Dengue Fever Asian Mosquito Could Invade UK

<div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; width: 640px; float: right; padding-left: 0px;"><img alt="Asian Tiger Mosquito" src="http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2012/Apr/Week4/16215540.jpg" style="border-image: initial; border: 0px initial initial;" /><p class="imageCaption" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px;">The mosquito can carry dengue and chikungunya viruses</p></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px;"><p class="articleUpdate" style="font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 17px; color: #969696; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"> </p></div><h2 style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 0px;">A mosquito that spreads tropical diseases including dengue fever may be poised to invade the UK because of climate change.</h2><p style="padding-top: 8px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; margin: 0px;">The Asian tiger mosquito has already been reported in France and Belgium and could be migrating north as winters become warmer and wetter.</p><p style="padding-top: 8px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; margin: 0px;">Scientists have urged "wide surveillance" for the biting insect across countries of central and northern Europe, including the UK.</p><p style="padding-top: 8px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; margin: 0px;">The mosquito can carry dengue and chikungunya viruses, both of which cause high fevers. The infections usually occur in tropical regions of Africa, Asia and South America.</p><p style="padding-top: 8px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; margin: 0px;">Scientists led by Dr Samantha Martin, from the University of Liverpool, used climate models to predict how changing conditions might affect Asian tiger mosquito distribution.</p><p style="padding-top: 8px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; margin: 0px;">They wrote in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface: "Mosquito climate suitability has significantly increased over the southern UK, northern France, the Benelux, parts of Germany, Italy, Sicily and the Balkan countries."</p><p style="padding-top: 8px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; margin: 0px;">The research shows that parts of the UK could become hot-spots of Asian tiger mosquito activity between 2030 and 2050.</p><p style="padding-top: 8px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; margin: 0px;">The mosquito has been introduced into Europe from Asia via goods shipments, mainly used tyres and bamboo.</p><p style="padding-top: 8px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; margin: 0px;">Climate change is now shifting conditions suitable for the insect from southern Europe to central north-western areas.</p><p style="padding-top: 8px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; margin: 0px;">The mosquito could survive in water butts and vases, and may find winter protection in greenhouses, said the researchers.</p>

Dengue Fever Asian Mosquito Could Invade UK

The mosquito can carry dengue and chikungunya viruses   A mosquito that spreads tropical diseases including dengue fever may be poised to in...

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