Unleashing the relationship between climate change and infectious diseases

Authors

  • Athirsha A. Department of Epidemiology, The Tamil Nadu Dr. M. G. R. Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Anitha M. Department of Epidemiology, The Tamil Nadu Dr. M. G. R. Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Jasmine S. Sundar Department of Epidemiology, The Tamil Nadu Dr. M. G. R. Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • S. Kalpana Department of Epidemiology, The Tamil Nadu Dr. M. G. R. Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • S. Valarmathi Department of Epidemiology, The Tamil Nadu Dr. M. G. R. Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • G. Srinivas Department of Epidemiology, The Tamil Nadu Dr. M. G. R. Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20243325

Keywords:

Climate change, Health impact, Infectious disease, Public health

Abstract

Climate change is rapidly emerging as a powerful driver of human health, understanding the relation between infectious disease dynamics and climate change is crucial for public health, particularly in developing nations. This article review delves into the intricate relationship between climate change and infectious diseases, with a particular focus on how climate factors are influencing the spread of vector borne diseases and water borne diseases such as prevalent diseases like malaria, cholera, and dengue in India. The objective is to assess the relationship between climate change and the burden of infectious diseases, with a focus on understanding how climate factors influence the prevalence and spread of infectious diseases. A literature search using PubMed, Science Direct, and government and international health reports focused on the terms 'climate change', 'infectious diseases' and 'health impact’. The review highlights that climate change accelerates vector lifecycles and creates favourable conditions for pathogens, leading to more frequent and severe outbreaks. Extreme weather events are worsening these risks, leading to more frequent and severe outbreaks. This poses a growing threat to global health, particularly in vulnerable regions like India. Despite government efforts, significant challenges remain. Strengthening healthcare infrastructure, improving disease surveillance, and adopting climate-resilient practices are essential to safeguard vulnerable populations and mitigate the impact of climate change on public health.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Grobusch LC, Grobusch MP. A hot topic at the environment–health nexus: investigating the impact of climate change on infectious diseases. Int J Infect Dis. 2022;116:7-9.

Climate change. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact. Accessed on 8th August 2024.

Calvin K, Dasgupta D, Krinner G, et al. IPCC, 2023: Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, H. Lee and J. Romero (Eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland. First. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); 2023.

Nations U. The Health Effects Of Global Warming: Developing Countries Are The Most Vulnerable. United Nations. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/health-effects-global-warming-developing-countries-are-most-vulnerable

Atlas of mortality and economic losses from weather, climate and water-related hazards (1970-2021). World Meteorological Organization. May 31, 2023. Available at: https://wmo.int/publication-series/atlas-of-mortality-and-economic-losses-from-weather-climate. Accessed on 8th January 2024

Climate change and health-PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization. Accessed January 8, 2024. Available at: https://www.paho.org/en/topic.

Mora C, McKenzie T, Gaw IM, et al. Over half of known human pathogenic diseases can be aggravated by climate change. Nat Clim Chang. 2022;12(9):869-75.

Extreme weather. USDA climate hubs. Available at: www.climatehubs.usda.gov/climate-impact. Accessed on 21st August 2024.

Health impacts of extreme weather. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Available at: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research. Accessed on 9th January 2024.

Health impacts of extreme weather. National institute of environmental health sciences. Available at: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research. Accessed on 21st 2024

Balbus J, Crimmins A, Gamble JL. Introduction: climate change and human health. in: the impacts of climate change on human health in the United States: a scientific assessment. US. Global Change Research Program. 2016:25-42.

Sips GJ, Limaheluw J, de Roda Husman AM, Bousema T. Climate change and infectious diseases. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2023;167:7503.

Redshaw CH, Stahl-Timmins WM, Fleming LE, Davidson I, Depledge MH. Potential changes in disease patterns and pharmaceutical use in response to climate change. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2013;16(5):285-320.

