Climate change has already aggravated 58% of infectious diseases
The consequences of climate change aren’t reserved for the oceans and atmosphere: Diseases have secured a larger presence in recent years thanks to global warming.
In a sweeping analysis of more than 800 published studies, scientists from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) discovered climate change had exacerbated 58% of infectious diseases in certain documented instances. Although less common, climate warming also lessened 16% of infectious diseases.
“We never imagined the magnitude of diseases impacted by climate change. I think that was quite shocking to all of us,” said coastal hydrologist Tristan McKenzie at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. McKenzie completed the work with others during his doctorate at UHM.
The illnesses aggravated by climate change include some of the deadliest, such as measles, malaria, and diarrheal diseases. Scientific literature has long supported the fact that climate change enhances certain diseases, such as a study earlier this year finding that bacteria-caused diarrhea could become more dominant as wetter and warmer conditions spread. [Continue reading…]