And it could put a billion people at risk of deadly diseases.
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00:00 [Music]
00:03 Mosquitoes aren't just obnoxious, they're also one of our planet's most notorious killers.
00:08 In fact, they're responsible for spreading some 700 million blood-borne illnesses every year,
00:12 resulting in the deaths of an astounding 725,000 people.
00:17 And now scientists say, as many parts of the world continue to get warmer,
00:20 they're becoming more hospitable to these tiny little killers,
00:23 and their populations are spreading further every year.
00:26 Researchers have been watching 22 species of African mosquitoes and their habitats,
00:30 looking at historical data going all the way back to 1898.
00:34 Since that time, the planet has warmed by at least 2.16 degrees Fahrenheit.
00:38 And now experts believe that many species are spreading their territory by around 3 miles every year,
00:43 finding some mosquito species swarming 310 miles further south than they should have.
00:48 What's more, they're also moving to higher elevations as well,
00:50 increasing the spread of diseases like malaria to once more immune areas.
00:54 Experts say that this mosquito spread could increase the cases of blood-borne illnesses exponentially,
00:59 possibly putting a billion more people at risk.
01:02 Especially considering that ethnic groups which live in areas already affected by mosquito-borne illnesses
01:07 have a resistance to diseases like malaria, a resistance that those that live in other areas do not.
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