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Reported cases of dengue caused by dengue virus (DENV) are increasing. DENV (genus vivirus, family Flaviviridae) is composed of 4 genetically distinct serotypes, DENV-1-4. In 2023, a total of 4.6 [...]

December is marked with holidays, gatherings with friends and family, and the joy of sharing festive meals that strengthen bonds and memories. Food plays a central role in these connections, [...]

The hydrologic cycle--the perpetual movement of water across the earth--accelerates under the influence of climate change, which enhances extreme rainfall. (1) This escalation lays bare structural vulnerabilities inherent within the [...]

Little has been published about the interactions of metals and parasites in economically important aquaculture species, particularly shellfish. Metal bioaccumulation and parasitic diseases could vary in different species depending on temperature changes and other environmental factors. Most studies conducted on endoparasites, such as acanthocephalans. cestodes, nematodes, and trematodes, indicate that only cestodes and acanthocephalans could absorb heavy metals successfully in their hosts, and that only adult worms could be used as indicators of environmental pollution. In Anemia parthenogenetica, cestodes increased resistance to arsenic (As) pollution and temperature changes; and infection was associated with improved antioxidant defense system without oxidative damage. The most serious parasite of Pendens spp. is Enleroeytozoon hepatopenaei (Microsporidia: Enterocytozoonidae). Apostome ciliates are negatively impacting Pandalus borealis of the northeastern United States (Synophrya sp. that causes 'white eggs' or Black Spot Gill Syndrome) and Penaeus spp. from the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico (Hyalophysa lynni that causes shrimp black gill). In freshwater fish, the larvae of the nematode Eustrongylides spp. Jagerskiold, 1909 (Ncmatoda: Dioctophymidae) absorbed lead (Pb). mercury, and cadmium, when the metal levels were close to zero in water and sediment. The concentration of Pb in the larvae was approximately 17 times higher than in the fish. Like the antioxidant defense reactions in the parasitized A. parthenogenetica exposed to As, an improved antioxidant defense system may be available in parasitized fish, limiting oxidative damage caused by metals. This study presents baseline concentrations of 30 metals in wild Penaeus vannamei Boone, 1931 from Ecuador and other species, as well as the current taxonomy for selected shellfish species and their parasites. Research is needed to assess the relationship of metals in parasites and host tissues, and oxidative stress in shellfish. The tools of One Health including molecular ecology, population genomics, proteomics, and epigenetic epidemiology should be used to detect parasites and environmental pollution indicators that could threaten aquatic species from freshwater and marine ecosystems, particularly considering climate change and pollution threats. KEY WORDS: parasites, metals, Eustrongylides spp. larvae, Penaeus spp., Pandalus borealis, Crassoslrea virginica, Crassostrea gigas, shrimp black gill, Hyalophysa lynni, black spot gill syndrome, Synophrya sp., Enleroeytozoon hepatopenaei, Haplosporidiuin ne/soni, Perkinsus marinus, pollution indicators, INTRODUCTION Apart from their important role for the environment (Gagne et al. 2021), aquatic animals serve as important contributors to the nutritional requirements of humans, as well as carriers and [...]

Background: West Nile virus (WNV) is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in humans in the United States. Since the introduction of the disease in 1999, incidence levels have stabilized in many regions, allowing for analysis of climate conditions that shape the spatial structure of disease incidence. Objectives: Our goal was to identify the seasonal climate variables that influence the spatial extent and magnitude of WNV incidence in humans. Methods: We developed a predictive model of contemporary mean annual WNV incidence using U.S. county-level case reports from 2005 to 2019 and seasonally averaged climate variables. We used a random forest model that had an out-of-sample model performance of [R.sup.2] =0.61. Results: Our model accurately captured the V-shaped area of higher WNV incidence that extends from states on the Canadian border south through the middle of the Great Plains. It also captured a region of moderate WNV incidence in the southern Mississippi Valley. The highest levels of WNV incidence were in regions with dry and cold winters and wet and mild summers. The random forest model classified counties with average winter precipitation levels Discussion: We consider which aspects of the WNV transmission cycle climate conditions may benefit the most and argued that dry and cold winters are climate conditions optimal for the mosquito species key to amplifying WNV transmission. Our statistical model may be useful in projecting shifts in WNV risk in response to climate change. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10986, Introduction West Nile virus (WNV; Flaviviridae: flavivirus) is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in humans in the United States. (1) WNV is primarily transmitted between birds--the viral reservoir--and mosquitos--the [...]

Changes in local temperature and precipitation patterns are affecting the geographic range of disease vectors such as the Aedes mosquitoes that spread dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. (1) Effectively preparing for [...]

