Climate Change and Infectious Diseases in Dermatology

Area of Science:

• Environmental science
• Infectious diseases
• Dermatology

Background:

• Human activities drive climate change, causing global warming, ocean warming, and extreme weather events (EWEs).
• These climatic shifts pose significant risks for infectious diseases, particularly those with cutaneous manifestations.
• Changes in environmental factors like temperature, humidity, and land use are key drivers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the multifaceted impacts of climate change on infectious diseases with skin manifestations.
• To elucidate the mechanisms by which global warming, ocean warming, and EWEs influence disease transmission.
• To highlight the role of altered skin microbiome and land-use change in disease epidemiology.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing scientific literature on climate change and infectious diseases.
• Analysis of the relationship between climatic variables (temperature, humidity, extreme weather) and disease incidence.
• Examination of ecological factors, including vector ranges, waterborne pathogens, and zoonotic spillover.

Main Results:

• Rising temperatures and humidity alter the skin microbiome, potentially increasing infection susceptibility.
• Global warming facilitates the expansion of geographic ranges for vector-borne diseases.
• Warming waters elevate the risk of waterborne illnesses, while EWEs correlate with increased cutaneous infections.

Conclusions:

• Climate change presents a growing threat to public health by exacerbating infectious diseases with skin manifestations.
• Interdisciplinary approaches are crucial to understand and mitigate climate-sensitive infectious diseases.
• Addressing land-use change and its impact on zoonotic disease emergence is vital.