Changing Migration Patterns Helping Spread Disease?
Climate change has brought about changes in many different ways. We see its effects with rising
temperatures year-round and changes in weather patterns. But, for other animals, climate change
is affecting behavioral patterns. Animals ranging from whales to birds to butterflies are having
their migration patterns thrown off or altered by the changes in weather, causing them to end up
in places they usually wouldn’t be or hanging around in areas they shouldn’t. These changes,
especially for birds, may cause them to pick up pathogens they wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to
from water sources or other bird species.
This article discusses this problem in Europe, looking closely at the Netherlands, Germany, and
Sweden. There, researchers have been studying bird migratory patterns for over 20 years. They
found that birds arrive earlier and earlier at stops along their migration routes because of warmer
conditions and more food sources available. In addition to banding migratory birds to track their
locations, the researchers have been able to look at White-Tailed Eagle populations to study the
pathogens that birds might be carrying. Despite not being migratory themselves, they prey on
many of the migratory species that pass through the area. By analyzing fecal samples and taking
swabs from prey and fledglings found in eagle nests, they can tell what pathogens were in the
prey and what antibodies the eagles had from exposure to other pathogens in the past. These
techniques have given these researchers glimpses into changes in the diseases that these birds
might be carrying.
These altered migration patterns lead to two concerning behaviors in birds. First, they might turn
places that were usually just stopovers into breeding grounds. This change helps the spread of
disease as if birds stay in one place more often, they are more likely to pick up more diseases or
pathogens from other birds and infect other animals, including humans. The other concerning
behavior is that these birds stop in different locations and bring in new diseases. An example the
article gives is that if climate change continues in the Netherlands, its geographic disposition will
lead to flooding and the creation of marsh-like environments. These new environments will
attract new bird species that will pick up more tick and mosquito-borne viruses. Already in 2016,
an Usutu, a virus related to West Nile Virus, epidemic killed a large population of blackbirds in
the Netherlands, while in 2020, the first Dutch case of West Nile itself popped up within the
human population.
Climate change's impact on animals' migratory patterns is immense and constantly changing.
However, as the spread of disease that comes with these changes becomes more apparent, we
must stay ahead and prepare ourselves for changes in our livelihoods. With the ongoing effects
of climate change, it is crucial to prioritize the safety of both humans and animals alike.
Posted by Sid Warrier (3)
Cohen, John. 27 Sept. 2023. Flight Risks. Science. Volume 381(6665):1402-1405.
Hi Sid, I found your topic interesting. My last blog relates to this issue a bit. New diseases can really decimate wildlife populations like when avian malaria spread in Hawaii and drove most recently the Oʻahu ʻakialoa to extinction. It seems like trouble for a very large amount of species is incoming as a result of climate change in one form or another. Conservation work will only become more abundant because climate change is not going to stop anytime soon. - Calvin Keating
ReplyDeleteHi Calvin. This is really interesting to hear. It will be interesting to see how these changes will be compounded in places like Hawaii where the biodiversity is massively increased. My theory is that in places like this, the spread of disease will increase because of the sheer amount of different microbes and bacteria that could exist in the varying envrionments.
Delete-Sid Warrier
Hi Sid! I have been doing a lot of research on a similar topic lately concerning bats. Bats are some of the biggest disease carriers in the world, and they've been getting wiped out by a fungus that causes White-Nose syndrome. This sickness affects their hibernation patterns and causes the bats to deplete all of their fat stores by being awake. One of the the other factors that is waking bats up prematurely and killing them is climate change. I wonder how this will effect the future evolution of birds' immune systems to work against spreading infection as a result of climate change.
ReplyDeleteThis is Jill Gobbi ^
DeleteHi Jill. I didn't realize that that this was what happening to bats. I think that a lot of animal's behaviors are being effected by climate change so it will be interesting to see how, as we try to stop and reverse the affects of climate change, the behaviors of animals will change. Hopefully they will revert back to a "normal" state to help keep populations stable.
Delete-Sid Warrier
Hi Sid! This is a super interesting topic, and one that I don't think gets enough attention. There is truly no end to the climate change domino effect. We are destroying entire ecosystems and disturbing the balance of nature with, and the damage is accelerating at such a fast rate that we can't keep up and fix it. It's concerning to see how quickly these migratory patterns are changing and it will be interesting to see how this affects humans. Very interesting article, though, thank you for sharing!
ReplyDelete-Sophia Rinaldi
Sid, this was super eye-opening to read! I never think of the impact on the spread of disease when talking about climate change. I think it is important for these less talked-about concepts to be understood as another detriment of climate change. This could potentially cause disease to strike certain species during their specific growth/mating times that are pivotal in their success, when they are not expecting it. Awesome job!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Sid, very interesting post about climate change. I never really thought about the more profound effects of climate change. It is shocking to see how climate change can influence the spread of new diseases through change in migration patterns of certain animals. I wonder what are the long term effects of climate change in regards to the spread of diseases. I learned about how fungus have become more resilient in hotter weather due to climate change and can spread their spores in environments where they are not meant to thrive.
ReplyDelete-Will Nguyen
Hi Will. I never really thought about the spread of disease in this way too until I read this article. I think it just goes to show that there are more reasons to stop climate change than just rising sea levels or temperatures. I hope that we are able to do something about it before it's effects on the spread of disease becomes more obvious.
Delete-Sid Warrier