Warning that THREE tropical diseases are heading to Britain: Health officials predict mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue will become domestic issues by 2040 because of climate change

Three tropical diseases will emerge in Britain by the middle of this century as a result of climate change, health chiefs have warned.

Asian tiger mosquitoes, which spread dengue, Zika and chikungunya, could become established in Britain by the mid-1940s.

The viruses it transmits can cause mild illness, resulting in headaches, muscle aches and rashes. However, in severe cases they can be fatal or cause complications in unborn babies.

The biting insect, which feeds all day long, has already spread across much of Europe in recent years – including France, Spain and Italy – as warmer conditions have allowed it to move alongside people or through the transport of goods can travel.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned that the mosquito itself could become widely spread across England by 2040, with cases of dengue spreading in London by 2060.

Professor Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA, said: 'Things that, when I trained many years ago, were called tropical diseases will in reality become national domestic diseases.'

In a report on the health impacts of climate change, the UKHSA noted that all three viruses are epidemic in parts of the world including Africa and Asia.

But dengue, Zika and chikungunya have also caused major outbreaks in the US over the past decade, while there have been a handful of cases in European countries.

Outbreaks in Europe usually involved a handful of human cases. But some have sickened thousands.

“While there is currently no local transmission of pathogens between humans and mosquitoes in Britain, the climate-driven establishment of non-native mosquitoes could lead to local transmission of disease in the future,” the UKHSA warned.

Dengue has caused disease outbreaks throughout history, the first of which occurred in the West Indies in 1635. It reached Europe in 2010.

The latest data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) shows that 71 cases of locally acquired dengue have been reported in 2022, of which 65 were reported in France and six in Spain. The toll is equal to the total reported in the decade before.

However, the true toll is thought to be underestimated because not all cases are tested.

It is the fastest spreading mosquito-borne disease worldwide. Research shows that it works best when the temperature is between 18.5 and 33 degrees Celsius and there is between 6,000 mm and 18,000 mm of rain per year.

This leaves Britain at low risk, with an annual average temperature of 9.4 degrees Celsius and 800mm to 1,400mm of rainfall, the UKHSA said.

Cases already detected in Britain were linked to travel.

However, studies have shown that there is 'potential for the UK climate to become suitable for dengue in the future'.

Some people infected with dengue will not develop any symptoms. But those that do usually start four to 10 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

These include fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, nausea and vomiting, and a patchy rash consisting of raised spots.

Most people recover without treatment within a few days.

However, some develop a severe form of the disease. This can cause abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding gums or nose, and extreme fatigue.

Although there is no treatment, patients are kept in the hospital until they recover. Resting, drinking plenty of fluids and taking paracetamol is recommended.

UKHSA chiefs have also warned that Zika could spread in Britain.

Scientists first identified the virus among monkeys in what was then the Ugandan forest in 1947. Since 1950, sporadic outbreaks have occurred in parts of Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Europe saw its first Zika case in 2019 after a person in France became ill.

Most people who contract Zika do not develop any symptoms.

Those who do become unwell usually suffer from high fever, headache, sore eyes, swollen joints and rashes and itchy skin that gets better within a week.

However, the virus can cause complications in pregnant women. It disrupts a baby's brain development and can cause him to be born with an unusually small head.

Chikungunya is the other mosquito-borne infection that health bosses are concerned about.

It was first seen in Tanzania in the 1950s and has since been identified in more than 60 countries in Asia, Africa and South America.

Transmission in Europe was first reported in Italy in 2007, when around 200 human cases were noted. A later outbreak in 2017 affected 400 people in France.

Research shows that average temperatures need to reach 20 degrees Celsius for chikungunya to spread and that parts of Britain could record this for months from 2040.

The disease causes similar symptoms to dengue, including fever, severe joint pain, muscle aches, a sore head, nausea, fatigue and rash.

However, serious illness is rare.