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Anoka County2025 Hazard Mitigation Planz.umn.edu/AnokaHMP runoff and sewage overflows, which can cause outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as E. coli and Cryptosporidium. Runoff can carry viruses and other disease-causing agents into wells and recreational waters, contaminating them and causing health problems. Zoonotic Diseases Zoonotic diseases or zoonoses are caused by germs like viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi that spread between animals and people. Increases in temperatures and changes in rain patterns are changing our ecosystems, which can affect the spread of diseases carried by insects, ticks, rodents, birds, and other animals. Diseases from ticks include Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis. As temperatures increase, disease-transmitting ticks will become active sooner and stay active longer, allowing more time to develop and feed on hosts. Ticks thrive in warm humid environments. Additionally, there may be a decreased die off over the winter months if temperatures do not get very cold. An increase in winter temperatures can also lead to new tick species moving into and surviving in Minnesota, which can lead to the introduction of new diseases. People more at risk for diseases carried by insects, ticks, and rodents are people who spend more time outdoors or are more exposed to these pests. Harmful Algal Blooms An increase in water temperatures can lead to blue-green algal blooms, which contain toxins that can pose harmful health risks. People or pets who drink or swim in water with dangerous levels of harmful algal bloom (HAB) contamination may experience stomach illness, skin irritation, allergic responses, and damage to the liver and nervous system. In extreme cases, dogs and other animals have died after drinking water containing these toxins. Harmful algal blooms in Minnesota lakes result from several factors including runoff from fertilizers, discharges from waste treatment plants, warmer waters, and higher temperatures. While HABs can occur naturally, the frequency of outbreaks is increasing in part because human activities create favorable conditions for the blooms. Zoonotic diseases and HABs can have an indirect health effect when they threaten the livelihoods of people who work in recreation-dependent economies that revolve around camping, fishing, and hunting. Mental Health Climate change threatens our mental health through direct exposure to a climate-related disaster (e.g., flooding); through the disruption to a major determinant of health, such as a loss of livelihood or a cultural tradition; and through awareness or uncertainty of climate change as an existential threat. These experiences may overlap and lead to compounded impacts on an individual or even an entire community, such as family farmers burdened with decadal drought who are more likely to commit suicide. Existing research has associated several mental health conditions with climate change, such as psychological distress, grief reactions, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, interpersonal conflicts, drug or alcohol abuse, loss of identity, and suicidal ideation. Section 3 19 Hazards 28