Global warming disease warning

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says global warming could lead to a major increase in insect-borne diseases in Britain and Europe.

It has called for urgent government action to prepare for the spread of diseases like malaria and encephalitis.

The average temperature in Europe has increased by 0.8C during the past century and the average global temperature could rise by another 3.5C by the year 2100, as heat is trapped in the atmosphere by a build-up of gases such as carbon dioxide.

This would be accompanied by changes in rainfall patterns, greater precipitation and humidity in the atmosphere, and many new areas of floodwater.

This in turn could lead to an increase in disease-carrying pests such as ticks, mosquitoes and rats, which live in warmer climates and whose breeding-grounds are often in damp areas.

Three countries in the European region covered by the WHO - Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Turkey - are already danger zones for mosquito-borne malaria.

The WHO says the disease is likely to spread to further areas within eastern Europe, and from there, possibly, to western areas.

If northern Europe becomes warmer, ticks - which carry encephalitis and lyme disease - and sandflies - which carry visceral leishmaniasis - are likely to move in.