Environmental and social factors influence arbovirus proliferation in changing climate conditions.

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Frontiers in Medicine Published April 28, 2026 Medically reviewed April 28, 2026 DOI ↗ By Dr. Amelia Tan, PhD · Internal Medicine & Chronic Disease

Key Takeaway

Note that environmental factors like climate change and urbanization influence arbovirus vector proliferation globally.

This review evaluates the impact of environmental and social factors on the proliferation of arthropod vectors associated with various arboviruses. The scope includes dengue, Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever, Nipah, Ebola, and hantaviruses within areas where climate change, urbanization, and population growth facilitate vector spread. The analysis considers host–virus and virus–vector interactions alongside computational and machine learning models to understand these dynamics.

The intervention or exposure involves increasing temperatures, modified precipitation patterns, and accelerated urbanization. Specific medications or comparators were not reported in this review. Consequently, no primary or secondary outcomes, nor specific main results with numerical data, were provided in the source material.

Safety data, including adverse events, serious adverse events, discontinuations, and tolerability, were not reported. The study setting is global health, but the sample size was not reported. Key limitations include the lack of reported outcomes and the observational nature of the factors reviewed. Practice relevance and funding information were not reported, and causality could not be established due to the review format.

Study Details

Study typeCohort

EvidenceLevel 3

PublishedApr 2026

View Original Abstract ↓

Vector-borne and other zoonotic RNA viruses provide a significant and growing threat to global health, especially in areas where climate change, urbanization, and population growth facilitate the proliferation of arthropod vectors. This review offers an extensive examination of the biology, epidemiology, and pathogenesis of numerous important viruses, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever, Nipah, Ebola, and hantaviruses. We underscore how environmental and social factors, particularly increasing temperatures, modified precipitation patterns, and accelerated urbanization, transform vector habitats and spillover dynamics. The article further analyzes host–virus and virus–vector interactions, highlighting mechanisms of immune evasion, neurotropism, and vascular disease. Computational and machine learning models are examined as novel instruments for forecasting outbreaks and developing early warning systems. Finally, a summary of present and prospective control options is provided, covering integrated vector management, Wolbachia-based biological control, vaccinations, and antiviral immunotherapies.