Climate linked parasite spread

What Happened

Rising temperatures and less severe winters are allowing parasites such as ticks, lungworm, and mosquitoes to spread in areas that had not been affected before. Diseases that have stayed rare in the UK, like babesiosis, are now becoming more common. Therefore, pets and livestock are getting infected.

Analysis

Mental, moral, and intellectual issues to consider:

• As the risks of parasites vary, veterinarians have to change their advice on parasite prevention accordingly.
• Pet owners who have thought their area was “low risk” may now be under a wrong impression of the threat.
• Climate change is one of the factors that determine One Health — e.g. environmental changes cause animal diseases, which in turn can have a negative effect on human health.
• The rising parasite load is a challenge for prevention, testing, and owner education.
• The promotion of preventive treatments raises ethical questions, such as consideration of costs and respect for owners’ choices.

Some Facts

• Currently, lungworm can be found almost everywhere in the UK. Ten years ago, it was mostly concentrated in the South.
• The spread of tick-borne babesiosis, first detected in 2015, is ongoing.
• Climate predictions indicate that warmer conditions will be more favourable for parasites to survive.