Issue link: https://hi.iaq.net/i/191637
Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health 6 Infectious Agents and Pests Many pathogens and allergens are profoundly affected by environmental conditions. Their survival may be directly influenced by temperature, humidity, or moisture, or their availability may depend on the distribution, abundance, or behavior of their hosts or vectors. A changing climate will thus affect human exposure to these agents. This chapter addresses indoor environmental quality concerns associated with the infectious agents and other pests that research suggests may be influenced by climate-change–induced alterations in the indoor environment. The chapter also touches on exposure to chemicals used to control pest infestations. Exposures that are directly related to dampness are the subject of Chapter 5. Two earlier National Academies reports have addressed issues relevant to the material discussed in this chapter. The 2001 National Research Council report Under the Weather: Climate, Ecosystems, and Infectious Disease (NRC, 2001) and the 2008 Institute of Medicine workshop summary Global Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events (IOM, 2008a) take on the larger question of the linkages among climate, ecosystems, and infectious disease. A white paper commissioned by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in conjunction with the present effort discusses the potential effects of climate change on microbial air quality in the built environment (Morey, 2010). 155 Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.