Warming Climate Linked to Global Surge in Dengue Fever, New Study Finds
A new study reveals a direct connection between rising global temperatures and a dramatic increase in dengue fever cases worldwide. Researchers at the University of Washington, Arizona State University, the University of Maryland, and Stanford University found that warming temperatures are expanding the geographic range and increasing the intensity of dengue transmission, leading to more frequent and larger outbreaks.
The study, published recently, analyzed decades of climate data and dengue incidence records.It resolute that increasing temperatures are shortening the incubation period of the virus within mosquitoes and extending the transmission season, allowing the disease to spread more easily and to new areas.
“We found a realy strong relationship between rising temperatures and the incidence of dengue fever,” said Marissa Childs, lead author and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington’s Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences. “This isn’t just about warmer weather making things more agreeable for mosquitoes; it’s about fundamentally changing the dynamics of disease transmission.”
The research indicates that climate change is not only impacting weather patterns but also has “cascading consequences for human health, including fueling disease transmission by mosquitoes,” according to Mordecai.
The findings have significant implications for public health planning and accountability efforts related to climate change. Attribution studies, like this one, are increasingly being used in legal cases and policy debates to assign obligation for climate-related damages and to support compensation funds for affected countries.
co-authors of the study include Kelsey Lyberger of Arizona State university, Mallory Harris of the University of Maryland, and Marshall Burke of Stanford.The research was funded by the Illich-Sadowsky Fellowship, the Harvard university Center for the Environment, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health, the Stanford King Center on Global Growth, and the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment.
