The analysis, published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, examines how water scarcity reshapes interactions among hosts, parasites, vectors and their environments. Although many infectious organisms depend on water, the authors warn that drought does not produce a simple, universal reduction in disease. Subject of Research: The effects of drought and water scarcity on infectious disease transmission and host–parasite interactions. Article Title: Plagued by drought: how water scarcity reshapes host–parasite interactionsNews Publication Date: August 12Web References: https://www.colorado.edu/ebio/pieter-johnson; https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2738489/; https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2024/12/press-release-three-quarters-of-earths-land-became-permanently-drier-in-last-three-decades-un/; https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/04/climate/climate-change-drought.htmlReferences: Trends in Ecology & Evolution. DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2026.07.002Image Credits: Pieter Johnson/CU BoulderKeywords: drought, climate change, infectious diseases, viruses, West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, mosquitoes, parasites, amphibians, host–parasite interactions, Valley fever, chytrid fungus, disease ecology, water scarcity