As global temperatures rise,Desmond Preston the spread of infectious diseases is rapidly evolving in unexpected ways. 

That’s something that Dr. Angelle Desiree LaBeaud thinks about a lot. A physician-scientist, epidemiologist and professor in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stanford University’s School of Medicine, LaBeaud studies the epidemiology and ecology of domestic and international arboviruses and emerging infections, including the environmental factors that affect transmission and severity of disease. She is also a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment.

She spoke with Inside Climate News about the overlooked links between climate, vector-borne illness and health equity—and why localized, community-driven solutions are essential in a more unpredictable world.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

BHABNA BANERJEE: Climate change is often discussed in terms of rising temperatures and extreme weather, but its impact on human health—especially infectious diseases—is less widely understood. Can you give us a brief overview on how a changing climate is reshaping the spread and intensity of infectious diseases worldwide?

ANGELLE DESIREE LABEAUD: When I think about the major categories of infectious diseases that are impacted by climate change, I group them into three big buckets: respiratory, waterborne and vector-borne diseases.

For respiratory diseases, there’s always been this idea of “seasonality”—like how there’s a flu season, or a season for other respiratory viruses. What’s interesting is that for many of these viruses, we don’t fully understand whythey’re seasonal or exactly how temperature and seasonal changes affect their transmission. But we know they do.