Global Warming: Dengue - Research Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages Approximately 50 million people worldwide were affected by the Dengue fever leading to 19,000 deaths in the year 2002 according to statistics made available by W.H.O. Experts, researchers and scientists have attributed this phenomenon to global warming claiming that it has led to a substantial rise in the amount of water including sea water as well as fresh water bodies - which are predominantly considered as breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Furthermore, some scientists also believe that the sudden change in temperatures and shift in seasons could also be attributable to the rise in incidences of such outbreak of vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria (msnbc, 2007). Various factors are and could be held accountable for such an occurrence. This includes the sudden increase in urban population, increased incidence of international tourism, as well as exchange of goods and products across several countries, as a result of globalization. (NRDC, 2011). Impact of global environmental changes on outbreak of infectious diseases: The natural environment plays a key role in the globalization phenomenon, as it leads to an increased exchange of goods and services, as well as travelling between various geographic locations across the world. Furthermore natural phenomena such as earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes or accidents such as oil spills etc lead to depletion of natural resources causing severe imbalance, and leading to various air and water borne diseases. According to studies conducted over the years it was estimated that global warming is likely to cause increase in sea levels, leading to disruption of the eco-systems; cause further expansion of deserts and lead to increased storms and violent weather. Furthermore all the disruptions in the ecological system leads to a further disruption of the business activities such as transport of plants and animals. For instance, there is a shift of various species of birds and animals to different locations and a simultaneous change in the food chain, resulting in a destruction of various species. Diseases are increasingly going global. For instance the migration of the A2 strain of potato virus from central Mexico to the potato fields in the U.S.; leading to a large scale devastation of crops and translating into millions of dollars worth of losses (Winslow, 1995 in Clegg et al., 1996). Global warming poses a significant threat with regard to the spread of various infectious diseases because of its various repercussions such as increase in temperatures, leading to increased humidity in tropical and sub-tropical areas which are a prime breeding ground for mosquitoes, which in turn are the primary sources of water-borne diseases such as dengue fever and malaria. Figure: Climate change and the dengue fever vector Source: Christophers (1960, Pp. 49) As mentioned in the previous section of this paper, global mobility has further increased the chances of outbreak of infectious diseases worldwide. For instance, the Asian tiger mosquitoes are now biting the Americans, while termites from Taiwan are destroying American homes. According to Coates (2006) the breeding of this breed of temperate zone mosquito in the U.S. was first recorded in the year 1984 in Houston, Texas which spread to other parts of the ...Download file to see next pagesRead More