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In addition to ecosystem disruption and changes in land use, the following activities set the stage for the emergence of “new” diseases and the resurgence of established ones:
#1 - Climate Change
Though there is disagreement as to how directly human activity is affecting climate, we are in a period of global warming. Experts and computer models predict warmer temperatures, increased rainfall, and rising sea levels. Warmer temperatures are likely to expand the range of many tropical diseases, which may move into the temperate zones. The Netherlands-based institute, Research for Man and the Environment estimates that a rise in the global mean temperature of three degrees Celsius by the year 2100 would double the epidemic potential of mosquito populations in tropical regions, and increase it tenfold in temperate regions.
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