US Climate and Health Alliance

Direct and indirect effects of climate change on the risk of infection by water-transmitted pathogens

Abstract

Climate change is likely to affect the infectious disease burden from exposure to pathogens in water used for drinking and recreation. Effective intervention measures require quantification of impacts of climate change on the distribution of pathogens in the environment and their potential effects on human health. Objectives of this systematic review were to summarize current knowledge available to estimate how climate change may directly and indirectly affect infection risks due to Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, norovirus, and Vibrio. Secondary objectives were to prioritize natural processes and interactions that are susceptible to climate change and to identify knowledge gaps. Search strategies were determined based on a conceptual model and scenarios with the main emphasis on The Netherlands. The literature search resulted in a large quantity of publications on climate variables affecting pathogen input and behavior in aquatic environments. However, not all processes and pathogens are evenly covered by the literature, and in many cases, the direction of change is still unclear. To make useful predictions of climate change, it is necessary to combine both negative and positive effects. This review provides an overview of the most important effects of climate change on human health and shows the importance of QMRA to quantify the net effects.

Resource Type
Peer-reviewed article
Authors
Ankie Sterk Jack Schijven Ton de Nijs Ana Maria de Roda Husman
Resource URL
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es403549s
Publication
Environmental Science & Technology
Journal Abbr.
Environ. Sci. Technol.
Volume
47
Issue
22
Pages
12648-12660
Date
Nov 19, 2013
DOI
10.1021/es403549s
ISSN
1520-5851
Health and Human Impacts
Infectious disease Water-borne disease
Climate and Environmental Impact
Water

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