Obama: Climate Change May Fuel Spread of Diseases

Meaner allergy seasons and nastier asthma attacks in the U.S. are already symptoms of climate change but looming next is the advance of once-distant diseases to American soil, President Barack Obama warned.

In an interview with NBC News medical contributor Dr. Natalie Azar, the president was asked if he shares the concern of some who believe climate change has hastened the spread of insect-borne diseases like West Nile Virus — the first domestic cases of which emerged in New York City in 1999.

"It is inevitable that if temperatures rise ... certain diseases that traditionally have been localized in warmer climates are going to start creeping up into more temperate climates," Obama said. "That's just adaptation by insects and other critters that spread disease."

He added: "It's a significant concern. We haven't had to deal with things like dengue fever in the past, but if you go south, into Central America, that's a problem. That traditionally is a problem in higher elevations or in jungles. If, suddenly, you start seeing those in cities, that means that they're more likely to spread here."

In fact, dengue fever, a mosquito-borne illness, already has spread to parts of the southern U.S. and has killed some Americans.

On Tuesday, the president convened a roundtable of leading doctors and environmental experts to discuss the impacts of climate change on public health. Obama also announced a series of actions to prod governments and businesses to better monitor and address the issue.

• Add to Google

It's Getting Hot In Here. Climate Change Myths, Debunked

01:43

"Temperature's rising. We know that there's going to be more severe wildfires, which mean particulates in the air, so that the allergy season gets extended," Obama told NBC News.

"We know that longer summers, hotter summers mean potential heatstroke and impacts on communities, whether it's asthma or insect-borne diseases.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

"What's exciting is that you're seeing doctors, nurses — medical schools — really trying to raise awareness so that people recognize climate's not just some abstract thing that is off in the distance. This is something that's having a potential impact on our kids right now," Obama said.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

The administration's new initiative to bring a fresh wave of professionals into the climate flight includes a White House visit later this week for educators who infuse their teaching time with lessons on climate change.

• Add to Google

FROM DEC. 12, 2014: World Leaders Mocked as 'Big-Headed' at Climate Protest

00:24

In fact, the president is largely positioning this fight as a battle to protect America's children from hazards he asserts are related to climate change.

"The good news is there's something you can do about it," Obama said.

"If we are able to move forward on the power plant rule so that the big power plants that produce electricity are not emitting as much carbon, as well as taking out things like mercury ... that means our kids are going to be healthier," the president added. "And we save money in the long-term because if you have one child who has three, four, five visits to the emergency room for asthma, somebody's paying for that."