Both an increase in net temperature and an increase in the potential for standing water caused by storm surges increases the threat of exposure to vector-borne illnesses. Vector-borne diseases usually spread through mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, which carry pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. Common vector borne diseases include zika, malaria, and yellow fever, diseases which can be life threatening or cause dangerous birth defects.[1] In general, vectors will surface earlier and stay in season longer. For example, lyme carrier ticks “will show earlier seasonal activity and a generally northward expansion in response to increasing temperatures associated with climate change.”[2] Radical changes in environment can create new natural selection conditions leading to the creation of new pathogens. Sea level rise and flooding, for example, can promote the proliferation of mosquitoes, which thrive and rapidly multiply near stagnant water.
The simplest solution is to tackle the diseases themselves through vaccinations or by limiting the mobility and population of disease vectors using new strategies such as the release of infertile males into the insect population.[3] Both of these options are unfortunately very expensive. Vaccine prices have been on a steady rise since the 80’s although the vaccines themselves have changed very little. It is representative of the current medical market that, the average cost to fully vaccinate a child with private insurance to the age of 18 has increased from $100 to $2,192 since 1986.[4]
It is a positive however, that as a reasonably large metropolitan center, Cambridge should not have difficulty with vaccine access. The latter option of releasing infertile males has had success in the past, reducing native mosquito populations by 90%.[3] In addition, this solution has been approved by the FDA as causing no significant impact on the environment or surrounding food chain.[5] The price and convenience of this solution is improving as well due to investment from Google’s parent company Alphabet. We are now able to use a single robot to raise 1 million genetically modified mosquitos in one week without human labor.[6]
In addition, several pathogens, toxins generated by algae and cyanobacteria, and human introduced contaminants all contribute to water contamination. Infection through water can prove very catastrophic to communities such as MIT’s.[7] High occurrences of blue-green algae blooms in the Charles has made the river particularly toxic to humans and wildlife, often causing skin rashes if touched. Places of high population density with high interaction such college campuses make very vulnerable targets for epidemic. General solutions include the minimization of human contaminants such as residential, urban, and factory runoff, all of which contribute to algal bloom but also constitute a direct health risk.[2] Additional filtering of water to remove homeostasis disturbing chemicals would be a proper response.
It should also be considered that an increase in the diseased population of a city may lead to overcrowding in hospitals which in turn can cause an increase in the frequency hospital errors or malpractice. Preparation for an increase in patients over the next century as well as development of hospital strategies to quickly care for common diseases is the best solution to treat this. In general, we must try to reduce the size of the overall sick population while also expecting a rise in the long term.
By Rosalie Phillips
References
- Worldwide Health Organization. (2017, October). Vector-borne diseases. Retrieved November 27, 2017, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs387/en/
- USGCRP, 2016: The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment. Crimmins, A., J. Balbus, J.L. Gamble, C.B. Beard, J.E. Bell, D. Dodgen, R.J. Eisen, N. Fann, M.D. Hawkins, S.C. Herring, L. Jantarasami, D.M. Mills, S. Saha, M.C. Sarofim, J. Trtanj, and L. Ziska, Eds. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, 312 pp. http://dx.doi.org/10.7930/J0R49NQX
- Allen, G. (2016, January 26). Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Join The Fight To Stop Zika Virus. Retrieved October 27, 2017, from http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/01/26/464464459/genetically-modified-mosquitoes-join-the-fight-to-stop-zika-virus
- Rosenthal, E. (2014, July 02). The Price of Prevention: Vaccine Costs Are Soaring. Retrieved October 27, 2017, from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/03/health/Vaccine-Costs-Soaring-Paying-Till-It-Hurts.html
- Glenza, J. (2016, August 05). Florida cleared to release genetically modified mosquitoes in Zika fight. Retrieved November 27, 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/05/florida-genetically-modified-mosquitoes-zika
- News, C. (2017, August 08). Will unleashing 20 million mosquitoes in Fresno reduce their numbers? Retrieved November 27, 2017, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mosquito-released-reduce-population-fresno-california-experiment-virely-reduce-population/
- Fisher, J. (2017, August 01). Stay Out Of The Charles River: Toxic Algae Blooms Detected. Retrieved October 26, 2017, from https://patch.com/massachusetts/boston/stay-out-charles-toxic-algae-blooms-detected