A recent study published in the scientific journal Ecography has shed light on the alarming connection between climate change and the heightened risk of infectious diseases that pose a grave threat to both humans and domestic animals. The study conducted a comprehensive investigation across Europe, examining protozoans, bacteria, and viruses potentially pathogenic to humans and domestic animals in birds and bats across various climatic conditions. What they discovered was unsettling: the prevalence of many of these pathogens exhibited a strong association with temperature and rainfall patterns.
The extensive study gathered data on over 75 pathogenic microbes present in nearly 400 bird species and 40 bat species across Europe. The analysis of this data in conjunction with climatic factors unveiled a critical pattern: pathogenic bacteria tended to thrive in warm and dry climates, while pathogenic viruses favored moist environments, according to Yanjie Xu, the lead author from the Finnish Museum of Natural History at the University of Helsinki.
Delving deeper into the data, researchers found specific associations between climatic factors and pathogens. For example, rising temperatures were positively correlated with the presence of avian flu virus, malaria parasites, and bacteria responsible for diseases such as chlamydia, salmonella, Q-fever, and typhus in both birds and bats, as explained by Arto Pulliainen, a university lecturer at the University of Turku Institute of Biomedicine.
Rainfall, on the other hand, exhibited both positive and negative associations with pathogen occurrence. Increased rainfall heightened the likelihood of Usutu and Sindbis viruses, avian flu viruses, and salmonella bacteria. These findings underline the intricate relationship between climate change and infectious diseases, as changing weather patterns influence the distribution of pathogens and their hosts, such as birds. As climate change drives shifts in habitat ranges and weather conditions, the risk of infectious diseases is poised to escalate, posing a significant threat to public health.