Search Results (108)

Amphibians are among the most threatened vertebrate groups globally, with over 40% of species at risk of extinction. However, a gap remains in understanding how to effectively develop and implement amphibian conservation strategies at local and global scales to minimize extinction risk. This review synthesizes multidisciplinary evidence to frame amphibian conservation as a priority not only for species preservation but for safeguarding ecosystem functioning and human well-being. Drawing on ecological, physiological, biomedical, and technological literature, we highlight the foundational roles amphibians play in various biomes: regulating invertebrate populations, mediating nutrient and energy flows, modifying physical habitats, and supporting biodiversity through trophic interactions. Their dual aquatic–terrestrial life cycles and highly permeable skin make them highly sensitive to environmental change, positioning them as bioindicators for ecosystem health. We further explore emerging tools and concepts such as environmental metabolomics, remote sensing, and citizen science for monitoring population trends and environmental stressors. Additionally, we discuss conservation challenges in relation to land-use change, climate disruption, invasive species, emerging diseases, and institutional underinvestment. We argue for the recognition of amphibians as ecological allies and the increased integration of amphibian conservation into broader frameworks such as ecosystem service valuation, climate resilience planning, and public health policy improvement. Finally, we identify key research gaps and suggest future directions to remedy these oversights, including the incorporation of traditional knowledge, socio-cultural engagement, and technological innovations for sustainable amphibian conservation. Realizing this vision will require globally coordinated, locally grounded strategies that fuse scientific insight, inclusive governance, and long-term investment—ensuring that amphibian conservation advances ecosystem stability and benefits both nature and society. Full article

Background: Climate change is increasingly altering the distribution and burden of infectious diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa, where ecological diversity, fragile health systems, and widespread poverty heighten vulnerability. The One Health approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health, provides a useful framework for addressing these climate-sensitive health challenges; its application in the region remains limited. Methods: This review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines and synthesized evidence from 30 peer-reviewed studies published between 2019 and 2025, identified through PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Results: Studies consistently showed that rising temperatures, altered rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events shifted malaria transmission into highland zones, modified schistosomiasis risk through changes in snail habitats, and drove diarrheal outbreaks following flooding. While One Health initiatives such as Ghana’s Climate-Smart One Health framework and university-led programmes in East Africa demonstrated promise, their impact remained constrained by donor dependence, institutional silos, and limited policy integration. Conclusions: To enhance climate resilience, national strategies need to integrate climate-informed surveillance, predictive modelling, and One Health governance. Future research should extend beyond malaria and schistosomiasis, incorporate longitudinal data, and establish standardized metrics for assessing One Health interventions. Full article

Allergen sensitization profiles are increasingly affected by environmental and climate changes. This study exemplifies fundamental differences in molecular IgE sensitization profiles in two nearby regions in Argentina with different climatic conditions (La Plata and Bahía Blanca). A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 155 patients with allergic symptoms from La Plata and Bahía Blanca (34.0 ± 11.2 years, female/male: 83/72). Serum samples were analyzed for IgE reactivity using a chip containing 101 micro-arrayed allergen molecules. Statistical analyses were performed to compare allergen-specific IgE levels, sensitization prevalences and reported symptoms. Patients from La Plata—with subtropical weather—showed a higher prevalence of IgE reactivity to house dust mite (HDM) allergens (Der p 23: 74%; Der p 1: 53% and Der p 2: 56%) and more frequently reported asthma (AS) symptoms (40% vs. 24%) than patients from Bahía Blanca. In contrast, patients from Bahía Blanca, with dry and windy weather, exhibited higher sensitization rates to pollen allergens, particularly Phl p 1 (49%) and Ole e 1 (22%) as well as to Alternaria alternata (Alt a 1, 35%) and reported a significantly higher prevalence of skin manifestations (54% vs. 31%) than those from La Plata. Cat allergen Fel d 1 was an equally important sensitizer in both regions (La Plata 30% and Bahía Blanca 37%). Sensitization to class 1 food allergens was rare in both groups (1–8%), including non-specific lipid transfer proteins (peanut Ara h 9 and peach Pru p 3) but IgE sensitizations to genuine peanut allergens were almost absent. Important regional differences in allergen sensitization profiles were observed between two geographically close regions with different climatic conditions. Our findings underscore the relevance of region-specific allergen profiling and highlight the clinical utility of molecular allergy diagnosis for a more precise allergen identification and improved management of allergic diseases. Full article

