Respiratory Illnesses in Children Rise with Wildfire Smoke
A notable increase in respiratory illnesses among children has been observed in the state of Aragua, Venezuela, coinciding with a surge in wildfires and vegetation fires in late January and early February 2026. The rise in these conditions underscores the significant public health impact of environmental factors, particularly for vulnerable populations like children.
According to specialists, the most frequently diagnosed conditions in pediatric patients seeking care are rhinitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia. These findings highlight the sensitivity of children’s respiratory systems to air pollutants present in wildfire smoke.
The fires have been particularly concentrated in the mountainous regions of Henri Pittier National Park. The increased incidence of respiratory issues comes as the region experiences a considerable number of these fires.
Health officials emphasize the importance of taking precautions to protect children from the effects of wildfire smoke. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises extreme caution when it comes to protecting children from wildfire smoke, noting that children with asthma and chronic health conditions may experience more severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, when smoke or ash is present. More information on protecting children from wildfire smoke is available from the CDC.
Researchers at the Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal) have also investigated the impact of landscape fires on children’s respiratory health. Their study, conducted in southern Mozambique, evaluated the link between smoke particles from landscape fires and hospital visits and admissions for respiratory causes among children. The study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, found that exposure to smoke from landscape fires was associated with increased hospital visits. This research is the first to examine this association in a low-income country.
Landscape fires, including both forest and agricultural fires, release emissions that negatively affect both human and planetary health, contributing to mortality, acute and chronic conditions, climate change, and ecosystem degradation. The ISGlobal study found more hospital visits directly following exposure to wildfire smoke during the 2012-2020 study period, which included over 507,000 visits from more than 79,000 children and nearly 9,000 hospital admissions of over 7,300 children. These findings reinforce the need for proactive measures to mitigate the health risks associated with wildfires.
