As climate changes, temperature isn’t the only factor to influence the spread of infectious diseases.
As climate changes, temperature isn’t the only factor to influence the spread of infectious diseases. Humidity plays a role, too, according to new research published this week (Feb. 25) in Ecology Letters. The international team, led by Penn State researchers, developed a model to examine how parasitic worms, specifically species that infect livestock and wildlife, respond to changes in temperature and humidity and how those variables may shape the risk of infection and the development of new hot spots in the future. The findings, which may suggest similar behavior among worms that infect humans, could guide improvements in livestock management and public health interventions in endemic areas.
“We need to understand how climate change can affect the future of these infections,” said Isabella Cattadori, professor of biology at Penn State and senior author of the study. “Are they going to get worse? Are they going to shift into different habitats and create new hotspots? Will they mutate and develop into more pathogenic infections?”
Parasitic worms, specifically soil-transmitted helminths, are common and infect roughly 25% of the global human population, according to the World Health Organization. They’re also a major source of infection in animals, causing large economic loss to the livestock industry. Yet, Cattadori said, studies on climate and infections typically look at diseases carried by vectors like mosquitoes and ticks.
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