Climate-Sensitive Infectious Diseases (CSIDs) are diseases whose prevalence and transmission are heavily influenced by climatic factors, posing a significant challenge to public health, particularly in vulnerable regions such as Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This study employs a bibliometric analysis to evaluate the evolution and distribution of research on CSID and the analytical methods employed in the field. Using bibliometric and text-mining techniques, the analysis examines publication trends, research hotspots, and methodological developments from 2015 to 2024. The results highlight a regional concentration of research, with Brazil leading in CSID studies, particularly on arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. The analysis also reveals the predominance of regression models, time-series analysis, and spatial analysis as primary methods used to forecast and analyze disease outbreaks. However, advanced techniques such as neural networks and niche modeling are gaining traction, indicating a shift towards more data-intensive approaches. The findings underscore the importance of enhancing forecasting capabilities and integrating analytical models into public-health systems to anticipate the impact of climate change on disease patterns. This study offers critical insights into methodological trends and identifies gaps for future research, contributing to more effective decision making in public health across Latin America and the Caribbean. Full article

Climate change has a widespread impact on health across the continuum, influencing skin disease patterns, access to dermatologic care, and the burden of climate-sensitive conditions. Environmental changes driven by climate change impact the skin’s ability to maintain homeostasis, contributing to the onset and exacerbation of various dermatologic diseases. Psoriasis, acne vulgaris, atopic dermatitis, photoaging, melasma, and skin cancers have been associated with repeated exposure to rising levels of pollutants. Furthermore, the depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer has contributed to an elevated risk of developing skin cancer—including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma—due to increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Notably, while melanoma is linked to intense, intermittent UV exposure and sunburns, basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are more strongly associated with cumulative or chronic sun exposure over a lifetime. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution contributes to more than 700,000 premature deaths each year, and a 1% decrease in ozone thickness corresponds with a 2% rise in melanoma incidence. This review also identifies research gaps, such as limited longitudinal studies, underrepresentation of pediatric and elderly populations, and limited exploration of nitrosative stress mechanisms. Due to these factors, practitioners should be aware of both the current and projected impacts of climate change in their regions to effectively identify and manage associated conditions and exacerbations. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench) is a globally cultivated cereal and an increasingly important crop in Europe due to its exceptional adaptability to climate change and low input requirements. It represents a rich source of bioactive compounds, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannins, and 3-deoxyanthocyanidins, which exhibit strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic regulatory properties. Methods: This review, as a bibliometric analysis, summarizes and discusses current evidence on the health-promoting effects of sorghum, with particular emphasis on its antioxidant, metabolic, and cardiovascular benefits. Results: The antioxidant potential of sorghum is mainly attributed to its phenolic profile, which varies considerably depending on genotype, environmental factors, and processing methods. Human and animal studies demonstrate that sorghum-derived polyphenols enhance endogenous antioxidant enzyme activity, decrease oxidative stress biomarkers, and beneficially modulate gut microbiota composition. Sorghum-based foods are characterized by low to medium glycemic indices, promoting improved postprandial glucose regulation, insulin sensitivity, and prolonged satiety. Furthermore, sorghum bioactive peptides and phenolic acids contribute to cardiovascular health by lowering serum cholesterol levels, reducing inflammatory markers, and exhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. Conclusions: Overall, sorghum constitutes a gluten-free, antioxidant-rich grain with significant potential for mitigating oxidative stress, supporting metabolic balance, and preventing chronic non-communicable diseases. Full article

