What Impact Does Climate Change Have on Disease Spread?
By Sruthi Kotamraju
The fields of climate change and biosecurity have become increasingly intertwined, sparking conversation over environmental resilience and climate education. Climate change has many devastating impacts on the planet, and there has never been such a dire need for biosecurity and biological solutions than there is today.
Climate change threatens to dry out fertile farming lands, cause excessive natural disasters, and increase sea levels, all of which impact the food chain. These chain of events not only disrupt ecosystems, but also prevent crops from being harvested. The most affected regions of climate change are the Arctic, the Amazon, Coastal East Africa, and the Coral Triangle. These areas, especially the Amazon and the Coral Triangle, are essential for our food sources as they are abundant in biodiversity and the ideal climate for harvesting food. Climate change and an ever-growing population increases the risk of these regions getting either over exhausted or drying out completely. Instability in such integral regions can start a chain of problems; the main one being not having enough food to feed every mouth. This can cause conditions such as malnutrition and food insecurity for a country, weakening public health and increasing the vulnerability to certain diseases.
The recent developments in infectious diseases pose a major threat to biosecurity. Naturally occuring contagious diseases have affected human populations for generations, but it is especially important in today’s world, as living conditions and hygiene continue to worsen in certain regions. In the past, influenza, cholera, polio, and smallpox have been some of many widespread epidemics and endemics. Luckily, thanks to expert epidemiologists and medical experts, vaccines and medicines have been created, and the majority have been cured. As climate change worsens, the spread of these diseases will rapidly increase as well.
Recently, the vector-borne dengue virus has been most prominent in countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, and others that line the equator (ranked in order of most cases to least cases). As of June 20, 2024, CDC has issued all these countries with a frequent or continuous risk of dengue.
In general, dengue is a viral disease carried by tropical mosquitoes, with infected persons experiencing symptoms like high fever, rashes, and muscle pain. Being a tropical country, Brazil has received the most dengue cases in previous years, with over 6.2 million suspected cases. Recent studies have shown that mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue are expected to become more widespread if greenhouse gas emissions don’t lower in the next six decades. Below is a visual representing the range of disease-spreading mosquitoes now, versus what they will be in 2080 if there is no change in our climate. Some of the many devastating impacts include new populations not having the necessary precautions in order to combat mosquitoes, a strain on the public health system, and the disruption of local ecosystems.
The projected range of disease-spreading mosquitoes if global warming is reduced and the world exceeds Paris Agreement goals. Image credit: Sadie Ryan
The projected range of disease-spreading mosquitoes if global warming continues at its current rate. Image credit: Image credit : Sadie Ryan
Of course, climate change doesn’t only affect Brazil through disease, but also hurts the Amazon rainforest, a vital part of our ecosystems worldwide. In fact, the Amazon is the largest remaining tropical rainforest, hosts the largest collection of animals and plants on Earth, and produces 20% of Earth’s oxygen! The Amazon is a vast rainforest that needs to be protected due to its crucial role in our biosphere.
However, there is a solution.
Biosecurity can be and has been utilized as a powerful tool to combat both climate change and the epidemics it brings. In general, biosecurity is everything that’s done to keep diseases away from people, animals, and places. There are two main branches of biosecurity, known as structural and operational.
Structural biosecurity is more commonly known as the physical barriers that are put in place to prevent the spread of disease. This can be used in situations as small as separating diseased farm animals from each other using pens, or repurposing buildings and hotels as quarantine facilities for those infected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Operational biosecurity is harder to define, but has to do with carrying out and following policies, practices, and procedures in order to ensure the containment of disease.
Both these fields can work together to prevent climate change’s devastating impacts. Structural biosecurity can help contain diseases until operational biosecurity can implement effective interventions and manage disease outbreaks. However, as climate change worsens, so will the spread of contagious diseases. Already, countries are seeing an increase in dengue outbreaks and persons infected.
This intersection is particularly interesting to me because I would like to understand how innovative bio-solutions can put a stop to climate change. I have participated in essay competitions and done research on biosecurity in the past, only increasing my passion for this field. I actually want to find a way to prevent the spread of deadly diseases so that the least amount of people can get sick from it. Biotechnology and biosecurity can help contain such illnesses until healthcare experts can study them and find cures. In general, these fields are so important because they are the key to eliminating climate change and the diseases it brings.
As a result, I started my own non-profit, BodyandPlanet, which incorporates all these ideas to make climate education universally available.
While much of our youth can agree that climate change is a pressing problem, many are not educated on the facts and the negative effects warming has on our planet. Although the awareness generally increases as kids move from elementary to high school and beyond, there are not any mandatory classes where students can discuss ideas to make a change. It’s vital to educate children on such matters, so that they can be more involved and also be able to propose solutions and help. To help remedy this, I launched a book series called Zara’s Bodyville Adventures which aims to explain the impact of climate change on the body in a digestible manner for younger audiences. Seeing how certain aspects of climate change can have a negative impact on their own bodies, kids will feel motivated to make a difference. More importantly, all the information is presented in a fun, understandable manner.
My long-term goals are to continue to expand my series even further, and get my books in as many libraries and schools as possible. I also plan on implementing biosecurity into my book series, explaining how biosecurity can prevent climate change and help heal our bodies too. By providing real-world examples such as the dengue outbreak and deforestation of the Amazon, I truly believe that my series can inform and inspire younger audiences.