Climate change has many undesirable side effects, and according to new research, increasing the spread of infectious diseases can be added to that list.
Climate change has many undesirable side effects, and according to new research, increasing the spread of infectious diseases can be added to that list.
Sam Scheiner, program director for the National Science Foundation which co-funded the study said: “Earth's changing climate and the global spread of infectious diseases are threatening human health, agriculture and wildlife.”
Mosquitoes that live in tropical climates including Florida, contribute to the spread of infectious diseases like dengue fever, which has seen a resurgence in the Florida Keys after being previously eradicated from the area.
The range of mosquitoes is projected to grow as temperatures increase, exposing more of the population to the diseases they can carry.
Plants and animals are also subject to a potential threat from infectious diseases associated with warmer temperatures.
Coral reefs in the Caribbean that have been affected by higher temperatures are less able to fight off harmful fungi and bacteria infections.
These problems in the ecosystem then affect other organisms that depend on the coral.
What do you think? Is the rise in the spread of infectious diseases related to climate change?
