Environmental Health in Israel | 2014

West Nile Fever in Israel, 2000-2012 Research on Climate Change and Health Effects in Israel  Researchers from the University of Haifa, Ben-Gurion University, Tel Aviv University and Bar- Ilan University found that a rise in ambient temperature increased the risk of heart defects among infants born in the Tel Aviv area during the years 2000–2006.  A joint study by researchers from Tel Aviv University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Sheba Medical Center (Heller Institute) is currently assessing the impact of climate on traffic accidents in Israel.  The MoH Public Health Laboratories and Tel Aviv University’s School of Public Health are jointly studying climatic fluctuations in Israel and their connection to the incidence of foodborne zoonotic diseases (salmonella and campylobacter) during the years 1995–2010. Within the framework of the study researchers will forecast possible effects of climate change on morbidity due to these food contaminants in the year 2030.    The MoH publishes an annual report on the incidence of West Nile fever. Part of the long-term monitoring conducted in this epidemiological study includes information on the geographic distribution of suspected and verified cases of morbidity from the fever.  The MoH is using the monitoring system of zoonotic diseases and the reporting system of the Israel Meteorological Service in order to study associations between change in temperature as an index of climate change and the incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Thus far, the study focused on three regions in Israel that are considered to have high potential for contagion and found that an increase in the number of new cases occurs about 12 weeks (on average) after a high increase in temperature. The study will later focus on the impact of absolute humidity on the incidence of morbidity.  Figure 1 Source: Israeli Ministry of Health (2) Environmental Health in Israel 2014  Chapter 11 50 150 250 350 450 100 200 300 400 500 Year Cases Cases Rate/100,000 Rate/100,000 1 5 3 7 4 8 2 6 0 2000 429 2009 92 2010 108 2011 45 2012 100 2008 92 2007 156 2006 79 2005 159 2004 12 2003 41 2002 35 2001 34 0 - 76 -