Climate change and Lyme disease.

Abstract

Abstract This chapter examines the key climatic driving factors for changes in the incidence of Lyme disease and explores how these depend on the level of global warming. It aims to provide some context for the more detailed expert opinions in this book as well as to show how the key climatic driving factors for Lyme disease relate to the Paris targets for climate stabilization. Section 3.1.2 summarizes some of the key findings in the literature concerning the sensitivity of Ixodes life cycles to climate. Section 3.1.3 offers a very brief summary of anthropogenic climate change and climate change projections. Section 3.1.4 tentatively suggests some simple climate thresholds that are broadly consistent with the current global pattern of Lyme disease hotspots. Lastly, Section 3.2 explores the implications for the distribution of Lyme disease under the 2°C limit of the Paris climate agreement.