- Increased rainfall driven by climate change could trigger more outbreaks of rodent-borne diseases such as Lassa fever, according to a study published in PNAS.
- Lassa fever causes an estimated 5,000 deaths annually in western Africa and is particularly dangerous in late-term pregnancies, causing fatal outcomes in over 80 per cent of cases.
- Researchers from the Natural History Museum and University of Oxford developed a predictive model using 30 years of rodent data that accurately matched human outbreak timings in Nigeria.
- Wetter weather boosts rodent populations by increasing food availability, while the Lassa virus survives between breeding seasons through high rates of mother-to-offspring transmission.
- Peaks in infected young rodents occur approximately one month prior to human outbreak peaks, offering potential for early warning systems to mitigate disease risk.
IN FULL
Warning climate change could increase risks from deadly rodent-borne diseases
