Weltweite Pandemien / Epidemien / Seuchenausbrüche

[Schneemann]

Die global steigenden Temperaturen machen es der Malaria offenbar leichter, in bisher nicht betroffene, höher liegende Regionen vorzudringen...

Malaria 'spreading to new altitudes'

Warmer temperatures are causing malaria to spread to higher altitudes, a study suggests. Researchers have found that people living in the highlands of Africa and South America are at an increased risk of catching the mosquito-borne disease during hotter years. They believe that temperature rises in the future could result in millions of additional cases in some areas. The research is published in the journal Science. [...]

Areas at higher altitudes have traditionally provided a haven from this devastating disease. Both the malaria parasite and the mosquito that carries it struggle to cope with the cooler air. [...] But the scientists say the disease is entering new regions that had previously been malaria-free. To investigate, scientists looked at densely populated areas in the highlands of Colombia and Ethiopia, where there are detailed records of both temperature and malaria cases from the 1990s to 2005. They found that in warmer years, malaria shifted higher into the mountains, while in cooler years it was limited to lower elevations.

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Schneemann.