Evaluating Associations Between Drought and West Nile Virus Epidemics: A Systematic Review.

ABSTRACT: Human West Nile virus (WNV) infections can have severe neurological health effects, especially among those over 50 years of age. As changes in weather patterns lead to more frequent and intense droughts, there is a public health need for improved understanding of drought associated WNV risks. While multiple studies have reported an association between drought conditions and human WNV cases, this information has not yet been synthesized systematically across studies. Our review aims to evaluate the existing evidence of an association between drought and human WNV cases while considering the impacts of different study regions, methodological approaches, drought metrics, and WNV case definitions. We conducted a systematic literature search of peer-reviewed epidemiological studies that examine

SUBMITTER: Russell MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12736350 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature