Climate change may increase risk of new infectious diseases, especially in Asia, Africa
- A new study brings together the two most pressing global concerns: a warming planet and the emergence of new viruses
- Over 3,000 mammal species might migrate and share viruses over the next 50 years if the world warms by 2 degrees Celsius, which is possible
Climate change will result in thousands of new viruses spread among animal species by 2070 – and that’s likely to increase the risk of emerging infectious diseases jumping from animals to humans, according to a new study.
This is especially true for Africa and Asia, continents that have been hotspots for deadly disease spread from humans to animals or vice versa over the last several decades, including the flu, HIV, Ebola and coronavirus.
Researchers, who published their findings Thursday in the journal Nature, used a model to examine how over 3,000 mammal species might migrate and share viruses over the next 50 years if the world warms by 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), which recent research shows is possible.
They found that cross-species virus spread will happen over 4,000 times among mammals alone. Birds and marine animals weren’t included in the study.
Researchers said not all viruses will spread to humans or become pandemics on the scale of the coronavirus, but the number of cross-species viruses increases the risk of spread to humans.