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Pests and plagues are falling prey to climate shifts, too |
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Has the world already forgotten how a new, mosquito-borne infection called Zika caused a panic and chatter about a possible cancellation of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio? Has collective memory gone blank about the hand-wringing that went on concerning the invasion across the Southern U.S. of the aggressive, day-biting Aedes aegypti mosquitoes (shown above)? After coping with the terrible toll of the coronavirus — which has killed almost 610,000 Americans and infected roughly 34 million of us — it might be tempting for collective memory to downplay the important warnings of just four years ago. Then, the New York Times and others reported that the United States was starting to experience heightened health risks from different pests and the diseases they spread: “Tropical diseases — some of them never before seen in the United States — are marching northward as climate change lets mosquitoes and ticks expand their ranges. But that does not mean that epidemics will break out, scientists say. Whether a few cases explode into a full-fledged outbreak depends on a set of factors far more complex than the weather. The list of scary bug-borne illnesses seems to get longer every year: Lyme, West Nile, Chagas, dengue, chikungunya — and now Zika, the first case of which turned up in Puerto Rico last week. Some factors in the new spread are, for now, unstoppable, scientists say: the weather is hotter; cheap airfares mean humans travel more than they did decades ago; and cities in tropical countries are becoming more crowded, creating nurseries for each disease.” Separately, the newspaper zeroed in on how the warmer, wetter weather in the South is fostering the rise of mosquito nightmares, reporting: “Since 1980, the amount of time when conditions are ideal for mosquitoes — more warmth, more humidity — have increased by five days in 125 American cities, according to the news and research organization Climate Central. In 10 cities, the mosquito season has grown by a month. In 21 cities — on the Atlantic Coast below Norfolk, Va.; in much of Florida; in Mobile, New Orleans, Beaumont outside Houston and south to Corpus Christi — mosquitoes are active at least 190 days per year. “Climate change is certainly expanding the geographic range of mosquito species, and inevitably the diseases follow them,” says Nikos Vasilakis, an associate professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch …. “But it also shortens what we call the extrinsic incubation period, the time it takes from when a mosquito takes a blood meal to when it becomes infectious. The standard is 14 days, but in warmer periods we can see it as short as nine or 10 days.” Climate change also is helping pesky ticks flourish, along with the nasty illnesses they spread, the Washington Post reported, interviewing Matthias Leu, an ecologist and assistant professor at the College of William & Mary. The newspaper started by noting this: “The [CDC] reports the number of tick-borne diseases is increasing at a record pace while the geographic range of ticks continues to expand. Lyme disease is the most commonly known tick-borne disease, but other diseases, such as ehrlichiosis and STARI, have been discovered and the list of tick-related illnesses continues to grow. Tick bites have even been found to cause allergic reactions to red meat in some people.” And as expert Leu reported: “[U]rbanization has led to a growing population of deer and mice, which are used by the ticks for blood meals, and that in turn increases the tick population. Flowers and bushes planted by homeowners are feeding the deer well … Tick diseases have increased and one tick-borne disease in particular, ehrlichiosis, is impacted by the weather. Ehrlichiosis, which produces symptoms much like Lyme disease, is passed to humans by Lone Star ticks that feed on fawns or other hosts, such as rabbits and squirrels. Adult deer have stronger immune systems, which keeps the ehrlichia bacteria in check, but fawns carry much more of the bacteria. During cold winters, when the number of fawns is likely lower, the bacteria is not as widespread, which lowers the disease rate. The opposite is true during warm winters.” Rodents also are flourishing as the climate changes, and this is posing not only familiar risks — including potential spread of plague by prairie dogs or hantavirus by field mice — but also new perils. NPR reported that rats, mice, and sand fleas may be spreading leishmaniasis, a disgusting, flesh-eating disease, in Texas, Oklahoma, and Florida. The parasitic condition is well-known in tropical climes, but medical specialists are seeing concerning more cases of it cropping up in this country. |
In nation’s capital, unsnarling traffic could be breath of fresh air |
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The nation’s leaders need only to look out their windows and sniff the air to see how climate change can affect a health basic like breathable air. Washington, D.C., as well as parts of Virginia and Maryland, all suffered through seriously polluted air blamed on wildfires scorching the West Coast. The smoke and haze were carried to the Eastern Seaboard by the summer jet stream. It hit the heat and humidity locally, prompting warnings of unhealthy conditions, especially for the vulnerable. The unusual atmospheric conditions underscored why climate change is an urgent concern and one that isn’t just “the other guy’s problem.” The nation’s capital long has benefited by having politics and government as a major industry, meaning that the District, at least, does not struggle as many U.S. metropolises do with, say, pollution from heavy manufacturing. This means the area is not as afflicted with particulates, fine airborne matter that can be destructive to the heart and lungs. But the District battles for good air for a different reason — ozone pollution, also known as smog. As commuters know all too well, Washington’s vehicle traffic has become choking, and not just in road congestion. The jams also have trucks, cars, and motorcycles churning out tailpipe pollutants in significant measure, night and day. These emissions combine with other chemicals in the air and interact with the sun and wind. The result can cause big problems, as the American Lung Association has reported: “Breathing ozone can shorten your life. Strong evidence exists of the deadly impact of ozone from large studies conducted in cities across the U.S., in Europe and in Asia. Researchers repeatedly found that the risk of premature death increased with higher levels of ozone. Newer research has confirmed that ozone increased the risk of premature death even when other pollutants also are present. “Many areas in the United States produce enough ozone during the summer months to cause health problems that can be felt right away. Immediate problems — in addition to increased risk of premature death — include: shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing; asthma attacks; increased risk of respiratory infections; increased susceptibility to pulmonary inflammation; and increased need for people with lung diseases, like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), to receive medical treatment and to go to the hospital. “New studies warn of serious effects from breathing ozone over longer periods. With more long-term data, scientists are finding that long-term exposure—that is, for periods longer than eight hours, including days, months or years—may increase the risk of early death.” Regional officials continue to try to unsnarl the area’s traffic with campaigns to increase its safe flow and by encouraging commuters to use mass transit, along with efforts to make these as accessible and affordable as possible. Taxpayers, while spending billions of dollars on initiatives to improve traffic and public transportation, also will be investing in improving health in the region due to potentially reduced vehicle pollution. As the Washington Post reported: “Among the initiatives and policy priorities in D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s proposed $17.5 billion budget is reducing the use of personal cars in a post-pandemic world while promoting biking and other more sustainable modes of transportation. The mayor’s spending blueprint for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 includes tens of millions of dollars for fixing the city’s road infrastructure while advancing projects aimed at buses, bikes, and pedestrians. ‘As the District reopens and more residents are actively getting to home, work, school, we’re seizing on the opportunity to accelerate our sustainability goals,’ Bowser (D) recently told the D.C. Council. ‘Car-free lanes are a big investment in this budget, as well as a focus on how we can reclaim our streets for public use.’” |
Recent Health Care Blog Posts |
Here are some recent posts on our patient safety blog that might interest you:
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HERE’S TO A HEALTHY REST OF 2021!
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Sincerely, Patrick Malone |