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Périat C, Kuhn T, Buffi M, Corona-Ramirez A, Fatton M, Cailleau G, Chain PS, Stanley CE, Wick LY, Bindschedler S, Gonzalez D, Li Richter XY, Junier P. Host and nonhost bacteria support bacteriophage dissemination along mycelia and abiotic dispersal networks. MICROLIFE 2024; 5:uqae004. [PMID: 38463165 PMCID: PMC10924533 DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Bacteriophages play a crucial role in shaping bacterial communities, yet the mechanisms by which nonmotile bacteriophages interact with their hosts remain poorly understood. This knowledge gap is especially pronounced in structured environments like soil, where spatial constraints and air-filled zones hinder aqueous diffusion. In soil, hyphae of filamentous microorganisms form a network of 'fungal highways' (FHs) that facilitate the dispersal of other microorganisms. We propose that FHs also promote bacteriophage dissemination. Viral particles can diffuse in liquid films surrounding hyphae or be transported by infectable (host) or uninfectable (nonhost) bacterial carriers coexisting on FH networks. To test this, two bacteriophages that infect Pseudomonas putida DSM291 (host) but not KT2440 (nonhost) were used. In the absence of carriers, bacteriophages showed limited diffusion on 3D-printed abiotic networks, but diffusion was significantly improved in Pythium ultimum-formed FHs when the number of connecting hyphae exceeded 20. Transport by both host and nonhost carriers enhanced bacteriophage dissemination. Host carriers were five times more effective in transporting bacteriophages, particularly in FHs with over 30 connecting hyphae. This study enhances our understanding of bacteriophage dissemination in nonsaturated environments like soils, highlighting the importance of biotic networks and bacterial hosts in facilitating this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Périat
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Thierry Kuhn
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Eco-Ethology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Buffi
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Corona-Ramirez
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Mathilda Fatton
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Guillaume Cailleau
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Patrick S Chain
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Bioscience Division, P.O. Box 1663, NM 87545, Los Alamos, United States
| | - Claire E Stanley
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, B304, Bessemer Building, South Kensington Campus, SW7 2AZ, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lukas Y Wick
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Saskia Bindschedler
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Diego Gonzalez
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Xiang-Yi Li Richter
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Eco-Ethology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Pilar Junier
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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Ortega-Sánchez R, Bárcenas-Reyes I, Luna-Cozar J, Rojas-Anaya E, Cuador-Gil JQ, Cantó-Alarcón GJ, Veyna-Salazar N, González-Ruiz S, Milián-Suazo F. Spatial-temporal risk factors in the occurrence of rabies in Mexico. GEOSPATIAL HEALTH 2024; 19. [PMID: 38288726 DOI: 10.4081/gh.2024.1245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Rabies is a zoonotic disease that affects livestock worldwide. The distribution of rabies is highly correlated with the distribution of the vampire bat Desmodus rotundus, the main vector of the disease. In this study, climatic, topographic, livestock population, vampire distribution and urban and rural zones were used to estimate the risk for presentation of cases of rabies in Mexico by co- Kriging interpolation. The highest risk for the presentation of cases is in the endemic areas of the disease, i.e. the States of Yucatán, Chiapas, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, Nayarit and Baja California Sur. A transition zone for cases was identified across northern Mexico, involving the States of Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, and Durango. The variables topography, vampire distribution, bovine population and rural zones are the most important to explain the risk of cases in livestock. This study provides robust estimates of risk and spread of rabies based on geostatistical methods. The information presented should be useful for authorities responsible of public and animal health when they plan and establish strategies preventing the spread of rabies into rabies-free regions of México.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reyna Ortega-Sánchez
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico; PhD Program in Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Querétaro, Querétaro.
| | | | - Jesús Luna-Cozar
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Querétaro, Querétaro.
| | - Edith Rojas-Anaya
- National Center for Genetic Resources, National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research, Jalisco.
| | - José Quintín Cuador-Gil
- Department of Physics, "Hermanos Saíz Montes de Oca" University of Pinar del Rio, Pinar del Río.
| | | | - Nerina Veyna-Salazar
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico; PhD Program in Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Querétaro, Querétaro.
| | - Sara González-Ruiz
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Querétaro, Querétaro.
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Lawrence TJ, Takenaka BP, Garg A, Tao D, Deem SL, Fèvre EM, Gluecks I, Sagan V, Shacham E. A global examination of ecological niche modeling to predict emerging infectious diseases: a systematic review. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1244084. [PMID: 38026359 PMCID: PMC10652780 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1244084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction As emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) increase, examining the underlying social and environmental conditions that drive EIDs is urgently needed. Ecological niche modeling (ENM) is increasingly employed to predict disease emergence based on the spatial distribution of biotic conditions and interactions, abiotic conditions, and the mobility or dispersal of vector-host species, as well as social factors that modify the host species' spatial distribution. Still, ENM applied to EIDs is relatively new with varying algorithms and data types. We conducted a systematic review (PROSPERO: CRD42021251968) with the research question: What is the state of the science and practice of estimating ecological niches via ENM to predict the emergence and spread of vector-borne and/or zoonotic diseases? Methods We searched five research databases and eight widely recognized One Health journals between 1995 and 2020. We screened 383 articles at the abstract level (included if study involved vector-borne or zoonotic disease and applied ENM) and 237 articles at the full-text level (included if study described ENM features and modeling processes). Our objectives were to: (1) describe the growth and distribution of studies across the types of infectious diseases, scientific fields, and geographic regions; (2) evaluate the likely effectiveness of the studies to represent ecological niches based on the biotic, abiotic, and mobility framework; (3) explain some potential pitfalls of ENM algorithms and techniques; and (4) provide specific recommendation for future studies on the analysis of ecological niches to predict EIDs. Results We show that 99% of studies included mobility factors, 90% modeled abiotic factors with more than half in tropical climate zones, 54% modeled biotic conditions and interactions. Of the 121 studies, 7% include only biotic and mobility factors, 45% include only abiotic and mobility factors, and 45% fully integrated the biotic, abiotic, and mobility data. Only 13% of studies included modifying social factors such as land use. A majority of studies (77%) used well-recognized ENM algorithms (MaxEnt and GARP) and model selection procedures. Most studies (90%) reported model validation procedures, but only 7% reported uncertainty analysis. Discussion Our findings bolster ENM to predict EIDs that can help inform the prevention of outbreaks and future epidemics. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier (CRD42021251968).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bryce P. Takenaka
- College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Aastha Garg
- College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Donghua Tao
- Medical Center Library, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Sharon L. Deem
- Institute for Conservation Medicine, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Eric M. Fèvre
- International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Ilona Gluecks
- International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Vasit Sagan
- Taylor Geospatial Institute, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Enbal Shacham
- Taylor Geospatial Institute, St. Louis, MO, United States
- College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States
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Talbot B, Kulkarni MA, Rioux-Rousseau M, Siebels K, Kotchi SO, Ogden NH, Ludwig A. Ecological Niche and Positive Clusters of Two West Nile Virus Vectors in Ontario, Canada. ECOHEALTH 2023; 20:249-262. [PMID: 37985537 PMCID: PMC10757704 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-023-01653-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne pathogen associated with uncommon but severe neurological complications in humans, especially among the elderly and immune-compromised. In Northeastern North America, the Culex pipiens/restuans complex and Aedes vexans are the two principal vector mosquito species/species groups of WNV. Using a 10-year surveillance dataset of WNV vector captures at 118 sites across an area of 40,000 km2 in Eastern Ontario, Canada, the ecological niches of Cx. pipiens/restuans and Aedes vexans were modeled by random forest analysis. Spatiotemporal clusters of WNV-positive mosquito pools were identified using Kulldorf's spatial scan statistic. The study region encompasses land cover types and climate representative of highly populated Southeastern Canada. We found highest vector habitat suitability in the eastern half of the study area, where temperatures are generally warmer (variable importance > 0.40) and residential and agricultural cropland cover is more prominent (variable importance > 0.25). We found spatiotemporal clusters of high WNV infection rates around the city of Ottawa in both mosquito vector species. These results support the previous literature in the same region and elsewhere suggesting areas surrounding highly populated areas are also high-risk areas for vector-borne zoonoses such as the WNV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoit Talbot
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.
| | - Manisha A Kulkarni
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Maxime Rioux-Rousseau
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint- Hyacinthe, QC, and Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Kevin Siebels
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint- Hyacinthe, QC, and Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Serge Olivier Kotchi
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint- Hyacinthe, QC, and Guelph, ON, Canada
- Signal, Image Processing and Multimedia (STIM), Research Unit and Digital Expertise (UREN), Université Virtuelle de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Nicholas H Ogden
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint- Hyacinthe, QC, and Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Antoinette Ludwig
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint- Hyacinthe, QC, and Guelph, ON, Canada
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Ringwaldt EM, Brook BW, Buettel JC, Cunningham CX, Fuller C, Gardiner R, Hamer R, Jones M, Martin AM, Carver S. Host, environment, and anthropogenic factors drive landscape dynamics of an environmentally transmitted pathogen: Sarcoptic mange in the bare-nosed wombat. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:1786-1801. [PMID: 37221666 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the spatial dynamics and drivers of wildlife pathogens is constrained by sampling logistics, with implications for advancing the field of landscape epidemiology and targeted allocation of management resources. However, visually apparent wildlife diseases, when combined with remote-surveillance and distribution modelling technologies, present an opportunity to overcome this landscape-scale problem. Here, we investigated dynamics and drivers of landscape-scale wildlife disease, using clinical signs of sarcoptic mange (caused by Sarcoptes scabiei) in its bare-nosed wombat (BNW; Vombatus ursinus) host. We used 53,089 camera-trap observations from over 3261 locations across the 68,401 km2 area of Tasmania, Australia, combined with landscape data and ensemble species distribution modelling (SDM). We investigated: (1) landscape variables predicted to drive habitat suitability of the host; (2) host and landscape variables associated with clinical signs of disease in the host; and (3) predicted locations and environmental conditions at greatest risk of disease occurrence, including some Bass Strait islands where BNW translocations are proposed. We showed that the Tasmanian landscape, and ecosystems therein, are nearly ubiquitously suited to BNWs. Only high mean annual precipitation reduced habitat suitability for the host. In contrast, clinical signs of sarcoptic mange disease in BNWs were widespread, but heterogeneously distributed across the landscape. Mange (which is environmentally transmitted in BNWs) was most likely to be observed in areas of increased host habitat suitability, lower annual precipitation, near sources of freshwater and where topographic roughness was minimal (e.g. human modified landscapes, such as farmland and intensive land-use areas, shrub and grass lands). Thus, a confluence of host, environmental and anthropogenic variables appear to influence the risk of environmental transmission of S. scabiei. We identified that the Bass Strait Islands are highly suitable for BNWs and predicted a mix of high and low suitability for the pathogen. This study is the largest spatial assessment of sarcoptic mange in any host species, and advances understanding of the landscape epidemiology of environmentally transmitted S. scabiei. This research illustrates how host-pathogen co-suitability can be useful for allocating management resources in the landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Ringwaldt
- School of Natural Sciences, Biological Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - B W Brook
- School of Natural Sciences, Biological Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - J C Buettel
- School of Natural Sciences, Biological Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - C X Cunningham
- School of Natural Sciences, Biological Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - C Fuller
- School of Natural Sciences, Biological Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - R Gardiner
- School of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - R Hamer
- School of Natural Sciences, Biological Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - M Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, Biological Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - A M Martin
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, USA
| | - S Carver
- School of Natural Sciences, Biological Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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Celone M, Potter AM, Han BA, Beeman SP, Okech B, Forshey B, Dunford J, Rutherford G, Mita-Mendoza NK, Estallo EL, Khouri R, de Siqueira IC, Petersen K, Maves RC, Anyamba A, Pollett S. A geopositioned and evidence-graded pan-species compendium of Mayaro virus occurrence. Sci Data 2023; 10:460. [PMID: 37452060 PMCID: PMC10349107 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02302-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Mayaro Virus (MAYV) is an emerging health threat in the Americas that can cause febrile illness as well as debilitating arthralgia or arthritis. To better understand the geographic distribution of MAYV risk, we developed a georeferenced database of MAYV occurrence based on peer-reviewed literature and unpublished reports. Here we present this compendium, which includes both point and polygon locations linked to occurrence data documented from its discovery in 1954 until 2022. We describe all methods used to develop the database including data collection, georeferencing, management and quality-control. We also describe a customized grading system used to assess the quality of each study included in our review. The result is a comprehensive, evidence-graded database of confirmed MAYV occurrence in humans, non-human animals, and arthropods to-date, containing 262 geo-positioned occurrences in total. This database - which can be updated over time - may be useful for local spill-over risk assessment, epidemiological modelling to understand key transmission dynamics and drivers of MAYV spread, as well as identification of major surveillance gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Celone
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, Bethesda, Maryland, 20814, USA.
| | - Alexander M Potter
- Department of Entomology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910, USA
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Suitland, Maryland, 20746, USA
| | - Barbara A Han
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York, 12545, USA
| | - Sean P Beeman
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, Bethesda, Maryland, 20814, USA
| | - Bernard Okech
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, Bethesda, Maryland, 20814, USA
| | - Brett Forshey
- Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20904, USA
| | - James Dunford
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, Bethesda, Maryland, 20814, USA
| | - George Rutherford
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, 94158, USA
| | | | - Elizabet Lilia Estallo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ricardo Khouri
- Instituto Gonçalo Moniz-Fiocruz, R. Waldemar Falcão, Salvador-BA, Brazil
| | | | - Kyle Petersen
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, Bethesda, Maryland, 20814, USA
| | - Ryan C Maves
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Assaf Anyamba
- Geospatial Science and Human Security Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37830, USA
| | - Simon Pollett
- Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Liu Y, Zhang J, P Ward M, Tu W, Yu L, Shi J, Hu Y, Gao F, Cao Z, Zhang Z. Impacts of sample ratio and size on the performance of random forest model to predict the potential distribution of snail habitats. GEOSPATIAL HEALTH 2023; 18. [PMID: 37401413 DOI: 10.4081/gh.2023.1151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Few studies have considered the impacts of sample size and sample ratio of presence and absence points on the results of random forest (RF) testing. We applied this technique for the prediction of the spatial distribution of snail habitats based on a total of 15,000 sample points (5,000 presence samples and 10,000 control points). RF models were built using seven different sample ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1) and the optimal ratio was identified via the Area Under the Curve (AUC) statistic. The impact of sample size was compared by RF models under the optimal ratio and the optimal sample size. When the sample size was small, the sampling ratios of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 were significantly better than the sample ratios of 4:1 and 3:1 at all four levels of sample sizes (p<0.01) and there was no significant difference among the ratios of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 (p>0.05). The sample ratio of 1:2 appeared to be optimal for a relatively large sample size with the lowest quartile deviation. In addition, increasing the sample size produced a higher AUC and a smaller slope and the most suitable sample size found in this study was 2400 (AUC=0.96). This study provides a feasible idea to select an appropriate sample size and sample ratio for ecological niche modelling (ENM) and also provides a scientific basis for the selection of samples to accurately identify and predict snail habitat distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanhua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Department of Epidemiology and Health statistics, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai.
| | - Jun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Department of Epidemiology and Health statistics, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai.
| | - Michael P Ward
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney.
| | - Wei Tu
- Department of Geology and Geography, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA.
| | - Lili Yu
- Peace Center for Biostatistics, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA.
| | - Jin Shi
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Department of Epidemiology and Health statistics, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai.
| | - Yi Hu
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Department of Epidemiology and Health statistics, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai.
| | - Fenghua Gao
- Anhui Institute of Schistosomiasis Control, Hefei.
| | - Zhiguo Cao
- Anhui Institute of Schistosomiasis Control, Hefei.
| | - Zhijie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Department of Epidemiology and Health statistics, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai.
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8
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Romero-Alvarez D, Escobar LE, Auguste AJ, Del Valle SY, Manore CA. Transmission risk of Oropouche fever across the Americas. Infect Dis Poverty 2023; 12:47. [PMID: 37149619 PMCID: PMC10163756 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-023-01091-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are important contributors to the global burden of infectious diseases due to their epidemic potential, which can result in significant population and economic impacts. Oropouche fever, caused by Oropouche virus (OROV), is an understudied zoonotic VBD febrile illness reported in Central and South America. The epidemic potential and areas of likely OROV spread remain unexplored, limiting capacities to improve epidemiological surveillance. METHODS To better understand the capacity for spread of OROV, we developed spatial epidemiology models using human outbreaks as OROV transmission-locality data, coupled with high-resolution satellite-derived vegetation phenology. Data were integrated using hypervolume modeling to infer likely areas of OROV transmission and emergence across the Americas. RESULTS Models based on one-support vector machine hypervolumes consistently predicted risk areas for OROV transmission across the tropics of Latin America despite the inclusion of different parameters such as different study areas and environmental predictors. Models estimate that up to 5 million people are at risk of exposure to OROV. Nevertheless, the limited epidemiological data available generates uncertainty in projections. For example, some outbreaks have occurred under climatic conditions outside those where most transmission events occur. The distribution models also revealed that landscape variation, expressed as vegetation loss, is linked to OROV outbreaks. CONCLUSIONS Hotspots of OROV transmission risk were detected along the tropics of South America. Vegetation loss might be a driver of Oropouche fever emergence. Modeling based on hypervolumes in spatial epidemiology might be considered an exploratory tool for analyzing data-limited emerging infectious diseases for which little understanding exists on their sylvatic cycles. OROV transmission risk maps can be used to improve surveillance, investigate OROV ecology and epidemiology, and inform early detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Romero-Alvarez
- Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66044, USA.
- Information Systems and Modeling (A-1), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA.
