And it could put a billion people at risk of deadly diseases.
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00:00Mosquitoes aren't just obnoxious, they're also one of our planet's most notorious
00:07killers.
00:08In fact, they're responsible for spreading some 700 million blood-borne illnesses every
00:12year, resulting in the deaths of an astounding 725,000 people.
00:17And now scientists say, as many parts of the world continue to get warmer, they're becoming
00:21more hospitable to these tiny little killers, and their populations are spreading further
00:26every year.
00:27Researchers have been watching 22 species of African mosquitoes and their habitats,
00:31looking at historical data going all the way back to 1898.
00:34Since that time, the planet has warmed by at least 2.16 degrees Fahrenheit.
00:38And now experts believe that many species are spreading their territory by around three
00:42miles every year, finding some mosquito species swarming 310 miles further south than they
00:47should have.
00:48What's more, they're also moving to higher elevations as well, increasing the spread
00:52of diseases like malaria to once more immune areas.
00:55Scientists say that this mosquito spread could increase the cases of blood-borne illnesses
00:59exponentially, possibly putting a billion more people at risk.
01:02Especially considering that ethnic groups which live in areas already affected by mosquito-borne
01:06illnesses have a resistance to diseases like malaria, a resistance that those that live
01:11in other areas do not.