1. Mosquito-borne diseases

2. Epidemiological studies have shown that temperature is a factor in dengue transmission in urban areas. Climate change projections on the basis of humidity for 2085 suggests dengue transmission to shift the latitudinal and altitudinal range. In temperate locations, climate change could further increase the length of the transmission season. An increase in mean temperature could result in seasonal dengue transmission in southern Europe if A aegypti infected with the virus were to be established.

3. Chikungunya fever is caused by a virus of the genus Alphavirus, in the family Togaviridae, which is transmitted to human beings by the bite of infected mosquitoes such as A aegypti, and A albopictus.

4. A confirmed outbreak of chikungunya fever was reported in August 2007 in northeastern Italy, the first chikungunya outbreak on the European continent. Vector surveillance in the vicinity of the cases identified large numbers of A albopictus mosquitoes in traps, but no sandflies or other vectors. While introductions of A albopictusand chikungunya virus into Italy were accidental events, a climatic model with five scenarios has been developed for possible further establishment of A albopictus in Europe with main variables such as mild winters, mean annual rainfall exceeding 50 cm and mean summer temperatures exceeding 20°C .

5. Vector population density, an important determinant of the epidemic potential, is also linked to duration of the seasonal activity; therefore, the weeks between spring egg hatching and autumn egg diapause are also factored in. This model defines the potential for further transmission and dispersion of the vector under favourable climatic conditions in temperate countries and outlines the geographic areas potentially at risk of future outbreaks.

6. Malaria is caused by one of four species of the Plasmodium parasite transmitted by female Anopheles spp mosquitoes. Historically malaria was endemic in Europe, including Scandinavia, but it was eventually eliminated in 1975 through a number of factors related to socioeconomic development. Any role that climate played in malaria reduction would have been small. 

7. the potential for malaria transmission is intricately connected to meteorological conditions such as temperature and precipitation. For example, conditions for transmission in Europe have remained favourable as documented by sporadic autochthonous transmission of a tropical malaria strain by local vectors to a susceptible person 

8. The potential for malaria and other “tropical” diseases to invade southern Europe is commonly cited as an example of the territorial expansion of risk due to climate change (socioeconomic, building codes, land use, treatment, capacity of health-care system, etc). Projections of malaria under future climate change scenarios are limited in Europe. An assessment in Portugal projected an increase in the number of days per year suitable for malaria transmission; however, transmission would depend on infected vectors to be present 

9. For the UK, an increase in risk of local malaria transmission based on change in temperature projected to occur by 2050 was estimated to be 8 to 14%, but malaria re-establishment is highly unlikely. Thus, while climatic factors may favor autochthonous transmission, increased vector density, and accelerated parasite development, other factors (socioeconomic, building codes, land use, treatment, etc) limit the likelihood of climate-related re-emergence of malaria in Europe