Climate change
Prof. Osterhaus made his statement in a video on www.HorizonHealth.eu as Scientific Coordinator of the VECTORIE project that fights vector-borne viruses. The West Nile virus is definitely spreading in Europe, Prof. Osterhaus says. This is due to intensified international air transport although climate change also plays a part.
“Our climate is gradually changing, and we think in the future that might be a major factor. The winters may no longer be as cold, mosquitoes may survive.”
   
Mosquitoes and birds
Dr Antonio Tenorio is Scientific Coordinator of EuroWestNile, another EU-funded research project focusing on West Nile virus. Dr Tenorio is a chemist specialised in virology and working in a team with ecologists and insect experts. Mosquitoes normally transmit West Nile virus between birds, Dr Tenorio explains on his www.HorizonHealth.eu project page.

Prevent outbreaks
Dr Tenorio: “Occasionally, humans are infected and this can cause neurological diseases and even death. There are West Nile disease outbreaks in new countries every year. Increasing our knowledge of the epidemiology and ecology of the virus may enable us to prevent such outbreaks.” Like VECTORIE, the EuroWestNile project exploits the expertise of excellent research groups from various countries and scientific disciplines, such as virology, entomology, ecology, epidemiology and modelling.

Uganda 1937
West Nile virus was named after a region in Uganda where it was first discovered in 1937. Not until the late 1990s did it pop up in the Western World. Within a few years West Nile virus has spread globally, from the United States to the rest of the Americas, Europe and the rest of the world. A vaccine is still to be developed.