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Comment by smnrchrds | Hacker News Reader

I think the parent comment is referring to this paragraph:

> Pasteurella bacteria has previously been linked to the sudden death of about 200,000 saiga antelopes in Kazakhstan – an incident that researchers believe could shed light on what happened to the elephant herds. Scientists believe the Pasteurella bacteria generally lives harmlessly in the tonsils of some, if not all, of the antelopes. An unusual temperature increase to 37C, however, caused the bacteria to pass into the bloodstream, where it caused septicaemia.

I read it as the effect of body temperature, but the parent has interpreted it as air temperature. I am not sure which interpretation is correct.

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It's air temperature according to a linked article (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/25/mass-mor...):

> They concluded that a rise in temperature to 37C and an increase in humidity above 80% in the previous few days had stimulated the bacteria to pass into the bloodstream where it caused haemorrhagic septicaemia, or blood poisoning.

Fair to point out the confusion, however not sure the distinction is needed for the core point that global warming may increase similar incidents -- I think it's safe to assert body temperature is correlated with air temperature

I don't think they are correlated in warm blooded animals. Anyway, 37 degrees is a day at the beach in San Diego or Miami. It should hardly be fatal to most any mammal. You can blame drought, which is what the article did, but air temperature is not directly correlated with body temperature unless you're referring to an animal that's already dead.

> I think it's safe to assert body temperature is correlated with air temperature

Not at all. The whole point of warm-blooded organisms is to maintain a constant temperature, to a really good level of accuracy.

A change in body temperature is not needed for this sort of things to happen, though. A warmer environment is enough. See for example the headlines about flesh eating bacteria creeping north in the US.

> Scientists believe the Pasteurella bacteria generally lives harmlessly in the tonsils of some, if not all, of the antelopes. An unusual temperature increase to 37C, however, caused the bacteria to pass into the bloodstream, where it caused septicaemia

"... except because it will be efficiently removed by its immune system (that knows perfectly what is a Pasteurella)" is the part of the phrase that is missing here.

It this does not happen... the question is why this year is not happening.

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