Pathogen seasonality and links with weather in England and Wales: a big data time series analysis

Cherrie, Mark P. C.; Nichols, Gordon; Iacono, Gianni Lo; Sarran, Christophe; Hajat, Shakoor; Fleming, Lora E.

Weather may indirectly affect pathogen prevalence through host behaviour. Salmonella is highest in summer months which may in part be due to changes in food handling by humans during those months [11] . Pasturella multocida, which is caused by scratches or bites from domestic animals, was shown to be highest in July in the current analysis. Injuries caused by a cat or dog were shown to peak in summer in Bologna, Italy [38] , which may be due to more time spent outdoors. As mentioned vector abundance will create higher incidence for certain infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and cholera, which are then found to be higher in other countries due to travel behaviour. For example, UK travellers returning from countries with poor sanitation, typically India and Pakistan, in summer months, have an increased risk of cholera due to the seasonal effects on the pathogen growth conditions in these other countries [39] .