The impact of climate change on the emergence and reemergence of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes in temperate regions: an umbrella review

Introduction: Mosquito-borne diseases (MBD) represent a global public health concern. Many mosquito species have rapidly expanded globally due to climate change and are expected to continue spreading beyond their current range into temperate regions. To support policy action, an umbrella review was conducted to summarize the growing literature on the impact of climate change indicators on MBD patterns in temperate zones. Methods: Studies published until December 31st, 2023, were search in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Epistemonikos, and Web of Science Core Collection. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) and Problem/Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) guidelines were used. The quality of the methodology and of the evidence of the included reviews were assessed using ‘A MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2’ (AMSTAR 2). Results: The initial search yielded 6518 studies, with 78 undergoing full-text assessment. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. Key findings include a significant association between climate factors (specifically temperature, rainfall and humidity) and MBD in temperate regions, mostly malaria and dengue, with temperature consistently showing a strong predictive value. Our findings are likely to be robust as we employed strict quality criteria to ensure the quality of included primary studies and systematic reviews. Discussion and Conclusions: This umbrella review identifies concerning impacts of climate change on MBD in temperate regions, highlighting significant correlations between climate variables and diseases such as dengue, malaria, and the Ross River virus. The review underscores the importance of targeted public health strategies that integrate climatic data for effective management of MBD in temperate regions and calls for further research on extreme weather events and less-studied diseases.