Biology, Epidemiology, and Public Health Significance of Malaria Disease Linked to Climate Changes

Abstract

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by obligate intraerythrocytic protozoa of the genus Plasmodium. As one of the most devastating global health issues, malaria is a sensitive disease to weather and climate conditions, in such a way the ongoing trends of increasing temperature and more variable weather could lead to malaria transmission spreading. Spatial and temporal variations in precipitation, temperature, and humidity that are projected to take place under different climate change scenarios will impact the biology and ecology of malaria vectors and subsequently the risk of disease transmission. Here, the authors review how climate and climate change may impact malaria transmission. They contrast ecological and behavioral characteristics of malaria vectors and parasites and how weather, climate, climate change, and socioeconomic factors may have very different impacts on their spatiotemporal occurrence and abundance and the resulting malaria risk.