Dengue, chikungunya, West Nile fever, malaria. In the cold, dark days of Europe’s winter, it may be difficult to imagine rising rates of tropical diseases. But environmental experts are warning that temperature increases would make parts of Europe ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes while extending the area at risk of diseases spread by ticks.  

For decades, dengue fever ‒ a potentially fatal disease spread by mosquitoes ‒ was almost unheard of in Europe (aside from cases of people who were infected while travelling). That has been changing in recent years, beginning with local cases reported in France and Croatia in 2010. Since then, France has seen an increase in locally-spread cases.