The rising frequency of heat-related illnesses (HRIs) under climate change presents urgent public health challenges, particularly in urban environments. This study develops an explainable machine learning (ML) model to predict HRI risk using metrological data from seven major South Korean metropolitan cities between May and September 2021–2024. We applied eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) to model relationships between daily meteorological variables, including maximum and mean daily temperatures, humidity, solar radiation, wind speed, and precipitation, and HRI occurrence. Model performance was validated using 2025 data and demonstrated strong predictive accuracy, with area under the curve (AUC) values 0.895. To enhance interpretability, Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis identified mean daily temperature, solar radiation, and minimum temperature as the strongest contributors to HRI risk. Time-series comparisons of predicted and actual HRI occurrences further validated the model’s effectiveness in real-world settings. These findings underscore the potential of eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) for localized health-risk forecasting and support a data-driven basis for developing early warning systems for climate-sensitive diseases to guide proactive public health planning amid escalating urban heat risks. Full article

Background: Diarrheal disease (DD) remains a major public health challenge and is the leading cause of malnutrition and the second leading cause of death among children under five globally. Although DD can be caused by a wide range of pathogens, its primary drivers are often linked to unimproved sanitation, limited access to clean drinking water, and poor hygiene practices. Low- and middle-income countries, particularly those in South Asia, experience the highest burden. These regions are also increasingly vulnerable to climate change and land use/cover changes, which may further exacerbate DD risk. However, the relative influence of environmental and social drivers at localized scales is not well understood. This gap presents a critical opportunity to identify scalable, data-informed interventions that address environmental determinants of health in the context of a changing climate. Methods: To investigate these dynamics, we analyzed 21,779 records from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for Bangladesh, integrating them with remotely sensed data on forest cover change, temperature, and rainfall. Using Random Forest machine learning models, we assessed the relative importance of both environmental and socio-demographic variables at household and regional (village) levels. Results: The results show that DD risk varies across scales: household-level outcomes are primarily associated with socio-demographic characteristics, while regional-level outcomes are more strongly influenced by environmental and geographic features, including precipitation, elevation, and proximity to water bodies. Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of scale-sensitive approaches when assessing environmental health risks and developing climate-adaptive public health strategies. Full article

Greenhouse horticulture is a cornerstone of year-round vegetable production. However, escalating climate change is intensifying abiotic stressors (i.e., elevated temperatures, increased vapor pressure deficits, water shortage, and modified solar radiation), threatening both crop productivity and postharvest performance. This review synthesizes current knowledge on how these climatic shifts impact greenhouse microclimate, pest and disease patterns, energy and water requirements, as well as crop development in the Mediterranean region. This study focuses on three major crops (tomato, cucumber, and sweet pepper), which prevail in the regional protected cultivation sector. Among the climate-induced stressors examined, elevated temperature emerges as the primary environmental constraint on greenhouse productivity. In reality, however, a combination of climate-induced stressors is at play, acting simultaneously and often synergistically. Among crops, cucumber generally displays the highest sensitivity to climate-induced shifts, whereas sweet pepper tends to be the most resilient. Next, adaptive strategies are explored, including precision irrigation, structural retrofitting measures, renewable energy integration, Decision Support Systems, and climate-resilient cultivars. Regional case studies revealed diverse country-specific counteractive innovations. As key elements of inclusive climate adaptation, supportive policy frameworks and a practical agenda of targeted research priorities are outlined. In conclusion, the sustainability of greenhouse horticulture under a changing climate demands integrated, technology-driven, and region-focused approaches. Full article

