Temperature, day length and humidity have been found to be linked to the increased spread of a diarrhoeal illness a new study from the University of Surrey reveals.
Temperature, day length and humidity have been found to be linked to the increased spread of a diarrhoeal illness a new study from the University of Surrey reveals. The findings could help predict further outbreaks of the illness, potentially leading to better preparedness within health services.
During this unique study, researchers led by Dr Giovanni Lo Iacono, investigated the impact of weather on the transmission of campylobacteriosis, a bacterial infection which can cause diarrhoea and stomach pains. According to the World Health Organisation, Campylobacter infections are the most common causes of human bacterial gastroenteritis in the world. Infections are generally mild, but can be fatal among very young children, elderly, and immunosuppressed individuals.
Dr Giovanni Lo Iacono, Senior Lecturer in Biostatistics and Epidemiology, in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey and who contributed to the recent UKSHA Health Effects of Climate Change, said:
“Since Hippocrates, there has been a large consensus that weather and climate influence the spread of diseases. Getting to the bottom of why this is and what specific environmental factors drive the spread of disease is a complicated matter and not fully understood. We now have a detailed description of how the weather affects the disease, and the next step is to understand the why. Importantly, through our transparent and conceptually simple approach, we can now tell the risk of getting the disease when we know the recent local weather.
Read more at University of Surrey
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