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Atmosphere
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Impacts of Climate Change on Human Infectious Diseases Related to...
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Impacts of Climate Change on Human Infectious Diseases Related to Water Ecosystems

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Biometeorology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (16 October 2020) | Viewed by 28967

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Arturo Sousa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
Interests: climate change; inland aquatic ecosystems; malaria; unhealthy water bodies; hygrophytic vegetation; plant distribution pattern; wetlands; little ice age
Prof. Dr. Leoncio García-Barrón

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Applied Physics II, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
Interests: environmental climatology; weather analysis; meteorological variables; climate change; water resources
Dr. Mónica Aguilar-Alba

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Geography and AGR, Universidad de Sevilla, 41004 Sevilla, Spain
Interests: climatology; climate change; water resources; geographic information technologies; physical geography

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the 21st century, the thermal increase and the rise of climate variability in large areas of the planet is a fact according to what has been established by different expert panels, such as the IPCC. In this context, mitigation and adaptation measures for the 21st and 22nd centuries should be priorities for the survival of the planet. The greatest challenges that human society currently faces are the hazards of climate change with respect to human health. In this Special Issue, our aim is to update the information related to the impact of climate change on human infectious diseases, especially those in which vectors or parasites are related to aquatic ecosystems.

Therefore, the main objectives of this Special Issue are focused on revealing the current situation of the state of the art concerning the contribution of environmental variables to the impact of climate change on infectious diseases, such as malaria, dengue, West Nile encephalitis, Rift valley fever, yellow fever, Lyme borreliosis, Boutonneuse fever, cholera, etc. For this Special Issue, there is special interest in the impact of the variations of meteorological variables on the changes in the geographical distribution ranges of infectious disease vectors (mosquitoes, ticks, rodents, etc.) or the parasites that cause such diseases. We especially encourage those works that link the past distribution of endemic foci with future scenarios of climate change (using GIS models and tools), the role of wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems, and the risk of re-emergence of eradicated diseases in temperate regions (as in the case of malaria) or the increase of these in traditionally endemic latitudes.

Dr. Arturo Sousa
Prof. Dr. Leoncio García-Barrón
Dr. Mónica Aguilar-Alba
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Climate change and vector-borne diseases
  • Climate epidemiology
  • Emergence of infectious diseases
  • Aquatic ecosystems and infectious diseases
  • Malaria
  • Geographical distribution of infectious diseases
  • Spatiotemporal distribution of vector-borne diseases
  • Climate change impacts

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

5 pages, 203 KiB  
Editorial
Climate Change, Aquatic Ecosystems and Human Infectious Diseases in a Globalised World
by Arturo Sousa, Mónica Aguilar-Alba and Leoncio García-Barrón
Atmosphere 2021, 12(5), 653; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12050653 - 20 May 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1856
Abstract
One of the greatest challenges that human society currently faces is the hazard of climate change with respect to human health [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Climate Change on Human Infectious Diseases Related to Water Ecosystems)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

