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The past few years have seen an increased risk of flooding in many regions of the UK. Has the incidence of waterborne parasites such as Cryptosporidium sp. increased due to agricultural run-off? The following advice from the HPA is encouraging. "Any risks to the public from infections arising from floods are very rare in the UK. Although flood water may be contaminated with sewage, animal and other waste, any harmful micro-organisms in the water are usually very diluted and so present a very low risk of infection." http://www.hpa.org.uk/HPA/Topics/EmergencyResponse/ What effect will climate change have on parasites in the tropics? Waterborne diseases such as Giardia, Cryptosporidia, amoebae etc. may become more prevalent in countries prone to flooding such as Bangladesh and many of the Far East islands. Among the potential effects of climate change would be the appearance of mosquitoes where they were previously absent, with the accompanying threat of malaria, yellow fever and dengue fever. Some regions might be at risk of reduced rainfall; millions of people could be at risk of malnutrition and hunger if arable lands become unworkable.
A few yummy pictures to get you 'in the mood'. Adult Ascaris lumbricoides - What does this remind you of?
Epifluorescence - Cyclospora
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