ArticleTropical medicine and health2025
Associations between meteorological factors and scrub typhus incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis of linear and nonlinear dose-response relationships.
Article in Tropical medicine and health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Non-linear effects and lag patterns of eco-environmental factors on scrub typhus: a spatiotemporal analysis in Yunnan, China, 2015-2022.Parasites & vectors · 2026Article
- Explainable AI reveals squamous histology and U-shaped PD-L1 patterns as primary subgroup predictors of neoadjuvant and perioperative immunotherapy benefit in NSCLC: a machine learning analysis.Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundScrub typhus is an important zoonotic disease with rising incidence globally. Meteorological factors may influence its transmission dynamics. However, inconsistencies across studies and limited quantitative evidence highlight the need for further investigation.
objectiveTo systematically evaluate the linear and nonlinear associations between various meteorological factors and scrub typhus incidence, explore lagged effects and potential sources of heterogeneity, and analyze inconsistencies in existing findings.
methodWe searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase for studies published up to February 2025. Relevant articles were identified based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. We conducted linear meta-analyses to assess the effects of unit changes in meteorological factors and dose-response meta-analyses to evaluate cumulative lagged risks across different exposure levels. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted to explore sources of heterogeneity and assess result robustness.
resultsSeventeen studies were included, covering China, Korea, Laos, and India. Eleven studies contributed to linear meta-analyses, and six to dose-response analyses. Ambient temperature (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.16), land surface temperature (RR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.09), precipitation (RR 1.01, 95% CI 1.01-1.02), relative humidity (RR 1.07, 95% CI 1.04-1.11), and atmospheric pressure (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.91-1.23) were positively associated with the risk of scrub typhus. Wind speed (RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.49-0.71) and sunshine duration (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.77-1.10) exhibited negative associations. Dose-response meta-analysis revealed inverted U-shaped relationships for ambient temperature and relative humidity, and a unimodal pattern for precipitation, with risk increasing continuously at high levels. Significant lag effects were observed: precipitation had the most immediate effect (lag0: RR 1.05), while ambient temperature (lag1: RR 1.18) and relative humidity (lag2: RR 1.28) peaked with a 1- to 2-month delay. Geographic variation was identified as a major source of between-study heterogeneity.
conclusionAlthough this study has certain limitations, including the small number of included studies, their concentration mainly in China, and the presence of substantial heterogeneity, the results provide evidence of linear and nonlinear associations between meteorological factors and scrub typhus incidence, and highlight the roles of geographical variation and lag effects. These findings offer quantitative evidence and scientific support for disease prevention and control in the context of climate change.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.