Intersecting Memories of Immunity and Climate: Potential Multiyear Impacts of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation on Infectious Disease Spread

Abstract Climate and infectious diseases each present critical challenges on a warming planet, as does the influence of climate on disease. Both are governed by nonlinear feedbacks, which drive multi‐annual cycles in disease outbreaks and weather patterns. Although climate and weather can influence...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Maya V. Chung, Gabriel A. Vecchi, Wenchang Yang, Bryan Grenfell, C. Jessica Metcalf
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2025-02-01
Series:GeoHealth
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GH001193
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract Climate and infectious diseases each present critical challenges on a warming planet, as does the influence of climate on disease. Both are governed by nonlinear feedbacks, which drive multi‐annual cycles in disease outbreaks and weather patterns. Although climate and weather can influence infectious disease transmission and have spawned rich literature, the interaction between the independent feedbacks of these two systems remains less explored. Here, we demonstrate the potential for long‐lasting impacts of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events on disease dynamics using two approaches: interannual perturbations of a generic SIRS model to represent ENSO forcing, and detailed analysis of realistic specific humidity data in an SIRS model with endemic coronavirus (HCoV‐HKU1) parameters. Our findings reveal the importance of considering nonlinear feedbacks in susceptible population dynamics for predicting and managing disease risks associated with ENSO‐related weather variations.
ISSN:2471-1403