Article Author:
Associated Press
By Seth Borenstein
Climate hazards such as floods, heat waves, and droughts can cause malaria, hantavirus, cholera, and even anthrax.
Researchers examined the medical literature for cases of established disease and found that 58%, or 218, of the 375 known human infectious diseases were caused by 10 extreme weather events associated with climate change. It turns out that it seems to be made worse by either. According to a study in the journal Nature Climate Change on Monday.
Physicians dating back to Hippocrates have long linked disease to the weather, but this study shows just how far-reaching the effects of climate on human health are. is shown.
Researchers have expanded their research beyond infectious diseases to include all types of human illnesses, including asthma, allergies, and even non-communicable diseases such as animal bites. We examined a number of possible associated diseases. to some form of climate hazard, including infectious disease. They found a total of 286 unique diseases, of which 223 appeared to be exacerbated by climate hazards, 9 were reduced by climate hazards, and 54 had both exacerbated and minimal cases.
The new study does not attempt to attribute changes, odds or magnitude of specific diseases to climate change, but finds cases where extreme weather is likely due to many factors. The study uncovered 1,006 links from climate hazards to disease.
"As the climate changes, so does the risk of these diseases," said study co-author and director of the Institute for Global Health at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Jonathan Patts said.
Physicians such as Patz said the disease should be viewed as a planetary manifestation of disease.
"The results of this study are terrifying and highlight the profound impact of climate change on human pathogens," said Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease expert at Emory University. said, but he was not involved in the study. We all need to work together to prevent a catastrophe.”
Camilo Mora, lead author of the study and a climate data analyst at the University of Hawaii. It is important to note that this study does not predict future cases.
"There is no speculation here," Mora said. "These things have already happened."
An example Mora knows firsthand. About five years ago, Mora's home in rural Colombia was flooded. For the first time in his memory, water was in the living room. Mora contracted Chikungunya, a nasty virus spread by mosquito bites. Although he survived, years later he still has joint pain.
Sometimes climate change works in strange ways. Mora includes a case in Siberia in 2016 when a decades-old carcass of a reindeer was found dead from anthrax when the permafrost thawed due to global warming. A child touched it and contracted anthrax, causing an outbreak.
Mora originally wanted to search medical cases to see how COVID-19 intersected with the climate disaster. He found instances where extreme weather exacerbated and reduced his chances of COVID. In some cases, extreme heat in poor neighborhoods forced people to gather to stay cool and expose themselves to disease, while in other situations people stayed indoors and away from others. heavy rains have reduced the spread of COVID.
Christie Evie, a longtime climate and public health expert at the University of Washington, warned of concerns about the way the conclusions were drawn and some of the methods of research. It's an established fact that natural gas burning has led to more frequent and intense extreme weather, and studies show that weather patterns are linked to many health problems, she said.
"But correlation is not causation," Ebi said in an email. “The authors did not discuss the extent to which the reviewed climate hazards changed during the study period, nor the extent to which changes are attributable to climate change.”
However, Harvard Public Health Dr. Aaron Bernstein, interim director of the graduate school's Center for Climate, Health and Global Environment, Emorys Del Rio, and three other outside experts said the study is a good warning about climate now. and healthy future. In particular, global warming and habitat loss are bringing animals and their diseases closer to humans, Bernstein said.
"This study highlights that climate change may favor unwelcome infectious surprises," Bernstein said in an email. “But, of course, it only reports on what we already know and what we do not yet know about pathogens, and how preventing further climate change will prevent future disasters like COVID-19.
——
https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
——
——
Follow AP's climate and environmental coverage. Environmental reporting receives support from several private foundations. Learn more about AP's climate initiatives here. AP is solely responsible for all content.
