Climate Change Is Driving a Resurgence of Yellow Fever
Yellow fever is reappearing in regions that haven't seen it in years. Climate change is creating favorable conditions for the mosquitoes that carry the virus.
Mosquitoes that carry the yellow fever virus, namely Aedes aegypti*, are changing their behavior and ranges partly in response to climate change. (Image credit: Kwangmoozaa via Getty Images)*
Yellow fever is appearing in regions that haven’t seen cases of the disease in years, largely as a result of climate change.
Historically, the virus ravaged cities across the Americas, Europe, and Africa, until a vaccine was introduced in 1937 and its range shrank significantly. But now, as climate change creates favorable conditions for virus-carrying mosquitoes, scientists are seeing outbreaks in unexpected areas.