Climate variability and outbreaks of infectious diseases in Europe

• Published in: Scientific Reports
• Main Authors: Morand, Serge, Owers, Katharine A., Waret-Szkuta, Agnes, McIntyre, K. Marie, Baylis, Matthew
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Publishing Group 2013
• Subjects: Article; North Atlantic; North Atlantic oscillation
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3642657; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23639950; https://doi.org/10.1038/srep01774

Several studies provide evidence of a link between vector-borne disease outbreaks and El Niño driven climate anomalies. Less investigated are the effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Here, we test its impact on outbreak occurrences of 13 infectious diseases over Europe during the last fifty years, controlling for potential bias due to increased surveillance and detection. NAO variation statistically influenced the outbreak occurrence of eleven of the infectious diseases. Seven diseases were associated with winter NAO positive phases in northern Europe, and therefore with above-average temperatures and precipitation. Two diseases were associated with the summer or spring NAO negative phases in northern Europe, and therefore with below-average temperatures and precipitation. Two diseases were associated with summer positive or negative NAO phases in southern Mediterranean countries. These findings suggest that there is potential for developing early warning systems, based on climatic variation information, for improved outbreak control and management.