Viral zoonoses or viral pathogens transmitted from animals to humans—constitute a rapidly intensifying global health and economic challenge. They are responsible for an estimated 2.5 billion illnesses and 2.7 million deaths annually, representing nearly 60% of all infectious diseases and 75% of newly emerging infections. Recent outbreaks, including Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Ebola, Nipah, and avian influenza, underscore their capacity to overwhelm health systems, with COVID-19 alone projected to reduce global Gross Domestic Product by USD 22 trillion by 2025 and impose annual healthcare costs of USD 2–3 trillion. Beyond mortality and morbidity, zoonotic events disrupt trade, depress rural livelihoods, and inflict agricultural losses exceeding USD 100 billion per outbreak, with impacts disproportionately borne by low- and middle-income countries. Hotspot regions across tropical North and South America, Asia, and Central Africa remain especially vulnerable due to accelerating land use change, climate variability, and intensified wildlife–human interfaces. While the Global One Health Index highlights high regional heterogeneity, with sub-Saharan Africa scoring lowest, a critical gap persists between the conceptual strength of One Health and its operationalization in resource-limited settings. This review synthesizes evidence on drivers, clinical manifestations, and socioeconomic burdens of viral zoonoses, while highlighting novel perspectives on equity gaps, co-infection dynamics, and limitations of global preparedness initiatives. We argue that current strategies remain over-reliant on donor-driven agendas and insufficiently integrated across sectors. Addressing future zoonotic threats requires prioritizing surveillance in high-risk geographies, integrating epidemiological and economic data for preparedness planning, and supporting context sensitive One Health approaches that confront political, financial, and structural barriers to implementation. Full article

Mosquito-borne viruses like West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) present growing public health concerns, especially with climate change and expanding vector ranges. This study describes the development and validation of a duplex Real-Time RT-PCR assay targeting β-actin (ACTB) mRNA as an endogenous control and a conserved 92 bp region shared by WNV and USUV genomes. Degenerate primers for ACTB ensure RNA extraction quality and PCR performance while enabling simultaneous detection of both viruses. A total of 1002 mosquito pools collected in Piedmont, Italy, during the 2024 vector season under the National Surveillance Plan for Arboviruses (PNA), were tested. The assay showed 100% accuracy—ACTB mRNA was detected in all pools, and six pools tested positive for WNV or USUV (three each). Diagnostic specificity was confirmed on 40 horse and bovine serum samples. Sanger sequencing confirmed ACTB identity across multiple mosquito species. The assay also demonstrated reproducibility across different operators and thermocyclers. The limit of detection (LOD) evaluation showed that the assay is capable of detecting viral RNA at very low concentrations, confirming its high analytical sensitivity. The duplex RT-PCR here developed is a reliable, sensitive, and specific tool for arbovirus surveillance, combining pathogen detection with internal quality control of RNA extraction and amplification, thus improving early warning and rapid response to mosquito-borne disease threats. Full article

Alternaria alternata is one of the most clinically relevant fungal allergens in pediatric patients with respiratory allergies. Sensitization to this mold has increased in recent decades and is influenced by environmental exposure, geographic location, climate change, and genetic predisposition. In children, Alternaria spp. are strongly associated with the development and worsening of asthma and allergic rhinitis, often contributing to severe and difficult-to-control forms of the disease. The major allergen, Alt a 1, plays a central role in the immunopathogenesis of Alternaria-induced allergies and exhibits molecular features that allow cross-reactivity with other fungal species. Although Alternaria allergy is clinically relevant, its diagnosis remains challenging due to the variability and lack of standardization of fungal extracts. Therefore, it may be necessary to complement traditional diagnostic tools, such as skin prick testing and specific IgE measurement, with component-resolved diagnostics or, in selected cases, nasal provocation tests. Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) has shown promising results in the treatment of Alternaria allergy, particularly with the use of standardized Alt a 1-based extracts or chemically modified allergoids, which offer clinical benefits and immunological modulation. However, AIT is still underused in this context, partly because of the lack of widely available commercial products and long-term efficacy data in the pediatric population. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on the epidemiology, mechanisms, clinical implications, and treatment options related to Alternaria allergy in children, with the aim of supporting early recognition and tailored therapeutic strategies for this important, yet often underestimated, allergen. Full article

