Cholera outbreaks may soon be predicted using satellite sensors, paving the way for preemptive medicine in countries that suffer epidemics, says Distinguished University Professor Rita Colwell, speaking today at the Society for General Microbiology鈥檚 162nd meeting being held this week at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
The cholera Vibrio lives in zooplankton and can be found in bays, estuaries and rivers in temperate and tropical regions.
鈥淪cientists have established a definable relationship between sea surface temperature, sea surface height and cholera epidemics,鈥� says Professor Colwell, from the University of Maryland, US. 鈥淲e can predict cholera epidemics by monitoring these factors using satellite sensors.鈥�
鈥淐holera has afflicted humankind over the ages and remains a serious problem for the developing world,鈥� says Professor Colwell. 鈥淚f the global effects of climate change are to be understood fully, we need to think about the human health aspect.鈥�
Professor Colwell鈥檚 work is leading toward a predictive model that will provide forecasting of climatic conditions associated with specific infectious diseases, offering predictions of epidemics.
鈥淎 pre-emptive medicine may be possible for countries of the world suffering cholera epidemics,鈥� says Professor Colwell. 鈥淭he issues are international and require a global scientific enterprise. The ultimate objective is an holistic understanding of the consequences of global warming and development of policies to address them.鈥�
Source: Society for General Microbiology
