A research team, including specialists from Tyumen State University (TyumSU), has identified a significant surge in hazardous microorganisms within freshwater ecosystems. This alarming increase poses risks to both aquatic life and human health. This concerning development is primarily attributed to global warming, with the detailed findings published in the reputable journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Researchers from Tyumen State University, collaborating with colleagues from the Institute for Biology of Inland Waters of the Russian Academy of Sciences, have established that ongoing climate changes directly impact populations of shelled amoebae. These particular microorganisms are noteworthy because they can act as both carriers and direct causative agents of dangerous diseases. The study further elucidates that rising ambient temperatures lead to more intense evaporation in lakes, which, in turn, increases the concentration of mineral components in the water. This altered aquatic environment becomes significantly more conducive to the proliferation of these potentially harmful microbes.
Olga Zagumennaya, a junior researcher at TyumSU`s AquaBioSafe laboratory, provided a key insight: “We found that as the temperature and mineralization of freshwater ecosystems increase – a natural and predictable consequence of climate warming – the risk of pathogenic shelled amoebae being introduced and spreading, leading to disease outbreaks, also rises. Furthermore, there`s an increased risk of pathogenic bacteria developing resistance to disinfection due to their symbiotic relationship with these shelled amoebae.”
As the climate continues to warm, particularly in southern regions, there is a noticeable increase in the presence of pathogenic forms of these organisms. They are known to cause harm to fish, for instance, by inducing gill disease. Additionally, these microbes can facilitate the transmission of Legionella bacteria, which are highly dangerous to humans and are a primary cause of pneumonia.
Zagumennaya further elaborated on geographical differences: “Lakes in hotter and drier climate zones exhibit significantly higher diversity, abundance, and frequency of planktonic shelled amoebae. This includes species highly pathogenic to aquatic organisms and humans, such as Rhogostoma and Fisculla.”
The results of this study are expected to be invaluable for advancing environmental monitoring systems, improving fisheries supervision practices, and strengthening biological safety protocols. Currently, these findings are directly applicable to lake ecosystems situated within forest-swamp and forest-steppe zones.
Looking ahead, scientists plan to expand the combined classical and modern methods used in this research to study water bodies in other geographical zones. Specialists are also keen to conduct more detailed investigations into the complex interactions between shelled amoebae and bacteria that are pathogenic to various other creatures.
This groundbreaking research was conducted with substantial support from the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of the Russian Federation and the government of the Tyumen region.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth