Climate Change and the Impact on Ocular Infectious Diseases: A Narrative Review.

IF 2.6 3区医学 Q2 OPHTHALMOLOGY

Ophthalmology and Therapy Pub Date : 2025-08-01 Epub Date: 2025-07-02 DOI:10.1007/s40123-025-01185-0

Yong Le Tong, Carlos Cifuentes-González, Kajal Agrawal, Fatma Shakarchi, Xin Ying Rachel Song, John S Ji, Rupesh Agrawal

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Abstract

Climate change and global warming significantly affect the incidence and distribution of infectious ocular diseases. This narrative review explores how climate-related factors-including extreme weather events, precipitation, temperature fluctuations, humidity, wind patterns, ultraviolet radiation, and air pollution-can directly and indirectly influence the burden of ocular infections. By synthesizing evidence from the published literature, we examine how these environmental variables impact disease mechanisms such as pathogen survival, transmission dynamics, and host susceptibility. Increased precipitation has been associated with a higher incidence and recurrence of ocular toxoplasmosis (OT), likely due to the enhanced spread of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts through contaminated water and soil. Rainfall also creates breeding habitats for mosquitoes, facilitating the transmission of vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever and Rift Valley fever. Rising temperatures and humidity have been linked to increased rates of fungal infections, particularly fungal keratitis in tropical regions. Wind has been implicated in the airborne dispersal of pathogens, including fungal spores, T. gondii oocysts, and insect-derived particles such as moth setae, potentially contributing to OT and seasonal hyperacute panuveitis. Air pollution further exacerbates dry eye disease, which influences the vulnerability to microbial keratitis. These climate-related shifts disproportionately affect vulnerable populations-particularly those living in rural, low-income, and tropical areas. This review highlights the urgent need for further research into climate-sensitive mechanisms of ocular infections and the development of targeted adaptation strategies to mitigate their impact on global eye health.

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气候变化和对眼部传染病的影响：叙述性综述。

气候变化和全球变暖显著影响感染性眼病的发病率和分布。这篇叙述性综述探讨了气候相关因素——包括极端天气事件、降水、温度波动、湿度、风向、紫外线辐射和空气污染——如何直接或间接地影响眼部感染的负担。通过综合已发表文献的证据，我们研究了这些环境变量如何影响疾病机制，如病原体存活、传播动力学和宿主易感性。降水增加与眼部弓形虫病（OT）的发病率和复发率升高有关，这可能是由于弓形虫卵囊通过受污染的水和土壤传播增强所致。降雨还为蚊子创造了繁殖栖息地，促进了登革热和裂谷热等病媒传播疾病的传播。气温和湿度的上升与真菌感染率的增加有关，特别是热带地区的真菌性角膜炎。风与病原体的空气传播有关，包括真菌孢子、弓形虫卵囊和昆虫衍生的颗粒，如蛾的刚毛，可能导致OT和季节性超急性全葡萄膜炎。空气污染进一步加剧了干眼病，影响了对微生物角膜炎的易感性。这些与气候相关的变化对弱势群体的影响尤为严重，尤其是生活在农村、低收入和热带地区的人群。这篇综述强调迫切需要进一步研究气候敏感的眼部感染机制，并制定有针对性的适应策略，以减轻其对全球眼睛健康的影响。

