Climate Change and Health: Pests and Contamination

A warming climate is extending the seasons for pests like mosquitoes and ticks and increasing the efficiency of microorganism growth, leading to higher risks of infections and contamination of food and water.

• Warming climate conditions, including earlier springs, warmer falls, and shorter winters, extend the active seasons for pests such as mosquitoes and ticks and reduce their winter die-off.
• Warmer and more humid air creates more favorable conditions for vectors that carry dangerous human infections, including Lyme disease and the Zika and West Nile viruses.
• Increased temperatures allow microorganisms to grow more efficiently, which can lead to the contamination of food and water and subsequent illness in vulnerable people.

APA

Climate Central (2021). Climate Change and Health: Pests and Contamination. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-change-and-health-pests-and-contamination

Chicago

Climate Central. Climate Change and Health: Pests and Contamination. 2021. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-change-and-health-pests-and-contamination.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Climate Change and Health: Pests and Contamination |date=2021 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-change-and-health-pests-and-contamination |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2021climate, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Climate Change and Health: Pests and Contamination}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2021}, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-change-and-health-pests-and-contamination}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }