ECDC warns warmer European summers are raising infectious-disease risks

Key points

• The ECDC said longer, warmer summers are increasing conditions for infectious diseases and called for cooperation across borders and human, environmental and animal-health sectors.
• Rising temperatures can accelerate bacterial growth in food, making foodborne illness more likely during summer, the ECDC warned.
• Longer warm and humid seasons are helping invasive mosquitoes spread, while dengue, chikungunya and West Nile virus pose growing concerns in Europe.
• The ECDC said infected ticks can transmit Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis, for which Europe records about 3,000 cases annually.
• Vibrio infections remain uncommon in Europe, but Baltic Sea countries have reported increases during extended heatwaves and warmer waters, the agency said.