Impacts Of Climate Change On Diseases

Question 1

Impact of extreme rainfall

Answer 1

Risk of flooding and waterborne diseases like cholera

Question 2

Low flow rivers

Answer 2

Water borne vectors appear in high concentrations in these rivers

Question 3

What conditions are required for a dengue epidemic?

Answer 3

+32 degrees on average and 95% humidity. With rising temperstures and changing rainfall patterns, this is more likely

Question 4

Range of tolerance of disease

Answer 4

Pathogens, vectors and hosts are likely to experience changes to the climate and habitat outside of their range of tolerance e.g. dengue epidemics

Question 5

Factors associated with more cases of West Nile virus

Answer 5

higher temps, lower precipitation and no previous exposure to it

e.g. NYC in 1999

Question 6

Risk of zoonotic diseases increases when…..

Answer 6

• poor hygiene/sanitation
• unrestricted movement of infected animals
• lack of vaccination of domestic animals

Question 7

Epidemics in the northern hemisphere

Answer 7

Epidemics of influenza are common in winter months
This is because transmission of flu virus is most efficient in lower temps (5 degrees) when atmospheric humidity is low
These conditions most often occur in winter

Question 8

Seasonal variations in vector borne diseases in tropics

Answer 8

Reach a peak in rainy season e.g. diarrhoeal disease in S. Asia surges in premonsoon (March and April) and end of monsoon (September and October) when sandfly populations are at their highest