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Climate change is changing how we respond to insect-borne diseases

Health officials at Sarasota County Mosquito Management Services study specimens of anopheles mosquitoes that cause malaria, in Sarasota, Florida.
Health officials at Sarasota County Mosquito Management Services study specimens of anopheles mosquitoes that cause malaria, in Sarasota, Florida.

For the first time in 20 years, locally transmitted Malaria is back in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory after five cases were discovered in Florida and Texas. 

A warming world has increased concerns about many insect-borne diseases. A study from the World Health Organization found that about half of the world’s population now is at risk of dengue, which spreads through mosquitoes.

And recently, European Union officials said there is an increased risk of other insect-carried diseases such as the Zika virus due to climate change. 

While health officials around the world ring the alarm, here in the U.S., ticks are expanding to new regions, and more diseases are being spread through fungi and bacteria.

What does this mean for Americans as they try and enjoy the outdoors this summer and beyond?

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Michelle Harven