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Change Your World Week Winter 2022 (Archived)

This website features links to student-designed web pages to raise awareness on issues they have researched, as well as election-related information such as races, candidates, and ballot initiatives. Each page represents student work to inform their peers

Climate Change Effects on Vector-Borne Diseases

Cartoon headshots of various people. Caption reads This is a Student-Created webpage.

 

 

Recently, there is an increasing debate on whether climate change exists or not, moreover the debate may be continued on whether these climate changes have negative and destructive effects of human’s life. Such effects include vector-borne diseases, “By 2100 it is estimated that average global temperatures will have risen by 1.0–3.5C, increasing the likelihood of many vector-borne diseases in new areas. The greatest effect of climate change on transmission is likely to be observed at the extremes of the range of temperatures at which transmission occurs.” (Githeko et al.,2000). It is important to have the knowledge about the relationship between the climate change and the increase of vector-borne diseases in order to predict the possible consequences of the future climate change.

The impact of climate change can be summarized with the significant increase in temperatures. High temperatures may sequentially increase vector-born diseases such as Malaria and other tick-borne diseases, “Some studies have indicated that the Mediterranean basin is becoming more hospitable for the spread of Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever” (Maltezou and Papa,2010). Increasing temperatures associated with climate change may provide a suitable environment for disease spreading vectors. The raising temperatures increase the density of vectors like mosquito, the malaria most transmitter, which have been established by the World Health Organization’s report (2014), “Climate change has considerable consequences in the global distribution of VBDs, Climate change also affects transmission of dengue as mosquitoes reproduce more quickly and bite more frequently at higher temperatures” (Karmakar & Pradhan, 2020). Such effects are not limited in areas with tropical climate, the rising temperature may affects regions with colder weather by making these areas a suitable habitat for blood-feeding arthropods, the CDC reported that tick-borne disease cases predominated in the eastern continental United States and areas along the Pacific coast, mosquito-borne dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses were almost exclusively transmitted in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where they were periodically epidemic, and West Nile virus, also occasionally epidemic, was widely distributed in the continental United States, where it is the major mosquito-borne disease.

Climate change has a threatening effect on human's health in the 21st century, “Climate directly impacts health through climatic extremes, air quality, sea-level rise, and multifaceted influences on food production systems and water resources. Climate also affects infectious diseases, which have played a significant role in human history, impacting the rise and fall of civilizations and facilitating the conquest of new territories”(Caminade et al., 2018). Future generations would have challenges that required serious changes to improve, or maintain, a livable healthy environment.

 

The climate change problem has been addressed by scientists and microbiologists through numerous studies in attempt to increase the community awareness of the climate change role in increasing contagious diseases, “For vector-borne diseases, climate change will affect the distribution of vectors and hence the range over which diseases are transmitted, as well as the efficiency with which vectors transmit pathogens” (Cavicchioli et al., 2019). The problem has been addressed also by the World Health Organization “As described by WHO report (2014), a huge percentage of people in the globe are at risk from viruses and bacteria, which are being transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and other vectors” (Karmakar & Pradhan, 2020).

Many actions have been taken by manufacturers and politicians to reduce the ongoing problem of climate change due to pollution and carbon dioxide emissions which lead to climate high temperatures. Sources for cleaner energy have been deployed instead of coal industry, also the development of hybrid and electric cars may have huge impact on reducing the gas emissions problem to maintain more balanced environment. A partnership between government and universities and other nongovernmental organizations may achieve the goals required to maintain a health ecosystem, “In order for broad collaborations to be most effective, mechanisms must be developed for effective communication, data sharing, and research integration among institutions and disciplines” (Mills et al.,2010).

Although, there are noticeable increase in the parties advocating for serious changes to minimize the factors that associated with climate change, such as gas emissions and coal industry, others may consider the climate change have a slight impact on human’s health in general and the spread of vector-borne diseases.  Such opposing viewpoints had been adopted by some industrialists, politicians, and researchers, “Other researchers agreed in principle, but pointed out that the purpose of climate models is not to prove that the incidence of malaria will increase”(Vaidyanathan, 2010). These allegations could be true considering to the minor effects noticed, but their impact may be crucial on future.

Climate change problem is an ongoing problem, and it is hard to deny its dramatic effects on the environment, even though these effects are slow, the community should pay more attention and be responsible, “In response to predictions of increased risk of HPS in the southwestern United States in 1998 and 1999, the CDC, in partnership with several southwestern States, developed and promulgated prevention messages via television, radio, pamphlets and posters” (Mills et al.,2010). Each one of us have a role, first be aware of the existence of climate changes. Individuals can reduce their uses of cars by carpooling, using bikes for small trips. Meanwhile industries can use winds, sun, and water as a clean source of energy. We can do the small first steps by making flyers or pages on social media and other accessible platforms that educating people about the severity of the ongoing problems, supported by studies and research to make it available for everyone especially the young generations.

Sources

Caminade, C., McIntyre, K. M., & Jones, A. E. (2018). Impact of recent and future climate change on vector-borne diseases: Climate change and vector-borne diseases. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1436(1), 157–173. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13950

Cavicchioli, R., Ripple, W. J., Timmis, K. N., Azam, F., Bakken, L. R., Baylis, M., Behrenfeld, M. J., Boetius, A., Boyd, P. W., Classen, A. T., Crowther, T. W., Danovaro, R., Foreman, C. M., Huisman, J., Hutchins, D. A., Jansson, J. K., Karl, D. M., Koskella, B., Mark Welch, D. B., … Webster, N. S. (2019). Scientists’ warning to humanity: Microorganisms and climate change. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 17(9), 569–586. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-019-0222-5

Githeko AK, Lindsay SW, Confalonieri U Eet al. (2000). Climate change and vector-borne diseases: a regional analysis. Bull World Health Organ,78:1136–47.

Karmakar, M., & Pradhan, M. M. (2020). Climate change and public health: a study of vector-borne diseases in Odisha, India. Natural Hazards, 102(2), 659–671. https://doi-org.ezproxy.delta.edu/10.1007/s11069-019-03594-4

Maltezou,HC., Papa, A. (2010) Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever: risk for emergence of new endemic foci in Europe?. Travel Med and Infectious Disease,8:139–43.

Mills, J. N., Gage, K. L., & Khan, A. S. (2010). Potential Influence of Climate Change on Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases: A Review and Proposed Research Plan. Environmental Health Perspectives, 118(11), 1507–1517. https://doi-org.ezproxy.delta.edu/10.1289/ehp.0901389

Vaidyanathan,G. (2010). Bed Nets and Other Treatments Trump Climate Change for Malaria. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bed-nets-trump-climate-change-for-malaria/