Respiratory DiseaseĬlimate change affects the air we breathe. Researchers believe this is due to rising temperatures worldwide that are broadening the habitats of pathogens and vectors, putting more people at risk daily. This species used to die out each year when the mercury went down, according to an article in Atlantic Monthly. ![]() In 2015, researchers discovered that a species of mosquito that spreads Nile and Zika viruses is surviving the winters as far north as Washington, D.C. Heat and moisture provide ideal breeding conditions for many vectors, and warmer temperatures support the wider distribution of the pathogens and their carriers.Ĭhanges in climate and water supply bring unfamiliar diseases to population sectors that are not prepared to deal with them. They carry pathogens from one host to the next, leaving behind viruses, bacteria, or protozoa that cause illness. Vectors are parasites like rats, fleas, mosquitoes and ticks. The most serious health threats we face include the following. The health risks certainly are greater among vulnerable groups of people, such as the elderly, infants, the poor and the ill, but as temperatures continue to climb, increasing numbers of the general population are at risk as well. Warming temperatures, wildfires, rising sea levels and droughts all cause or exacerbate debilitating health conditions that threaten not only at-risk sectors of society but also you and me. Climate change is a big deal for a number of reasons, and one of the biggest is its impact on human health.
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