The Latin American and Caribbean Climate Landscape for ZIKV Transmission

Abstract

This document presents a short review of the basic climate of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), focusing on the rainfall and temperature regional differences at multiple timescales, and where present climate forecasts tend to be more skillful for these two variables. The paper aims to provide information to understand how the regional climate plays an important role in vector borne diseases in general and Zika virus (ZIKV) in particular. As an emerging disease a great deal of basic information on ZIKV transmission dynamics is lacking. Knowledge on other Flaviviruses such as chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and dengue virus (DENV), also transmitted by the same mosquito vectors may therefore be used to impute likely climate-related impacts.