Mapping Climate Change Vulnerabilities to Infectious Diseases in Europe

Abstract

Background: The incidence, outbreak frequency, and distribution of many infectious diseases are generally expected to change as a consequence of climate change, yet there is limited regional information available to guide decision making.Objective: We surveyed government officials designated as Competent Bodies for Scientific Advice concerning infectious diseases to examine the degree to which they are concerned about potential effects of climate change on infectious diseases, as well as their perceptions of institutional capacities in their respective countries.Methods: In 2007 and 2009/2010, national infectious disease experts from 30 European Economic Area countries were surveyed about recent and projected infectious disease patterns in relation to climate change in their countries and the national capacity to cope with them.Results: A large majority of respondents agreed that climate change would affect vector-borne (86% of country representatives), food-borne (70%), water-borne (68%), and rodent-borne (68%) diseases in their countries. In addition, most indicated that institutional improvements are needed for ongoing surveillance programs (83%), collaboration with the veterinary sector (69%), management of animal disease outbreaks (66%), national monitoring and control of climate-sensitive infectious diseases (64%), health services during an infectious disease outbreak (61%), and diagnostic support during an epidemic (54%).Conclusions: Expert responses were generally consistent with the peer-reviewed literature regarding the relationship between climate change and vector- and water-borne diseases, but were less so for food-borne diseases. Shortcomings in institutional capacity to manage climate change vulnerability, identified in this assessment, should be addressed in impact, vulnerability, and adaptation assessments.

Adaptation to the infectious disease impacts of climate change

“…Increasing concern about the infectious diseases changing their geographic range or incidence with climate change is one factor driving national and regional assessments of the possible health impacts of and responses to climate variability and change (Confalonieri et al 2007). Ministry of Health professionals, university and NGO-based researchers, and others are being asked to conduct these assessments, often because of their expertise in one or a few climate-sensitive infectious diseases (Semenza et al 2012b). However, expertise in climate variability and change is infrequently included in these assessments.…”

“…Key public health programs -including surveillance and monitoring; field, laboratory, and epidemiologic research; model development; development of decision support tools; and education and capacity building of the public and public health and health care professionals -should consider how climate change could alter the effectiveness of current and planned policies and programs (Semenza et al 2012b). Formal coordination mechanisms should be established across all relevant ministries and organizations, including those dealing with environment, water resources, agriculture, transport, and urban planning.…”

“…Of the 27 EU member states, 9 countries have conducted a national assessment of the potential health impacts of climate change (Semenza et al 2012b). These countries were predominantly western European countries.…”

Health and climate change: policy responses to protect public health

“…Information and data collected from public health surveillance or monitoring systems can be used to determine disease burdens and trends, identify vulnerable people and communities, understand disease patterns, and prepare response plans and public health interventions. 174,175 Health co-benefits from climate adaptation Even though many climate-related health effects are beset by uncertainties, policy makers and communities can prepare if they focus on measures that: 1) create multiple societal and environmental benefits; 2) are robust to multiple alternative developments, and 3) enable social actors to respond, adapt and innovate as a response to change. 164,165 Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA)-co-benefits for indirect effects Ecosystem services contribute to human health in multiple ways and can act as buffers, increasing the resilience of natural and human systems to climate change impacts and disasters.…”

Molecular typing of bacteria for epidemiological surveillance and outbreak investigation / Molekulare Typisierung von Bakterien für die epidemiologische Überwachung und Ausbruchsabklärung

“…More than 70% of these zoonotic diseases in humans originate from wildlife (Morse et al, 2012;Van Doorn, 2014). These shifts in infectious diseases are caused by the adaptation of microorganisms to changes in human behavior, demographics, and life style (Cascio et al, 2011); changes in economic development and land use (Suhrcke et al, 2011); loss of biodiversity (Swaddle and Calos, 2008;Ostfeld, 2009); global travel (Hufnagel et al, 2004); immigration (Schmid et al, 2008); air conditioning; crowded intensive care units in large hospitals; global environmental and climate changes (Semenza et al, 2012); evolution of susceptible populations, exotic pets, exotic foods and pathogen adaptation (Casadevall et al, 2011;Price et al, 2012); as well as advances in detection techniques Allerberger, 2012;van Doorn, 2014). With industrialization of food processing, worldwide shipment of fresh and frozen food and an increased demand for fresh bagged produce foodrelated outbreaks shifted from local, often family-based, outbreaks to multistate or multicountry outbreaks, often caused by a single source (Shane et al, 2002;Tauxe, 2002;Denny et al, 2007;Nygren et al, 2013;Schmid et al, 2014;Ruppitsch et al, 2015b;Inns et al, 2016).…”