: Objective: This research seeks to identify climate‐sensitive infectious diseases of concern with a present and future likelihood of increased occurrence in the geographically vulnerable Torres Strait Islands, Australia. The objective is to contribute evidence to the need for adequate climate change responses. Methods: Case data of infectious diseases with proven, potential and speculative climate sensitivity were compiled. Results: Five climate‐sensitive diseases in the Torres Strait and Cape York region were identified as of concern: tuberculosis, dengue, Ross River virus, melioidosis and nontuberculous mycobacterial infection. The region constitutes 0.52% of Queensland's population but has a disproportionately high proportion of the state's cases: 20.4% of melioidosis, 2.4% of tuberculosis and 2.1% of dengue. Conclusions: The Indigenous Torres Strait Islander peoples intend to remain living on their traditional country long‐term, yet climate change brings risks of both direct and indirect human health impacts. Implications for public health: Climate‐sensitive infections pose a disproportionate burden and ongoing risk to Torres Strait Islander peoples. Addressing the causes of climate change is the responsibility of various agencies in parallel with direct action to minimise or prevent infections. All efforts should privilege Torres Strait Islander peoples’ voices to self‐determine response actions., Our islands have been continuously inhabited by Indigenous people for tens of thousands of years, but the climate crisis is endangering all of this. Rising seas caused by man‐made climate [...]

BACKGROUND: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of flooding events. Although rainfall is highly correlated with mosquito-borne diseases (MBD) in humans, less research focuses on understanding the impact of flooding events on disease incidence. This lack of research presents a significant gap in climate change-driven disease forecasting. OBJECTIVES: We conducted a scoping review to assess the strength of evidence regarding the potential relationship between flooding and MBD and to determine knowledge gaps. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched through 31 December 2020 and supplemented with review of citations in relevant publications. Studies on rainfall were included only if the operationalization allowed for distinction of unusually heavy rainfall events. Data were abstracted by disease (dengue, malaria, or other) and stratified by post-event timing of disease assessment. Studies that conducted statistical testing were summarized in detail. RESULTS: From 3,008 initial results, we included 131 relevant studies (dengue n = 45, malaria n = 61, other MBD n = 49). Dengue studies indicated short-term ( DISCUSSION: Flooding is generally associated with increased incidence of MBD, potentially following a brief decrease in incidence for some diseases. Methodological inconsistencies significantly limit direct comparison and generalizability of study results. Regions with established MBD and weather surveillance should be leveraged to conduct multisite research to a) standardize the quantification of relevant flooding, b) study nonlinear relationships between rainfall and disease, c) report outcomes at multiple lag periods, and d) investigate interacting factors that modify the likelihood and severity of outbreaks across different settings. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8887, Introduction Mosquito-borne diseases (MBD) cause a significant proportion of infectious disease morbidity and mortality globally. Although declines in the disease burden of some, chiefly malaria (Cibulskis et al. 2016), have [...]

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (C[O.sub.2]) hit a milestone in 2015, when global average concentrations reached 400 ppm for the first time in recorded history. (1) By 2100, the global average could [...]

Introduction The demand for plausible future estimates and patterns of disease risks under global environmental change is widespread given that they are a useful aid in setting priorities for health [...], Background: Debates over whether climate change could lead to the amplification of Lyme disease (LD) risk in the future have received much attention. Although recent large-scale disease mapping studies project an overall increase in Lyme disease risk as the climate warms, such conclusions are based on climate-driven models in which other drivers of change, such as land-use/cover and host population distribution, are less considered. Objectives: The main objectives were to project the likely future ecological risk patterns of LD in Europe under different assumptions about future socioeconomic and climate conditions and to explore similarity and uncertainty in the projected risks. Methods: An integrative, spatially explicit modeling study of the ecological risk patterns of LD in Europe was conducted by applying recent advances in process-based modeling of tick-borne diseases, species distribution mapping, and scenarios of land-use/cover change. We drove the model with stakeholder-driven, integrated scenarios of plausible future socioeconomic and climate change [the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSPs) combined with the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs)]. Results: The model projections suggest that future temperature increases may not always amplify LD risk: Low emissions scenarios (RCP2.6) combined with a sustainability socioeconomic scenario (SSP1) resulted in reduced LD risk. The greatest increase in risk was projected under intermediate (RCP4.5) rather than high-end (RCP8.5) climate change scenarios. Climate and land-use change were projected to have different roles in shaping the future regional dynamics of risk, with climate warming being likely to cause risk expansion in northern Europe and conversion of forest to agriculture being likely to limit risk in southern Europe. Conclusions: Projected regional differences in LD risk resulted from mixed effects of temperature, land use, and host distributions, suggesting region-specific and cross-sectoral foci for LD risk management policy. The integrated model provides an improved explanatory tool for the system mechanisms of LD pathogen transmission and how pathogen transmission could respond to combined socioeconomic and climate changes. https:// doi.org/10.1289/EHP4615