Some Like it Hot: How Global Warming is Fueling the Spread of Infectious Diseases

Global warming is more than just a hot topic—it's a crisis that's affecting our planet in countless ways. We see the evidence of this everywhere, from record-breaking temperatures to devastating floods and wildfires that make headlines almost daily. But what's not as widely discussed is how our changing climate is making infectious disease outbreaks more frequent. In this blog, we'll explore this connection and talk about how we can prepare for future outbreaks.

^{This article is posted on our Science Snippets Blog}  

The link between global warming and disease outbreaks

Global warming is undoubtedly one of the most pressing issues of our time. Beyond its known impacts on weather patterns and ecosystems, research has shown a clear link between rising temperatures and infectious disease activity. This is because some pathogens thrive in warmer temperatures, so as the earth heats up, it creates favorable conditions for disease outbreaks in unexpected places.

Here is how:

• Expanded habitat range: Warmer temperatures allow disease-carrying vectors, like mosquitoes and ticks, to move into new areas, exposing previously unaffected populations to infectious diseases.
• Altered host-pathogen dynamics: Higher temperatures can influence the behavior and physiology of pathogens, allowing them to reproduce and spread faster.
• Changes in ecosystems: Global warming might change the distribution and behavior of animal hosts. This can lead to new host-pathogen interactions, potentially giving rise to new diseases with pandemic potential.

Recent outbreaks linked to global warming

In the past decade, we've seen several outbreaks linked to climate change. Although these outbreaks were mostly confined to specific regions, they serve as a stark reminder that pathogens are always on the lookout for opportunities to strike.

• Zika virus outbreak (2015-2016): The Zika virus, transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes, got global attention during its outbreak in South America. Rising temperatures allowed the Aedes mosquito to expand its range, leading to the spread of Zika to previously unaffected regions. This resulted in thousands of infants being born with microcephaly, a severe birth defect linked to the virus.
• Ebola outbreak in West Africa (2014-2016): This was the largest Ebola outbreak since its discovery, eventually spreading to seven other countries. Researchers believe that climate change affected the behavior of fruit bats, which are believed to be natural reservoirs of the virus. This, in turn, could have increased the risk of spillover events into human populations.
• Lyme disease in Europe and North America: Warmer temperatures have allowed the black-legged tick, which carries the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, to move into previously colder regions. So, for example, cases of Lyme disease have been increasing in parts of North America.  According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of reported Lyme disease cases in America nearly doubled between 1991 and 2018.
• West Nile fever is another climate-sensitive infectious disease. It is transmitted by mosquitos infected with West Nile Virus, and as temperatures continue to rise, the risk of transmission is expected to increase in regions that were previously unaffected. Warming temperatures is tied to the northward expansion of cases in the US and Europe. In the US, virus activity is highest in the southwest, which experiences record-breaking heat nearly every summer. While in Europe, infections have now been reported in over 20 countries.

Getting ready to combat future pandemics

Antiviral drugs and vaccines continue to be key weapons in combating infectious diseases. The last few years demonstrated the importance of robust analytical technologies for cell and protein analysis  that can take new therapeutics from concept to bedside in the shortest timeframe possible.

Technologies like high-throughput screening, automation, machine learning, and artificial intelligence can accelerate the identification of potential therapeutics. During the 2020 pandemic, high-throughput label-free methods like bio-layer interferometry (BLI) provided valuable insights during the antibody curation process for therapeutic antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2 .

We’ve also made great strides in vaccine technologies. RNA-based vaccines, like the mRNA vaccines used for COVID-19, have shown tremendous promise. These platforms can be quickly adapted to create vaccines for new pathogens, shortening the timeline from discovery to deployment.

Environmental monitoring and early warning systems

Environmental surveillance lets us know when there are pathogens around, sometimes even before human cases are reported. Air and water monitoring systems  for example, serve as an early warning system that allow public health authorities to take quick action before things escalate to a full-blown pandemic.

Regular monitoring of municipal water systems during an outbreak can also help identify potential hotspots where disease transmission is more likely to occur, allowing for targeted interventions. Similarly, air monitoring inside crowded buildings, like schools, was instrumental in protecting students and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sartorius is a trusted global supplier of lab essentials  and advanced instrument systems for virology and vaccine research . Our air and wastewater monitoring solutions  were also used to combat SARS-CoV-2 in cities worldwide. Check out our resources below to learn more.