Amphibians are particularly vulnerable to hydric stress due to their permeable skin, biphasic life cycle, and strong dependence on aquatic and moist terrestrial environments. In the Northwestern Mediterranean Basin—one of Europe’s most climate-sensitive regions—the intensification of droughts associated with climate change poses a critical threat to amphibian populations. Increased aridification, either due to higher temperatures or to more frequent, prolonged, and severe drought episodes, can affect both aquatic and terrestrial life stages, directly altering breeding opportunities, larval development, post-metamorphic survival, and dispersal capacity. This review aims to gather and synthesize current knowledge on the ecological, physiological, and demographic impacts of drought on amphibians of the Northwestern Mediterranean across habitat types, including ephemeral ponds, permanent water bodies, lotic systems, and terrestrial landscapes, including a final section on possible mitigation actions. Drought-induced shifts in hydroperiod can drastically reduce reproductive success and accelerate larval development with fitness consequences while, on land, desiccation risk and habitat degradation could limit access to refugia and fragment populations by reducing structural connectivity. These environmental constraints are compounded by the interactions between drought and emerging infectious diseases. We discuss the current knowledge on how chytrid fungi (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and B. salamandrivorans) and ranaviruses may respond to temperature and moisture regimes, and how drought may affect their transmission dynamics, host susceptibility, and pathogen persistence. In these cases, microbiome disruption, pollutant concentration, and increased contact rates between species may amplify disease outbreaks under dry conditions, but a better understanding of the multifactorial effects of drought on amphibian biology and disease ecology is needed for predicting species vulnerability, identifying high-risk populations, and guiding future conservation and management strategies in Mediterranean environments. Full article

The incidence of allergic diseases has increased notably in recent years. The reasons for this increase include air pollution, diet, and infectious factors. This study aims to analyze the interactions between aeroallergens, environmental pollutants, and meteorological factors and their impact on allergenic sensitization in Toledo, Spain. An aerobiological study was conducted over the past 30 years (1994–2023) using a Burkard collector and the SEAIC (Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology) methodology. Meteorological data were obtained from the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) and pollutant data were acquired from the Castilla-La Mancha Air Quality Monitoring Network. Patients presenting with seasonal allergic symptoms at the University Hospital of Toledo were selected for skin testing with various types of airborne pollen. A total of twenty pollen taxa were identified in the Toledo atmosphere, as follows: Cupressaceae (26.53%); Olea europaea (21.62%); Quercus (21.12%); Poaceae (10.30%); Urticaceae (2.58%); Plantago (2.48%); Platanus (2.00%); Amaranthaceae (1.72%); Rumex (1.68%); and Morus, Pistacia, Populus, Artemisia, Fraxinus, Alnus, Carex, and Ericaceae (less than 1% each). The average temperature increased by 1.2 °C, while the level of precipitation remained stable. Among all pollutants, only a moderate increase in ozone levels was observed; however, the concentrations of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides decreased. The prevalence of pollen sensitization in allergic patients ranged from 8% for Pinus nigra to 84% for Phleum pratense. In conclusion, the rise in temperature due to climate change, coupled with high concentrations of pollutants such as ozone, can result in increased concentrations of the main types of wind-borne pollen. Thus, this can lead to a greater sensitivity to pollen and, consequently, more people becoming allergic to pollen. Full article

Amino acids (AAs), a type of nitrogen-based organic compounds in the atmosphere, are directly and indirectly related to climate change, and as their link to allergic diseases becomes more known, the need for quantitative analysis of ultrafine dust (PM_2.5) will become increasingly necessary. When sensing water-soluble AAs using a gas chromatograph combined with a tandem mass spectrometer (GC-MS/MS), derivatization should be considered to increase the volatility and sensitivity of target analytes. In this study, two methods were used to compare and evaluate 13 AA derivatives in PM_2.5 samples: N-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide with 1% tert-butyldimethylchlorosilane (MTBSTFA w/1% t-BDMCS), which is preferred for silylation, and ethyl chloroformate (ECF) with methanol (MeOH) for chloroformate derivatization. The most appropriate reaction conditions for these two derivative methods, such as temperature and time, and the analytical conditions of GC-MS/MS for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of AAs were optimized. Furthermore, the calibration curve, detection limit, and recovery of both methods for validating the quantification were determined. The two derivative methods were applied to 23 actual PM_2.5 samples to detect and quantify target AAs. The statistical significances between pairwise measurements of individual AAs detected by both methods were evaluated. This study will help in selecting and utilizing appropriate derivative methods for the quantification of individual AAs in PM_2.5 samples. Full article