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Rhodes CG, Loaiza JR, Romero LM, Gutiérrez Alvarado JM, Delgado G, Rojas Salas O, Ramírez Rojas M, Aguilar-Avendaño C, Maynes E, Valerín Cordero JA, Soto Mora A, Rigg CA, Zardkoohi A, Prado M, Friberg MD, Bergmann LR, Marín Rodríguez R, Hamer GL, Chaves LF. Anopheles albimanus (Diptera: Culicidae) Ensemble Distribution Modeling: Applications for Malaria Elimination. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13030221. [PMID: 35323519 PMCID: PMC8955261 DOI: 10.3390/insects13030221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Costa Rica is near malaria elimination. However, sporadic outbreaks still occur, and while control strategies have been focused on delivering efficient treatments for infected patients, an open question is whether control measures targeting the dominant vector, Anopheles albimanus, are appropriately designed given their ecology and distribution. Here, we illustrate the use of an ensemble species distribution model (SDM) as a tool to assess the potential exposure to An. albimanus in palm and pineapple plantations, and to also assess the potential involvement of this mosquito vector in transmission foci where entomological surveillance is not feasible. We found that both oil palm and pineapple plantations are very likely to harbor An. albimanus. By contrast, environments at the Crucitas open-pit gold mine, the epicenter of malaria transmission in 2018 and 2019, have low suitability for this mosquito species. Our results suggest that medium to high resolution SDMs can be used to plan vector control activities. Finally, we discuss the high suitability of oil palm and pineapple plantations for An. albimanus in reference to recently developed social science theory about the Plantationocene. Abstract In the absence of entomological information, tools for predicting Anopheles spp. presence can help evaluate the entomological risk of malaria transmission. Here, we illustrate how species distribution models (SDM) could quantify potential dominant vector species presence in malaria elimination settings. We fitted a 250 m resolution ensemble SDM for Anopheles albimanus Wiedemann. The ensemble SDM included predictions based on seven different algorithms, 110 occurrence records and 70 model projections. SDM covariates included nine environmental variables that were selected based on their importance from an original set of 28 layers that included remotely and spatially interpolated locally measured variables for the land surface of Costa Rica. Goodness of fit for the ensemble SDM was very high, with a minimum AUC of 0.79. We used the resulting ensemble SDM to evaluate differences in habitat suitability (HS) between commercial plantations and surrounding landscapes, finding a higher HS in pineapple and oil palm plantations, suggestive of An. albimanus presence, than in surrounding landscapes. The ensemble SDM suggested a low HS for An. albimanus at the presumed epicenter of malaria transmission during 2018–2019 in Costa Rica, yet this vector was likely present at the two main towns also affected by the epidemic. Our results illustrate how ensemble SDMs in malaria elimination settings can provide information that could help to improve vector surveillance and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte G. Rhodes
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (C.G.R.); (G.L.H.)
| | - Jose R. Loaiza
- Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología, Ciudad de Panama Apartado Postal 0816-02593, Panama;
- Programa Centroamericano de Maestría en Entomología, Universidad de Panamá, Ciudad de Panama Apartado Postal 0816-02593, Panama
| | - Luis Mario Romero
- Departamento de Patología, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia Apartado Postal 304-3000, Costa Rica;
| | - José Manuel Gutiérrez Alvarado
- Oficina Central de Enlace, Programa Nacional de Manejo Integrado de Vectores, Ministerio de Salud, San José, San Jose Apartado Postal 10123-1000, Costa Rica; (J.M.G.A.); (G.D.); (C.A.-A.); (R.M.R.)
| | - Gabriela Delgado
- Oficina Central de Enlace, Programa Nacional de Manejo Integrado de Vectores, Ministerio de Salud, San José, San Jose Apartado Postal 10123-1000, Costa Rica; (J.M.G.A.); (G.D.); (C.A.-A.); (R.M.R.)
| | - Obdulio Rojas Salas
- Programa Nacional de Manejo Integrado de Vectores, Región Huetar Norte, Ministerio de Salud, Muelle de San Carlos, San Carlos, Alajuela Código 21006, Costa Rica;
| | - Melissa Ramírez Rojas
- Vigilancia de la Salud, Ministerio de Salud, San José, San Jose Apartado Postal 10123-1000, Costa Rica; (M.R.R.); (A.Z.)
| | - Carlos Aguilar-Avendaño
- Oficina Central de Enlace, Programa Nacional de Manejo Integrado de Vectores, Ministerio de Salud, San José, San Jose Apartado Postal 10123-1000, Costa Rica; (J.M.G.A.); (G.D.); (C.A.-A.); (R.M.R.)
| | - Ezequías Maynes
- Programa Nacional de Manejo Integrado de Vectores, Región Huetar Caribe, Ministerio de Salud, Sixaola, Talamanca, Limon Código 70402, Costa Rica;
| | - José A. Valerín Cordero
- Coordinación Regional, Programa Nacional de Manejo Integrado de Vectores, Región Pacífico Central, Ministerio de Salud, Puntarenas, Puntarenas Código 60101, Costa Rica;
| | - Alonso Soto Mora
- Coordinación Regional, Programa Nacional de Manejo Integrado de Vectores, Región Brunca, Ministerio de Salud, San Isidro del General, Pérez Zeledón, San Jose Código 11901, Costa Rica;
| | - Chystrie A. Rigg
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Ciudad de Panama Apartado Postal 0816-02593, Panama;
| | - Aryana Zardkoohi
- Vigilancia de la Salud, Ministerio de Salud, San José, San Jose Apartado Postal 10123-1000, Costa Rica; (M.R.R.); (A.Z.)
| | - Monica Prado
- Unidad de Investigación en Plasmodium, Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San Jose Apartado Postal 11501-2060, Costa Rica;
| | - Mariel D. Friberg
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC), University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20740, USA;
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Luke R. Bergmann
- Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2, Canada;
| | - Rodrigo Marín Rodríguez
- Oficina Central de Enlace, Programa Nacional de Manejo Integrado de Vectores, Ministerio de Salud, San José, San Jose Apartado Postal 10123-1000, Costa Rica; (J.M.G.A.); (G.D.); (C.A.-A.); (R.M.R.)
- Vigilancia de la Salud, Ministerio de Salud, San José, San Jose Apartado Postal 10123-1000, Costa Rica; (M.R.R.); (A.Z.)
| | - Gabriel L. Hamer
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (C.G.R.); (G.L.H.)
| | - Luis Fernando Chaves
- Vigilancia de la Salud, Ministerio de Salud, San José, San Jose Apartado Postal 10123-1000, Costa Rica; (M.R.R.); (A.Z.)
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Ciudad de Panama Apartado Postal 0816-02593, Panama;
- Correspondence:
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