Over half of known human pathogenic diseases can be aggravated by climate change

Camilo Mora; Tristan McKenzie; Isabella M Gaw; Jacqueline M Dean; Hannah von Hammerstein; Tabatha A Knudson; Renee O Setter; Charlotte Z Smith; Kira M Webster; Jonathan A Patz; Erik C Franklin

doi:10.1038/s41558-022-01426-1

Over half of known human pathogenic diseases can be aggravated by climate change

Nat Clim Chang. 2022;12(9):869-875. doi: 10.1038/s41558-022-01426-1. Epub 2022 Aug 8.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Geography and Environment, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI USA.
² Department of Earth Sciences, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI USA.
³ Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁴ Marine Biology Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI USA.
⁵ Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI USA.
⁶ Nelson Institute & Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA.
⁷ Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kaneohe, HI USA.

Abstract

It is relatively well accepted that climate change can affect human pathogenic diseases; however, the full extent of this risk remains poorly quantified. Here we carried out a systematic search for empirical examples about the impacts of ten climatic hazards sensitive to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on each known human pathogenic disease. We found that 58% (that is, 218 out of 375) of infectious diseases confronted by humanity worldwide have been at some point aggravated by climatic hazards; 16% were at times diminished. Empirical cases revealed 1,006 unique pathways in which climatic hazards, via different transmission types, led to pathogenic diseases. The human pathogenic diseases and transmission pathways aggravated by climatic hazards are too numerous for comprehensive societal adaptations, highlighting the urgent need to work at the source of the problem: reducing GHG emissions.

Keywords: Ecology; Environmental health; Environmental impact; Social sciences.