Climate Change and Infectious Disease

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

As a result of the high concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the Earth's average temperature is increasing at a concerning rate. Global temperature across land and ocean surfaces has increased about 1 ºC over the past 40 years, and it is estimated that it will increase an additional 1 ºC throughout the 21st century.

Temperature increase is leading to Antarctic ice melt and glacier shrinkage. Relatedly, an overall sea level rise of 10 to 20 cm has taken place over the last few decades, and projections estimate additional rises in the range of 50 to 100 cm throughout the 21st century.

Other general effects of climate change include:

• More frequent extreme weather events, such as floods or droughts.
• More frequent heat waves and forest fires.
• Increased risk of extinction for some animal and plant species.

Climate and weather have a relevant impact on human body physiology, health status and survival. Therefore, climate change is expected to have a major impact on diseases, such as:

• Heatstroke and other conditions related to high temperatures.
• Emergence of vector-transmitted infections, such as malaria, in previously unaffected regions.
• Nutritional deficiencies related to food underproduction, infections due to water contamination, or climate-related mental health impairment.

This topic project seeks all types of manuscripts (e.g., reviews, original research articles, and short communications) on infectious diseases at increased incidence risk, due to climate change, such as gastrointestinal infections, respiratory viral infections or mosquitoe-transmitted diseases.

Dr. Bernardino Roca
Dr. Shamarina Shohaimi
Topic Editors

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Life life	3.2	4.3	2011	18 Days	CHF 2600
Atmosphere atmosphere	2.5	4.6	2010	15.8 Days	CHF 2400
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease tropicalmed	2.8	3.9	2016	20.9 Days	CHF 2700

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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All Life Atmosphere TropicalMed

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16 pages, 11412 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Relative Risk Prediction of Norovirus Incidence under Climate Change in Korea

by Tae-Kyoung Kim, Jayeong Paek, Hwang-Yong Kim and Ilsu Choi

Life 2021, 11(12), 1332; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11121332 - 2 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2589

Abstract

As incidences of food poisoning, especially norovirus-induced diarrhea, are associated with climate change, there is a need for an approach that can be used to predict the risks of such illnesses with high accuracy. In this paper, we predict the winter norovirus incidence [...] Read more.

As incidences of food poisoning, especially norovirus-induced diarrhea, are associated with climate change, there is a need for an approach that can be used to predict the risks of such illnesses with high accuracy. In this paper, we predict the winter norovirus incidence rate in Korea compared to that of other diarrhea-causing viruses using a model based on B-spline added to logistic regression to estimate the long-term pattern of illness. We also develop a risk index based on the estimated probability of occurrence. Our probabilistic analysis shows that the risk of norovirus-related food poisoning in winter will remain stable or increase in Korea based on various Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios. Our approach can be used to obtain an overview of the changes occurring in regional and seasonal norovirus patterns that can help assist in making appropriate policy decisions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Climate Change and Infectious Disease)

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21 pages, 2206 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Experiences and Lessons Learned from COVID-19 Pandemic Management in South Korea and the V4 Countries

by Gergő Túri and Attila Virág

Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2021, 6(4), 201; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed6040201 - 25 Nov 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4403

Abstract

In the first year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea suffered significantly less social and economic damage than the V4 countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) despite less stringent restrictive measures. In order to explore the causes of the [...] Read more.

In the first year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea suffered significantly less social and economic damage than the V4 countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) despite less stringent restrictive measures. In order to explore the causes of the phenomenon, we examined the public health policies and pandemic management of South Korea and the V4 countries and the social and economic outcomes of the measures. We identified the key factors that contributed to successful public health policies and pandemic management in South Korea by reviewing the international literature. Based on the analysis results, South Korea successfully managed the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the appropriate combination of non-pharmaceutical measures and its advanced public health system. An important lesson for the V4 countries is that successful pandemic management requires a well-functioning surveillance system, a comprehensive testing strategy, an innovative contact tracing system, transparent government communication, and a coordinated public health system. In addition, to develop pandemic management capabilities and capacities in the V4 countries, continuous training of public health human resources, support for knowledge exchange, encouragement of research on communicable disease management, and collaboration with for-profit and non-governmental organizations are recommended. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Climate Change and Infectious Disease)

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5 pages, 695 KiB  

Open AccessCase Report

Sago Haemolytic Disease: A Case Due to Climate-Induced Food Insecurity in Western Province, Papua New Guinea

by Mikaela Seymour

Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2021, 6(4), 190; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed6040190 - 23 Oct 2021

Viewed by 3904

Abstract

Sago haemolytic disease (SHD) is a rare but significant condition presenting in sago starch-eating populations in Western Province, Papua New Guinea. Although rare, case fatality rates are high, and no known antidote is available. The exact cause of the disease is unknown, but [...] Read more.

Sago haemolytic disease (SHD) is a rare but significant condition presenting in sago starch-eating populations in Western Province, Papua New Guinea. Although rare, case fatality rates are high, and no known antidote is available. The exact cause of the disease is unknown, but it is believed to be secondary to mycotoxins produced by fungi in old sago. In this case report, a 50-year-old female was treated in a low-resource setting in Middle Fly, with fluid resuscitation and transfusion, making a full recovery without complications. The mainstay of treatment for SHD is intravenous fluid resuscitation and strict fluid balance, which can be achieved in even the most remote Western Province aid post. Increased food insecurity, secondary to climate change, may see the incidence of this condition increase. Therefore, all health workers in Western Province should be comfortable with fluid resuscitation and fluid balance practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Climate Change and Infectious Disease)

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9 pages, 218 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Risk Factors and Outcomes of Hospital Acquired Pneumonia in Young Bangladeshi Children

by Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayeem Bin Shahid, Tahmina Alam, Lubaba Shahrin, K. M. Shahunja, Md. Tanveer Faruk, Mst. Mahmuda Ackhter, Ishrat Jahan Karim, Shafiul Islam, Mostafa Taufiq Ahmed, Haimanti Saha, Irin Parvin, Tahmeed Ahmed and Mohammod Jobayer Chisti

Life 2021, 11(10), 1030; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11101030 - 30 Sep 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2833

Abstract

Hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) is common and often associated with high mortality in children aged five or less. We sought to evaluate the risk factors and outcome of HAP in such children. We compared demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics in children <5 years [...] Read more.

Hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) is common and often associated with high mortality in children aged five or less. We sought to evaluate the risk factors and outcome of HAP in such children. We compared demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics in children <5 years using a case control design during the period of August 2013 and December 2017, where children with HAP were constituted as cases (n = 281) and twice as many randomly selected children without HAP were constituted as controls (n = 562). HAP was defined as a child developing a new episode of pneumonia both clinically and radiologically after at least 48 h of hospitalization. A total of 4101 children were treated during the study period. The mortality was significantly higher among the cases than the controls (8% vs. 4%, p = 0.014). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for potential confounders, it was found that persistent diarrhea (95% CI = 1.32–5.79; p = 0.007), severe acute malnutrition (95% CI = 1.46–3.27; p < 0.001), bacteremia (95% CI = 1.16–3.49; p = 0.013), and prolonged hospitalization of >5 days (95% CI = 3.01–8.02; p < 0.001) were identified as independent risk factors for HAP. Early identification of these risk factors and their prompt management may help to reduce HAP-related fatal consequences, especially in resource limited settings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Climate Change and Infectious Disease)

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