- OneHealth Research Group, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de las Américas, Quito, Ecuador.
| | - Luis E Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Albert J Auguste
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
- Department of Entomology, Fralin Life Science Institute, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Sara Y Del Valle
- Information Systems and Modeling (A-1), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Carrie A Manore
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics (T-6), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
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Wang X, Jiang Y, Wu W, He X, Wang Z, Guan Y, Xu N, Chen Q, Shen Y, Cao J. Cryptosporidiosis threat under climate change in China: prediction and validation of habitat suitability and outbreak risk for human-derived Cryptosporidium based on ecological niche models. Infect Dis Poverty 2023; 12:35. [PMID: 37041630 PMCID: PMC10088348 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-023-01085-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cryptosporidiosis is a zoonotic intestinal infectious disease caused by Cryptosporidium spp., and its transmission is highly influenced by climate factors. In the present study, the potential spatial distribution of Cryptosporidium in China was predicted based on ecological niche models for cryptosporidiosis epidemic risk warning and prevention and control. METHODS The applicability of existing Cryptosporidium presence points in ENM analysis was investigated based on data from monitoring sites in 2011-2019. Cryptosporidium occurrence data for China and neighboring countries were extracted and used to construct the ENMs, namely Maxent, Bioclim, Domain, and Garp. Models were evaluated based on Receiver Operating Characteristic curve, Kappa, and True Skill Statistic coefficients. The best model was constructed using Cryptosporidium data and climate variables during 1986‒2010, and used to analyze the effects of climate factors on Cryptosporidium distribution. The climate variables for the period 2011‒2100 were projected to the simulation results to predict the ecological adaptability and potential distribution of Cryptosporidium in future in China. RESULTS The Maxent model (AUC = 0.95, maximum Kappa = 0.91, maximum TSS = 1.00) fit better than the other three models and was thus considered the best ENM for predicting Cryptosporidium habitat suitability. The major suitable habitats for human-derived Cryptosporidium in China were located in some high-population density areas, especially in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the lower reaches of the Yellow River, and the Huai and the Pearl River Basins (cloglog value of habitat suitability > 0.9). Under future climate change, non-suitable habitats for Cryptosporidium will shrink, while highly suitable habitats will expand significantly (χ2 = 76.641, P < 0.01; χ2 = 86.836, P < 0.01), and the main changes will likely be concentrated in the northeastern, southwestern, and northwestern regions. CONCLUSIONS The Maxent model is applicable in prediction of Cryptosporidium habitat suitability and can achieve excellent simulation results. These results suggest a current high risk of transmission and significant pressure for cryptosporidiosis prevention and control in China. Against a future climate change background, Cryptosporidium may gain more suitable habitats within China. Constructing a national surveillance network could facilitate further elucidation of the epidemiological trends and transmission patterns of cryptosporidiosis, and mitigate the associated epidemic and outbreak risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Wang
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China; World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Yanyan Jiang
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China; World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Weiping Wu
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China; World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Xiaozhou He
- National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Zhenghuan Wang
- School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yayi Guan
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China; World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Ning Xu
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Fudan University, Ministry of Education, Fudan University Center for Tropical Disease Research, Fudan University School of Public Health, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Qilu Chen
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China; World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Yujuan Shen
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China; World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, 200025, China.
| | - Jianping Cao
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China; World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, 200025, China.
- The School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
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Magalhães AR, Codeço CT, Svenning JC, Escobar LE, Van de Vuurst P, Gonçalves-Souza T. Neglected tropical diseases risk correlates with poverty and early ecosystem destruction. Infect Dis Poverty 2023; 12:32. [PMID: 37038199 PMCID: PMC10084676 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-023-01084-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neglected tropical diseases affect the most vulnerable populations and cause chronic and debilitating disorders. Socioeconomic vulnerability is a well-known and important determinant of neglected tropical diseases. For example, poverty and sanitation could influence parasite transmission. Nevertheless, the quantitative impact of socioeconomic conditions on disease transmission risk remains poorly explored. METHODS This study investigated the role of socioeconomic variables in the predictive capacity of risk models of neglected tropical zoonoses using a decade of epidemiological data (2007-2018) from Brazil. Vector-borne diseases investigated in this study included dengue, malaria, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, and Brazilian spotted fever, while directly-transmitted zoonotic diseases included schistosomiasis, leptospirosis, and hantaviruses. Environmental and socioeconomic predictors were combined with infectious disease data to build environmental and socioenvironmental sets of ecological niche models and their performances were compared. RESULTS Socioeconomic variables were found to be as important as environmental variables in influencing the estimated likelihood of disease transmission across large spatial scales. The combination of socioeconomic and environmental variables improved overall model accuracy (or predictive power) by 10% on average (P < 0.01), reaching a maximum of 18% in the case of dengue fever. Gross domestic product was the most important socioeconomic variable (37% relative variable importance, all individual models exhibited P < 0.00), showing a decreasing relationship with disease indicating poverty as a major factor for disease transmission. Loss of natural vegetation cover between 2008 and 2018 was the most important environmental variable (42% relative variable importance, P < 0.05) among environmental models, exhibiting a decreasing relationship with disease probability, showing that these diseases are especially prevalent in areas where natural ecosystem destruction is on its initial stages and lower when ecosystem destruction is on more advanced stages. CONCLUSIONS Destruction of natural ecosystems coupled with low income explain macro-scale neglected tropical and zoonotic disease probability in Brazil. Addition of socioeconomic variables improves transmission risk forecasts on tandem with environmental variables. Our results highlight that to efficiently address neglected tropical diseases, public health strategies must target both reduction of poverty and cessation of destruction of natural forests and savannas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Ramalho Magalhães
- Laboratory of Ecological Synthesis and Biodiversity Conservation (ECOFUN), Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Cláudia Torres Codeço
- Scientific Computation Program (PROCC), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) & Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology., Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Luis E Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Paige Van de Vuurst
- Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Translational Biology, Medicine and Health Program, Virginia Tech Graduate School, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Thiago Gonçalves-Souza
- Laboratory of Ecological Synthesis and Biodiversity Conservation (ECOFUN), Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
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11
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Cuervo PF, Artigas P, Lorenzo-Morales J, Bargues MD, Mas-Coma S. Ecological Niche Modelling Approaches: Challenges and Applications in Vector-Borne Diseases. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:tropicalmed8040187. [PMID: 37104313 PMCID: PMC10141209 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8040187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) pose a major threat to human and animal health, with more than 80% of the global population being at risk of acquiring at least one major VBD. Being profoundly affected by the ongoing climate change and anthropogenic disturbances, modelling approaches become an essential tool to assess and compare multiple scenarios (past, present and future), and further the geographic risk of transmission of VBDs. Ecological niche modelling (ENM) is rapidly becoming the gold-standard method for this task. The purpose of this overview is to provide an insight of the use of ENM to assess the geographic risk of transmission of VBDs. We have summarised some fundamental concepts and common approaches to ENM of VBDS, and then focused with a critical view on a number of crucial issues which are often disregarded when modelling the niches of VBDs. Furthermore, we have briefly presented what we consider the most relevant uses of ENM when dealing with VBDs. Niche modelling of VBDs is far from being simple, and there is still a long way to improve. Therefore, this overview is expected to be a useful benchmark for niche modelling of VBDs in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Fernando Cuervo
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Valencia, Av. Vicent Andres Estelles s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos IIII, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5. Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Patricio Artigas
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Valencia, Av. Vicent Andres Estelles s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos IIII, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5. Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jacob Lorenzo-Morales
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos IIII, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5. Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Av. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez s/n, 38203 La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - María Dolores Bargues
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Valencia, Av. Vicent Andres Estelles s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos IIII, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5. Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Santiago Mas-Coma
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Valencia, Av. Vicent Andres Estelles s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos IIII, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5. Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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12
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Stephens CR, González-Salazar C, Romero-Martínez P. "Does a Respiratory Virus Have an Ecological Niche, and If So, Can It Be Mapped?" Yes and Yes. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:tropicalmed8030178. [PMID: 36977179 PMCID: PMC10055886 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8030178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the utility of Ecological Niche Models (ENM) and Species Distribution Models (SDM) has been demonstrated in many ecological applications, their suitability for modelling epidemics or pandemics, such as SARS-Cov-2, has been questioned. In this paper, contrary to this viewpoint, we show that ENMs and SDMs can be created that can describe the evolution of pandemics, both in space and time. As an illustrative use case, we create models for predicting confirmed cases of COVID-19, viewed as our target "species", in Mexico through 2020 and 2021, showing that the models are predictive in both space and time. In order to achieve this, we extend a recently developed Bayesian framework for niche modelling, to include: (i) dynamic, non-equilibrium "species" distributions; (ii) a wider set of habitat variables, including behavioural, socio-economic and socio-demographic variables, as well as standard climatic variables; (iii) distinct models and associated niches for different species characteristics, showing how the niche, as deduced through presence-absence data, can differ from that deduced from abundance data. We show that the niche associated with those places with the highest abundance of cases has been highly conserved throughout the pandemic, while the inferred niche associated with presence of cases has been changing. Finally, we show how causal chains can be inferred and confounding identified by showing that behavioural and social factors are much more predictive than climate and that, further, the latter is confounded by the former.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Stephens
