The Influence of Ambient Temperature and Rainfall on Foodborne Infections Caused by Vibrio, Campylobacter, and Pathogenic Escherichia coli: A Review

The Influence of Ambient Temperature and Rainfall on Foodborne Infections Caused by Vibrio, Campylobacter, and Pathogenic Escherichia coli: A Review

Section: Review Articles
Issue
Vol. 34 No. 4 (2025): Volume 34 Issue 4
Published
Oct 1, 2025
Pages
105-115

Abstract

Foodborne bacterial infections caused by Vibrio species, Campylobacter species, and pathogenic Escherichia coli (STEC/EHEC) pose significant public health risks globally. Environmental factors, particularly ambient temperature and rainfall, play crucial roles in modulating the ecology, transmission, and epidemiology of these pathogens. This review examines recent scientific literature (post-2015) on the associations between these key weather variables and infections caused by Vibrio, Campylobacter, and STEC. Evidence confirms that rising temperatures strongly promote the proliferation and geographic expansion of Vibrio species in aquatic environments. For Campylobacter and STEC, temperature influences seasonality and environmental survival, often through indirect mechanisms affecting hosts, vectors, or human behaviour. Rainfall, particularly heavy rainfall events, is a major driver of pathogen transport via runoff, leading to contamination of water sources and agricultural produce, thereby increasing exposure risk for all three pathogen groups. Understanding these complex, pathogen-specific relationships is critical for developing effective public health strategies, including enhanced surveillance, predictive modelling, and climate change adaptation measures in food safety and water management. Integrated approaches combining environmental monitoring, epidemiology, and climate science are essential to mitigating the growing threat of weather-influenced foodborne diseases.

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Authors

Zakariya Nafi Shehab

Department of Environmental Systems and Information, Environmental Research Centre, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq

Safwa Waleed Ahmed

2Department of Pollution Control, Environmental Research Centre, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq

Raghad N. Altaee

Department of Environmental Technology, College of Environmental Sciences, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq

Identifiers

https://doi.org/10.33899/jes.v34i4.49247
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[1]
Z. N. Shehab, S. W. Ahmed, and R. N. Altaee, “The Influence of Ambient Temperature and Rainfall on Foodborne Infections Caused by Vibrio, Campylobacter, and Pathogenic Escherichia coli: A Review: The Influence of Ambient Temperature and Rainfall on Foodborne Infections Caused by Vibrio, Campylobacter, and Pathogenic Escherichia coli: A Review”, JES, vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 105–115, Oct. 2025.
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