Climate and Health

Maine’s climate, like the rest of the world’s, is changing, and these changes may have a significant impact on the health of Maine people. A warming climate will lead to more frequent and extreme weather events, and may contribute to longer pollen seasons and further spread of vectorborne diseases.

Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention receives funding from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Climate-Ready States and Cities Initiative to identify, prepare for, and respond to public health challenges related to a changing climate. Maine CDC’s Climate and Health Unit works to identify and prevent health impacts from:

  • extreme heat and extreme cold events; Subscribe to our e-newsletter
  • pollen and other airborne allergens such as mold; and,
  • Lyme disease and other vectorborne diseases.

Learn More About how Climate Impacts Health:

  • hot summer day

    Heat-related Illness

    Learn about extreme heat, how to recognize and respond to a heat-related illness, who is at risk, and how to prevent heat-related health impacts.

     

  • cold day

    Cold-related Illness

    Mainers are used to cold weather, but extreme cold can still be dangerous. Learn the signs of frostbite and hypothermia, and how to prevent a cold-related illness or injury.

  • tick

    Vectorborne Diseases

    Warmer, wetter summers and milder winters allow the spread of ticks, mosquitoes, and other insects that carry diseases. Learn more about vectorborne diseases in Maine.

  • pollen

    Pollen

    A warmer, wetter climate means more pollen - and more allergies. Learn more about current pollen levels, health impacts and how to prevent them, and how climate impacts pollen.

New Climate and Health Data and Tools

 

Resources