The Role of Climate in the Epidemiology of Melioidosis

AbstractPurpose of ReviewMelioidosis epidemiology is susceptible to climate change through direct and indirect effects on human encounter with the causative agent,Burkholderia pseudomallei. This review describes the current depth of knowledge and recent advances in the understanding of this relationship and applies it to observations of melioidosis in Western Australia.Recent FindingsHigh maximum rainfall and dense cloud cover have been shown to predict environmental presence ofB. pseudomallei and cases of melioidosis, probably through correspondingly high moisture levels inB. pseudomallei-receptive soils. Increased melioidosis cases have been observed following storms in Taiwan and cyclones in the Australian Northern Territory and strengthen the association between melioidosis and extreme weather events. Indirect weather effects contribute to bacterial exposure through mechanisms such as increasingB. pseudomallei output from water seeps after heavy rain or localised flooding. Climate and weather have been directly implicated in dissemination ofB. pseudomallei and cases of melioidosis in several notable events in Western Australia. Over a 10-year surveillance period, the cases that lay in the path of a tropical cyclone co-located with cyclone systems that repeatedly crossed the Western Australian coast. Cyclone-associated cases were caused by differentB. pseudomallei MLST genotypes, arguing against airborne dissemination from a common source.SummaryPredicted increases in temp...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research