- C3-Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico
| | - Constantino González-Salazar
- C3-Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Atmósfera y Cambio Climático, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico
| | - Pedro Romero-Martínez
- C3-Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico
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13
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Guo L, Gao Y, He P, He Y, Meng F. Modeling for Predicting the Potential Geographical Distribution of Three Ephedra Herbs in China. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:787. [PMID: 36840134 PMCID: PMC9963152 DOI: 10.3390/plants12040787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Ephedra species are beneficial for environmental protection in desert and grassland ecosystems. They have high ecological, medicinal, and economic value. To strengthen the protection of the sustainable development of Ephedra, we used occurrence records of Ephedra sinica Stapf., Ephedra intermedia Schrenk et C.A. Mey., and Ephedra equisetina Bge., combined with climate, soil, and topographic factors to simulate the suitable habitat of three Ephedra based on ensemble models on the Biomod2 platform. The results of the models were tested using AUC, TSS, and kappa coefficients. The results demonstrated that the ensemble model was able to accurately predict the potential distributions of E. sinica, E. intermedia, and E. equisetina. Eastern and central Inner Mongolia, middle and eastern Gansu, and northeastern Xinjiang were the optimum regions for the growth of E. sinica, E. intermedia, and E. equisetina, respectively. Additionally, several key environmental factors had a significant influence on the suitable habitats of the three Ephedra. The key factors affecting the distribution of E. sinica, E. intermedia, and E. equisetina were annual average precipitation, altitude, and vapor pressure, respectively. In conclusion, the results showed that the suitable ranges of the three Ephedra were mainly in Northwest China and that topography and climate were the primary influencing factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longfei Guo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Protection and Utilization, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yu Gao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Protection and Utilization, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ping He
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Protection and Utilization, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yuan He
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Fanyun Meng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Protection and Utilization, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Engineering Research Center of Natural Medicine, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 188875, China
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14
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Transmission Risk Predicting for Schistosomiasis in Mainland China by Exploring Ensemble Ecological Niche Modeling. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 8:tropicalmed8010024. [PMID: 36668931 PMCID: PMC9867484 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8010024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma japonicum is one of the major neglected tropical diseases worldwide. The snail Oncomelania hupensis is the only intermediate host of S. japonicum, which is recognized as an indicator of the schistosomias occurrence. In order to evaluate the risk of schistosomiasis in China, this work investigate the potential geographical distribution of host snail habitus by developing an ensemble ecological niche model with reference to the suitable environmental factors. The historical records of snail habitus were collected form the national schistosomiasis surveillance program from the year of 2005 to 2014. A total of 25 environmental factors in terms of the climate, geographic, and socioeconomic determinants of snail habitats were collected and geographically coded with reference to the snail data. Based on the correlations among snail habitats and the geographically associated environmental factors, an ensemble ecological niche model was developed by integrating ten standard models, aiming for improving the predictive accuracy. Three indexes are used for model performance evaluation, including receiver operating characteristic curves, kappa statistics, and true skill statistics. The model was used for mapping the risk of schistosomiasis in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The results have shown that the predicted risk areas were classified into low risk (4.55%), medium risk (2.01%), and high risk areas (4.40%), accounting for 10.96% of the land area of China. This study demonstrated that the developed ensemble ecological niche models was an effective tool for evaluating the risk of schistosomiasis, particularly for the endemic regions, which were not covered by the national schistosomiasis control program.
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15
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Lambertini C, Ernetti JR, Missassi AFR, Jorge RF, da Silva Leite D, Lima AP, Toledo LF. Chytrid fungus in amphibians from the lowland Brazilian Amazon. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2022; 152:115-125. [PMID: 36519683 DOI: 10.3354/dao03709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Infectious diseases are one of the main threats to biodiversity. The fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is associated with several amphibian losses around the globe, and environmental conditions may dictate the success of pathogen spread. The Brazilian Amazon has been considered climatically unsuitable for chytrid fungus, but additional information on Bd dynamics in this ecoregion is still lacking. We sampled 462 amphibians (449 anurans, 4 caudatans and 9 caecilians), representing 57 species from the Brazilian Amazon, and quantified Bd infections using qPCR. We tested whether abiotic variables predicted the risk of Bd infections, and tested for relationships between biotic variables and Bd. Finally, we experimentally tested the effects of Bd strains CLFT 156 and CLFT 102 (from the southern and northern Atlantic Forest, respectively) on Atelopus manauensis. We detected higher Bd prevalence than those previously reported for the Brazilian Amazon, and positive individuals in all 3 orders of amphibians sampled. Both biotic and abiotic predictors were related to prevalence, and no variable explained infection load. Moreover, we detected higher Bd prevalence in forested than open areas, while the host's reproductive biology was not a factor. We detected higher mortality in the experimental group infected with CLFT 156, probably because this strain was isolated from a region characterized by discrepant climatic conditions (latitudinally more distant) when compared with the host's sampling site in Amazon. The lowland Brazilian Amazon is still underexplored and future studies targeting all amphibian orders are essential to better understand Bd infection dynamics in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Lambertini
- Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil
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16
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de Oliveira PRF, de Melo RPB, de Oliveira UDR, Magalhães FJR, Junior RJF, Andrade MR, Mota RA. Detection of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in soil and risk mapping in an island environment in the Northeast of Brazil. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:3457-3467. [PMID: 36087041 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is an emerging and re-emerging infectious disease that can be transmitted through a contaminated environment. Environmental contamination is an emergency health issue, and determining its occurrence is fundamental to a One Health approach. In this study, we addressed the extent of environmental contamination and viability of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in soil in different environments on Fernando de Noronha Island, Brazil. In addition, we performed species distribution modelling to predict the environmental suitability for coccidia persistence in the studied area. Soil samples were collected in 14 neighbourhoods of the Island and in the four main squares, creating a total of 95 soil samples (five samples per site). The samples were analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique for the presence of the 18S ribosomal DNA gene of Apicomplexan protozoa, followed by genetic sequencing. We obtained 4.2% (4/95) positive soil samples with 100% similarity for T. gondii sequences. Two out of four positive sites on PCR showed viability of T. gondii oocysts through the mouse bioassay technique. As a result of the application of the species distribution modelling, environmental adequacy for the coccidia was observed throughout the Island. The results confirm the contamination of the soil in this insular environment by T. gondii oocysts and the environmental suitability by modelling application. These findings are an alert for the possibility of infection in animals and humans by contaminated soil, and for contamination of the maritime environment in addition to water resources for consumption by the local population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Müller Ribeiro Andrade
- Parasitology Sector - Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
| | - Rinaldo Aparecido Mota
- Departament of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
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17
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Species distribution models applied to mosquitoes: Use, quality assessment, and recommendations for best practice. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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18
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Assessing the Effectiveness of Correlative Ecological Niche Model Temporal Projection through Floristic Data. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11081219. [PMID: 36009846 PMCID: PMC9405103 DOI: 10.3390/biology11081219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Climate change is the main threat for conservation in the 21st century. Reliable methodologies and tools for the evaluation of its impact are urgently needed. Correlative ecological niche models (ENMs) are effective tools for predicting the future distribution of species under climate change scenarios. Despite this, many alternative different methods have been proposed, and objective reasons for a proper selection are unclear. Therefore, a comparative study to evaluate the consistency of predictions of the main ENM algorithms was performed. To test the effectiveness of correlative ENM temporal projection, we compared predictions generated using historical data and projected to the modern climate with predictions generated using modern distribution and climate data. In total, 600 case studies were generated, by using 25 Italian endemic plant species, 12 algorithms and 2 alternative sets of environmental variables. As a result, we highlighted the similarity of eight algorithms and the poor performance of four. Abstract Correlative ecological niche modelling (ENM) is a method widely used to study the geographic distribution of species. In recent decades, it has become a leading approach for evaluating the most likely impacts of changing climate. When used to predict future distributions, ENM applications involve transferring models calibrated with modern environmental data to future conditions, usually derived from Global Climate Models (GCMs). The number of algorithms and software packages available to estimate distributions is quite high. To experimentally assess the effectiveness of correlative ENM temporal projection, we evaluated the transferability of models produced using 12 different algorithms on historical and modern data. In particular, we compared predictions generated using historical data and projected to the modern climate (simulating a “future” condition) with predictions generated using modern distribution and climate data. The models produced with the 12 ENM algorithms were evaluated in geographic (range size and coherence of predictions) and environmental space (Schoener’s D index). None of the algorithms shows an overall superior capability to correctly predict future distributions. On the contrary, a few algorithms revealed an inadequate predictive ability. Finally, we provide hints that can be used as guideline to plan further studies based on the adopted general workflow, useful for all studies involving future projections.
