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Review
. 2025 Oct 10;22(1):325.
doi: 10.1186/s12985-025-02950-0.

Arthropod-borne disease challenges from planetary warming, urbanization, and migration

Maggie L Bartlett  1   2 , Kristi Miley  3   4 , Sten H Vermund  3   4 , Scott C Weaver  3   5
Affiliations
Review

Arthropod-borne disease challenges from planetary warming, urbanization, and migration

Maggie L Bartlett et al. Virol J. .

Abstract

As the world confronts simultaneous climate and health emergencies, the spread of emerging infectious diseases, particularly arboviruses, underscores the intersection of planetary health, global mobility, and disease risk. Viral pathogens like Oropouche, dengue, and chikungunya are extending their reach, with expanding vector habitats (ticks, mosquitoes, and others) driven by global warming and changing ambient humidity. Arboviral risks due to these unfavorable vector dynamics are exacerbated by voluntary and involuntary migration of people, urbanization with attendant crowding, and suboptimal water, sanitation, and garbage disposal capacities. The poor surveillance and infectious disease control capacities in low-income settings are now exacerbated by public health infrastructure retrenchments in high income nations like the United States. We emphasize the need for urgent, transdisciplinary integration of climate science, epidemiology, human and animal research, and global health security, suggesting bold strategies to prepare for a new era of cross-border microbial threats.

Keywords: Arbovirus; Climate change; Disease control and prevention; Migration; Urbanization; Vector dynamics.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: All authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript and consent to its publication. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: M.L.B. is employed by Johns Hopkins University, holds an Ehlers Danlos research grant, advises Persistence Bio and Alveo, and is co-founder of CureX Technology and Infectious Insight. S.H.V. is employed by the University of South Florida, receives research funding from the NIH and USAID, and serves on scientific advisory boards for Moderna, Tevogen Bio, Porosome Theraputics, and Immugen BioPharma. S.C.W. is a consultant for Valneva.

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