Building a European database linking climate hazards to zoonotic disease impacts

Background: Zoonotic diseases, which are transmitted naturally between animals and humans, are a major concern at the interface between animals, humans and the environment. Climate change is characterised by an increase in the frequency and intensity of climatic hazards, which alter ecological balances and influence the transmission of pathogens between vertebrate hosts, arthropod vectors and humans. Despite the widespread recognition of this threat, there are limited systematic compilations of evidence linking specific climate hazards to human health outcomes related to zoonoses. The diverse climatic zones, ecological systems and social contexts in Europe provide a compelling case for assessing these linkages. However, an integrated dataset has been lacking. To address this, we have created a database by conducting a systematic review of existing academic literature and supplementing it with data from national and European registries. The database's purpose is to identify and characterise the zoonoses most influenced by climate-related hazards in Europe, assess reported human health outcomes and quantify the direction and strength of these associations. This will contribute to a more integrated climate-zoonosis-health risk assessment framework. Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, we systematically identified empirical and model-based studies that quantitatively assessed the impact of climate-related hazards on zoonoses using four metrics: mortality, incidence, prevalence and case-fatality rate. The scope of climate hazards was broad, encompassing gradual trends (e.g. global warming and land cover change) and acute extremes (e.g. floods, droughts and heatwaves). Results and discussion: The database comprises qualitative and quantitative matrices linking zoonoses to climate hazards. These are supplemented by curated mappings of zoonotic agents, host taxonomy and the transmission pathways of climate-sensitive zoonoses across Europe. This resource enables the identification of well-established and emerging disease-hazard linkages. It provides a reproducible basis for subsequent applications, including meta-analyses, risk mapping and predictive modelling. Supporting cross-sectoral research that connects environmental and public health surveillance strengthens the scientific basis for adaptation strategies and informs evidence-based policies aimed at building climate-resilient health systems in Europe.