The Air Rescue Team of FEMERAID International informs all our members, Knights and Dames of the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, Federation of the Autonomous Priories (KMFAP) about the followings:
Climate change is expected to facilitate the spread of several infectious diseases endemic in the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere.
Higher temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and the expansion of suitable habitats for vectors such as mosquitoes and ticks are contributing to the spread of diseases that were previously confined to tropical or subtropical regions.
Higher temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and the expansion of suitable habitats for vectors such as mosquitoes and ticks are contributing to the spread of diseases that were previously confined to tropical or subtropical regions.
Diseases expected to reach or become more common in the Northern Hemisphere include:
- Dengue fever: as the habitat for the Aedes mosquitoes expands due to warmer temperatures, dengue fever is expected to spread to areas in North America and Europe that previously were not at risk.
- Zika virus: like dengue, Zika is also transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, and its spread is likely to increase with climate change, affecting parts of the United States, Europe, and other regions.
- Chikungunya: another mosquito-borne illness transmitted by Aedes species, chikungunya is expected to expand into more northern areas as temperatures rise.
- Malaria: while malaria transmission is largely under control in most of the Northern Hemisphere, rising temperatures may allow Anopheles mosquitoes to inhabit higher altitudes and latitudes, potentially bringing malaria back to areas where it had already been eradicated.
- West Nile virus: already present in parts of North America and Europe, the range and incidence of West Nile virus are likely to increase with warmer temperatures and altered bird migration patterns, which affect the mosquitoes that transmit the virus.
- Lyme disease: tick-borne Lyme disease is expected to become more prevalent in northern regions of North America and Europe. Warmer winters and longer summers provide suitable conditions for tick populations to thrive.
- Tick-borne Encephalitis: this disease, also transmitted by ticks, could expand its range as the climate becomes more suitable for tick survival, particularly in northern and central Europe.
- Leishmaniasis: this parasitic disease, spread by sandflies, may move into more temperate regions as rising temperatures create new habitats for the sandfly vector.
- Hantavirus: changes in rodent populations due to shifts in vegetation and food availability can increase the risk of hantavirus outbreaks in new areas.
- Vibrio infections: higher ocean temperatures are associated with the spread of Vibrio bacteria, which can cause infections through contaminated seafood. These infections may become more common in coastal areas of Europe and North America.
The expansion of these diseases is largely due to increased vector survival, altered migration and breeding patterns, and changing ecosystems, all of which create new opportunities for transmission in previously unaffected areas.
Public health systems will need to adapt to these challenges to prevent outbreaks and manage the spread of vector-borne diseases.
2nd October 2024
Dr. Nuno Gonçalo Cosmelli
Air Physician
Director of Air Rescue Service
General Secretary of FEMERAID International