> Can global warming affect diseases?

Can global warming affect diseases?

Posted at: 2015-03-12 
Some diseases do better in cold climates, and some in warm climates. http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.18...

Generally, people are healthier in warm climates. http://www.nipccreport.org/articles/2011...

Malaria is spread by mosquitoes. Depending on the species, it can do better in warmer or colder climates. Finland used to have a terrible problem with Malaria. http://www.malariajournal.com/content/8/...

Thanks to recent mosquito abatement measures, malaria is becoming less of a problem globally than it once was. (p. 246) http://www.who.int/malaria/world_malaria...

HIV/AIDS is generally transmitted by way of contaminated needles and sexually. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV/AIDS#Tr...

Thus, it really does not care much about temperature. However, it is found more commonly in human populations that have nonfunctional Duffy receptors on their red blood cells. Since this affects susceptibility for other diseases as well, most people have functional Duffy receptors unless their ancestors came from Sub Saharan Africa where malaria has been a serious problem for millennia, and not having had a functional Duffy receptor was a Darwinian advantage before HIV/AIDS. http://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/re...

Edit @Chem Flunky:

I find it amusing when people suggest that insect borne diseases are less of a problem in cold places than warm ones.



Yes it's possible than some diseases like Malaria or dengue could move to other countries, but most disease like HIV are spread by people and can live in hot or cold countries, and the danger is not great, I mean people still travel to hot countries without worrying about infections, I myself live in Philippines.

Yes climate change is a load of garbage.

Climate warming is allowing disease-causing bacteria, viruses and fungi to move into new areas where they may harm species as diverse as lions and snails, butterflies and humans, a study suggests.

Pathogens that have been restricted by seasonal temperatures can invade new areas and find new victims as the climate warms and winters grow milder, researchers say in a study in the journal Science.

"Climate change is disrupting natural ecosystems in a way that is making life better for infectious diseases," said Andrew Dobson, a Princeton University researchers and another co-author of the study in Science. "The accumulation of evidence has us extremely worried. We share diseases with some of these species. The risk for humans is going up."

Climate changes already are thought to have contributed to an epidemic of avian malaria that wiped out thousands of birds in Hawaii, the spread of an insect-borne pathogen that causes distemper in African lions, and the bleaching of coral reefs attacked by diseases that thrive in warming seas.

Humans are also at direct and dramatic risk from such insect-born diseases as malaria, dengue and yellow fever, the researchers said.

"In all the discussions about climate change, this has really been kind of left out," said Drew Harvell, a Cornell University marine ecologist and lead author of the study. "Just a one- or two-degree change in temperature can lead to disease outbreaks."

Richard S. Ostfeld, a co-author of the study, said, "We're alarmed because in reviewing the research on a variety of different organisms we are seeing strikingly similar patterns of increases in disease spread or incidence with climate warming." Ostfeld is an environmental researcher at the Institute of Ecosystem Studies.

In the study, the authors analyzed how warming temperatures already are letting insects and microbes invade areas where they once were barred by severe seasonal chills. They said mosquitoes are moving up mountainsides, spreading disease among animals formerly protected by temperature. They also found some pathogens reproduce more often in warmer temperatures, so there are more germs around to cause infection.

AGW, even if there were such a thing, could never impact Malaria as much as the banning of DDT. Malaria was once rampant in the US and with the advent of DDT it was almost wiped out earth wide. The EPA and UN banned DDT now millions are dying due to Malaria.

Now admit it! The greenie movement is responsible for several million deaths a year and great suffering. These 'saviors of the earth' are quite disgusting.

The cases and deaths from Malaria and HIV have gone down since 2000...

http://www.inequalitywatch.eu/spip.php?a...

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/...

This is of course during the same time as any supposed global warming was occurring.

But why let facts get in the way of a good Global Warming scare.

There are a couple of ways that global warming can potentially affect disease.

One, most insects can't live, or at least can't be active, in freezing weather. So, most insect-borne illnesses spread poorly in cold weather (with the potential exception of insects that live on our bodies and/or in our houses).

Fungal diseases can be similarly slowed by cold weather, or sped up by warm weather. In particular, mold likes warm, wet weather.

Diseases spread by general interpersonal contact, such as colds, can be increased when everyone is inside in close quarters because of cold weather. But most such diseases aren't life-threatening to otherwise healthy people.

And, general ill health, from, for example, malnutrition or heat stress, either of which could be caused by global warming (as well as general ill health from, for example, cold, which would generally be reduced by global warming) could lead to greater susceptibility to various illnesses.

But I can't think of any reasonable chain that would lead to a significant impact on HIV in North Eastern Europe from AGW, with the possible exception of increased immigration from areas where HIV is a severe problem.

As far as I know existing diseases will not be effected. However in some areas where there is a combination of flooding or heavy rains followed by heat waves/drought, mosquitoes and mosquito borne diseases like malaria and dengue fever could increase

HIV/AIDS is transfered by human not by heat or cold climate

Climate change is garbage.

It isn't garbage, You raise interesting points.

Can climate change in North Eastern Europe affect diseases such as HIV/AID or Malaria? If temperature rises malaria is able to produce more. But how is HIV/AID driven by heat or cold? Or is climate change a bunch of garbage?