Climate change and increased risk of respiratory infections in humans

Abrescia, Nicola; D’Abbraccio, Maurizio; Maddaloni, Adelaide; Molinaro, Gabriella

Climate change and increased risk of respiratory infections in humans

Authors

Abrescia, Nicola

D’Abbraccio, Maurizio

Maddaloni, Adelaide

Molinaro, Gabriella

Publisher

World Health Organization

Description

This editorial examines the growing impact of climate change on the transmission, incidence and severity of respiratory infections in humans. It discusses how rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, worsening air pollution and increasing frequency of extreme weather events are reshaping infectious disease dynamics worldwide. The article highlights the influence of climatic and environmental changes on the survival and dispersion of airborne pathogens, the expansion of ecological conditions favourable to infectious agents, and the increased exposure of populations to respiratory health risks. Particular attention is given to the role of air pollution as a key pathway linking climate change and respiratory infections. The authors describe how pollutants such as particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ozone damage respiratory tissues, impair immune defences and contribute to chronic inflammation, thereby increasing susceptibility to respiratory pathogens and potentially worsening disease outcomes. Additional factors, including wildfire smoke, dust storms, fungal proliferation and urban heat island effects, are discussed as contributors to the growing burden of respiratory disease. The editorial argues that climate change is creating a convergence of environmental and biological risk factors that threaten respiratory health and calls for coordinated action across environmental policy, public health and clinical practice to mitigate these impacts.
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