In the coming decades, ecological degradation, rising temperatures, and extreme weather events could intensify the threats to human health posed by viruses.
We know from past epidemics that changes in temperature, rainfall, and humidity can have profound effects on the spread of infectious disease.
In the summer of 1878, for example, the southern United States was struck by a catastrophic outbreak of yellow fever, a viral disease indirectly transmitted between people via the mosquito Aedes aegypti.
Around 100,000 people contracted the disease, and up to 20,000 people lost their lives. Some estimates put the economic cost as high as $200m. Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for