northward and through Western Europe as climate change expands the Asian tiger mosquito’s habitat.
The mosquito lays its eggs in water where, with sufficient temperature, larvae develop and give rise to flying bloodsucking adults. After arriving in Albania, in Southeast Europe, in 1979, it spread through Southwest Europe and now is expanding northward in France. Using modeling and observations of recent spread, investigators determined that with climate change conditions, major Western European cities—including London, Vienna, Strasburg, and Frankfurt—would be well suited to the Asian tiger mosquito.
The team notes that although the mosquito is not in these cities yet, its rate of northward spread in France has been accelerating from about 6 km per year in 2006 to 20 km per year in 2024.
“Extrapolating from the results, it is estimated that the mosquito could establish itself in northern France within a decade, from where it could easily reach London—which is already climatically suitable for hosting this vector,” said corresponding author Andrea Radici, PhD, of the Université de Montpellier, in France.
In addition to Dengue fever, the Asian tiger mosquito also transmits Zika and chikungunya.
URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.70414
Additional Information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com.
About the Journal
Global Change Biology is an environmental change journal dedicated to shaping the future and solving the world's most challenging problems by tackling sustainability, climate change and environmental protection, food and water safety and provision, as well as global health. The journal exists to promote the understanding of the impacts of global change on biological systems and solutions.
About Wiley
Wiley is one of the world’s largest publishers and a trusted leader in research and learning. Our industry-leading content, services, platforms, and knowledge networks are tailored to meet the evolving needs of our customers and partners, including researchers, students, instructors, professionals, institutions, and corporations. We empower knowledge-seekers to transform today’s biggest obstacles into tomorrow’s brightest opportunities. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.
END
Will climate change promote the spread of Dengue fever through Western Europe?
2025-08-20
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Sleep problems in early teens associated with future self-harm
2025-08-20
Self-harm in young people is a major public health concern, rates are rising, and the adolescent years presents a critical period of intervention. Another modern challenge facing adolescents is sleep deficiency, with global reductions in total sleep time and inconsistent sleep patterns, and as many as 70% of teenagers getting inadequate sleep.
Published today in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, researchers at The University of Warwick and University of Birmingham have investigated this relationship between multiple measures of sleep problems and self-harm, using data from over 10,000 teenagers from the Millenium Cohort.
10,000 teenagers, ...
Supergiant star’s gigantic bubble surprises scientists
2025-08-20
Astronomers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have discovered a vast and expanding bubble of gas and dust surrounding a red supergiant star – the largest structure of its kind ever seen in the Milky Way. The bubble, which contains as much mass as the Sun, was blown out in a mysterious stellar eruption around 4000 years ago. Why the star survived such a powerful event is a puzzle, the scientists say.
The new results are published in the scientific journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, and the team was led by Mark Siebert, Chalmers, Sweden. Using the ALMA radio telescope ...
Most known species evolved during 'explosions’ of diversity, shows first analysis across ‘tree of life’
2025-08-20
The British evolutionary biologist JBS Haldane is said to have quipped that any divine being evidently had ‘an ordinate fondness for beetles’. This bon mot conveyed an important truth: the ‘tree of life’ – the family tree of all species, living or extinct – is very uneven. In places, it resembles a dense thicket of short twigs; elsewhere it has only sparse but long branches. A few groups tend to predominate: as Haldane pointed out, more than 40% of extant insects are beetles, while 60% of birds ...
World Mosquito Day 2025: Europe sets new records for mosquito-borne diseases: ECDC supporting Member States in adapting to ‘new normal’
2025-08-20
Europe is experiencing longer and more intense transmission seasons for mosquito-borne diseases, including WNV infection and chikungunya virus disease. This shift is driven by climatic and environmental factors such as rising temperatures, longer summer seasons, milder winters and changes in rainfall patterns — conditions that combine to create a favourable environment for mosquitoes to thrive and transmit viruses. Pamela Rendi-Wagner, ECDC Director, said:
'Europe is entering a new phase — where longer, more widespread and more ...
Study finds coastal wetlands generate $90 million annually for Virginia communities
2025-08-20
A new study led by William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS shows that tidal marshes, including both natural wetlands and man-made living shorelines, generate approximately $90 million annually in economic value for communities across Virginia’s Middle Peninsula.
Published in the journal Nature-Based Solutions and funded by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Research Program (NA21NMF4570524-T1–01), the study combined ecological data, spatial modeling, economic valuation and stakeholder ...
Study uncovers biological clues about daytime sleepiness
2025-08-20
Mass General Brigham researchers identified seven molecules in the blood linked to excessive daytime sleepiness, including factors related to diet and hormones.
Approximately one in three Americans reports experiencing overwhelming drowsiness during the day—a condition known as excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). EDS is linked to an increased risk of serious conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. A new study led by investigators from Mass General Brigham and Beth ...
Study links teen vaping to increased risk of smoking and health issues
2025-08-20
Researchers have shown that there is strong evidence that e-cigarette use may act as a gateway to cigarette smoking and other health issues in young people.
A review of reviews has revealed that there is a consistent link between e-cigarette use and later cigarette smoking, as well as potential links between vaping and a range of health issues, including asthma, mental health concerns, and drug use.
Researchers, from the University of York and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), argue that more research is needed to determine whether there is a direct cause and effect, but the consistency of the findings between the studies conducted ...
Youth vaping consistently linked to subsequent smoking, marijuana and alcohol use
2025-08-20
Vaping among teens and young people is consistently linked to subsequent smoking, marijuana and alcohol use, finds an overarching (umbrella) review of systematic reviews of the evidence, published online in the journal Tobacco Control.
And it’s associated with other harmful consequences, including heightened risks of asthma, cough, injuries and mental ill health as well as possibly pneumonia, bronchitis, headaches, migraine, dizziness/lightheadedness, low sperm count, and poor mouth health.
The findings reinforce policy measures to restrict sales and marketing ...
Diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids may help ward off short sightedness in children
2025-08-20
A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, found predominantly in fish oils, may help ward off the development of short sightedness (myopia) in children, while a high intake of saturated fats, found in foods such as butter, palm oil, and red meat, may boost the risk of the condition, finds research published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
The global prevalence of myopia is rising, especially in East Asia, and it’s predicted that around half of the world’s population will be affected by 2050, note the researchers.
Risk factors ...
For apes, out of sight isn’t out of mind
2025-08-20
A series of hide-and-seek experiments with a bonobo named Kanzi shows for the first time that apes can mentally keep track of multiple familiar humans at once, even when they are out of sight.
Kanzi could also recognize caregivers from their voices alone, an ability never before tested on bonobos.
The work, led by Johns Hopkins University’s Social and Cognitive Origins Group, answers key questions about how animals manage to keep track of their groupmates and uncovers yet another aspect of human social cognition shared with our closest relatives.
“People think social intelligence is a thing that makes humans unique—that because we have to manage so many different relationships, ...