Impact of climate change on animal health and welfare

Climate is one of many factors with the potential to alter disease states and is expected to exert an overwhelming negative effect on the health of humans and animals (Rabinowitz and Conti, 2013). In addition, several studies suggested that the increase of temperature might reduce mortality and/or improve health and welfare related aspects in humans and livestock living in geographic areas with cold winters (Ballester et al., 2011; Rose et al., 2015). The effect of climate change on animal health may be either direct or indirect (Figure 1) and may be due primarily to changes in environmental conditions, which include air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, and frequency and magnitude of extreme events (i.e., heat waves, severe droughts, extreme precipitation events, and coastal floods). Although this article focuses on the effects of environmental factors, it should be noted that factors leading to the effects of climate change on health are extremely complex, involving not only environmental forces, but also ecological and social aspects, economical interests, and individual and community behaviors (Forastiere, 2010). Open in a separate window Figure 1. Schematic representation of the impact of climate change on animal health.