2.
Greenhouse Gases
Weather and Climate
Oceans
Snow and Ice
Health and Society
Ecosystems

3. Climate Change Indicators https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators

4. Climate Change Indicators https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators

5. Climate Change Indicators https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators

6. Climate Change Indicators https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators

7. Climate Change Indicators https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators

8. Climate Change Indicators https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators

9. Greenhouse Gases Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions https://www. epa

10. Weather and Climate River Flooding https://www. epa

11. Oceans Ocean Acidity https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators

12. Snow and Ice Lake Ice https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators

13. Health and Society Heat-Related Deaths https://www. epa

14. Ecosystems Great Lakes Water Levels https://www. epa

15. Current Issue Assignment
Select a date for your presentation on the in-class sign-up sheet
Choose an indicator (or several options) from
your preferred topic(s) to or
Topics will be assigned on first-come, first-serve basis, will be confirmed by , and compiled/maintained in the schedule in the CurrentIssue folder at the course website

16. Current Issue Assignment Guidelines
Key reference material used by EPA should be researched (multiple references) and cited
Required are:
5-10 minute in-class presentation, to be turned in electronically and posted at the course website Current Issue folder
Summary sheet, also to be turned in electronically and posted at the course website Current Issue folder; summary sheet should also include a 2nd page of references/citations

17. West Nile Virus Example Current Issue https://www. epa
Transmitted to humans by mosquitoes from birds (1)
First found in humans in Uganda in 1937 and in Nile delta birds in 1953 (1)
Identified in the U.S. in 1999 (2)
Causes/symptoms (2)
None in some people
Headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash
Encephalitis, meningitis, and occasionally death
Half of cases are neuroinvasive

18. West Nile Virus Activity in 2016 (2) http://www. cdc

19. West Nile Virus Incidence (2) http://www. cdc
West Nile Virus Incidence (2) Historic (2002 – 2014) Most Recent (2016)

20. West Nile Virus in 2016 (3) http://diseasemaps.usgs.gov/mapviewer/
Sources of incidence data
Disease diagnoses
Blood testing (including donations)

21. Relationship to Climate Change
Climate change is expected to affect the geographic and seasonal patterns of vector-borne diseases (4)
Other studies indicate warmer temperatures increase mosquito activity and incubation rates (4)
Migration patterns of birds (carriers) may also be changing due to climate change
Outbreaks associated with droughts in urban areas (5), mild winters (4), and precipitation patterns/mosquito development (4)

22. Temporal Pattern of Neuroinvasive Cases (2)

23. Conclusions
Logically, warmer temperatures from climate change could lead to greater incidence of West Nile Virus and other vector-borne diseases
Presuming that warming is occurring, incidence data from 2002 to 2014 show no clear evidence of simple cause and effect
Many complicating factors limit the usefulness of West Nile Virus as a simple climate change marker
Climate change variables may not on average be relevant to mosquito propagation
Mitigation efforts (e.g., spraying, awareness and avoidance) may be decreasing incidence

24. References
World Health Organization fact sheet Accessed September 2016.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. West Nile virus symptoms and treatment and West Nile virus statistics and maps Accessed September 2016.
U.S. Geological Survey Map Viewer
Beard, C.B., R.J. Eisen, C.M. Barker, J.F. Garofalo, M. Hahn, M. Hayden, A.J. Monaghan, N.H. Ogden, and P.J. Schramm Chapter 5: Vector-borne diseases. The impacts of climate change on human health in the United States: A scientific assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program. 
Hahn, M.B., A.J. Monaghan, M.H. Hayden, R.J. Eisen, M.J. Delorey, N.P. Lindsey, R.S. Nasci, and M. Fischer Meteorological conditions associated with increased incidence of West Nile virus disease in the United States, 2004–2012. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg.92(5):1013–1022.

25. West Nile Virus 85.571 Current Issue Assignment Stephen Zemba
2016 Incidence of West Nile Virus
Facts About West Nile Virus
Transmitted to humans by mosquitoes from birds (1)
First found in humans in Uganda in 1937 and in Nile delta birds in 1953 (1)
Identified in the U.S. in 1999 (2)
Causes/symptoms (2)
None in some people
Headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash
Encephalitis, meningitis, and occasionally death
Half of cases are neuroinvasive
Temporal Pattern of Neuroinvasive Cases (2)
Relationship to Climate Change
Climate change expected to affect geographic and seasonal patterns of vector-borne diseases (4)
Other studies indicate warmer temperatures increase mosquito activity and incubation rates (4)
Migration patterns of birds (carriers) may also be changing due to climate change
West Nile Virus outbreaks associated with droughts in urban areas (5), mild winters (4), and precipitation patterns/mosquito development (4)
Temporal pattern does not indicate a clear trend of West Nile Virus increases with time
Mitigation efforts may be masking a signal, or the relationship to climate change may not be simple
West Nile Virus at present is not a good climate change indicator