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Gutiérrez-Molina R, Acevedo P, Sánchez-Montes S, Romero-Salas D, López-Ortiz S, Flores-Primo A, Cruz-Romero A. Spatial epidemiology of Leptospira sp. exposure in bovines from Veracruz, México. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:e682-e692. [PMID: 34657392 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Bovine leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects cattle herds, causing economic losses due to reproductive problems which require expensive treatments. The main source of transmission for cattle is still uncertain, but rodents and bats can play an important role in the transmission cycle by being maintenance hosts for the pathogenic species of the bacterium and spreading it through urine. In this study, we characterize possible risk areas for bovine leptospirosis exposure in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, based on the geographical distribution of flying (bats) and terrestrial (rodents and opossums) wild hosts of Leptospira sp. reported in Mexico, in addition to climate, geography, soil characteristics, land use and human activities (environmental variables). We used a generalized linear regression model to understand the association between the frequency of anti-Leptospira sp. antibodies (a proxy of exposure) in cattle herds exposed to Leptospira, the favourability of wild hosts of Leptospira as well as the environmental variables. The parameterized model explained 12.3% of the variance. The frequency of anti-Leptospira sp. antibodies exposure in cattle herds was associated with elevation, geographic longitude, pH of the soil surface and environmental favourability for the presence of rodents, opossums and bats. The variation in exposure was mainly explained by a longitudinal gradient (6.4% of the variance) and the favourability-based indices for wild hosts (9.6% of the variance). Describing the possible risks for exposure to Leptospira in an important and neglected livestock geographical region, we provide valuable information for the selection of areas for diagnosis and prevention of this relevant disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pelayo Acevedo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (UCLM-CSIC-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Sokani Sánchez-Montes
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias región Tuxpan, Universidad Veracruzana, Tuxpan, Veracruz, México
- Centro de Medicina Tropical, Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, México
| | - Dora Romero-Salas
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, México
| | | | - Argel Flores-Primo
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, México
| | - Anabel Cruz-Romero
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, México
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20
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Remote Sensing and GIS-Based Suitability Mapping of Termite Habitat in the African Savanna: A Case Study of the Lowveld in Kruger National Park. LAND 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/land11060803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Termites (Isoptera) are among the most globally dominant macroinvertebrates in terrestrial environments and are an ecologically important group of soil biota in tropical and subtropical ecosystems. These insects function as essential ecosystem engineers that facilitate nutrient cycling, especially in the regulation of the physical and chemical properties of soil and the decomposition of organic matter that maintains heterogeneity in tropical and subtropical ecosystems. Termites, like all living organisms, require certain environmental parameters to support the distribution, abundance, and activities of the species. South Africa’s Kruger National Park (KNP)—one of the most important protected areas in the world and a popular safari tourist destination—is an extraordinary savanna ecosystem in which termite mounds, or termitaria, are widely distributed. A range of biotic and abiotic factors found in the natural environment of KNP provide highly suitable ecological conditions for termite habitat range, and thus the development of termitaria. Previous research has shown that the most important factors affecting habitat suitability for termites and the geographic distribution of termitaria include climate factors, land cover, and other environmental characteristics such as soil composition and plant-litter biomass. However, the specific environmental mechanisms that regulate termite occurrence and the spatial distribution of termitaria in KNP are not fully understood, especially in the context of climate and land-cover changes. The present study examines the relationship between the spatial distribution of termitaria and selected climate and environmental factors in the Kruger Lowveld region, which contains one of the largest numbers of termitaria in KNP. Using high-resolution satellite imagery, 8200 training points of termitaria occurrence were collected throughout the study area to train classifiers and produce land-cover-classification maps for the Kruger Lowveld region of interest. We then applied a hybrid approach through the integration of remote sensing (RS) and a GIS-based analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and frequency-ratio (FR) methods to model the relationship between the spatial distribution of termitaria and selected environmental variables and to produce suitability maps. To our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to examine the influence of combined sets of environmental attributes on the spatial distribution of termitaria in the Lowveld region of KNP. The results indicate that moderately and highly suitable conditions for termite range tolerance and termitaria development are correlated with undulating plains with clay soils, greater distance to drainage streams, high solar radiation, and low depth of groundwater. The findings of this study shed light on the need for future research that investigates the impact of climate and land-cover changes on termite habitat range and spatial distribution and that can inform park managers and policymakers about Kruger National Park and other protected areas with similar environmental conditions.
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21
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Pittiglio C, Shadomy S, El Idrissi A, Soumare B, Lubroth J, Makonnen Y. Seasonality and Ecological Suitability Modelling for Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) in Western Africa. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12091146. [PMID: 35565571 PMCID: PMC9105891 DOI: 10.3390/ani12091146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Anthrax is a globally distributed, neglected, underreported, soil-borne zoonotic disease. In West Africa, the disease is hyper-endemic, severely affecting the livestock sector. Many challenges exist to control the disease in this region, particularly constraints on financial and human resources. Therefore, methods that can be utilized to improve reporting, guide and prioritize surveillance and control activities and rationalize the allocation of limited resources are crucial. In this study, we showed how to optimize the use of fragmented, heterogeneous and limited precise reporting data of anthrax in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Niger to understand risk periods as well as identify and predict risk areas. To achieve this, we used anthrax data from different databases in combination with environmental and climate variables and geospatial remote sensing techniques. Our study demonstrated that the number of anthrax outbreaks by month increase with the increasing monthly rates of change in precipitation and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) during the transition period from the dry to the wet season. Livestock density, precipitation, NDVI and alkaline soils were the main predictors of anthrax suitability in the region. Our findings on anthrax seasonality and ecological suitability can inform surveillance, prevention and control programs undertaken by animal and public health authorities and enhance collaborative One Health strategies. Abstract Anthrax is hyper-endemic in West Africa affecting wildlife, livestock and humans. Prediction is difficult due to the lack of accurate outbreak data. However, predicting the risk of infection is important for public health, wildlife conservation and livestock economies. In this study, the seasonality of anthrax outbreaks in West Africa was investigated using climate time series and ecological niche modeling to identify environmental factors related to anthrax occurrence, develop geospatial risk maps and identify seasonal patterns. Outbreak data in livestock, wildlife and humans between 2010 and 2018 were compiled from different sources and analyzed against monthly rates of change in precipitation, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and land surface temperature. Maximum Entropy was used to predict and map the environmental suitability of anthrax occurrence. The findings showed that: (i) Anthrax outbreaks significantly (99%) increased with incremental changes in monthly precipitation and vegetation growth and decremental changes in monthly temperature during January–June. This explains the occurrence of the anthrax peak during the early wet season in West Africa. (ii) Livestock density, precipitation seasonality, NDVI and alkaline soils were the main predictors of anthrax suitability. (iii) Our approach optimized the use of limited and heterogeneous datasets and ecological niche modeling, demonstrating the value of integrated disease notification data and outbreak reports to generate risk maps. Our findings can inform public, animal and environmental health and enhance national and regional One Health disease control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Pittiglio
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Animal Production and Health Division, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Sean Shadomy
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Joint FAO/WHO Centre (CODEX Food Standards and Zoonotic Diseases), Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (A.E.I.)
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Mailstop H16-5, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Ahmed El Idrissi
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Joint FAO/WHO Centre (CODEX Food Standards and Zoonotic Diseases), Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (A.E.I.)
| | - Baba Soumare
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Animal Production and Health Division, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy;
| | - Juan Lubroth
- One Health Consultancies, 00153 Rome, Lazio, Italy;
| | - Yilma Makonnen
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa (SFE), CMC Road, Bole Sub City, Kebele 12/13, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 5536, Ethiopia;
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22
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Deka MA, Marston CK, Garcia-Diaz J, Drumgoole R, Traxler RM. Ecological Niche Model of Bacillus cereus Group Isolates Containing a Homologue of the pXO1 Anthrax Toxin Genes Infecting Metalworkers in the United States. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11040470. [PMID: 35456145 PMCID: PMC9027579 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11040470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
While Bacillus cereus typically causes opportunistic infections in humans, within the last three decades, severe and fatal infections caused by isolates of the B. cereus group harboring anthrax toxin genes have been reported in the United States. From 1994 to 2020, seven cases of anthrax-like illness resulting from these isolates have been identified. With one exception, the cases have occurred in the Gulf States region of the United States among metalworkers. We aimed to develop an ecological niche model (ENM) to estimate a spatial area conducive to the survival of these organisms based on the presence of known human infections and environmental variables. The estimated ecological niche for B. cereus was modeled with the maximum entropy algorithm (Maxent). Environmental variables contributing most to the model were soil characteristics (cation exchange capacity, carbon content, soil pH), temperature, enhanced vegetation index (EVI), and land surface temperature (LST). Much of the suitable environments were located throughout the Gulf Coast Plain, Texas Backland Prairies, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Cross Timbers, Mississippi Alluvial Plain, and Central Great Plains. These findings may provide additional guidance to narrow potential risk areas to efficiently communicate messages to metalworkers and potentially identify individuals who may benefit from the anthrax vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. Deka
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA;
- Correspondence: (M.A.D.); (R.M.T.)
| | - Chung K. Marston
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA;
| | - Julia Garcia-Diaz
- Department of Infectious Disease, Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA 70121, USA;
| | | | - Rita M. Traxler
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA;
- Correspondence: (M.A.D.); (R.M.T.)
