An entomologist has warned the increase in temperature in New Zealand's climate could bring disease-carrying mosquitoes into the country.
Since the beginning of the year, Aotearoa has experienced drastic changes in weather, from severe flooding in the North Island to heat waves in the South Island.
On Thursday, entomologist Morgane Merien spoke with AM co-host Ryan Bridge about why the change in New Zealand's climate could allow disease-carrying mosquitoes to breed here.
"With our winters getting milder, our climates getting hotter, it could just provide the perfect environment for a population to establish," Merien said.
She said although New Zealand doesn't currently have any mosquitoes that carry diseases if they are brought into the country, they could establish a population in the warmer climate.
"We should be more careful as parts of New Zealand are becoming hotter and wetter and that makes it a very suitable habitat for these mosquitoes if they get here [to] establish a population, and that's when outbreaks could happen."
Merien told Bridge the mosquitoes come with a variety of diseases that could be detrimental to New Zealanders.
"These specific mosquitoes transmit dengue, but not just dengue, there's also Zika, chikungunya [and] yellow fever. They transmit a whole host of viruses and outbreaks could be very bad because, for most of these viruses, we don't have great treatment or accessible vaccines."
She said it would also only take one male and female mosquito to start a population.
"They breed really easily so any household containers they find themselves very at home in urban settings," Merien said.
She added the mosquitoes sneak in on cargo ships through the ports and airports.
