National View: Climate change affects migration of infectious disease

Posted Apr. 19, 2016 at 2:01 AM 

Zika is all over the news. Zika is surely dangerous, but it has its limitations and is likely to be well contained. However, its greater significance extends beyond any current spread. Instead, it exemplifies the crucial emerging trend of a novel infectious agent that has swiftly become a global threat.

The common phrase "this time is different" is almost always wrong. Yet, our modern circumstances are distinctly unlike any previous era. Humans possess a unique ability for rapid travel and we choose to journey with our favorite pets and plants. This unprecedented degree of mobility extends across every global habitat. Further yet, it now occurs during a phase of a rapidly shifting climate. Certainly, species migration or global climate change is not new, but it is only in this present moment that these factors can amplify through instantaneous global travel in a singular manner.

see more at: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/20160419/OPINION/160419477