Chikungunya vaccine approved as Europe battles rising mosquito threat
They're already here and are a real plague. We're talking about mosquitoes. In Europe, they can spread dangerous diseases. The European Commission has even approved the first-ever vaccine for a viral tropical disease transmitted by mosquitoes.
A heatwave has arrived, and with it came the mosquitoes. Some cities are battling these insects globally.
Mosquitoes spread dangerous diseases
The Commission approved the first-ever vaccine for chikungunya fever – a viral tropical disease transmitted by mosquitoes – on Friday. Although chikungunya is not endemic in the EU, the effects of climate change have led to an increased presence of mosquitoes that carry serious diseases in Europe.
"Infected mosquitoes pose new dangerous potential public health challenges, and we are determined to use all available tools to counter these threats and protect our citizens," said Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety.
In a recent report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the presence of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes was confirmed in 13 EU countries, and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were found in Cyprus; both of these species can contribute to the spread of chikungunya, Zika, dengue, and yellow fever viruses.
The EU's authorization of the chikungunya vaccine applies to adults aged 18 and over. The vaccine was unanimously approved by member states following an assessment by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Furthermore, to further reduce the risk of the spread of mosquito-borne diseases in Europe, the Commission has announced funding of 710,000 CAD for a pilot project aimed at helping eliminate Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Cyprus.
Plague of insects
For the past several months, besides suffering from a drought, Catalans have faced a new plague – insects dangerous to human health, such as cockroaches, migratory ticks, and tiger mosquitoes. Experts from the Catalan Association of Environmental Health Companies (ADEPAP) warn about their presence.
According to studies by this organization, the excessive presence of cockroaches in this northeastern region of Spain is due to high air temperatures, which appeared in April.
"The population of these insects will certainly increase in the summer," predicted ADEPAP Vice President Andreu Garcia, adding that dry and warm weather favours their reproduction, just as it does for another plague in Catalonian municipalities – migratory ticks.