El-Sayed A, Kamel M. Climatic changes and their role in emergence and re-emergence of diseases. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2020;27(18):22336-52.

Crutcher JM, Hoffman SL. Malaria. In Medical Microbiology. 4th ed. University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; 1996. Available at: Accessed on 20th August, 2024.

World malaria report 2022. Available at: https://www.who.int/teams/global-malaria.

Magnitude of the problem: National centre for vector borne diseases control (NCVBDC). Available at: https://ncvbdc.mohfw.gov.in/index. Accessed on 14th of August 14, 2024.

Kar NP, Kumar A, Singh OP, Carlton JM, Nanda N. A review of malaria transmission dynamics in forest ecosystems. Parasites and Vectors. 2014;7(1):265.

Sarkar S, Gangare V, Singh P, Dhiman RC. Shift in potential malaria transmission areas in India, using the fuzzy-based climate suitability malaria transmission (FCSMT) model under changing climatic conditions. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(18):3474.

Halstead SB. Dengue. Lancet. 2007;370(9599):1644-52.

Dengue worldwide overview. December 15, 2023. Available at: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en. Accessed on 9th January, 2024.

Dengue situation in India: National centre for vector borne diseases control (NCVBDC). Available at: https://ncvbdc.mohfw.gov.in. Accessed on 20th August 20, 2024

Lowe R, Barcellos C, Brasil P. The Zika Virus Epidemic in Brazil: From Discovery to Future Implications. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(1):96.

McMinn PC. The molecular basis of virulence of the encephalitogenic flaviviruses. J Gen Virol. 1997;78(11):2711-22.

Japanese encephalitis. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail. Accessed on 9th January, 2024.

JE cases and deaths in the country since 2018: National centre for vector borne diseases control (NCVBDC). Available at: https://ncvbdc.mohfw.gov.in/index.

Mojahed N, Mohammadkhani MA, Mohamadkhani A. Climate Crises and Developing Vector-Borne Diseases: A Narrative Review. Iran J Public Health. 2022;51(12):2664-73.

Short EE, Caminade C, Thomas BN. Climate change contribution to the emergence or re-emergence of parasitic diseases. Infect Dis (Auckl). 2017;10:1178633617732296.

Wu X, Lu Y, Zhou S, Chen L, Xu B. Impact of climate change on human infectious diseases: Empirical evidence and human adaptation. Environment International. 2016;86:14-23.

McDermott-Levy R, Scolio M, Shakya KM, Moore CH. Factors that influence climate change-related mortality in the United States: an integrative review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(15):8220.

Water-borne disease: Link between human health and water use in the Mithepur and Jaitpur area of the NCT of Delhi. J Pub Heal. Accessed on 9th January 2024. Available on: https://link.springer.com/art.

Water-related disasters and their health impacts: A global review-ScienceDirect. Accessed on 9th January 2024. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com.

The case for systems thinking about climate change and mental health. Nature climate change. Accessed on 9th January, 2024. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles.

Health and climate change. World sustainable development forum. January 8, 2024. Available at: https://worldsdf.org/research/health. Accessed on 21st August, 2024.

Analytical studies assessing the association between extreme precipitation or temperature and drinking water-related waterborne infections: a review | Environmental Health. Accessed on 9th, 2024. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article.

Levy K, Smith SM, Carlton EJ. Climate change impacts on waterborne diseases: moving toward designing interventions. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2018;5(2):272-82.

Water related health problems in central Asia-a review. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com. Accessed on 9th January, 2024

Jung YJ, Khant NA, Kim H, Namkoong S. Impact of Climate Change on Waterborne Diseases: Directions towards Sustainability. Water. 2023;15(7):1298.

Global assessment of exposure to faecal contamination through drinking water based on a systematic review. Brain–2014. Tropical Medicine. 805(1):01203

International health-wiley online library. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com. Accessed on 9th January, 2024

WHO_CDS. Available at: https://iris.who.int/bits. Accessed on 9th January, 2024.

