The occurrence of melioidosis is related to different climatic conditions in distinct topographical areas of Taiwan

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: J-J Mu, Centre for Disease Control, Taiwan; P-Y Cheng, Emory University; Y-S Chen, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital; P-S Chen, Kaohsiung Medical University; Y-L Chen, National Kaohsiung Normal University
• Language: English
• Date: 2014-02-01
• Publisher: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © Cambridge University Press 2013
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0950268813001271
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INFECTION
• Volume: 142
• Issue: 2
• Start Page: 415
• End Page: 423
• Grant/Funding Information: This project was supported by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (DOH96-DC-1002 and DOH101-DC-1302).
• Keywords: OUTBREAK; RAINFALL; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; TSUNAMI SURVIVORS; rainfall; EPIDEMIOLOGY; Science & Technology; SOIL; AUSTRALIA; BURKHOLDERIA-PSEUDOMALLEI; NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL; Infectious Diseases; melioidosis; wind speed; THAILAND; Burkholderia pseudomallei; extreme climate; SOUTHERN TAIWAN; wind direction; Life Sciences & Biomedicine
• Research Categories: Biology, Biostatistics; Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

This study assessed the correlations between the incidence of melioidosis and rainfall, wind strength and wind direction in both the flat and hilly regions of Taiwan. Data from the melioidosis and climate databases from 2005 to 2011 were combined and analysed. With the inclusion of a lag time accounting for a possible incubation period for melioidosis, the daily rainfall and wind-speed data were correlated with the number of confirmed melioidosis cases. The incidence of melioidosis in the flat region was related to the wind speed (>19 m/s) and the specific angle (150°, 220°, 280°) of the wind direction. Rainfall is a common environmental factor that contributes to an increase in the incidence of melioidosis in both areas; however, the contribution of wind strength or wind direction to the spread of melioidosis was restricted to areas with specific topographical characteristics, such as hills. © 2013 Cambridge University Press.