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来源期刊

Ophthalmology and Therapy OPHTHALMOLOGY-

CiteScore

4.20

自引率

3.00%

发文量

157

审稿时长

6 weeks

期刊介绍： Aims and Scope Ophthalmology and Therapy is an international, open access, peer-reviewed (single-blind), and rapid publication journal. The scope of the journal is broad and will consider all scientifically sound research from preclinical, clinical (all phases), observational, real-world, and health outcomes research around the use of ophthalmological therapies, devices, and surgical techniques. The journal is of interest to a broad audience of pharmaceutical and healthcare professionals and publishes original research, reviews, case reports/series, trial protocols and short communications such as commentaries and editorials. Ophthalmology and Therapy will consider all scientifically sound research be it positive, confirmatory or negative data. Submissions are welcomed whether they relate to an international and/or a country-specific audience, something that is crucially important when researchers are trying to target more specific patient populations. This inclusive approach allows the journal to assist in the dissemination of quality research, which may be considered of insufficient interest by other journals. Rapid Publication The journal’s publication timelines aim for a rapid peer review of 2 weeks. If an article is accepted it will be published 3–4 weeks from acceptance. The rapid timelines are achieved through the combination of a dedicated in-house editorial team, who manage article workflow, and an extensive Editorial and Advisory Board who assist with peer review. This allows the journal to support the rapid dissemination of research, whilst still providing robust peer review. Combined with the journal’s open access model this allows for the rapid, efficient communication of the latest research and reviews, fostering the advancement of ophthalmic therapies. Open Access All articles published by Ophthalmology and Therapy are open access. Personal Service The journal’s dedicated in-house editorial team offer a personal “concierge service” meaning authors will always have an editorial contact able to update them on the status of their manuscript. The editorial team check all manuscripts to ensure that articles conform to the most recent COPE, GPP and ICMJE publishing guidelines. This supports the publication of ethically sound and transparent research. Digital Features and Plain Language Summaries Ophthalmology and Therapy offers a range of additional features designed to increase the visibility, readership and educational value of the journal’s content. Each article is accompanied by key summary points, giving a time-efficient overview of the content to a wide readership. Articles may be accompanied by plain language summaries to assist readers who have some knowledge of, but not in-depth expertise in, the area to understand the scientific content and overall implications of the article. The journal also provides the option to include various types of digital features including animated abstracts, video abstracts, slide decks, audio slides, instructional videos, infographics, podcasts and animations. All additional features are peer reviewed to the same high standard as the article itself. If you consider that your paper would benefit from the inclusion of a digital feature, please let us know. Our editorial team are able to create high-quality slide decks and infographics in-house, and video abstracts through our partner Research Square, and would be happy to assist in any way we can. For further information about digital features, please contact the journal editor (see ‘Contact the Journal’ for email address), and see the ‘Guidelines for digital features and plain language summaries’ document under ‘Submission guidelines’. For examples of digital features please visit our showcase page https://springerhealthcare.com/expertise/publishing-digital-features/ Publication Fees Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be required to pay the mandatory Rapid Service Fee of €5250/$6000/£4300. The journal will consider fee discounts and waivers for developing countries and this is decided on a case by case basis. Peer Review Process Upon submission, manuscripts are assessed by the editorial team to ensure they fit within the aims and scope of the journal and are also checked for plagiarism. All suitable submissions are then subject to a comprehensive single-blind peer review. Reviewers are selected based on their relevant expertise and publication history in the subject area. The journal has an extensive pool of editorial and advisory board members who have been selected to assist with peer review based on the afore-mentioned criteria. At least two extensive reviews are required to make the editorial decision, with the exception of some article types such as Commentaries, Editorials, and Letters which are generally reviewed by one member of the Editorial Board. Where reviewer recommendations are conflicted, the editorial board will be contacted for further advice and a presiding decision. Manuscripts are then either accepted, rejected or authors are required to make major or minor revisions (both reviewer comments and editorial comments may need to be addressed). Once a revised manuscript is re-submitted, it is assessed along with the responses to reviewer comments and if it has been adequately revised it will be accepted for publication. Accepted manuscripts are then copyedited and typeset by the production team before online publication. Appeals against decisions following peer review are considered on a case-by-case basis and should be sent to the journal editor. 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Please follow the link for further information on preprint sharing: https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/journal-author/journal-author-helpdesk/submission/1302#c16721550 Copyright Ophthalmology and Therapy''s content is published open access under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License, which allows users to read, copy, distribute, and make derivative works for non-commercial purposes from the material, as long as the author of the original work is cited. The author assigns the exclusive right to any commercial use of the article to Springer. For more information about the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License, click here: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0. Contact For more information about the journal, including pre-submission enquiries, please contact christopher.vautrinot@springer.com.