Advances in Space Microbiology

This study looks into how climate change might make it easier for viruses to spread between different species, including animals and humans. As the planet gets warmer, creatures are moving to cooler places like higher elevations or latitudes-and with them come their diseases. For example, fish that usually live in colder waters could be more prone to getting sick as temperatures rise. The researchers found out that some animals have a better chance of surviving these changes because they can adapt quickly enough. But this adaptation comes at a cost: the healthier an animal is from its environment, the less it might resist diseases like parasites or viruses when things change. This means we could see more sickness in wildlife and livestock as temperatures continue to rise due to climate change. The study also tells us that understanding how animals deal with these changes can help protect their health, which is important for keeping our environment safe too. By studying the genetic differences between individuals within a species-like why some fish have more resistance against diseases than others-scientists hope to find ways of helping wildlife adapt and stay strong in changing environments.

The recent study by Brooks and Boeger (2019), Epstein (2001), Williams et al. (2002) has highlighted the significant threat posed to global wildlife health due to species migrating into new habitats, facilitated largely through their vectors as a result of climate change. Carlson et al. (2022) further predict that these range shifts will lead to an increased cross-species transmission of viruses since animals are tracking thermal optima and aggregating at higher elevations in response to rising temperatures. The research paper delves into the susceptibility of teleosts, such as Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), which have been identified as highly vulnerable due to their adaptation to specific temperature ranges that are now being disrupted by climate change-induced warming waters. This study aligns with previous findings from Scharsack and Franke (2022) on teleost susceptibility, while Wegner et al.