Exactly how remains a bit fuzzy, but researchers have observed some trends. "Certainly, if you take a disease like dengue or West Nile virus, warmer temperatures allow the mosquito to replicate faster," he explained. "The virus replication rate in the mosquito is also increased, and then you shorten the period from when the mosquito becomes infected and when they're able to transmit."

In addition, Beard notes that the annual first frost tends to kill off mosquitoes, ticks and flies, but warmer temperatures are delaying frosts and pushing the frost line farther north. That creates the potential for year-round disease transmission in some parts of the country. "It's likely we'll see northward expansion of some of the diseases already here," he said.

Increased hurricanes, drought and torrential rainfall in endemic areas may push diseases into new regions as local economies and livelihoods are devastated. "We wish we had a crystal ball, but we don't. It's hard to know exactly what [the disease scenario] will look like," he said.

Researchers say they need more and better information. The "Neglected Infections of Impoverished Americans Act" (H.R. 528) offers some hope; it would require the secretary of the Health and Human Services Department to submit an annual report to Congress about these diseases. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) has passed the House twice but only passed committee this year, according to Andy Phelan, communications director for Johnson.

"Rep. Johnson's legislation is a good first step in fighting these diseases by raising awareness," said Phelan, in an email. "These are infections that we can treat, but we don't have a good grasp on what impact these diseases are having on poor communities throughout the nation."

Baylor's Hotez agreed. "We need to expand our data collection," he said, noting that the private sector does not have a strong incentive to address these diseases because they mainly affect the very poor. McDonald from NCEZID said outreach and education are also critical. "For a lot of people, just getting them to think about some of these things when they have extremely urgent daily survival tasks is difficult," she said.

Reprinted from Climatewire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. www.eenews.net, 202-628-6500

11 Comments

1. 1. Beetle 01:47 PM 6/4/12

   This is the same Rep. Johnson who was concerned about Guam capsizing?

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2. 2. JamesDavis 03:13 PM 6/4/12

   There is always a good way to find out more information about these diseases...spread them into the rich areas, and then watch how fast they find a cure.

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3. 3. Gatnos 05:31 PM 6/4/12

   Another perfectly good reason to crack down on illegal immigration; since legal immigrants are screened for such diseases.

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4. 4. moss boss in reply to Gatnos 06:42 PM 6/4/12

   I hope that was a troll (a weak one, at that).

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5. 5. Gatnos in reply to moss boss 06:52 PM 6/4/12

   It was, but I guess it is hard to argue against facts and the truth.

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6. 6. ErnestPayne 08:38 PM 6/4/12

   Tip of the iceberg when it comes to tropical diseases spreading into the US given the lack of preventable health care. A reasoned and reasonable essay on the subject.

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7. 7. JacobSilver 05:55 PM 6/5/12

   When drought occupies most of the tropical area as a result of global warming, with the related death of many of the people there, the vectors of tropical diseases will have to come north to claim their allotted quotient of victims.

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8. 8. Gatnos 09:32 PM 6/5/12

   Wait! The premise of this article was the UNPROVED THEORY of so called "global warming". Gosh, they had me worried there for a moment, but then reason took over. I'm OK now.

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9. 9. Trent1492 06:49 PM 6/6/12

   #Gatnos,
   
   That you make statements such as "The premise of this article was the UNPROVED THEORY of so called "global warming" is a testament to your scientific ignorance.

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10. 10. Gatnos in reply to Trent1492 07:05 PM 6/6/12

    The so-called proof of global warming has been manufactured and falsified evidence. The majority of scientists around the world now hold that what is being called global warming or climate change (to explain the decreasing average temperature for the past 10 years) is nothing more than the normal climatic cycle. Al Gore may have not invented the internet, but he did invent global warming and the Cap and Trade faux economy. Hold onto your wallet and WAKE UP!

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11. 11. HubertB 08:05 PM 6/11/12

    It could get so bad that it will become necessary to get rid of all standing water and even go so far as pour oil on mosquito breeding swamps. The United States might even need to resurrect the draconian procedures it used in the 1920s to rid the nation of malaria. Of course the EPA did not exist then.

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