Climate change – bringing more stomach bugs to a coast near you?

People who live along the coast may have more to fear from climate change than rising waters. A team of Maryland researchers has found evidence suggesting that the odds of getting sick from a salmonella infection go up, especially for coastal residents, as the shifting climate produces more extreme weather conditions.

Drawing on a decade's worth of health and weather data, scientists with the University of Maryland and the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene found that the risks of getting a salmonella infection increased when temperatures soared far above normal, or when torrential downpours occurred. What's more, they found the risks even greater in coastal areas than inland.

"When people talk about coastal areas and climate change, we think of sea-level rise," said Amir Sapkota, a senior author of the study and an associate professor at UM's School of Public Health in College Park. "We know coastal areas are vulnerable, but there hasn't been a characterization of the risk in terms of health."

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