OXY recently published an article on prediction of disease outbreaks in humans based on weather, which you can read by clicking here. In the story, the epidemiologists point out the advantage of using longer-range weather and climate predictions to identify potential risks of the spread of dangerous diseases like Ebola and other infectious diseases. Some human and animal diseases are known to be affected by local weather patterns. For example, equine encephalitis is known to develop and spread most quickly when a drought period which concentrates the insect vectors is followed by a wet period which disperses them widely. NASA researchers have also linked Ebola outbreaks to a drought followed by a heavy wet period. In the future, scientists may be more able to identify potential disease outbreaks in advance based on climate predictions. That would help doctors plan for appropriate care before the onset of the epidemic. This may become even more important in the future when a warmer climate may expand the range of many disease-carrying insects.
