El Nino key factor behind outbreak of many diseases: Study

NASA finds El Nino as a major reason behind the outbreak of various fatal diseases across the globe.

Hyderabad: The El Nino in 2015-16 facilitated conditions for the outbreak of plethora of diseases like transmission of diseases, plague and hantavirus across the globe, a new study conducted by NASA said.

According to a recent study, the El Nino provided a favourable condition for the large scale outbreak of dengue fever in Brazil and Southeast Asia, plague and hantavirus in Colorado and New Mexico, and cholera in Tanzania.

Due to El Nino, the Brazil and Southeast Asian countries reported highest cases of mosquito-borne disease in 2015 as compared to 2000 to 2017.

Similarly in Colorado and New Mexico, cases of plague was the highest in 2015 where as the hantavirus cases reached maximum high in 2016 in the two US states.

Over a period of 18-year from 2000 to 2017, Tanzania in East Africa witnessed second and third highest cases of cholera in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

How El Nino helps in outbreak of diseases

El Nino produces higher than normal land surface temperatures resulting in a drier habitat. This phenomenon draws mosquitoes into populated area to lay eggs in open water.

With the air becoming warmer, the mosquitoes grow and attain sexual maturity resulting increase in mosquito bites and outbreak of diseases.