Climate change may enable Aedes aegypti infestation in major European cities by 2100

Liu-Helmersson, J., Rocklöv, J., Sewe, M., & Brännström, Å. (2019). Climate change may enable Aedes aegypti infestation in major European cities by 2100. Environmental Research 172 693-699. 10.1016/j.envres.2019.02.026.

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Abstract

Background

Climate change allows Aedes aegypti to infest new areas. Consequently, it enables the arboviruses the mosquito transmits ­- e.g., dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever -- to emerge in previously uninfected areas. An example is the Portuguese island of Madeira during 2012-13.

Objective

We aim to understand how climate change will affect the future spread of this potent vector, as an aid in assessing the risk of disease outbreaks and effectively allocating resources for vector control.

Methods

We used an empirically-informed, process-based mathematical model to study the feasibility of Aedes aegypti infestation into continental Europe. Based on established global climate-change scenario data, we assess the potential of Aedes aegypti to establish in Europe over the 21st century by estimating the vector population growth rate for five climate models (GCM5).

Results

In a low carbon emission future (RCP2.6), we find minimal change to the current situation throughout the whole of the 21st century. In a high carbon future (RCP8.5), a large parts of southern Europe risks being invaded by Aedes aegypti.

Conclusion

Our results show that successfully enforcing the Paris Agreement by limiting global warming to below 2 °C significantly lowers the risk for infestation of Aedes aegypti and consequently of potential large-scale arboviral disease outbreaks in Europe within the 21st century.

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