The report found that populations of bacterium Vibrio and ticks, which can spread diseases like Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis, are “on the rise across Europe”.
Vibrio is a “flesh-eating” bacterial infection that thrives in warm sea waters. People become infected by swimming in the sea with open wounds – even those as small as a papercut – or through the consumption of infected oysters and other shellfish.
The diseases posing a threat across the continent also include West Nile virus, dengue, chikungunya, Zika, malaria and leishmaniasis.
Regular physical activity could also be in jeopardy.
Risky hours for exercise have been expanding into hours beyond the hottest part of the day over time for both medium, such as cycling, football, and tennis, and strenuous, such as rugby or mountain biking, activities.
Comparing 2012–22 to 1990–2000, the mean annual risky hours per person for moderate intensity activities falling outside the hottest four hours of the day increased by 107 per cent in eastern Europe, 382 per cent in northern, 94 per cent in southern and 101 per cent in western.
The report highlighted that this could “result in reduced physical activity” and therefore increase the risk of “non-communicable diseases”.
It said that regular physical activity is a key component of a healthy sustainable lifestyle, but that exercising in hot weather poses a risk of heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion or exertional heat stroke.
