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

Appendices A, B list published studies which have reported post-flood increases in cholera, cryptosporidiosis, non-specific diarrhea, rotavirus, and typhoid and paratyphoid. [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] Several studies have implicated excess rainfall in water-borne disease outbreaks because of the transportation of bacteria, parasites, and viruses into water systems. Marcheggiani et al. 18 showed a potential association between flood events and a range of water-borne infectious diseases in Italy; including, legionellosis, salmonellosis, hepatitis A, and infectious diarrhea. Reacher et al. 28 performed a historical cohort study following a severe flood in 2000 in Lewes, Both climatic and non-climatic impacts, such as land-use dynamics, are expected to influence future flooding in Europe. Although considerable limitations remain in the ability to make robust projections of changes in flood size and frequency due to climate change, common projections appear to be emerging. According to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) SREX Report 8 there is a 66-100% probability that the intensity of heavy precipitation and the proportion of total rainfall will increase particularly in northern mid-latitudes and high latitudes of Europe. The highest total precipitation increases are projected to occur during the winter months. Although the IPCC states a general decrease in mean precipitation in the southern European region, rainfall may become more irregular and intense. However there remains low confidence in projections of changes in riverine floods. Climate change is likely to increase the frequency of storm surges and coastal flooding due to rise in sea levels, and threaten an additional 1.6 million people per year in Europe by the 2080s. 9 Overall, changes in the climate that may affect the transmission of infectious diseases include temperature, humidity, altered rainfall, and sea-level rise.