Recent reports that federal funding cuts for climate research may lead to a rise in mosquito-borne diseases spurred online conversations about the spread of dengue. Last month, the CDC issued a health alert about rising dengue risk in the U.S. and globally. Social media users discussed the implications of funding cuts and their potential impact on the country’s ability to prevent and respond to an outbreak of a mosquito-borne illness. Some commenters dismissed any link between climate change and disease, while others argued that “open borders” are the main source of disease spread. An anti-vaccine group speculated that the news is part of a plan to promote mRNA-based dengue vaccines in the future.
Recommendation
Conversations about climate and health allow communicators to explain how climate change impacts infectious diseases. Messaging may emphasize that warmer, wetter weather brought on by climate change creates an ideal environment for disease-carrying mosquitoes to expand their populations and thrive outside their native regions. This has contributed to a global rise in deadly diseases from mosquitoes and other arthropods like ticks.
Fact-checking sources: Public Good News, Yale Environment 360
