(Bloomberg) -- Deadly heat waves, worsening air quality,and the increasing spread of illnesses like Lyme disease and WestNile Virus could kill tens of thousands of Americans and leavescores more battling chronic disease over the next century, theWhite House warned in a report releasedMonday.

All Americans are vulnerable to climate changeaffecting their health and the risks are varied and severe,administration officials said Monday. Air pollution and longerallergy seasons will exacerbate asthma and other respiratoryillnesses. The chances of food and waterborne illnesses willincrease. Droughts and floods will become more frequent. Andextreme weather events — and their disruption to publicservices and health infrastructure — will be more likely andmore severe.

“This isn’t just about glaciers and polar bears, it’s about thehealth of our families and kids,” EPA administrator Gina McCarthysaid in a briefing with reporters.

The White House wants the report, which was developed over threeyears with research from more than 100 government scientists acrosseight federal agencies, to spur additional action on climatechange. It comes on the heels of a study by researchers at theLondon School of Economics that said as much as $24 trillion of theworld’s financial assets could be hit by rising temperatures andextreme weather events.

‘Market signal’

The White House report would “send a clear market signal about theneed for innovation and solutions,” McCarthy said. Vivek Murthy,the U.S. Surgeon General, said the report illustrated the need for“a collective response” to climate change.

The most dramatic findings included research suggesting thatover the next 15 years, hundreds of thousands of premature deaths,hospital admissions, and cases of acute respiratory illnesses inthe U.S. could be attributed to the impacts of climate change. Onemodel projected that in 2030, there would be 11,000 more prematuredeaths from extreme heat compared to 1990. By the end of thecentury, that number is expected to spike to 27,000 additionaldeaths per year.

Water-related illnesses

Warmer seasons also mean a wider impact from illnesses like Lymedisease and West Nile Virus, with virus and bacteria-bearing ticksand mosquitoes present earlier in the year and in areas of theNortheast and Upper Midwest where they hadn’t previously lived.Longer allergy seasons will affect those with asthma. Andwater-related illnesses will spike, compromising not justrecreational areas but drinking water sources and shellfishharvesting areas.

Vulnerable populations like the poor, elderly, and children aremost likely to feel the health impact of climate change, accordingto the data.

“These illnesses, which can be quite severe, which impactindividuals and families, are at risk of getting worse,” Murthysaid.

Administration officials also say the international climate agreement signed inParis last year should help stave off some of theworst possible impacts of climate change. Still, John Holdren,senior adviser to President Barack Obama on science and technology,said the world will need to deepen its commitment to reducinggreenhouse gas emissions later in the century to “avoid the bulk ofthe worst impacts” on public health.

“We will need a big encore,” he said.

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