Peel’s plan to keep us safe in a warming world as insect-related disease spikes and stress rises

It’s impossible to keep the insects from doing what they have for millions of years. They will inevitably find their target, an exposed piece of flesh, before plunging a stinger into the skin to draw some warm flowing blood.

Most often, it’s nothing more than an annoyance that prompts a quick slap and an itchy, red welt. In rare cases though, what follows is a fever, headache, nausea, maybe neck pain.

These bitten birders often don’t suspect it’s anything more than a flu or seasonal cold. But if the days pass and the symptoms don’t alleviate, things can get much worse. Our warming planet has led to something increasingly common: mosquitoes that are not just buzzing nuisances, but carriers of potentially deadly vector-borne diseases like west nile virus, or even zika virus, both of which can be deadly if left untreated.

It’s becoming unavoidable. Any future urban planning must include the caveat of preparing for the looming impacts of climate change. For Peel Public Health, our warming planet has become a key threat to the well being of residents.

As the new decade dawns, a recently released plan lays out the public health agency’s priorities for the next 10 years, and how it will deal with global warming, its impact on a rising tide of mental illness and a healthcare system the most vulnerable often can’t access.

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Published on January 3, 2020 in The Pointer Brampton and The Pointer Mississauga