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

Climate change is profoundly impacting human health. Human pathogenic
bacteria (HPB) infections mediated by the environment are considered a
significant 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.