Global warming is intensifying the threat of bacterial and fungal infections not just for warm-blooded animals, such as mammals and rodents, but for cold-blooded creatures like insects, corals, and fish. The severity of these infections varies based on several factors.

A research group from the University of British Columbia aimed to investigate how rising temperatures influence infections in various ecosystems. Their findings, published in the PLOS Biology journal on November 18, 2024, revealed that bacterial and fungal infections are becoming increasingly deadly for cold-blooded animals.

Analysis

The researchers reviewed 60 studies focused on 50 types of cold-blooded organisms infected with bacterial or fungal pathogens, including insects, fish, corals, and mollusks. They chose to focus on cold-blooded animals because they are particularly sensitive to the effects of global warming.

Key Findings

The researchers found that as temperatures rise, cold-blooded animals are more likely to succumb to bacterial infections. In contrast, animals exposed to normal temperatures had significantly lower mortality rates when infected.

The risk of death from fungal infections in cold-blooded organisms was highly dependent on temperature. Animals were particularly vulnerable to dying within a specific temperature range ideal for fungal activity. In these conditions, fungi thrive and become more aggressive, leading to more severe infections. However, at temperatures outside this ideal range, even if they are high, fungal activity decreases, resulting in lower death rates among infected organisms.

The study authors expressed concern that rising temperatures due to climate change may increase the risk of death for cold-blooded animals, which play crucial roles in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. They called for further research into how high temperatures affect warm-blooded animals suffering from bacterial or fungal infections. This would help better understand the impact of warmer climates on these species and develop necessary measures for adaptation to changing temperatures.