Mosquitoes about to turn Hungary into hell?
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24.hu reports that there are mostly 50 different species of mosquitoes native to Hungary that are about to retire into hibernation for the winter, but there are three new additions from abroad. These latter three are causing a lot of concern, as they might be the start of a new epidemic, bringing viruses like the Zika.
The 50 native mosquitoes are harmless, according to scientists. However, the three newcomers – the Korean mosquito, the Asian tiger mosquito and the Asian bush mosquito – are not only invasive subspecies but also pose a serious threat concerning viruses.
The issue is that the larvae of these invasive species can survive almost anything up to 2-3 years, ranging from the heatwaves all the way to the freezing colds of wintertime.
The reason why tropical diseases did not reach the temperate climate zones is that the mosquitoes able to transfer such diseases could not survive the changing climate. Due to climate change and global warming, these species are able to adapt to new climates, once they are brought in accidentally through travelling and trade.
There is no way of telling for sure which species will hatch in the spring, as Hungary lacks a monitoring, surveillance and adept filtering system. Scientists at the University of Pécs are researching this area, but even they do not know where and in what number are these three new species settled.
Drastic findings