A Scoping Review of Changing Climate and Weather Connections to Waterborne Pathogens in Coastal Environments

• Published in: Global change biology Vol. 31; no. 7; pp. e70322 - n/a
• Main Authors: Magers, Bailey M., Brumfield, Kyle D., Usmani, Moiz, Colwell, Rita R., Jutla, Antarpreet S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2025
• Subjects: Acidification; Aquatic ecosystems; Aquatic environment; climate; Climate Change; Coastal environments; Coastal zones; Deoxygenation; Dissolved oxygen; Estuaries; Estuarine dynamics; Estuarine ecosystems; Eutrophication; Freshwater; Freshwater ecosystems; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Hypoxia; Infectious diseases; Inland water environment; Marine ecosystems; microbial detection; Microorganisms; ocean acidification; ocean deoxygenation; ocean warming; Outbreaks; Pathogens; risk; Salinity; salinity alteration; Salinity effects; Seawater - chemistry; Seawater - microbiology; Temperature; Water Microbiology; Water temperature; waterborne disease; Waterborne diseases; Waterborne Diseases - microbiology; waterborne pathogens; Weather; ocean acidification; salinity alteration; waterborne disease; waterborne pathogens; ocean warming; ocean deoxygenation; climate change
• ISSN: 1354-1013; 1365-2486; 1365-2486
• DOI: 10.1111/gcb.70322

ABSTRACT Correlation of climate and infectious disease has been noted for millennia and recorded in the writings of Hippocrates. Given recent technological advances in both pathogen detection and monitoring of infectious diseases in a time of climate change, a detailed study of their link is now possible. In the aquatic environment, climate change has had an impact on ocean, estuary, and freshwater ecosystems that coincides with increased frequency of waterborne disease outbreaks. With climate change, elevated water temperature, acidification, alteration of salinity, and deoxygenation have been observed, all of which are conditions that influence microbial pathogen growth and multiplication. This review examines 11 waterborne microbial pathogens and the conditions optimal for their growth and proliferation, namely temperature, pH, salinity, and dissolved oxygen. Our findings suggest environmental thresholds for optimal growth of waterborne microbial pathogens that include a temperature range of ~30°C–37°C, pH ~7–8, salinity ~5–25 ppt, and dissolved oxygen levels indicative of eutrophication and hypoxia, ~2 mg L−1. As conditions optimal for waterborne microbial pathogens become global and more frequent, a predictive capability will be essential to mitigate increased risk of severe outbreaks of waterborne diseases. Correlation of climate and infectious disease has been noted for millennia and recorded in the writings of Hippocrates. In the aquatic environment, climate change has had an impact on ocean, estuary, and freshwater ecosystems that coincide with increased frequency of waterborne disease outbreaks. This review examines 11 waterborne microbial pathogens and the conditions optimal for their growth and proliferation, namely temperature, pH, salinity, and dissolved oxygen. As conditions optimal for waterborne microbial pathogens become global and more frequent, a predictive capability will be essential to mitigate increased risk of severe outbreaks of waterborne diseases.