Climate change is shifting patterns of rainfall and increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events across the globe. These shifts in climate are changing seasonal infectious disease dynamics, particularly for environmentally-transmitted diseases.

Vibrio cholerae is one such environmentally-transmitted bacterium, which is waterborne and causes the severe diarrheal disease cholera. Rainfall is a strong predictor of cholera epidemics, as are extreme weather events (e.g. hurricanes), both of which can disrupt water sanitation infrastructure and allow for sewage containing V. cholerae to contaminate drinking water. In light of this link, we are wondering: what does climate change mean for the future of cholera epidemics?

Drs. McLean and Eisenberg are trying to answer this question by building epidemic models using climatological forecasting and international public health data. They hope this research will not only help predict the future of cholera, but ultimately inform policies for its control and eradication.

Researchers Involved: