Moving Into Age of Pandemics Due to Climate Change

Abstract

The early effects of the global climate change have been extensively studied but future effects on ecological health, human, domestic animal, and wildlife health, however, are significantly less well understood. Due to climate change, ancient bacteria and viruses that have laid asleep for thousands of years are reawakening as permafrost soils that have frozen for several thousands of years, melt. 218 of the 375 infectious diseases that humanity has faced over the planet have at some point been made worse by climatic dangers. Empirical cases showed 1,006 distinct ways that climatic risks, through various modes of transmission, led to deadly diseases. For complete societal adaptations to be effective there are too many human pathogenic diseases and modes of transmission that are exacerbated by climate hazards. This underscores the urgent need to address the root cause of the issue, which is reducing Green House Gas emissions. In addition to releasing these toxic chemicals, thawing permafrost also poses a health risk because it could release a variety of hibernating diseases, including novel and previously unidentified antibiotic-resistant bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Our immune system is underdeveloped and will need to undergo major adaptation, known as allostasis, which is also referred to as permafrost immunity.  Climate change, for instance, may result in a wide range of microbiological, vector, and host reactions, while not all organisms may react in the same way or over the same amount of time. Unfortunately, our scientific community has a fairly limited grasp of the current effectors and balances for many creatures and ecosystems, making it difficult to characterize the current condition, let alone to verify predictions for the future. It is clear that improved basic systematic surveillance and research programs are required, but implementing such programs is challenging and what is done during the coming years could be crucial.