Global Warming & Disease Infection

[Gregory Matthews]

The November, 2016 issue of Scientific American has a 12 page section that deals with Advances in science, technology & medicine.  Pages 11 & 12 contain a subsection entitled What Lies Beneath, which is troubling.

The beginning part of that section the thawing permafrost in Siberia.  As a result of that recent thawing, ancient anthrax spores (Bacillus anthracis) were released into the environment.   The result has been 21+ human deaths, 100 hospitalized and some 2,300 reindeer deaths.

The issue is that the  permafrost contains ancient infectious microorganisms frozen in the permafrost that are starting to be released into the environment.  Some bacteria, spores and viruses can survive frozen for some periods of time.  In 2014 & 2015, still infectious viruses were recovered from permafrost that was estimated to be 30,000 years old.  The possibility exists that viral diseases that infected Neandertals and Denisovans could come out of the permafrost and infect humans today.  If this were to happen, it is likely that they would be forms do not presently exist in modern human life.  All of this is both unknowable and unpredictable.  And, there is not agreement as to the danger.

A more immediate threat is that current diseases that in the past have been confined to the wormer areas of Earth are spreading North as the climate warms.  Dengue Fever is now present in South Texas.  Malaria is seen at higher latitudes.  Cholera is replicating better in areas that are warming.  

 

[Excaliba]

Yep, this is a problem all right ... and the tip of the (melting  )ice-berg so to speak ...

I spent 3 years as a consultant working on Climate Change Adaptation across Africa (so, not what can you do to stop climate change, but how do countries/societies adapt to it - they realise that the change is already baked-in, and for poorer countries, the game/challenge is how to plan/adapt).

I started out as slightly skeptical as to the reality of climate change ... but after 3 years ... the impacts were already everywhere. In terms of disease, malaria (for example) is 'creeping up the valleys' or Ethiopia as warmer conditions prevail at higher altitudes for longer warm seasons ... but the big issue that doesn't get much press that was and is causing strategists alarm are the predictions of resource-conflicts wars in many parts of the world (access to water along borders, less water being available due to changing melt-off patterns from glaciers, food-scarcity combined with larger populations etc.).

It's going to be 'interesting times' as the millennial generation try to cope with the world we've left them.

Cheers!

Excaliba