Updated: 1 minute agoInfection-spreading creatures such as mosquitoes and ticks are thriving on a planet warmed by a blanket of fossil fuel emissions.
And then there are the harms caused when humans introduce nonnative plants and animals or chemicals such as herbicides and fungicides to fragile ecosystems. That exacerbates losses in biodiversity that leave surviving populations more vulnerable to illness, according to research published Wednesday in the journal Nature.is the first to look at the ways such a variety of environmental problems can compound disease risks.
“It could mean that by modifying the environment, we increase the risks of future pandemics,” Rohr said. The study used observations of disease outcomes involving a wide variety of parasites infecting a spectrum of hosts around the world. The observations also included information about a range of human influences on the environment: biodiversity changes, chemical pollution, climate change, habitat loss or change and introduction of nonnative species.
The analysis found one variable of human influence that actually decreased disease risks: habitat losses. Rohr said the researchers believe that is largely a function of urbanization: Cities tend to have better sanitation and health infrastructure, and are simply home to fewer natural organisms, he said.