A biosecurity expert is urging heightened vigilance as scientists examine whether climate change is helping to drive the spread of the deadly rodent-borne disease known as hantavirus, raising concern over its emergence in new regions and the risk of misdiagnosis in the Caribbean.

He urged Barbadians to be prepared and to show greater respect for their environment.

Dr Kirk Douglas, director of the Centre for Biosecurity Studies at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus, said while the pending El Niño weather phenomenon associated with high temperatures is not a guarantee of hantavirus outbreaks, it is a climate signal that should trigger preparedness, rodent surveillance and early warning systems, if possible.