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23
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Carlson CJ, Bevins SN, Schmid BV. Plague risk in the western United States over seven decades of environmental change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:753-769. [PMID: 34796590 PMCID: PMC9299200 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
After several pandemics over the last two millennia, the wildlife reservoirs of plague (Yersinia pestis) now persist around the world, including in the western United States. Routine surveillance in this region has generated comprehensive records of human cases and animal seroprevalence, creating a unique opportunity to test how plague reservoirs are responding to environmental change. Here, we test whether animal and human data suggest that plague reservoirs and spillover risk have shifted since 1950. To do so, we develop a new method for detecting the impact of climate change on infectious disease distributions, capable of disentangling long-term trends (signal) and interannual variation in both weather and sampling (noise). We find that plague foci are associated with high-elevation rodent communities, and soil biochemistry may play a key role in the geography of long-term persistence. In addition, we find that human cases are concentrated only in a small subset of endemic areas, and that spillover events are driven by higher rodent species richness (the amplification hypothesis) and climatic anomalies (the trophic cascade hypothesis). Using our detection model, we find that due to the changing climate, rodent communities at high elevations have become more conducive to the establishment of plague reservoirs-with suitability increasing up to 40% in some places-and that spillover risk to humans at mid-elevations has increased as well, although more gradually. These results highlight opportunities for deeper investigation of plague ecology, the value of integrative surveillance for infectious disease geography, and the need for further research into ongoing climate change impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin J. Carlson
- Center for Global Health Science and SecurityGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
| | - Sarah N. Bevins
- US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service–Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research CenterFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Boris V. Schmid
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary SynthesisDepartment of BiosciencesUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
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24
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Tenelanda-Osorio LI, Parra JL, Cuartas-Restrepo P, Zuluaga JI. Enceladus as a Potential Niche for Methanogens and Estimation of Its Biomass. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:1182. [PMID: 34833058 PMCID: PMC8624164 DOI: 10.3390/life11111182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Enceladus is a potential target for future astrobiological missions. NASA's Cassini spacecraft demonstrated that the Saturnian moon harbors a salty ocean beneath its icy crust and the existence and analysis of the plume suggest water-rock reactions, consistent with the possible presence of hydrothermal vents. Particularly, the plume analysis revealed the presence of molecular hydrogen, which may be used as an energy source by microorganisms ( e.g., methanogens). This could support the possibility that populations of methanogens could establish in such environments if they exist on Enceladus. We took a macroscale approximation using ecological niche modeling to evaluate whether conditions suitable for methanogenic archaea on Earth are expected in Enceladus. In addition, we employed a new approach for computing the biomass using the Monod growth model. The response curves for the environmental variables performed well statistically, indicating that simple correlative models may be used to approximate large-scale distributions of these genera on Earth. We found that the potential hydrothermal conditions on Enceladus fit within the macroscale conditions identified as suitable for methanogens on Earth, and estimated a concentration of 1010-1011 cells/cm3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura I. Tenelanda-Osorio
- Grupo de Estudios en Astrobiología AMEBA, Planetario de Medellín, Medellín 050010, Colombia;
- Grupo de Ecología y Evolución de Vertebrados, Instituto de Biología-FCEN, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia;
- Solar, Earth and Planetary Physics—SEAP, Instituto de Física-FCEN, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia;
| | - Juan L. Parra
- Grupo de Ecología y Evolución de Vertebrados, Instituto de Biología-FCEN, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia;
| | - Pablo Cuartas-Restrepo
- Solar, Earth and Planetary Physics—SEAP, Instituto de Física-FCEN, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia;
| | - Jorge I. Zuluaga
- Grupo de Estudios en Astrobiología AMEBA, Planetario de Medellín, Medellín 050010, Colombia;
- Solar, Earth and Planetary Physics—SEAP, Instituto de Física-FCEN, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia;
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25
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Ngarega BK, Masocha VF, Schneider H. Forecasting the effects of bioclimatic characteristics and climate change on the potential distribution of Colophospermum mopane in southern Africa using Maximum Entropy (Maxent). ECOL INFORM 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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26
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Ponpetch K, Erko B, Bekana T, Kebede T, Tian D, Yang Y, Liang S. Environmental Drivers and Potential Distribution of Schistosoma mansoni Endemic Areas in Ethiopia. Microorganisms 2021; 9:2144. [PMID: 34683465 PMCID: PMC8541272 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9102144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In Ethiopia, human schistosomiasis is caused by two species of schistosome, Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium, with the former being dominant in the country, causing infections of more than 5 million people and more than 37 million at risk of infection. What is more, new transmission foci for S. mansoni have been reported over the past years in the country, raising concerns over the potential impacts of environmental changes (e.g., climate change) on the disease spread. Knowledge on the distribution of schistosomiasis endemic areas and associated drivers is much needed for surveillance and control programs in the country. Here we report a study that aims to examine environmental determinants underlying the distribution and suitability of S. mansoni endemic areas at the national scale of Ethiopia. The study identified that, among five physical environmental factors examined, soil property, elevation, and climatic factors (e.g., precipitation and temperature) are key factors associated with the distribution of S. mansoni endemic areas. The model predicted that the suitable areas for schistosomiasis transmission are largely distributed in northern, central, and western parts of the country, suggesting a potentially wide distribution of S. mansoni endemic areas. The findings of this study are potentially instrumental to inform public health surveillance, intervention, and future research on schistosomiasis in Ethiopia. The modeling approaches employed in this study may be extended to other schistosomiasis endemic regions and to other vector-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keerati Ponpetch
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
- Praboromarajchanok Institute, Faculty of Public Health and Allied Health Sciences, Sirindhorn College of Public Health Trang, Trang 92110, Thailand
| | - Berhanu Erko
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa 3614, Ethiopia; (B.E.); (T.B.); (T.K.)
| | - Teshome Bekana
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa 3614, Ethiopia; (B.E.); (T.B.); (T.K.)
| | - Tadesse Kebede
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa 3614, Ethiopia; (B.E.); (T.B.); (T.K.)
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa 9086, Ethiopia
| | - Di Tian
- Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA;
| | - Yang Yang
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Song Liang
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
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27
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Humphreys JM, Pelzel-McCluskey AM, Cohnstaedt LW, McGregor BL, Hanley KA, Hudson AR, Young KI, Peck D, Rodriguez LL, Peters DPC. Integrating Spatiotemporal Epidemiology, Eco-Phylogenetics, and Distributional Ecology to Assess West Nile Disease Risk in Horses. Viruses 2021; 13:v13091811. [PMID: 34578392 PMCID: PMC8473291 DOI: 10.3390/v13091811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV) is the causative agent of West Nile disease in humans, horses, and some bird species. Since the initial introduction of WNV to the United States (US), approximately 30,000 horses have been impacted by West Nile neurologic disease and hundreds of additional horses are infected each year. Research describing the drivers of West Nile disease in horses is greatly needed to better anticipate the spatial and temporal extent of disease risk, improve disease surveillance, and alleviate future economic impacts to the equine industry and private horse owners. To help meet this need, we integrated techniques from spatiotemporal epidemiology, eco-phylogenetics, and distributional ecology to assess West Nile disease risk in horses throughout the contiguous US. Our integrated approach considered horse abundance and virus exposure, vector and host distributions, and a variety of extrinsic climatic, socio-economic, and environmental risk factors. Birds are WNV reservoir hosts, and therefore we quantified avian host community dynamics across the continental US to show intra-annual variability in host phylogenetic structure and demonstrate host phylodiversity as a mechanism for virus amplification in time and virus dilution in space. We identified drought as a potential amplifier of virus transmission and demonstrated the importance of accounting for spatial non-stationarity when quantifying interaction between disease risk and meteorological influences such as temperature and precipitation. Our results delineated the timing and location of several areas at high risk of West Nile disease and can be used to prioritize vaccination programs and optimize virus surveillance and monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M. Humphreys
- Pest Management Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Sidney, MT 59270, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Angela M. Pelzel-McCluskey
- Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), US Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA;
| | - Lee W. Cohnstaedt
- Arthropod-Borne Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA; (L.W.C.); (B.L.M.)
| | - Bethany L. McGregor
- Arthropod-Borne Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA; (L.W.C.); (B.L.M.)
| | - Kathryn A. Hanley
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA; (K.A.H.); (K.I.Y.)
| | - Amy R. Hudson
- Big Data Initiative and SCINet Program for Scientific Computing, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20704, USA; (A.R.H.); (D.P.C.P.)
| | - Katherine I. Young
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA; (K.A.H.); (K.I.Y.)
| | - Dannele Peck
- Northern Plains Climate Hub, US Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA;
| | - Luis L. Rodriguez
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, US Department of Agriculture, Orient Point, NY 11957, USA;
| | - Debra P. C. Peters
- Big Data Initiative and SCINet Program for Scientific Computing, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20704, USA; (A.R.H.); (D.P.C.P.)
