How Climate Change Is Spreading Dangerous Microbes and Pathogens

Summary

This article examines how climate change is accelerating the spread of dangerous pathogens, including "flesh-eating" bacteria and emerging infectious fungi. Through the story of Vernon Spear, who contracted a Vibrio infection from a minor scrape while crabbing in the Chesapeake Bay, the piece illustrates how warming waters and changing ecosystems are creating conditions for microbes to thrive in new regions. The article explores how rising temperatures are expanding the geographic range of pathogens, altering microbiomes, and increasing the risk of infections from organisms that were previously confined to warmer climates.