Unusual climatic conditions and infectious diseases: observations made by Hippocrates

Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin. 2010 Dec;28(10):716-8. doi: 10.1016/j.eimc.2009.11.013. Epub 2010 May 13.

Abstract

About 2500 years ago, Hippocrates made noteworthy observations about the influence of climate on public health. He believed that people living in cities with different climate may suffer from different diseases. Hippocrates also observed that abrupt climatic changes or unusual weather conditions affect public health, especially the incidence and severity of various infectious diseases, including gastrointestinal infections, tuberculosis, and central nervous system infections. We believe that Hippocrates' scientific observations are great early historic examples that stress to modern infectious diseases researchers and clinicians the need to study intensively the effect of the occurring global climate changes to infectious diseases in order to help in the prevention of possible epidemics of infections.

Publication types

  • Biography
  • Historical Article

MeSH terms

  • Climate Change
  • Climate*
  • Diarrhea / epidemiology
  • Diarrhea / history
  • Disease Outbreaks / history
  • Female
  • Greece, Ancient
  • History, Ancient
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Meningitis / epidemiology
  • Meningitis / history
  • Meteorological Concepts
  • Mumps / epidemiology
  • Mumps / history
  • Public Health*
  • Seasons
  • Tuberculosis / epidemiology
  • Tuberculosis / history
  • Urban Health

Personal name as subject

  • None Hippocrates