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[greenyes] Global Warming and Infectious Diseases
- Subject: [greenyes] Global Warming and Infectious Diseases
- From: "Peter Anderson" <anderson@no.address>
- Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 10:49:39 -0600
THE LONDON INDEPEDENT
New diseases arise as environments destroyed, says UN
By Michael McCarthy, Environment Editor
22 February 2005
Changes to the environment that are sweeping the planet are bringing about a
rise in infectious diseases, the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep)
has warned.
Loss of forests; the building of roads and dams; urban growth; the clearing
of natural habitats for agriculture; mining; and pollution of coastal waters
are promoting conditions under which new and old pathogens can thrive,
according to research published today in Unep's Global Environment Outlook
Year Book for 2004/2005.
Ailments previously unknown in human beings are appearing, such as the Nipah
virus, which until recently was found normally in Asian fruit bats,
according to the report.
Nipah's emergence in the late 1990s as an often fatal disease in humans has
been linked to a combination of forest fires in Sumatra and the clearance of
natural forests in Malaysia for palm plantations. In searching for fruit,
bats were forced into closer contact with domestic pigs, giving the virus
its chance to spread to humans.
Climate change in particular may aggravate the threats of infectious
diseases in three ways, the report suggests. First, by increasing the
temperatures under which many diseases and their carriers flourish.
Second, by further stressing and altering habitats. For example, the
geographic range and seasonality of two of the world's most serious
mosquito-borne infections, malaria and dengue fever, are very sensitive to
changes in climate. Also, Neissseria meningitidis, a common cause of
meningitis, can be spread many miles in the dusty conditions that occur
following prolonged drought in the Sahel.
Third, climate change may increase the number of environmental refugees who
are forced to migrate to other communities, or even countries. This in turn
will also favour the spread of diseases from one location to
another.Overall, it seems that intact habitats and landscapes tend to keep
infectious agents in check.
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_________________________
Peter Anderson, President
RECYCLEWORLDS CONSULTING
4513 Vernon Blvd. Suite 15
Madison, WI 53705-4964
Ph: (608) 231-1100
Fax: (608) 233-0011
Cell: (608) 698-1314
eMail: anderson@no.address
web: www.recycleworlds.net
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