Can Climate Change Increase the Spread of Animal Diseases? Evidence from 278 Villages in China

Abstract

Several countries are currently evaluating the potential health impacts of climate change (CC), particularly in relation to the complex connections between CC-induced weather fluctuations. China, heavily affected by CC, provides clear evidence of its effects. Previous research in animal sciences indicates that factors like temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind speed can affect animal epidemics. In China, a major global hub for animal husbandry, these factors pose significant challenges, warranting further investigation into their quantitative relationship with disease outbreaks. This study investigates the influence of these climatic conditions on epizootic diseases in China. In the current study, using data from 278 village-level surveys and daily meteorological data spanning 2012 to 2018, we used a fixed-effect model for analysis. The findings reveal that increasing temperatures and wind speeds exacerbate disease development, while the precipitation anomaly index negatively impacts animal epidemics, with humidity showing minimal influence. Addressing CC’s potential impact on animal disease, governments, organizations, and farmers need to pay more attention to the impacts of climate change on animal diseases and work together to better cope with the impacts through policies, measures, and research.

The effects of Artemisia Sieberi, Achillea Fragrantissima, and Olea Europaea leaves on the performance and physiological parameters in heat-stressed broiler chickens

“…Broiler chickens were fed a basal diet (A; CON; Ta = 28 ± 1°C; RH% = 46% ± 1), while the other chicken groups were exposed to intermittent heat stress phase 1 (Ta = 34 ± 1°C, RH% = 49 ± 1) and phase 2 (Ta = 37 ± 1°C, RH% = 52 ± 1) after which thermoneutrality was resumed (Ta = 28 ± 1°C; RH% = 46% ± 1), and fed diets without supplementation (B; T1, heat stress group), or fed with 1.25 g of Artemisia Sieberi/kg diet (T2; C), 15 g of Achillea Fragrantissima/kg diet (T3; D), 10 g of Olea europaea/kg diet (T4; E) and finally T5 (F) supplemented with all previous additives combined at the same dose levels mentioned above. 2 Standard error of the mean. a-b Means with different superscripts within the same row differ significantly (p < 0.05), according to the Tukey test.…”

“…Climate change is a pressing global challenge with far-reaching consequences on ecosystems, and it has profound implications for various sectors, including agriculture ( 1 ). Impact of climate change on farm animals is a growing concern as temperature and weather changes can affect their wellbeing, productivity, and performance ( 2 ). As the climate of the Earth changes, livestock farming is increasingly affected by rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events.…”