17 pages, 3903 KiB  
Article
A Predictive Human Health Risk Assessment of Non-Choleraic Vibrio spp. during Hurricane-Driven Flooding Events in Coastal South Carolina, USA
by Alexandra M. Frank, Mariana G. Cains and Diane S. Henshel
Atmosphere 2021, 12(2), 269; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos12020269 - 17 Feb 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2448
Abstract
Densely populated, low-lying coastal areas are most at-risk for negative impacts from increasing intensity of storm-induced flooding. Due to the effects of global warming and subsequent climate change, coastal temperatures and the magnitude of storm-induced flooding are projected to increase, creating a hospitable [...] Read more.
Densely populated, low-lying coastal areas are most at-risk for negative impacts from increasing intensity of storm-induced flooding. Due to the effects of global warming and subsequent climate change, coastal temperatures and the magnitude of storm-induced flooding are projected to increase, creating a hospitable environment for the aquatic Vibrio spp. bacteria. A relative risk model analysis was used to determine which census block groups in coastal South Carolina have the highest risk of Vibrio spp. exposure using storm surge flooding as a proxy. Coastal block groups with dense vulnerable sub-populations exposed to storm surge have the highest relative risk, while inland block groups away from riverine-mediated storm surge have the lowest relative risk. As Vibriosis infections may be extremely severe or even deadly, the best methods of infection control will be regular standardized coastal and estuarine water monitoring for Vibrio spp. to enable more informed and timely public health advisories and help prevent future exposure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Climate Change on Human Infectious Diseases Related to Water Ecosystems)
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15 pages, 4243 KiB  
Article
Hygienic Condition of Different Water Sources in the Kharaa River Basin, Mongolia in the Light of a Rapid Warming Trend
by Bolor-Erdene Ochirbold, Ariuntuya Tserendorj, Katja Westphal and Daniel Karthe
Atmosphere 2020, 11(10), 1113; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11101113 - 17 Oct 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2773
Abstract
Mongolia is a water-scarce land-locked country, and available water resources are utilized for multiple purposes including irrigation, food preparation, drinking water for livestock and people. Limited data availability on water hygiene means that the related risks to public health are only partially understood. [...] Read more.
Mongolia is a water-scarce land-locked country, and available water resources are utilized for multiple purposes including irrigation, food preparation, drinking water for livestock and people. Limited data availability on water hygiene means that the related risks to public health are only partially understood. This is particularly problematic due to the widespread use of unimproved water sources such as surface water and water from simple shallow wells. Based on two field surveys in the Kharaa River Basin in spring 2017 and 2018, we assessed the presence and quantity of total coliforms (TC), fecal coliforms (FC), and E. coli bacteria in surface waters and wells and investigated potential linkages between temperature and hygiene. In the Kharaa River and its tributaries, TC concentrations averaged at a most probable number of (MPN) of 754 ± 761 per 100 mL and FC concentrations at an MPN of 31 ± 33. Only small and non-significant correlations between coliform concentrations and temperature were identified. Coliforms concentrations in wells were lower (average MPN for TC: 550 ± 1286, and for FC 58 ± 253). There was considerable variation between wells, with moderate but significant correlations between temperature and bacterial counts. Low water temperatures in April and May (just above freezing to less than 6.5 °C in wells and 7.5 °C to 14.5 °C in the river system) and the positive correlations between temperature and coliform concentrations particularly for well samples indicate that further warming is likely to increase the risks of microbiological water pollution. In the future, this should be complemented by modeling at a watershed scale. This should include the consideration of a trend towards stronger rainfall events, changes in livestock density, and urban sewage treatment and discharge, which are other likely drivers of changes in water hygiene. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Climate Change on Human Infectious Diseases Related to Water Ecosystems)
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12 pages, 2200 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Meteorological Conditions on the Yellow Fever Epidemic in Cádiz (Southern Spain) in 1800: A Historical Scientific Controversy
by Fernando S. Rodrigo
Atmosphere 2020, 11(4), 405; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11040405 - 18 Apr 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2695
Abstract
A yellow fever epidemic occurred in Cádiz and other areas of southern Spain during the last months of 1800. An anonymous author attributed this disease to the contrast between the cold and rainy winter and spring, and the subsequent very hot summer. However, [...] Read more.
A yellow fever epidemic occurred in Cádiz and other areas of southern Spain during the last months of 1800. An anonymous author attributed this disease to the contrast between the cold and rainy winter and spring, and the subsequent very hot summer. However, the physician J.M. Aréjula published a report in 1806 where he refuted this conclusion after a detailed analysis of the meteorological conditions in the area. This controversy is a good example of the discussion about the relationships between meteorological conditions and public health. In this work, this “scientific” controversy is studied. Although the arguments of both authors were inspired by the neo-Hippocratic medical paradigm, the anonymous author put forth a simple cause–effect hypothesis, while Aréjula recognized the complexity of the problem, introducing the concept of “concause” to explain the confluence of environmental and contagious effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Climate Change on Human Infectious Diseases Related to Water Ecosystems)
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23 pages, 4194 KiB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Distribution of Malaria in Spain in a Global Change Context
by Arturo Sousa, Mónica Aguilar-Alba, Mark Vetter, Leoncio García-Barrón and Julia Morales
Atmosphere 2020, 11(4), 346; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11040346 - 31 Mar 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4761
Abstract
Malaria is one of the most cited vector-borne infectious diseases by climate change expert panels. Malaria vectors often need water sheets or wetlands to complete the disease life cycle. The current context of population mobility and global change requires detailed monitoring and surveillance [...] Read more.
Malaria is one of the most cited vector-borne infectious diseases by climate change expert panels. Malaria vectors often need water sheets or wetlands to complete the disease life cycle. The current context of population mobility and global change requires detailed monitoring and surveillance of malaria in all countries. This study analysed the spatiotemporal distribution of death and illness cases caused by autochthonous and imported malaria in Spain during the 20th and 21st centuries using multidisciplinary sources, Geographic Information System (GIS) and geovisualisation. The results obtained reveal that, in the 20th and 21st centuries, malaria has not had a homogeneous spatial distribution. Between 1916 and 1930, 77% of deaths from autochthonous malaria were concentrated in only 20% of Spanish provinces; in 1932, 88% of patients treated in anti-malarial dispensaries were concentrated in these same provinces. These last data reveal the huge potential that anti-malarial dispensaries could have as a tool to reconstruct historical epidemiology. Spanish autochthonous malaria has presented epidemic upsurge episodes, especially those of 1917–1922 and 1939–1944, influenced by armed conflict, population movement and damaged health and hygiene conditions. Although meteorological variables have not played a key role in these epidemic episodes, they contributed by providing suitable conditions for their intensification. After the eradication of autochthonous malaria in 1961, imported malaria cases began to be detected in 1973, reaching more than 700 cases per year at the end of the second decade of the 21st century. Therefore, consistent and detailed historical studies are necessary to better understand the drivers that have led to the decline and elimination of malaria in Europe and other temperate countries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Climate Change on Human Infectious Diseases Related to Water Ecosystems)
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Review

