A report from the National Wildlife Federation claims global climate change will lead to an increase in ticks, mosquitoes, other blood-sucking pests, and poison ivy. The Associate Dean of the Department of Global Health at Des Moines University says the impact of climate change is definitely being felt in Iowa. Doctor Yogesh Shah took part in a conference call with reporters to discuss the report.

The gradual increases in Iowa’s temperature and humidity has also increased the tick population, according to Shah, and that’s led to more cases of Lyme disease.

Joe Wilkinson, a past president of the Iowa Wildlife Federation says the changes are all around us.

He hopes the report will raise public awareness and “make sure Iowans understand the significant impacts of climate change to our wildlife and public health.” The report, titled Ticked Off: America’s Outdoor Experience and Climate Change, states extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods, are becoming more severe and more frequent and it’s “impacting the plants and wildlife that are a central component of the American outdoor experience.”