All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
The development of hydrocephalus has been linked to climate
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
Rainfall affects the incidence of childhood infections leading to hydrocephalus in Uganda, according to a team of researchers who have shown for the first time that brain infections are linked to the region's climate.
Hydrocephalus is a disease characterized by excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricular system of the brain. The tumor can lead to brain damage or death if left untreated. But even with the necessary help, the child will only have a thirty percent chance of leading a normal life, which directly depends on the quality of the treatment provided.
" Hydrocephalus is the most common reason for neurosurgical interventions," said Dr. Stephen Schiff, lead author of the study and a professor at Penn State University.
In sub-Saharan Africa, there are over 100,000 cases of infectious hydrocephalus each year. Most cases of hydrocephalus are due to neonatal sepsis, a blood infection that occurs during the first four weeks of life.
The results of the scientists’ research were published in the scientific journal “Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics”.
Benjamin Worth, an associate professor of neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School at Boston Medical Center, notes that it takes about three or four months after an infected baby (one with neonatal sepsis) is admitted to the hospital with signs of hydrocephalus.
Dr. Schiff and his colleagues recorded 696 cases of hydrocephalus in Ugandan infants between 2000 and 2005. The researchers also obtained localized rainfall data for the same time period from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Uganda has two rainy seasons, in spring and autumn. When comparing data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and cases of hydrocephalus, the researchers found that cases increased significantly four times a year - before and after each rainy season, when rainfall is at its lowest.
Scientists note that different bacteria appear in the post-infectious period of hydrocephalus in different seasons of the year. So far, the researchers have not identified the full spectrum of bacteria that cause hydrocephalus, but they note that environmental conditions influence the level of bacterial growth, and that the amount of rainfall may be directly related to the occurrence of bacterial infections. Humidity levels have a direct impact on the incidence of hydrocephalus in this region of East Africa.
Experts say that knowing the mechanisms of infection can reduce the incidence rate.