Effects of Climate Change on Bacterial and Viral Pathogens

Changes in the hydrosphere, biosphere, and other climatic variables result in climate fluctuations. These are mainly attributed to human factors arising from economic, demographic, technological, and social advancements. Climate significantly affects the geographical distribution of plant diseases. For the survival of natural ecosystems and the security of the world’s food supply, it is essential to understand how climate change could influence infectious viral and bacterial epidemics in both cultivated plants and wild vegetation. This chapter focuses on the urgent threat posed by viral and bacterial plant pathogens to the global food resource and diverse natural vegetation, particularly in the perspective of escalating climate change. The insufficient attention given to this issue in previous research on environmental change and plant disease underscores its urgency. The study begins by providing historical context for current predictions of changing climate and the increasing global impact of viral and bacterial infections. It outlines the essential components of their pathosystems and how environmental factors typically affect them. The research aims to evaluate the potential effects of direct and indirect climate-related factors on a wide variety of viral and bacterial pathosystems, which include various vectors, hosts, and pathogens. To achieve this objective, the study develops comprehensive climatic and biological frameworks. This strategy has effectively identified relevant international research information and highlighted areas where further study is needed. Climate change is likely to affect key aspects of viral and bacterial epidemics in various ways, often exacerbating outbreaks but sometimes having a mitigation impact depending on the pathosystem and other factors. To protect biodiversity and ensure global food security, significant scientific effort is required to address the growing challenges of managing dangerous plant viral and bacterial outbreaks expected due to future climate instability.