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Linking climate and infectious disease trends in the Northern Arctic Region

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Linking climate and infectious disease trends in the Northern Arctic Region

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This study conducted in 2021 from the science journal Nature demonstrates the relationship between the climate and the sensitivity of diseases in the Northern/Arctic region. The climate-sensitive infectious diseases included in the study are: borreliosis, leptospirosis, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), Puumala virus infection, cryptosporidiosis, and Q fever.

Data from the study has shown that climate change is driving spatiotemporal shifts in higher cases of certain diseases. As ecosystems change due to rapid and severe climate change, it brings new animals to the North Pole. These animals bring microorganisms that can cause infections in humans; they carry zoonotic diseases.

The occurrence of many diseases and trends associated with the diseases differed between the northern and southern sections of the region (divided by latitude 63ºN). Tularemia, TBE, and Puumala Virus had a higher occurrence higher north, than in the south, regardless of higher population density in the south. The incidences of TBE negatively correlated with all climate variables, but borreliosis incidences positively correlated with all climate variables, strange because both diseases have the same vector, ticks. An increase in annual temperature resulted in an increase of tick bites and more geographic range of ticks. Along with higher temperatures, this results in increased human activity spent outside, leaving people exposed to the ticks. They also found increases in the Puumala Virus (water-driven) infection with increased precipitation in the summer and autumn, and had a positive correlation to the rodent disease-host population as rainfall increased; whereas the Q-Fever increased the most during droughts because of its wind-borne transmission.

In the study, they concluded that the overall climate over the timeframe became warmer and wetter across the Northern/Arctic Region; the mean annual temperature and precipitation increased. The results showed that an increase in infectious diseases are linked to different climate trends, and are especially being heavily impacted right now due to climate change.

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Thawing permafrost in the Arctic may release microorganisms, chemicals and nuclear waste that have been stored in frozen ground and by cold temperatures. This Review discusses the current state of potential hazards and their risks under warming to identify prospective threats to the Arctic.

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Thawing permafrost in the Arctic may release microorganisms, chemicals and nuclear waste that have been stored in frozen ground and by cold temperatures. This Review discusses the current state of potential hazards and their risks under warming to identify prospective threats to the Arctic.

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Climate variability and outbreaks of infectious diseases in Europe - Scientific Reports

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Climate Variability and Outbreaks of Infectious Diseases in Europe

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Climate Variability and Outbreaks of Infectious Diseases in Europe

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This article from nature.com published in 2013, compiles research from many studies to show the effects of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on outbreaks of 13 infectious diseases in different regions of Europe.

Patterns of pressure anomalies and changes in temperature and precipitation determine positive and negative phases of NAO. Strong positive phases of NAO are linked to above-average temperatures and precipitation in northern and Central Europe, and above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation in Mediterranean countries. During negative phases of NAO, opposite patterns of temperature and precipitation are typically seen.

Of the 13 diseases observed, 11 of them had outbreaks that were significantly related to the NAO monthly index. Trichinosis, was associated with the NAO monthly index at a 94% level of statistical certainty, and tuberculosis was the only disease that did not associated with the NAO monthly index at all. Seven of the associated diseases were connected to the winter positive phases in Northern Europe, above-average temperatures and precipitation. Two diseases were associated with negative NAO. Typhoid fever showed positive winter association with the NAO index in Southern Europe, below-average temperatures and below-average precipitation.

The results between Northern and Southern Europe differentiated, and coincided with the influences of the NAO in Europe. Many water-borne diseases associated with positive NAO index summer values in Northern Europe, where it was particularly wet, compared to Typhoid Fever that associated with negative NAO values in Northern Europe, but positive NAO values in Southern Europe, where the climate is dry. This compilation of studies provides more insight into the consequences of climate change on infectious diseases and evidence for changes in individual diseases.

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Climate variability and outbreaks of infectious diseases in Europe - Scientific Reports

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Scientific Reports - Climate variability and outbreaks of infectious diseases in Europe

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Agricultural Land-uses Consistently Exacerbate Infectious Disease Risks in Southeast Asia

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Agricultural Land-uses Consistently Exacerbate Infectious Disease Risks in Southeast Asia

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This meta-analysis was formulated from 34 eligible studies that demonstrated the relationship between people who live or work. The use of agricultural land increases the amount of infectious disease cases in Southeast Asia. Although agriculture produces many economic and social benefits, it also has a negative socio-ecological impact like increased CO2 emissions, air pollutants, loss of biodiversity, changing regional weather patterns, reduced air and water quality, and decrease in the supply of renewable fresh water.

Instances of agricultural land-use and increase in infectious diseases are for example irrigation-based agriculture in Japan resulted in an increase in vectors of Culex which spread to pigs and then to humans. Rice fields in Thailand that are prone to flooding, led to an increase in Leptospira, a water-borne virus, causing infections and deaths. Changes to and lack of biodiversity due to agricultural land-use is one of the main reasons for infectious-disease linkage to agriculture. The studies showed that those living and working near palm oil and rubber plantations had a higher chance of being infected with vector-borne and zoonotic diseases.these forest monocultures showed strong connections to increased infectious diseases, this is impart also linked to a lack of biodiversity. An example would be a decrease in wild mammal species richness within fragmented habitats saw an increase in Chagas disease.

The data from this meta-study concluded that there is a consistent association between agricultural land-use and increased infectious diseases in humans.

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Agricultural land-uses consistently exacerbate infectious disease risks in Southeast Asia - Nature Communications

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Here, Shah et al. perform a meta-analysis and show that people who live or work in agricultural land in Southeast Asia are on average 1.7 times more likely to be infected with a pathogen than controls, suggesting that agricultural land-use increases infectious disease risk.

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Post-earthquake Zika Virus Surge: Disaster and public health threat amid climatic conduciveness

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Post-earthquake Zika Virus Surge: Disaster and public health threat amid climatic conduciveness

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This scientific report from November 13, 2017 from nature.com recalls the major earthquake in Ecuador that directly correlated to an increase in Zika virus transmission.

The earthquake, coupled with the appropriate temperature/humidity/rainfall/pressure, created the “perfect storm” thus leading to an increase in vector-borne diseases. These environmental conditions, especially warm temperatures and high humidity, are ideal for mosquito breeding of A. aegypti, the mosquitos that carry the Zika Virus.

The A. aegypti prefer clean water and feed during the daytime. The severity of the earthquake (7.8 M) caused rapid resettlement of people, and worsening hygienic and environmental conditions due to poor water sanitation because of destruction of treatment centers. Many people who were displaced had to live in camps that lacked typical public utilities and sanitation. In these camps, they slept with bed nets that had previously been used to control malaria, but proved unsuccessful on the biting patterns of A. aegypti mosquitos. People also had to collect their own clean water because the earthquake had severely affect water treatment infrastructure.   Since the A. aegypti prefer clean water, these personal water containers attracted the mosquitos even more and led to increased breeding of the mosquito. The lifestyle of people living in Ecuador post-earthquake left many active and outside during the daytime, which also exposed them to more mosquitos. The earthquake also disrupted routine insecticide prevention control, which further led to more mosquitos that transmitted the Zika Virus.

The rise in vector-borne diseases directly correlate to climate change and rising temperatures and high humidity. To prevent future Zika Virus outbreaks, the government in Ecuador is focusing on: prevention, detection, and control. With this system, they will be able to maintain their mosquito population and better prepare for future natural disasters that may result in an influx in vector-borne diseases.