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28
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Pintor AF, Ray N, Longbottom J, Bravo-Vega CA, Yousefi M, Murray KA, Ediriweera DS, Diggle PJ. Addressing the global snakebite crisis with geo-spatial analyses - Recent advances and future direction. Toxicon X 2021; 11:100076. [PMID: 34401744 PMCID: PMC8350508 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2021.100076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Venomous snakebite is a neglected tropical disease that annually leads to hundreds of thousands of deaths or long-term physical and mental ailments across the developing world. Insufficient data on spatial variation in snakebite risk, incidence, human vulnerability, and accessibility of medical treatment contribute substantially to ineffective on-ground management. There is an urgent need to collect data, fill knowledge gaps and address on-ground management problems. The use of novel, and transdisciplinary approaches that take advantage of recent advances in spatio-temporal models, 'big data', high performance computing, and fine-scale spatial information can add value to snakebite management by strategically improving our understanding and mitigation capacity of snakebite. We review the background and recent advances on the topic of snakebite related geospatial analyses and suggest avenues for priority research that will have practical on-ground applications for snakebite management and mitigation. These include streamlined, targeted data collection on snake distributions, snakebites, envenomings, venom composition, health infrastructure, and antivenom accessibility along with fine-scale models of spatio-temporal variation in snakebite risk and incidence, intraspecific venom variation, and environmental change modifying human exposure. These measures could improve and 'future-proof' antivenom production methods, antivenom distribution and stockpiling systems, and human-wildlife conflict management practices, while simultaneously feeding into research on venom evolution, snake taxonomy, ecology, biogeography, and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna F.V. Pintor
- Division of Data, Analytics and Delivery for Impact (DDI), World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
| | - Nicolas Ray
- GeoHealth Group, Institute of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joshua Longbottom
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Centre for Health Informatics, Computing and Statistics, Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Carlos A. Bravo-Vega
- Research Group in Mathematical and Computational Biology (BIOMAC), Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Masoud Yousefi
- School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Iran
| | - Kris A. Murray
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, UK
- MRC Unit the Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Atlantic Blvd, Fajara, Gambia
| | - Dileepa S. Ediriweera
- Health Data Science Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Ragama, Sri Lanka
| | - Peter J. Diggle
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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29
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Wilcox JJS, Lopez-Cotto JJ, Hollocher H. Historical contingency, geography and anthropogenic patterns of exposure drive the evolution of host switching in the Blastocystis species-complex. Parasitology 2021; 148:985-993. [PMID: 33775262 PMCID: PMC11010051 DOI: 10.1017/s003118202100055x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Parasites have the power to impose significant regulatory pressures on host populations, making evolutionary patterns of host switching by parasites salient to a range of contemporary ecological issues. However, relatively little is known about the colonization of new hosts by parasitic, commensal and mutualistic eukaryotes of metazoans. As ubiquitous symbionts of coelomate animals, Blastocystis spp. represent excellent candidate organisms for the study of evolutionary patterns of host switching by protists. Here, we apply a big-data phylogenetic approach using archival sequence data to assess the relative roles of several host-associated traits in shaping the evolutionary history of the Blastocystis species-complex within an ecological framework. Patterns of host usage were principally determined by geographic location and shared environments of hosts, suggesting that weight of exposure (i.e. propagule pressure) represents the primary force for colonization of new hosts within the Blastocystis species-complex. While Blastocystis lineages showed a propensity to recolonize the same host taxa, these taxa were often evolutionarily unrelated, suggesting that historical contingency and retention of previous adaptions by the parasite were more important to host switching than host phylogeny. Ultimately, our findings highlight the ability of ecological theory (i.e. ‘ecological fitting’) to explain host switching and host specificity within the Blastocystis species-complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin J. S. Wilcox
- Department of Biological Sciences, Galvin Life Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - John J. Lopez-Cotto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Galvin Life Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Hope Hollocher
- Department of Biological Sciences, Galvin Life Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
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30
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Spatial distribution of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in South Africa (2005-2016). Trop Anim Health Prod 2021; 53:376. [PMID: 34181093 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-021-02807-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a transboundary animal disease that has negative socioeconomic consequences including impacts on food security. In South Africa, FMD outbreaks in communal farming communities cause major livestock and human livelihood concerns; they raise apprehensions about the effectiveness of FMD control measures within the FMD protection areas. This study aimed to identify high-risk areas for FMD outbreaks at the human/domestic animal/wildlife interface of South Africa. Cuzick-Edwards tests and Kulldorff scan statistics were used to detect spatial autocorrelation and spatial-temporal clusters of FMD outbreaks for the years 2005-2016.Four high-risk clusters were identified and the spatial distribution of outbreaks in cattle were closer to game reserve fences and consistent with wildlife contacts as a main contributor of FMD occurrence. Strategic allocation of resources, focused control measures, and cooperation between the affected provinces are recommended to reduce future outbreaks. Further research is necessary to design cost-effective control strategies for FMD.
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Stears K, Schmitt MH, Turner WC, McCauley DJ, Muse EA, Kiwango H, Mathayo D, Mutayoba BM. Hippopotamus movements structure the spatiotemporal dynamics of an active anthrax outbreak. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Keenan Stears
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology & Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara California93106USA
- South African Environmental Observation Network Ndlovu Node Phalaborwa1390South Africa
| | - Melissa H. Schmitt
- South African Environmental Observation Network Ndlovu Node Phalaborwa1390South Africa
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara California93106USA
| | - Wendy C. Turner
- U.S. Geological Survey Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin53706USA
| | - Douglas J. McCauley
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology & Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara California93106USA
| | - Epaphras A. Muse
- Tanzania National Parks Authority Ruaha National Park P.O. Box 369 Iringa Tanzania
| | - Halima Kiwango
- Tanzania National Parks Authority Ruaha National Park P.O. Box 369 Iringa Tanzania
| | - Daniel Mathayo
- Tanzania National Parks Authority Ruaha National Park P.O. Box 369 Iringa Tanzania
| | - Benezeth M. Mutayoba
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Sokoine University of Agriculture P.O. Box 3017 Morogoro Tanzania
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Turner WC, Kamath PL, van Heerden H, Huang YH, Barandongo ZR, Bruce SA, Kausrud K. The roles of environmental variation and parasite survival in virulence-transmission relationships. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210088. [PMID: 34109041 PMCID: PMC8170194 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Disease outbreaks are a consequence of interactions among the three components of a host-parasite system: the infectious agent, the host and the environment. While virulence and transmission are widely investigated, most studies of parasite life-history trade-offs are conducted with theoretical models or tractable experimental systems where transmission is standardized and the environment controlled. Yet, biotic and abiotic environmental factors can strongly affect disease dynamics, and ultimately, host-parasite coevolution. Here, we review research on how environmental context alters virulence-transmission relationships, focusing on the off-host portion of the parasite life cycle, and how variation in parasite survival affects the evolution of virulence and transmission. We review three inter-related 'approaches' that have dominated the study of the evolution of virulence and transmission for different host-parasite systems: (i) evolutionary trade-off theory, (ii) parasite local adaptation and (iii) parasite phylodynamics. These approaches consider the role of the environment in virulence and transmission evolution from different angles, which entail different advantages and potential biases. We suggest improvements to how to investigate virulence-transmission relationships, through conceptual and methodological developments and taking environmental context into consideration. By combining developments in life-history evolution, phylogenetics, adaptive dynamics and comparative genomics, we can improve our understanding of virulence-transmission relationships across a diversity of host-parasite systems that have eluded experimental study of parasite life history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy C. Turner
- US Geological Survey, Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Pauline L. Kamath
- School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Henriette van Heerden
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Yen-Hua Huang
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Zoe R. Barandongo
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Spencer A. Bruce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Kyrre Kausrud
- Section for Epidemiology, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Ullevålsveien 68, 0454 Oslo, Norway
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Cogliati M. Global warming impact on the expansion of fundamental niche of Cryptococcus gattii VGI in Europe. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2021; 13:375-383. [PMID: 33945219 PMCID: PMC8251527 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, we analysed how geographical distribution of the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus gattii VGI in Europe and Mediterranean area has evolved in the last four decades based on the climatic changes, and we tried to predict the scenario for the next decade. Niche modelling by Maxent analysis showed that recent climate changes have significantly affected the distribution of the fungus revealing a gradual expansion of the fundamental niche from 1980 to 2009 followed by an impressive increase in the last decade (2010-2019) during which the environmental surface suitable for the fungal survival was more than doubled. In the next decade, our model predicted an increase in the area of distribution of C. gattii VGI from the coasts of the Mediterranean basin towards the more internal sub-continental areas. On the basis of these predictions, an increase of cases of cryptococcosis due to C. gattii VGI is expected in the next decade and a constant monitoring of the epidemiology of this fungal pathogen represents a crucial strategy to detect the onset of future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Cogliati
- Lab. Medical Mycology, Dip. Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di MilanoMilanItaly
