Climate Change & US Public Health: 6 Rising Threats from Heat & Disease

Extreme Heat Is Now the #1 Weather Killer in the United States

Heat kills more Americans each year than hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes combined. As summer temperatures intensify and heat waves grow longer, urban heat islands become death traps for the elderly and poor.

Dengue Fever Is Spreading to the Continental United States

Warming temperatures are expanding the range of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes — the dengue vector — into Texas, Florida, Arizona, and even parts of the Southeast. Local transmission has already been recorded.

Wildfire Smoke Causes Heart Attacks, Strokes, and Lung Disease

Fine particulate matter from wildfires reaches deep into the lungs and bloodstream. Smoke exposure increases risk of heart attack, stroke, preterm birth, and cognitive decline for millions of Americans.

Lyme Disease Season Now Starts 3 Weeks Earlier Across the Northeast

Warmer winters are allowing deer tick populations to explode across the Northeast and Midwest. Lyme disease cases have tripled since the 1990s — and the season keeps growing longer each year.

Climate Health Risks Are Unevenly Distributed — The Poor Pay Most

Heat islands, limited air conditioning, outdoor work exposure, and healthcare access gaps mean climate health risks are not shared equally. Environmental justice is a public health emergency.

Climate Is Now a Public Health Emergency — Science Confirms It

From heat deaths to new disease ranges, the health consequences of inaction are already here. Preparing healthcare systems, cooling centers, and vector control is urgent public health work.