Wrong, New York Times, Climate Change Isn’t Causing a Surge in Mosquito-Borne Diseases
4 hours ago Anthony Watts
A recent article in the New York Times (NYT), “Cases of Mosquito-Borne Chikungunya Virus Are Surging Globally: What to Know,” claims climate change is causing the the spread of mosquito-borne diseases by expanding mosquitoes’ ranges. This is a scientifically unsubstantiated claim. The truth, grounded in actual data and entomological science, is that the spread of mosquitoes—and the viruses they sometimes carry—is closely tied to human activity, urbanization, and global transportation than to incremental changes in temperature and climate.
“A mosquito-borne virus that can leave infected people debilitated for years is spreading to more regions of the world, as climate change creates new habitats for the insects that carry it,” writes the NYT. “Climate change is driving the spread of chikungunya-carrying mosquitoes.
“A warmer, wetter world provides more suitable habitat,” continues the NYT. “And extreme weather events can cause more breeding in floods—or displace people, who cluster in areas with poor water and sanitation supply,” the NYT says.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/08/26/wrong-new-york-times-climate-change-isnt-causing-a-surge-in-mosquito-borne-diseases/
