Pathogens Spread Further and Faster in Warming World, Study Says

(Bloomberg) — More than half of human pathogens may be aggravated by climate change and this is accelerating disease transmission, according to a new report.

It’s already been a record year for new and amplified epidemics, with adverse weather raising the risk of illnesses as droughts and floods hurt water quality and the availability of food, according to the study released by a team of more than 100 scientists and policymakers Thursday. 

This in turn leads to more displaced people and creates new ways for disease to spread. Meanwhile, warmer global temperatures means mosquitoes, rodents and ticks move into areas that previously were too cold, making it difficult to predict patterns of illnesses, it said. 

“Without significant reductions in carbon emissions, we, along with future generations, will face more frequent and unusual diseases,” said Tulio de Oliveira, director of Stellenbosch University’s Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation in South Africa and the report’s lead author. 

Dengue virus cases reached the highest annual number this year. There was also a sharp rise in West Nile virus, with 19 European countries reporting cases. In East Africa, spikes in antimicrobial resistance related to malaria have been seen.

To counter the faster spread, there needs to be greater transparency in outbreaks, De Oliveira said, citing the ongoing H5N1 flu outbreak in animals in the US. 

“As this outbreak spreads through livestock and now swine, it raises the risk of a pandemic,” he said. “The US must provide full transparency, report cases, and conduct real-time genomic surveillance to facilitate the development of vaccines and therapeutics.”

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