Associations between Climate Change and Infectious Diseases: A Systematic Review

Climate change is increasingly recognized as a major driver of infectious disease dynamics, influencing disease distribution, seasonality, and outbreak intensity. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on how climate variability affects infectious diseases and evaluates predictive modeling approaches. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and Scopus for studies published between 2010 and 2025. From 106 initial records, 48 studies met inclusion criteria after screening and quality assessment. Results show that temperature variability, altered precipitation, and extreme weather events consistently increase transmission of vector-borne, water-borne, and zoonotic diseases, particularly in vulnerable populations. Machine learning and statistical models, including LASSO regression and neural networks, showed potential for outbreak forecasting but limited ability to predict outbreak magnitude. Publications increased 150% after 2018, reflecting growing attention to climate-health linkages. Integrating predictive models with surveillance systems, adaptive health policies, and interdisciplinary collaboration will be crucial to reduce climate-related disease risks.