Examining the relationship between infectious diseases and flooding in Europe: A systematic literature review and summary of possible public health interventions

Brown, Lisa; Murray, Virginia

Vector-borne Precipitation changes are known to effect the reproduction, development, behavior, and population dynamics of arthropod vectors, their pathogens, and non-human vertebrate reservoirs. 10 Mosquito-borne infections tend to increase with warming and certain changes in rainfall patterns. Vector-borne diseases are unlikely to be a problem during the onset phase of the flood, as many vector breeding habitats are expected to 0.25 cases/100,000 inhabitants. The first three autochthonous cases identified in Marseilles (October 2009) were preceded by heavy rainfall. The study showed the first autochthonous case was identified after a period of flooding preceded by heavy rainfall over several days (34.6 mm/day; 79.2 mm/day; 137 mm/ day with an episode of 63 mm/3 hr). Similarly, the other two autochthonous cases occurred during a period of high rainfall (13.6-23.8 mm).