West Nile Virus Proliferates where Climate Change Brings Warm, Wet Weather

image via New Scientist

August 21, 2024, 6:00 PM

• •Houston is seeing a spike in West Nile virus cases — and climate change is to blame.
• •The city experienced above-average rain in the spring, fueling the wet, warm conditions that boosted local mosquito populations.
• •West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people infected with the virus do not feel sick, but 1 in 5 develop a fever and other symptoms. Roughly 1 in 150 infected people develop serious or fatal illnesses, and infection can lead to lifelong autoimmune diseases.

Houston is seeing a spike in West Nile virus cases — and climate change is to blame. As of mid-August, 24 people in Texas' Harris County had contracted the virus, and more than 600 mosquito samples tested positive for it. By contrast, over the past five years, the area saw fewer than 10 cases annually, and positive mosquito samples never rose above 320. It's just the latest case of climate-fueled weather increasing the transmission of vector-borne infectious diseases.

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