Cyclospora Outbreaks Will Only Get Worse As Climate Chaos Grows | Opinion
The government must reimplement EPA protections and force an accelerated transition to decentralized renewable energy.
Cyclospora outbreaks are set to worsen as climate chaos intensifies, according to a recent opinion piece. This summer has been one of the most dangerous on record, with two deaths linked to the outbreak of the parasite. The CDC has confirmed 10,000 cases, a tenfold increase from the usual number of 2,800. The outbreak is traced back to lettuce carrying the parasite, but the exact cause remains unknown.
Heat speeds up the process that makes Cyclospora infectious, making summer outbreaks more common. Longer, hotter summers create a longer, hotter mechanism for the parasite to thrive. Warmer temperatures and increased moisture from extreme drought lead to runoff, which can spread parasites across various environments. Extreme heat and a three-year stretch of average temperatures above 1.5°C have fueled the outbreak.
The CDC made Cyclospora reporting optional last year, contributing to the rapid increase in cases. Environmental rollbacks, lack of renewable energy solutions, and the oil and gas industry's profit motives exacerbate the problem. Climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent and catastrophic, but humans have the power to change course by re-implementing EPA protections and transitioning to renewable energy.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
