Infectious disease collides with changing climate

São João Pequeno, Brazil – Two years of drought had been hard on Valdemar Braun and his three grown sons. They lived in the hilly, picturesque Brazilian village of São João Pequeno, and when the rains quit, the coffee would not grow. The farmers were forced to sell some of their cows.

Then at last the showers returned, and 2017 dawned full of promise for the plantations.

Valdemar had given each son two alqueires of land (almost 11 acres). In mid-January, one son helped another clear out forest to plant more coffee.

The portion of forest belonged to Edson Braun, who had recently divorced. He wanted to transfer the land to his ex-wife so that she could provide for their daughters. His brother, Virlei, agreed to help.

Virlei, 30, with pale blue eyes and a handsome face, had his own family to provide for: a wife and toddler son. On the day he went to help his brother, Virlei had already worked on the farm for 14 days straight. Never in his life had he been to a doctor for a health problem.

https://projects.jsonline.com/news/2017/5/24/infectious-disease-collides-with-changing-climate.html

Tom

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