Climate Change Drives the Transmission and Spread of Vector-Borne Diseases: An Ecological Perspective

• Published in: Biology
• Main Authors: Ma, Jian, Guo, Yongman, Gao, Jing, Tang, Hanxing, Xu, Keqiang, Liu, Qiyong, Xu, Lei
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI 2022
• Subjects: Commentary; North Atlantic; North Atlantic oscillation
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9687606/; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36358329; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11111628

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are a major threat to human health. Climate change has a significant impact on VBDs. To clarify the complex effects of climate change on VBDs, we concluded the effects of climate on the transmission and spread of VBDs from an ecological perspective and summarized VBD changes in response to climate change, specifically including: the nonlinear effects of local climate (temperature, precipitation and wind) on VBD transmission, especially temperature showing n-shape effects; regional climate (the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and North Atlantic Oscillation) has time-lag effects on VBD transmission through indirect impact on local climate; and the u-shaped effect of extreme climates can lead to the geographical spread of VBDs. In terms of non-climatic factors, land use and human mobility through the interactions with climatic factors, will affect transmission and spread of VBD. We further explored the uncertainty of the impact of climate change on VBDs under the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic understanding of the impact of climate change on the transmission and spread of VBD can provide insights and suggestions for future research on VBD prevention and control. ABSTRACT: Climate change affects ecosystems and human health in multiple dimensions. With the acceleration of climate change, climate-sensitive vector-borne diseases (VBDs) pose an increasing threat to public health. This paper summaries 10 publications on the impacts of climate change on ecosystems and human health; then it synthesizes the other existing literature to more broadly explain how climate change drives the transmission and spread of VBDs through an ecological perspective. We highlight the multi-dimensional nature of climate change, its interaction with other factors, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on transmission and spread of VBDs, specifically including: (1) the generally nonlinear relationship of local climate (temperature, precipitation and wind) and VBD transmission, with temperature ...