Discover, September 21, 2010.
Climate change might have one teensy good effect, at least in the United States: changes to weather patterns may make it harder for the bubonic plague to survive in rodent burrows. Bubonic plague is spread by rodents, like the chubby little prairie dog over there on the right, and their fleas to house-dwelling rats, mice, and squirrels, which can spread the deadly bacteria to humans.
By studying the historical correlation between temperature and plague incidences, the researchers noticed that the number of plague cases has been dropping over time, most likely because it’s getting hotter, said the study’s lead author in a press release from The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH). Read More >