Microbiome may mediate link between climate change and new diseases

Scientists have proposed a new model of animal diseases that includes the role of the microbiome. Their research suggests that climate change may lead to the emergence of new infectious diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the threat of infectious disease to the fore. At the time of writing, there have been more than 9 million recorded cases of the disease worldwide. Infectious diseases, particularly those crossing species boundaries (zoonoses), are rising as a result of human activities. This increase is partly due to climate change, which is encouraging some pathogen-carrying species to move outside their current habitat range. For example, the tiger mosquito, which transmits the viral disease Chikungunya, is currently expanding its geographic range across Europe and the Americas, putting millions of people at risk. A paper that Trends in Parasitology recently published includes a synthesis of research into infectious diseases in humans and wildlife. It presents a new model of infectious...