Air quality is a crucial part of the equation that factors into our health. Zoonotic diseases, those that pass from species to species – move through the air. Wind patterns, humidity, temperatures; they all play a role in how viruses move. Far too often we are singularly focused on hard-surfaces contamination and its impact. Make no mistake, that is important to understand and address. But it should not be done at the expense of ignoring the importance of airborne transmission. All modes of transmission should continually be evaluated, and infection control plans designed accordingly.
Today we will explore diseases and their travel through the air. Within the past decade, wind influences on Kawasaki Disease were noted. The disease primarily affects children less than 4 years old. The disease causes arterial inflammation, also affecting lymph nodes and mucous membranes. More on the disease and its potential to travel through the air can be found at the links directly below.
A Windborne Clue To A Mysterious Childhood Disease
Kawasaki Disease is not alone in its ability to move about through the air. Meningitis outbreaks have been linked to wind and dust levels. Those factors have been shown as predictors of seasonal outbreaks. Avian influenza is another that seems likely to ride the wind from place to place.
Modelling the Wind-Borne Spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus between Farms
Spatial scale in environmental risk mapping: A Valley fever case study

Leaflet [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis)
Sources of Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis)
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