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Peer-reviewedCC BYOne Health Outlook

Mechanisms underlying the impact of environmental factors (physical, ecological, social) on infectious diseases

  • Mengjie Wang1
  • Jun Wan2
  • Qi Chen2
  • Maolin Zhou3
  • Xueyan Ma1
  • Tengfei Liu4
  • Quan Sun5
  • Juan Liu6
  • Junyi Ge4
  • Tao Liu5
  • Weishu Li1
  • Yijing Tao1
4 more authors
  • Shaobin Wang1
  • Tiegang Liu1
  • Bo Han3
  • Chen Bai1
6 affiliations
  1. 1School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine
  2. 2Shenzhen Hospital (Longgang), Beijing University of Chinese Medicine
  3. 3Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Climate Change and Natural Disasters, Sun Yat-sen University
  4. 4School of Economics and Management, Open University of China
  5. 5The RUC Leading Group for Talents, Renmin University of China
  6. 6Institute of Immunization, Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention
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Abstract

The occurrence, transmission, and spread of infectious diseases are closely linked to environmental factors. As climate change intensifies, shifts in temperature, precipitation, and extreme weather events are modifying pathogen survival, vector ecology, and the geographical range of infectious diseases. At the same time, ecosystem degradation, land-use change, urbanization, poverty, and social unrest further shape population exposure, healthcare access, and disease vulnerability. This narrative review synthesizes the mechanisms by which physical, ecological, and social environmental factors influence infectious disease transmission. Unlike reviews that focus on single determinants, this review adopts an integrated framework to examine both individual mechanisms and cross-domain interactions. Guided by the One Health framework, we link these mechanisms to the human-animal-environment interface and highlight how environmental change can promote pathogen spillover, amplification, and spread. By clarifying these pathways, this review provides a theoretical basis for integrated infectious disease prevention, public health policy, and future research.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{wang2026mechanisms,
  title = {{Mechanisms underlying the impact of environmental factors (physical, ecological, social) on infectious diseases}},
  author = {Mengjie Wang and Jun Wan and Qi Chen and Maolin Zhou and Xueyan Ma and Tengfei Liu and Quan Sun and Juan Liu and Junyi Ge and Tao Liu and Weishu Li and Yijing Tao and Shaobin Wang and Tiegang Liu and Bo Han and Chen Bai},
  journal = {One Health Outlook},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1186/s42522-026-00234-3},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s42522-026-00234-3},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Mechanisms underlying the impact of environmental factors (physical, ecological, social) on infectious diseases
AU  - Mengjie Wang
AU  - Jun Wan
AU  - Qi Chen
AU  - Maolin Zhou
AU  - Xueyan Ma
AU  - Tengfei Liu
AU  - Quan Sun
AU  - Juan Liu
AU  - Junyi Ge
AU  - Tao Liu
AU  - Weishu Li
AU  - Yijing Tao
AU  - Shaobin Wang
AU  - Tiegang Liu
AU  - Bo Han
AU  - Chen Bai
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/01
JO  - One Health Outlook
DO  - 10.1186/s42522-026-00234-3
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1186/s42522-026-00234-3
AB  - The occurrence, transmission, and spread of infectious diseases are closely linked to environmental factors. As climate change intensifies, shifts in temperature, precipitation, and extreme weather events are modifying pathogen survival, vector ecology, and the geographical range of infectious diseases. At the same time, ecosystem degradation, land-use change, urbanization, poverty, and social unrest further shape population exposure, healthcare access, and disease vulnerability. This narrative review synthesizes the mechanisms by which physical, ecological, and social environmental factors influence infectious disease transmission. Unlike reviews that focus on single determinants, this review adopts an integrated framework to examine both individual mechanisms and cross-domain interactions. Guided by the One Health framework, we link these mechanisms to the human-animal-environment interface and highlight how environmental change can promote pathogen spillover, amplification, and spread. By clarifying these pathways, this review provides a theoretical basis for integrated infectious disease prevention, public health policy, and future research.
SN  - 2524-4655
ER  -