The flesh-eating bacteria called
Vibrio vulnificus and brain-eating amoeba that is formally known as
Naegleria fowleri have both been
steadily spreading in the U.S. - and research is showing that's largely because of temperature increases due to climate change.These deadly microbes do exactly what their names suggest:
they literally eat your skin and your brain, in some cases causing seizures, and
in many cases causing death. Naegleria fowleri in particular has a 96% fatality rate.
Sign the petition to demand Congress work with the Biden administration to pass a Green New Deal to reverse the threat of climate change and protect our health!These single-celled organisms thrive in warm waters, and only get happier as waters get warmer. In fact, they've become so happy because of climate change that these bacteria and amoebas have been
spreading further north each year, infecting more and more waterways - and putting more and more people at risk.
Not only are
V. vulnificus and
Naegleria fowleri proliferating more each year - they're also spiking in numbers during specific heat waves in summer. That's what happened
last year, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a significant surge in infections.
With this summer set to record some extreme heat waves as well, we can only expect that this situation will get worse and more deadly.In fact, in the past several decades, cases of flesh-eating infections have
skyrocketed an astonishing 800%.There is a very clear link here between temperature, climate, and the proliferation of these terrifying microbes that can literally devour parts of our bodies. If we want to save ourselves from these frightening possibilities, we absolutely
have to tackle climate change - and now.
Sign the petition to demand that the Biden administration double down on its commitments to fight climate change and pass a Green New Deal to save our planet!