CHAPTER 15 POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE FOR HUMAN HEALTH IN THE UNITED STATES Jonathan A. Patz 1 , Michael A.McGeehin 2 , Susan M. Bernard 1 , Kristie L.Ebi 3 , Paul R. Epstein 4 ,Anne Grambsch 5 , Duane J. Gubler 6 , Paul Reiter 7 , Isabelle Romieu 2 , Joan B. Rose 8 , Jonathan M.Samet 9 , Juli Trtanj 10 , with Thomas F . Cecich 11,12 Contents of this Chapter Preface Chapter Summary Introduction Context Climate and Human Health Key Issues Temperature-related Illnesses and Deaths Health Effects Related to Extreme Weather Events Air Pollution-related Health Effects Water- and Food-borne Diseases Insect-,Tick-,and Rodent-borne Diseases Additional Issues Adaptation Strategies Crucial Unknowns and Research Needs Literature Cited 1 Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health; 2 National Center for Environmental Health, U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 3 EPRI; 4 Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard Medical School; 5 Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; 6 Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 7 Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,Dengue Branch; 8 Department of Marine Sciences,University of South Florida; 9 Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health; 10 Office of Global Programs,National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 11 Glaxo Wellcome,Inc., 12 Liaison for the National Assessment Synthesis Team. 437