Government body warns of increased health threats from climate change in Germany

Germany’s disease control agency warns that rising temperatures due to global warming will increase the likelihood of heat stroke, vector-borne illnesses and other health risks in the country. The Robert Koch Institute said Thursday that lung diseases from forest fires and agricultural dust may become a growing problem. So will skin cancer due to increased ultraviolet radiation as Germany experiences longer periods of cloud-free weather. The authors of a new report note the recent arrival in the country of Hyalomma ticks that are capable of carrying bacteria responsible for typhus as an example of newly emerging disease threats.