Climate change, the rise of the “anti-vaccination” movement and several viral diseases are current threats to healthcare and humans, according to a diverse panel of doctors who presented at a Jan. 10 Ethnic Media Services online briefing.
The panel of guests included Dr. Nahid Bhadelia from the Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases at Boston University, Dr. Peter Chin Hong from University of California San Francisco, Dr. Benjamin Neuman from Texas A&M University, Dr. Maurice Pitesky from UC Davis, and Dr. William Schaffner from Vanderbilt University.
Climate change, in particular, carries enormous health risks by exacerbating the spread of infectious diseases and adding to the strain on medical supplies and the healthcare system, agreed the doctors. A failure of trust in the medical system and vaccines was another danger, which can lead to under-vaccination, said Dr. Neuman. The doctor warned that young schoolchildren are particularly at risk, while the phenomena also can chip away at the herd immunity that has protected us for hundreds of years.
Dr. Bhadelia further raised the worry of the United States withdrawing from the global health community, in which it has played an instrumental role for decades, with the advent of a second Trump administration. The relationships with other countries and the public health resources the U.S. has garnered over time might all be “potentially on the chopping block,” Dr. Bhadelia said.
The doctor also expressed concern about a potential cut in funding for vaccine research. If the U.S. does indeed isolate itself from the international health community, Dr. Bhadelia warned, the country will be less equipped to handle threats and lose the trust of vital partners.
The panel of doctors also named specific illnesses viewed as the current greatest risks to global health. Human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, has recently gained international attention with an outbreak in China. Concerns have circulated that this might become the new Covid, but the speakers insist there is little likelihood of that. Although the picture is still evolving, Dr. Schaffner pointed out, HMPV is already a known viral disease. The outbreak in China is also within normal limits, he said. The U.S. has experienced outbreaks of this particular virus every year, with younger children and older adults particularly vulnerable. As a respiratory virus, HMPV shares similarities with influenza and Covid and is expected to be identified more frequently as diagnostic tests become accessible.
Another illness making its rounds in the winter is the norovirus, whose symptoms often appear like food poisoning’s – with several days of vomiting and diarrhea. According to Dr. Schaffner, the virus is especially contagious, able to spread through close personal contact and persist in the environment. People can reduce their chances of contracting it by taking preventive measures such as washing hands with water and soap, and limiting intake of raw foods.
A new strain of mpox – commonly known as monkey pox — that acts differently from previous strains in the past has also been circulating in the U.S. The main concern, Dr. Chin Hong said, is that people might not be keeping up with vaccines that would otherwise provide immunization. There are currently two vaccines globally and one in the U.S. that is available. Only around one in four people, however, have completed the rounds of the shot.
Another concern is oropouche, which has seen outbreaks in South America and the Caribbean. Transmitted primarily through small, biting flies called midges, deforestation and climate change are further exacerbating its spread and spillover into the U.S. These midges, Dr. Chin Hong warned, can go through mesh, and it is unclear if mosquito repellent is an effective deterrent.
Finally, bird flu has been persistent since its outbreak last spring. Although there is currently no evidence of human to human transmission, Dr. Pitesky warns that there is danger of the virus evolving in the future to better make its way from domestic animals to humans. Farm workers who work with animals, in particular, are extremely vulnerable. Vaccinating a large number of agriculture workers – some of whom are not documented immigrants — and informing them about the virus is also a challenge.
