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Climate change threatens public health, raising the spread of food-borne diseases

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Climate change threatens public health by affecting the distribution and spread of food-borne pathogens, according to a recent study by food scientists from Benha University in Egypt published in Nature. Food-borne pathogens are microorganisms that can cause illness when consumed via food or water sources. The authors found that changes in temperature and precipitation patterns, shifting consumer behavior, and altered distributions of food-borne pathogens increase exposure risk for humans and animals. “This study aims to highlight the connections between climate change and public health, raise awareness, promote discussion on effective mitigation strategies, advocate for increased investment in research and the development of local expertise, and promote partnerships between African researchers and international organizations to share knowledge and resources,” Dr. Ahmed Alhussaini Hamad, one of the study’s authors, told Mongabay in an interview by email. The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 10 people fall ill every year because of eating contaminated food. Contaminated food has been identified as the cause of 600 million food-borne diseases and 420,000 deaths annually, according to the study.  Africa alone contributes to 91 million cases of illness and 137,000 deaths annually—over a quarter of all deaths. Among these diseases, diarrheal diseases account for 70 % of the overall burden. The impact of climate change on diarrheal diseases is expected to be more significant in Asia and Africa, Hamad and colleagues state. An elderly lady receives food supplies from the Red Cross in the drought-affected district Mabalane, Mozambique. Image by Aurélie Marrier d’Unienville / IFRC via…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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