Climate Change & Infectious Diseases
Climate Change & Infectious Diseases
Main Examination: General Studies Question Paper-3
(Climate Change and Infectious Diseases)
September 27, 2023
Foreword:
- Climate change is a serious global problem due to which we are all facing critical times for life. Additionally, the spread of infectious diseases is also increasing rapidly, and there may be a deep connection between these two issues.
- Recently a new study has confirmed the presence of protozoa, bacteria and viruses that spread diseases from birds and bats to humans and domestic animals in different climatic conditions. Many of these disease-causing pathogens were found to be directly linked to temperature or rainfall. Meaning, climate change is likely to prove dangerous for people suffering from any infectious disease.
Climate change and infectious diseases:
- Climate change refers to a type of changing weather patterns and abnormal changes in weather, which affects the entire planet. Increase in temperature, change in rainfall patterns, melting of ice, cyclones, earthquakes and more impactful storms etc. are involved in climate change.
- Global climate change has had a major impact on the spread of infectious diseases. Climate change has had a significant impact on human health. Climate change is exacerbating existing inequities and challenges in managing infectious disease. Climate change is altering the geographic range and seasonality of mosquitoes that spread dengue.
- Infectious diseases are diseases that are caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, or other microorganisms and can spread from person to person. These diseases can often manifest as diseases like fever, cold, diarrhea, tuberculosis, malaria, dengue, influenza, tetanus, TB, HIV, and COVID-19.
- Infectious diseases that are posing a great threat to humans due to climate change include dengue fever, malaria, tick-borne diseases, leishmaniasis and Ebola virus disease.
- The relationship between climate change and infectious diseases:
- Vector-borne diseases: Vectors (such as mosquitoes) play an important role in the spread of some infectious diseases, such as dengue and malaria. As a result of climate change, due to changing weather patterns and increased temperatures, vectors become more likely to increase.
- Climate sensitivity: Due to climate change, greater intensity of rainfall and higher temperatures in some areas may create greater opportunities for the spread of infectious diseases.
- As a result of climate change, some bacteria and viruses mutate and become new, giving rise to infectious diseases that the human body can recognize.
Recent Research Analysis:
- The study published in the science journal Ecography collected information on more than 75 disease-causing pathogens from nearly 400 bird and 40 bat species. Analysis of disease incidence data with climate-related factors revealed that disease spread by most pathogens was linked to temperature or rainfall.
- In general, the incidence of pathogenic bacteria has increased in areas with hot and dry climates, according to lead study author Yanji Ju of the Finnish Museum of Natural History at the University of Helsinki. Pathogenic viruses, on the other hand, prefer moist climates. The relationships between climate factors and pathogens could be examined on 17 pathogen taxa with most data, although the observed relationships varied.
- Let us tell you here that, taxa is the classification of a species from kingdom to subspecies. Some taxonomic groups are classified equally in plant, protist and animal classifications. They are placed in the order of kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species and subspecies. Arto Puliainen, a researcher at the University of Turku Institute of Biomedicine, explains that temperature was found to be linked to avian flu viruses, malaria-parasites and the bacteria that cause chlamydia, salmonella, Q-fever and typhus in birds and bats.
- Both positive and negative associations of rainfall with incidence of disease spread were observed. For example, increasing rainfall has increased the disease spread of Usutu, Sindbis and avia flu viruses as well as Salmonella bacteria.
- According to the researchers, Usutu and Sindbis viruses are spread by mosquitoes, with rain being the moist soil preferred by mosquitoes, where the diseases they spread can increase. Similarly, avian flu and salmonella are particularly prevalent among water birds, for which wetlands are also important.
- Combining the results of more than 700 research papers and nearly half a million assessments, this study further strengthens the belief that climate change could alter and make infectious disease threats more dangerous.
- Climate change alters the distribution range of both pathogens and their inhabitants, wild animals. The distribution range of the birds has already been seen to move northwards by more than a kilometer per year.
- Climate change also affects the occurrence of pathogens in the environment. There are fears that thermophilic pathogens are becoming more common in Northern Europe due to climate change, the study said. It is known that the topic of climate change is well known all over the world. It cannot be denied that climate change has currently become the biggest need facing the global society. Data show that the average temperature at the Earth's surface has increased by about 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit (about 0.9 degrees Celsius) since the end of the 19th century.
- Apart from this, sea water level has also increased by about 8 inches since the last century. The figures make it clear that it is time to think seriously about climate change.
Conclusion:
- The connection between climate change and infectious diseases is deep and we need to take up-to-date and safe measures to confront both issues. By being aware of climate change, using climate friendly agriculture and climate protection means, we can reduce the spread of infectious diseases.
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Mains Exam Question
Climate change and infectious diseases are interrelated. Discuss.