Summary/Abstract
This peer-reviewed study uses 11 years of temperature and precipitation data, disease incidence data, and mosquito population data from Guangzhou in China to develop a model for the spread of the disease dengue. Dengue is a viral infection that is spread by mosquitos and presents an increasing public health threat as climate change produces temperature and precipitation conditions ideal for mosquito proliferation. The study found that an increase in the number of days with rainfall and in the monthly average daily maximum temperature correlates with increasing mosquito population, which is predictive of increasing rates of dengue. As anthropogenic climate change causes warmer and wetter temperatures in many parts of the world, populations of mosquitos are expected to rise, allowing for dengue to spread more broadly and rapidly. Increased rates of the disease could cause a threat to public health and place stress on political and economic systems.