Journal article
The role of climatic changes in the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases: bibliometric analysis and literature-supported studies on zoonoses
One Health Outlook, Vol.7, pp.1-12
2025
PMCID: PMC11853283
PMID: 39994740
Abstract
Climate change (CC) is increasingly recognised as a critical driver in the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases. The relationship between CC and infectious diseases is complex and multifaceted, encompassing changes in temperature, precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events. This study describes the role of CC in the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases, emphasising zoonoses. It used a mixed methodology, including an initial literature contextualisation and a bibliometric analysis, to identify key thematic research areas related to CC and zoonotic diseases and show their connections. The research relied on the Scopus database for the identification of relevant source literature and focused the search query on publications in English. VOSviewer was used to discover clear thematic clusters that illustrate what research areas have been addressed in the literature and how they are interlinked. In addition, the research selected and analysed twelve literature-supported studies to investigate the relevance of the zoonoses involved in infectious disease emergence and re-emergence linked to CC impacts. Many pathogens and their vectors, such as mosquitoes, ticks, and rodents, are sensitive to temperature and moisture. CC can expand or shift the geographical distribution of these vectors, bringing diseases to new areas. Warmer temperatures may allow mosquitoes that transmit diseases like malaria and dengue fever to survive and reproduce in regions that were previously too cold. Also, extreme events such as floods, droughts, and hurricanes can lead to immediate increases in waterborne and vector-borne diseases (VBD) by facilitating the spread of pathogens. There is a need to better understand the connections between CC and zoonoses. To address the challenges posed by zoonoses linked to CC, international organizations like the WHO should coordinate a global response to provide clear guidance. Governments must integrate CC and zoonoses into national health policies, ensuring that health frameworks address these interconnected risks. Funding should be allocated for research on the root causes of CC and for strengthening defenses, particularly in developing countries with fragile health systems. Additionally, enhanced communication, education, and training for healthcare professionals about the links between CC and zoonoses are essential for raising awareness and promoting proactive measures.
Details
- Title
- The role of climatic changes in the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases: bibliometric analysis and literature-supported studies on zoonoses
- Authors
- Walter Leal Filho - HAW HamburgGustavo J. Nagy - Universidad de la República de UruguayGouvide Jean Gbaguidi (Corresponding Author) - HAW HamburgShlomit Paz - University of HaifaMaria Alzira Pimenta Dinis - University of CoimbraJohannes M. Luetz - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and SocietyAyyoob Sharifi - Hiroshima University
- Publication details
- One Health Outlook, Vol.7, pp.1-12
- Publisher
- BioMed Central Ltd.
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1186/s42522-024-00127-3
- ISSN
- 2524-4655
- PMID
- 39994740; PMC11853283
- Copyright note
- © The Author(s) 2024. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creati vecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
- Data Availability
- The data will be available on reasonable request from the HAW Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Hamburg, Germany. Please contact the corresponding author.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991127096802621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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InCites Highlights
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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Source: SDGs from InCites