Climate change is one of the most significant threats to our future and way of life in the 21st century. Its immediate effects are obvious, and are making headlines already: temperatures are reaching new records every year, natural disasters are increasing in severity and frequency, and habitats of creatures essential for biodiversity balance are being wiped out. Unfortunately, the bad news does not end there. A less recognized, but equally critical issue is the role of climate change in increasing the spread of infectious diseases. A paper in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases suggests that “climate-sensitive infectious diseases”, especially those spread by animals or insects, will increase in transmission intensity as global heating and severe weather events continue to worsen. This represents a massive challenge for healthcare systems everywhere, especially in the Global South that is already disproportionately affected by the effects of climate change. Healthcare workers across all levels, from new graduates to family nurse practitioners with advanced qualifications from courses like online post master's certificate nurse practitioner programs, will need to anticipate how this will change the landscape of providing care.
The Link Between Climate Change and Infectious Diseases
When temperatures rise and rainfall increases, particularly in already warm climates, it creates more hospitable conditions for dangerous pathogens. It can also allow viruses, bacteria, and parasites to thrive in areas where they were previously non-existent. The best example of this occurring is through vector-borne diseases. Malaria, dengue fever, and lyme disease are spread by mosquitoes and ticks respectively, and as temperatures rise, these insects can survive in areas that they previously could not. In the case of mosquitoes, increased rainfall also creates new habitats for spawning, therefore increasing the population of insects potentially carrying these deadly diseases. The spread of these pathogens is already happening at an alarming rate, and with climate change exacerbating their spread, there is an urgent need for healthcare systems to be prepared.
Temperature, Pathogen Survival, and Emerging Diseases
A 2022 study found that a staggering 58% of infectious diseases that affect humans have been aggravated, at some point, by climate change. For mosquito-borne viruses like dengue, malaria and zika, warmer temperatures accelerate the development of the virus, and mosquitoes are no longer confined to tropical and subtropical climates with increasing global temperatures. This is particularly dangerous in areas that have never seen these diseases before, as there is no immunity, healthcare infrastructure, or preventative measures like larvae fogging to help control the spread of disease. A study published in July suggests that Spain and parts of the Mediterranean are at risk of zika and chikungunya viruses over the next few decades due to these factors, with an additional risk of the virus adapting and evolving to the Mediterranean climate.
Heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding can contaminate water supplies with fecal matter, which can promote the spread of waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid. This is particularly dangerous in countries with weak healthcare infrastructure and disaster preparedness, highlighting the necessity of aid to the Global South as these issues become more and more prevalent.
Climate Change and Antibiotic Resistance
As temperatures rise, conditions for bacterial reproduction and mutation become more favorable. When this happens in regions that farm livestock, the use of antibiotics can increase as animals become more susceptible to infections. This overuse contributes to the mutation of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria, which can then lead to the cross-zoonotic spread of animal-based diseases. When this is combined with the exacerbation of disease spread due to climate change, it could create the perfect storm for a global health crisis.
Healthcare Sector Implications
The best offense against this threat is early detection. If a lid is kept on potentially dangerous or virulent pathogens, this allows more time to develop vaccines or prepare populations for a pandemic. While changes in climate conditions are already being tracked, linking these to close monitoring of areas where new infections are emerging can predict outbreaks before they begin to maximize chances of a successful quarantine.
Healthcare workers need ongoing education to recognize and treat disease that may enter places that they have not previously been detected. Symptoms and diagnostics procedures for these emerging procedures are important to detect spread early and enact plans to curb further infection. Collaboration between frontline healthcare workers and epidemiologists, climatologists, and infectious disease specialists can paint a more complete picture of how climate change impacts different regions in real-time. A consideration throughout this process is that learning is ongoing. As diseases evolve, so must their detection and treatment, and only through diligence can risk be mitigated.
Health infrastructure is critical to maintaining these cross-disciplinary connections, and places with limited access to sanitation can become ground zero for new developments in pathogens. There must be greater expenditure in public health infrastructure for less economically developed countries to reduce the risk of large-scale outbreaks that could pose significant harm to humanity. Vector control programs can assist here, too — chemical fogging for mosquitoes is an already common method to curtail insect populations and reduce the spread of malaria and dengue.
Infectious diseases do not check passports or wait patiently in line at borders. A sufficiently virulent pathogen could spell doom for human life on this planet as we know it today, which underlines the necessity of international collaboration. Global health bodies like the World Health Organization must work alongside governments and healthcare providers to share information, resources, and risk management strategies to prevent climate change tipping the scales in favor of disease.
There is an undeniable link in the exacerbation of the spread of infectious diseases by climate change. Unfortunately, climate change prevention strategies will no longer prevent the potentially catastrophic consequences of further global pandemics. As temperatures rise and ecosystems change, we will see pathogens thriving in areas they have never been seen before, and we must be prepared. Surveillance, education, infrastructure funding, and, above all, collaboration, can mitigate the impacts of climate change on infectious diseases and protect our global health for a better future.
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