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11 pages, 472 KiB  
Review
The Impact of Climate Change on Cholera: A Review on the Global Status and Future Challenges
by Eirini Christaki, Panagiotis Dimitriou, Katerina Pantavou and Georgios K. Nikolopoulos
Atmosphere 2020, 11(5), 449; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos11050449 - 29 Apr 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 13472
Abstract
Water ecosystems can be rather sensitive to evolving or sudden changes in weather parameters. These changes can result in alterations in the natural habitat of pathogens, vectors, and human hosts, as well as in the transmission dynamics and geographic distribution of infectious agents. [...] Read more.
Water ecosystems can be rather sensitive to evolving or sudden changes in weather parameters. These changes can result in alterations in the natural habitat of pathogens, vectors, and human hosts, as well as in the transmission dynamics and geographic distribution of infectious agents. However, the interaction between climate change and infectious disease is rather complicated and not deeply understood. In this narrative review, we discuss climate-driven changes in the epidemiology of Vibrio species-associated diseases with an emphasis on cholera. Changes in environmental parameters do shape the epidemiology of Vibrio cholerae. Outbreaks of cholera cause significant disease burden, especially in developing countries. Improved sanitation systems, access to clean water, educational strategies, and vaccination campaigns can help control vibriosis. In addition, real-time assessment of climatic parameters with remote-sensing technologies in combination with robust surveillance systems could help detect environmental changes in high-risk areas and result in early public health interventions that can mitigate potential outbreaks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Climate Change on Human Infectious Diseases Related to Water Ecosystems)
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