Warmer Climates Are Causing Mosquito Populations to Spread At A Faster Rate

And it could put a billion people at risk of deadly diseases.

Transcript

00:00 [Music]

00:03 Mosquitoes aren't just obnoxious, they're also one of our planet's most notorious killers.

00:08 In fact, they're responsible for spreading some 700 million blood-borne illnesses every year,

00:12 resulting in the deaths of an astounding 725,000 people.

00:17 And now scientists say, as many parts of the world continue to get warmer,

00:20 they're becoming more hospitable to these tiny little killers,

00:23 and their populations are spreading further every year.

00:26 Researchers have been watching 22 species of African mosquitoes and their habitats,

00:30 looking at historical data going all the way back to 1898.

00:34 Since that time, the planet has warmed by at least 2.16 degrees Fahrenheit.

00:38 And now experts believe that many species are spreading their territory by around 3 miles every year,

00:43 finding some mosquito species swarming 310 miles further south than they should have.

00:48 What's more, they're also moving to higher elevations as well,

00:50 increasing the spread of diseases like malaria to once more immune areas.

00:54 Experts say that this mosquito spread could increase the cases of blood-borne illnesses exponentially,

00:59 possibly putting a billion more people at risk.

01:02 Especially considering that ethnic groups which live in areas already affected by mosquito-borne illnesses

01:07 have a resistance to diseases like malaria, a resistance that those that live in other areas do not.

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