Environmental Sciences
; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
WOS研究方向:
Environmental Sciences & Ecology
; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
英文摘要:
Windborne fungal spores are able to move across international borders, which is a health issue because many fungi are pathogenic and can infect humans. Moreover, pathogens can shift their geographic range under climate change, infecting previously unexposed populations. We used a macrosystems approach to identify future research priorities related to windborne dispersal of fungal pathogens. We focused on the fungus Coccidioides, the causal agent for valley fever in humans. The geographic range of Coccidioides spp. includes the U.S.-Mexico border region, where cases of valley fever have increased. As Coccidioides does not adhere to international boundaries, we advocate for a binational approach to understand valley fever from a public health and ecological perspective. Knowledge gained from research on Coccidioides can be leveraged to other windborne fungal pathogens, especially those that have an environmental stage in their life cycle. Finally, we argue that air dispersal of Coccidioides should be a research priority in light of future climate challenges that will require informed science policy decisions.
1.Univ Calif Irvine, Dept Ecol & Evolutionary Biol, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA 92697 USA 2.Univ Calif Irvine, Dept Earth Syst Sci, Irvine, CA 92697 USA 3.Ensenada Ctr Sci Res & Higher Educ, Dept Microbiol, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico 4.Univ Calif Irvine, Dept Ecol & Evolutionary Biol, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
Recommended Citation:
Cat, Linh Anh,Gorris, Morgan E.,Riquelme, Meritxell,et al. Crossing the Line: Human Disease and Climate Change Across Borders[J]. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH,2019-01-01,81(8):14-22