The Impact of Climate Change on the Epidemic of Infectious Diseases

Abstract

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that extreme weather events caused by climate change will have direct and indirect effects on human health. Climate variability is a natural fluctuation in the global climate system, and the El Niño-La Niña phenomenon that occurs in the tropical Pacific Ocean affects the climate in Southeast Asia and the western Pacific region. El Niño increases the incidence of dengue in the region, and La Niña increases the incidence of shigellosis. Changes in meteorological factors due to climate change affect the habitat of mosquitoes and ticks. For intestinal infectious diseases, viral infections can increase at lower temperatures, and bacterial infections can increase at higher temperatures. The prevalence of Vibrio vulnificus may rise as a result of freshwater runoff from heavy rainfall, which lowers salinity. Curbing climate change itself is considered an ideal strategy for climate change response. However, strengthening and expanding infectious disease surveillance networks and personnel in charge at home and abroad may be the best option for the future as an adaptation strategy for reducing the spread of infectious diseases caused by climate change that the public is aware of.