mBio (Dec 2023)

Anticipatory decision-making for cholera in Malawi

  • Antarpreet Jutla,
  • Moiz Usmani,
  • Kyle D. Brumfield,
  • Komalpreet Singh,
  • Fergus McBean,
  • Amy Potter,
  • Angelica Gutierrez,
  • Samuel Gama,
  • Anwar Huq,
  • Rita R. Colwell

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.00529-23
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 6

Abstract

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ABSTRACTClimate change raises an old disease to a new level of public health threat. The causative agent, Vibrio cholerae, native to aquatic ecosystems, is influenced by climate and weather processes. The risk of cholera is elevated in vulnerable populations lacking access to safe water and sanitation infrastructure. Predictive intelligence, employing mathematical algorithms that integrate earth observations and heuristics derived from microbiological, sociological, and weather data, can provide anticipatory decision-making capabilities to reduce the burden of cholera and save human lives. An example offered here is the recent outbreak of cholera in Malawi, predicted in advance by such algorithms.

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