Dhara VR, Schramm PJ, Luber G. Climate change and infectious diseases in India: Implications for health care providers. Indian J Med Res. 2013;138(6):847-52.

Zaidi AKM, Awasthi S, deSilva HJ. Burden of infectious diseases in South Asia. BMJ. 2004;328(7443):811-5.

Janssen B, Snowden J. Cryptosporidiosis. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2023. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448085. Accessed on 9th January 2024.

Wang X, Jiang Y, Wu W. Cryptosporidiosis threat under climate change in China: prediction and validation of habitat suitability and outbreak risk for human-derived Cryptosporidium based on ecological niche models. Infectious Diseases of Poverty. 2023;12(1):35.

Constantin de Magny G, Colwell RR. Cholera and climate: a demonstrated relationship. Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc. 2009;120:119-28.

The Role of Planktonic Copepods in the Survival and Multiplication of Vibrio Cholerae in the Aquatic Environment. Available at: https://www.elibrary.ru. Accessed on 9th January, 2024

Lipp EK, Huq A, Colwell RR. Effects of global climate on infectious disease: the cholera model. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2002;15(4):757-70.

US EPA O. Particulate matter (PM) basics. April 19, 2016. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics. Accessed on 9th January, 2024

Does global warming cause breathing problems? National Academics. Available at: https://www.nationalacademies.org. Accessed on 9th January, 2024.

US EPA O. Particle Pollution and Respiratory Effects. September 15, 2014. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/pmcourse/particle Accessed on 9th January, 2024.

Mohan A, Murhekar MV, Wairgkar NS, Hutin YJ, Gupte MD. Measles transmission following the tsunami in a population with a high one-dose vaccination coverage, Tamil Nadu, India 2004–2005. BMC Infect Dis. 2006;6:143.

Shackleton D, Economou T, Memon FA, et al. Seasonality of cholera in Kolkata and the influence of climate. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2023;23(1):572.

Bhattacharya S, Sharma C, Dhiman RC, Mitra AP. Climate change and malaria in India. Current Science. 2006;90(3).

Berendes DM, Leon JS, Kirby AE, et al. Associations between open drain flooding and pediatric enteric infections in the MAL-ED cohort in a low-income, urban neighborhood in Vellore, India. BMC Public Health. 2019;19:926.

Biswas R, Pal D, Mukhopadhyay SP. A community based study on health impact of flood in a vulnerable district of West Bengal. Indian Journal of Public Health. 1999;43(2):89.

Mondal NC, Biswas R, Manna A. Risk factors of diarrhoea among flood victims : a controlled epidemiological study. Ind J Pub Health. 2001;45(4):122.

Leptospirosis, India. Report of the investigation of a post-cyclone outbreak in Orissa, November 1999. Wkly Epidemiol Rec. 2000;75(27):217-223.

Karande S, Bhatt M, Kelkar A, Kulkarni M, De A, Varaiya A. An observational study to detect leptospirosis in Mumbai, India, 2000. Arch Dis Child. 2003;88(12):1070-1075.

Dias A, Dhawde R, Surve N, Weinberg A, Birdi T, Mistry N. Impact of climate changes on water availability and quality in the state of Maharashtra in western India. Asian Jr of Microbial Biotech Env Sc. 2015;17:2015-1071.

Mathur KK, Harpalani G, Kalra NL, Murthy GG, Narasimham MV. Epidemic of malaria in Barmer district (Thar desert) of Rajasthan during 1990. Indian J Malariol. 1992;29(1):1-10.

Downloads

Published

2024-10-29

How to Cite

A., A., M., A., Sundar, J. S., Kalpana, S., Valarmathi, S., & Srinivas, G. (2024). Unleashing the relationship between climate change and infectious diseases. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 11(11), 4569–4576. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20243325

Issue

Section

Review Articles