Anthropogenic activity and climate change exacerbate the spread of pathogenic bacteria in the environment.

Abstract

Climate change is profoundly affecting human health. Human pathogenic bacteria (HPB) infections mediated by the environment are considered a substantial cause of global health losses. However, the biogeography of HPB and their response to climate change remain largely unknown. Here, we constructed and analyzed a global atlas of potential HPB using 1,066,584 samples worldwide. HPB are widely present in the global environment, and their distribution follows a latitudinal diversity gradient. Climate and anthropogenic factors are identified as major drivers of the global distribution of HPB. Our predictions indicated that by the end of this century, the richness, abundance, and invasion risk of HPB will increase globally, with this upward trend becoming more pronounced as development sustainability declines. Therefore, the threat of environmentally mediated HPB infections to human health may be more severe in a world where anthropogenic activities are intensifying and the global climate is warming.