Global warming accelerates the spread of dangerous pathogens
Kyiv • UNN
More than 50% of human pathogens are amplified due to climate change, a new study has found. Extreme weather and human migration are creating new pathways for the spread of diseases, including dengue and West Nile virus.
More than half of human pathogens may be exacerbated by climate change, which accelerates the spread of disease, according to a new study published Thursday by a group of more than 100 scientists and policymakers. Bloomberg writes about it, reports UNN.
Details
According to the report, this year has already been a record year for new and intensified epidemicsand unfavorable weather increases the risk of disease - droughts and floods worsen water quality and food availability.
This, in turn, leads to more displaced people and creates new pathways for the spread of disease. Meanwhile, warming global temperatures mean that mosquitoes, rodents and ticks are moving into areas that were previously too cold, making it harder to predict disease incidence, the study said.
“Without significant reductions in carbon emissions, we and future generations will face more frequent and unusual diseases,” said Tulio de Oliveira, director of the Center for Epidemics and Innovation at Stellenbosch University in South Africa and lead author of the report.
This year, the number of dengue virus cases reached an annual maximum. West Nile virus caseshave also increased sharply, with 19 European countries reporting cases. Malaria-related antimicrobial resistance has spiked in East Africa.
To counter the rapid spread, de Oliveira said, there needs to be more transparency about disease outbreaks.
“As this outbreak spreads among livestock and now pigs, it increases the risk of a pandemic,” he said. “The U.S. must ensure full transparency, case reporting, and real-time genomic surveillance to facilitate the development of vaccines and therapeutics.
