Berkeley Public Health launches major study on effects of climate change and social inequality on deadly fungal infections – UC Berkeley Public Health

Study Projects Future Distribution of Fungal Diseases

Introduction

• Most people think of fungi as the mushrooms that pop up in backyard gardens, the tasty morels on gourmet menus, and the yeasts used to make beer. But they also include some of the most deadly pathogens affecting vulnerable populations globally.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. Fungal pathogens cause over a billion human infections—and an estimated 1.6 million deaths—every year.
2. Concern over pathogenic fungi is rising as novel pathogens emerge, antifungal drug resistance rises sharply, and climate change threatens to increase infections and deaths from fungal diseases in the coming decades.

Research Overview

• A team of researchers at multiple institutions led by UC Berkeley School of Public Health Professor Justin Remais is launching a major study using big data to understand where fungal diseases are emerging across the U.S., and how a changing climate will affect their spread.
• The research—funded by a $3.9 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—will be critical to understanding this emerging threat to the health of high-risk groups in the coming decades.

Impact of Climate Change on Fungal Diseases

• Many fungal pathogens live in the environment, such as in soils or decomposing leaves. People become infected when they inhale fungal spores or come into contact with fungal filaments called hyphae.
• Researchers know that fungal diseases respond to shifts in weather and climate. For instance, Valley fever is spread with airborne dust that blows from desert soils containing Coccidioides pathogens and is sensitive to drought and temperature changes in California and other western states.
• Similarly, histoplasmosis—a disease caused by the pathogen Histoplasma often found in bird and bat droppings—responds to light, humidity, and temperature changes.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. Discovering how environmental changes are driving shifts in fungal disease will allow us to anticipate and respond to future risks, increase doctor and patient awareness, and ensure protective measures are made available to those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Extreme Weather Events and Fungal Infections

• Some fungal pathogens infect people during extreme weather events such as floods and hurricanes. For example, Mucormycetes can cause severe skin and wound infections among those who experience traumatic injuries during extreme weather.
• As storm surges and other climate extremes increase in intensity or frequency, the incidence of such infections may also increase.

Research Methodology

• The researchers will analyze more than one billion electronic medical records collected from nearly 100 million patients across the United States to study where fungal diseases are emerging and identify factors leading to disparities in fungal disease incidence and severity across vulnerable populations.
• They will investigate why socially and economically disadvantaged populations face greater risk.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. We will examine whether housing quality, social resilience, and FEMA assistance may protect against fungal outbreaks during natural disasters to better understand how communities can adapt and build resilience to fungal disease risks.
2. We also need to know more about the role of disparities in quality and timeliness of care, variation in population exposure to fungal pathogens, differences in susceptibility to infection and severe disease, preexisting conditions, immunosuppressive treatments, and substance use.

Collaborative Efforts

• The team at Berkeley includes experts in fungal biology, epidemiology, and biostatistics, as well as those with expertise in characterizing the climate drivers of infectious diseases.
• Collaborators at partner institutions bring expertise in the design and function of electronic health records systems and medical mycology.

Conclusion

• Analyzing this remarkable, vast dataset and integrating it with socioeconomic and climate information will help us understand how and why the risk of fungal diseases has been changing, identify areas at particularly high risk for an emergence or intensification of fungal diseases, and help health practitioners to better predict, detect, and prevent future infections.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. The research will contribute to achieving SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being by improving our understanding of fungal diseases and their impact on vulnerable populations.

Research Consortium

• The research consortium includes Berkeley Public Health collaborators Ellen Eisen in the

  SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

  1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

     • Target 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases, and other communicable diseases.
     • Indicator 3.3.1: Number of new HIV infections per 1,000 uninfected population, by sex, age, and key populations.
     • Indicator 3.3.2: Tuberculosis incidence per 100,000 population.
     • Indicator 3.3.3: Malaria incidence per 1,000 population at risk.

  2. SDG 13: Climate Action

     • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
     • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
     • Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.
     • Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have communicated the establishment or operationalization of an integrated policy/strategy/plan which increases their ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change, and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development in a manner that does not threaten food production.

  Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

  SDGs	Targets	Indicators
  SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	Target 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases, and other communicable diseases.	Indicator 3.3.1: Number of new HIV infections per 1,000 uninfected population, by sex, age, and key populations. Indicator 3.3.2: Tuberculosis incidence per 100,000 population. Indicator 3.3.3: Malaria incidence per 1,000 population at risk.
  SDG 13: Climate Action	Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.	Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population. Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have communicated the establishment or operationalization of an integrated policy/strategy/plan which increases their ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change, and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development in a manner that does not threaten food production.

  Analysis

  1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

  The issues highlighted in the article are connected to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 13: Climate Action.

  2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

  Based on the article’s content, the specific targets identified are:

  • Target 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases, and other communicable diseases (under SDG 3).
  • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries (under SDG 13).
  • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning (under SDG 13).

  3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

  Yes, there are indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

  • Indicator 3.3.1: Number of new HIV infections per 1,000 uninfected population, by sex, age, and key populations (under Target 3.3).
  • Indicator 3.3.2: Tuberculosis incidence per 100,000 population (under Target 3.3).
  • Indicator 3.3.3: Malaria incidence per 1,000 population at risk (under Target 3.3).
  • Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population (under Target 13.1).
  • Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have communicated the establishment or operationalization of an integrated policy/strategy/plan which increases their ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change, and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development in a manner that does not threaten food production (under Target 13.2).

  These indicators can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets by tracking the number of new HIV infections, tuberculosis incidence, malaria incidence, and the number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters. Additionally, monitoring the number of countries that have communicated the establishment or operationalization of integrated policies/strategies/plans related to climate change adaptation and resilience can also measure progress.

  Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

  Source: publichealth.berkeley.edu

   

  

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