Dr. Lipp Speaks on Climate Change and Waterborne Disease by Emma Cramer

Climate has some degree of impact on waterborne diseases, an impact often intensified by climate change, said a University of Georgia professor Wednesday.

Associate Professor of Marine Science Dr. Erin Lipp explained 4 percent of global diseases stem from water contamination issues.

Climate change will exacerbate human health problems, Lipp said, citing a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

She cited other studies confirming that climate change increases the likelihood of certain water loving bacterium and viruses in the water supply.

“Water is my soap box issue,” she said to roughly 20 people that sunny afternoon.

The increasing risk of a pathogen infested water supply is not only determined by climate change. There are many other factors, Lipp said.

“It’s a little bit of a difficult problem to attack.”

Despite the correlation between climate change and waterborne disease, the causation can be more complicated.

“It’s sometimes difficult to go from causes of climate change to people actually getting sick,” said Lipp.

One possible example that bridges this gap is the link between waterborne diseases and flooding.

Lipp cited a study from 2001 that found the direct relationship between heavy precipitation days and waterborne disease outbreaks.

Another clear example is the effect of rising global temperatures on water, causing infection involving certain bacteria to become a threat once it reaches a certain temperature threshold.

One such bacterium is Naegleria Fowleri.

“If you get Naegleria Fowleri, you are going to die usually within a few days,” said Lipp.

Vibrio, another bacteria activated by rising temperatures, also poses a danger, albeit one less deadly.

Lipp asserts that Vibrio-related illnesses are rising at an alarming rate of 115 percent within the United States, cases extending as far north as Alaska.

Public health researchers are needed to conduct further research and find the root of the problem.

“That’s what public health does,” Lipp said. “It takes what’s happening and tries to find a solution for it.”