The Influence of Ambient Temperature and Rainfall on Foodborne Infections Caused by Vibrio, Campylobacter, and Pathogenic Escherichia coli: A Review

Foodborne bacterial infections caused by Vibrio species, Campylobacter species, and pathogenic Escherichia coli (STEC/EHEC) pose significant public health risks globally. Environmental factors, particularly ambient temperature and rainfall, play crucial roles in modulating the ecology, transmission, and epidemiology of these pathogens. This review examines recent scientific literature (post-2015) on the associations between these key weather variables and infections caused by Vibrio, Campylobacter, and STEC. Evidence confirms that rising temperatures strongly promote the proliferation and geographic expansion of Vibrio species in aquatic environments. For Campylobacter and STEC, temperature influences seasonality and environmental survival, often through indirect mechanisms affecting hosts, vectors, or human behaviour. Rainfall, particularly heavy rainfall events, is a major driver of pathogen transport via runoff, leading to contamination of water sources and agricultural produce, thereby increasing exposure risk for all three pathogen groups. Understanding these complex, pathogen-specific relationships is critical for developing effective public health strategies, including enhanced surveillance, predictive modelling, and climate change adaptation measures in food safety and water management. Integrated approaches combining environmental monitoring, epidemiology, and climate science are essential to mitigating the growing threat of weather-influenced foodborne diseases.