US Climate and Health Alliance

El Nino and climate change—contributing factors in the dispersal of Zika virus in the Americas?

Abstract

In their letter, Isaac I Bogoch and colleagues anticipated the international spread of Zika virus from Brazil through air traffic. Permissive climatic conditions for Aedes mosquitoes might have contributed to the explosive spread of Zika virus in Brazil. In fact, the 2015 El Niño caused exceptional climatic conditions in northeastern South America during winter and spring in the southern hemisphere. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the temperatures over north and eastern South America were “record warmest”, accompanied by a severe drought, throughout the second half of 2015.

Resource Type
Opinion/editorial
Authors
Shlomit Paz JC Semenza
Resource URL
http://thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)00256-7/fulltext
Publication
The Lancet
Date
February 1, 2016
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00256-7
Organization Type
Academic
Health and Human Impact
Vector-borne disease
Climate and Environmental Impact
Heat
Other
Health surveillance

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