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Lepe-Lopez M, Escobar-Dodero J, Zimin-Veselkoff N, Azat C, Mardones FO. Assessing the Present and Future Habitat Suitability of Caligus rogercresseyi (Boxshall and Bravo, 2000) for Salmon Farming in Southern Chile. Front Vet Sci 2021; 7:615039. [PMID: 33634179 PMCID: PMC7900137 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.615039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The sea louse (Caligus rogercresseyi) is the most relevant parasite for the farmed salmon industry in Chile, the second largest producer worldwide. Although spatial patterns of C. rogercresseyi have been addressed from data obtained from established monitoring and surveillance programs, studies on its spatial ecology are limited. A wide geographic distribution of C. rogercresseyi is presumed in Chile; however, how this species could potentially be distributed in space is unknown. Our study presents an analysis of the habitat suitability for C. rogercresseyi in the entire area occupied by marine sites of salmon farms in Chile. Habitat suitability modeling was used to explore the likelihood of species spatial occurrence based on environmental characteristics. Due to the expanding salmon industry in southern Chile, we studied C. rogercresseyi habitat suitability models for present (average of 2005-2010) and two future projections (2050 and 2100) under different climate change scenarios. Models were constructed with the maxent algorithm using a large database of spatial C. rogercresseyi occurrences from the Chilean fisheries health authority and included 23 environmental variables obtained from the Ocean Rasters for Analysis of Climate and Environment (Bio-ORACLE). Habitat suitability models indicated that water temperature, water salinity, and current velocity of waters were the most important characteristics limiting C. rogercresseyi distribution in southern Chile. Habitat suitability models for current climate indicated a heterogeneous pattern with C. rogercresseyi being present in waters with temperature range 12.12-7.08°C (sd = 0.65), salinity range 33.7-25.5 pss (sd = 1.73), and current water velocity range 0.23-0.01 m-1 (sd = 0.02). Predictions for future projections in year 2050 and year 2100 suggest new clumped dispersion of the environmental conditions for C. rogercresseyi establishment. Our results suggest complexity and a wide dispersion of the biogeographic distribution of the C. rogercresseyi habitat suitability with potential implications for control strategies and environmental issues for salmon farming in Chile. Further investigations are required into C. rogercresseyi distribution in southern Chile considering the possible effect of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Lepe-Lopez
- PhD Program in Conservation Medicine, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Joaquín Escobar-Dodero
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | | | - Claudio Azat
- PhD Program in Conservation Medicine, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fernando O. Mardones
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Altamiranda-Saavedra M, Osorio-Olvera L, Yáñez-Arenas C, Marín-Ortiz JC, Parra-Henao G. Geographic abundance patterns explained by niche centrality hypothesis in two Chagas disease vectors in Latin America. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241710. [PMID: 33147272 PMCID: PMC7641389 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecoepidemiological scenarios for Chagas disease transmission are complex, so vector control measures to decrease human–vector contact and prevent infection transmission are difficult to implement in all geographic contexts. This study assessed the geographic abundance patterns of two vector species of Chagas disease: Triatoma maculata (Erichson, 1848) and Rhodnius pallescens (Barber, 1932) in Latin America. We modeled their potential distribution using the maximum entropy algorithm implemented in Maxent and calculated distances to their niche centroid by fitting a minimum-volume ellipsoid. In addition, to determine which method would accurately explain geographic abundance patterns, we compared the correlation between population abundance and the distance to the ecological niche centroid (DNC) and between population abundance and Maxent environmental suitability. The potential distribution estimated for T. maculata showed that environmental suitability covers a large area, from Panama to Northern Brazil. R. pallescens showed a more restricted potential distribution, with environmental suitability covering mostly the coastal zone of Costa Rica and some areas in Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize and the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, northern Colombia, Acre, and Rondônia states in Brazil, as well as a small region of the western Brazilian Amazon. We found a negative slope in the relationship between population abundance and the DNC in both species. R. pallecens has a more extensive potential latitudinal range than previously reported, and the distribution model for T. maculata corroborates previous studies. In addition, population abundance increases according to the niche centroid proximity, indicating that population abundance is limited by the set of scenopoetic variables at coarser scales (non-interactive variables) used to determine the ecological niche. These findings might be used by public health agencies in Latin America to implement actions and support programs for disease prevention and vector control, identifying areas in which to expand entomological surveillance and maintain chemical control, in order to decrease human–vector contact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariano Altamiranda-Saavedra
- Centro de Investigación en Salud para el Trópico (CIST), Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Santa Marta, Colombia
- Politécnico Colombiano Jaime Isaza Cadavid, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
- * E-mail:
| | - Luis Osorio-Olvera
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Carlos Yáñez-Arenas
- Laboratorio de Ecología Geográfica, Unidad de Conservación de la Biodiversidad, UMDI-Sisal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Juan Carlos Marín-Ortiz
- Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Gabriel Parra-Henao
- Centro de Investigación en Salud para el Trópico (CIST), Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Santa Marta, Colombia
- National Health Institute (Instituto Nacional de Salud), Bogotá, Colombia
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Cheng Y, Tjaden NB, Jaeschke A, Thomas SM, Beierkuhnlein C. Deriving risk maps from epidemiological models of vector borne diseases: State-of-the-art and suggestions for best practice. Epidemics 2020; 33:100411. [PMID: 33130413 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2020.100411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological models (EMs) are widely used to predict the temporal outbreak risk of vector-borne diseases (VBDs). EMs typically use the basic reproduction number (R0), a threshold quantity, to indicate risk. To provide an overall view of the risk, these model outputs can be transformed into spatial risk maps, using various aggregation methods (e.g. average R0 over time, cumulative number of days with R0 > 1). However, there is no standardized methodology available for this. Depending on the specific aggregation methods used, the yielded spatial risk maps may have considerably different interpretations. Additionally, the method used to visualize the aggregated data also affects the perceived spatial patterns. In this review, we compare commonly used aggregation and visualization methods and discuss the respective interpretation of risk maps. Research publications using epidemiological modelling methods were drawn from Web of Science. Only publications containing maps of R0 transformed from EMs were considered for the analysis. An example EM was applied to illustrate how aggregation and visualization methods affect the final presentations of risk maps. Risk maps can be generated to show duration, intensity and spatio-temporal dynamics of potential outbreak risk of VBDs. We show that 1) different temporal aggregation methods lead to different interpretations; 2) similar spatial patterns do not necessarily bear the same meaning; 3) visualization methods considerably affect how results are perceived, and thus should be applied with caution. We recommend mapping both intensity and duration of the VBD outbreak risk, using small time-steps to show spatio-temporal dynamics when possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanchao Cheng
- Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany.
| | - Nils Benjamin Tjaden
- Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Anja Jaeschke
- Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Stephanie Margarete Thomas
- Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany; BayCEER, Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Carl Beierkuhnlein
- Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany; BayCEER, Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research, Bayreuth, Germany
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Yousefi M, Kafash A, Khani A, Nabati N. Applying species distribution models in public health research by predicting snakebite risk using venomous snakes' habitat suitability as an indicating factor. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18073. [PMID: 33093515 PMCID: PMC7582189 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74682-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakebite envenoming is an important public health problem in Iran, despite its risk not being quantified. This study aims to use venomous snakes' habitat suitability as an indicator of snakebite risk, to identify high-priority areas for snakebite management across the country. Thus, an ensemble approach using five distribution modelling methods: Generalized Boosted Models, Generalized Additive Models, Maximum Entropy Modelling, Generalized Linear Models, and Random Forest was applied to produce a spatial snakebite risk model for Iran. To achieve this, four venomous snakes' habitat suitability (Macrovipera lebetinus, Echis carinatus, Pseudocerastes persicus and Naja oxiana) were modelled and then multiplied. These medically important snakes are responsible for the most snakebite incidents in Iran. Multiplying habitat suitability models of the four snakes showed that the northeast of Iran (west of Khorasan-e-Razavi province) has the highest snakebite risk in the country. In addition, villages that were at risk of envenoming from the four snakes were identified. Results revealed that 51,112 villages are at risk of envenoming from M. lebetinus, 30,339 from E. carinatus, 51,657 from P. persicus and 12,124 from N. oxiana. Precipitation seasonality was identified as the most important variable influencing distribution of the P. persicus, E. carinatus and M. lebetinus in Iran. Precipitation of the driest quarter was the most important predictor of suitable habitats of the N. oxiana. Since climatic variables play an important role in shaping the distribution of the four venomous snakes in Iran, thus their distribution may alter with changing climate. This paper demonstrates application of species distribution modelling in public health research and identified potential snakebite risk areas in Iran by using venomous snakes' habitat suitability models as an indicating factor. Results of this study can be used in snakebite and human-snake conflict management in Iran. We recommend increasing public awareness of snakebite envenoming and education of local people in areas which identified with the highest snakebite risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoud Yousefi
- Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Anooshe Kafash
- Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
| | - Ali Khani
- Khorasan-e-Razavi Provincial Office of the Department of the Environment, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Nima Nabati
- Shahid Sadoughi Hospital, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
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Escobar LE. Ecological Niche Modeling: An Introduction for Veterinarians and Epidemiologists. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:519059. [PMID: 33195507 PMCID: PMC7641643 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.519059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Most infectious diseases in animals are not distributed randomly. Instead, diseases in livestock and wildlife are predictable in terms of the geography, time, and species affected. Ecological niche modeling approaches have been crucial to the advancement of our understanding of diversity and diseases distributions. This contribution is an introductory overview to the field of distributional ecology, with emphasis on its application for spatial epidemiology. A new, revised modeling framework is proposed for more detailed and replicable models that account for both the biology of the disease to be modeled and the uncertainty of the data available. Considering that most disease systems need at least two organisms interacting (i.e., host and pathogen), biotic interactions lie at the core of the pathogen's ecological niche. As a result, neglecting interacting organisms in pathogen dynamics (e.g., maintenance, reproduction, and transmission) may limit efforts to forecast disease distributions in veterinary epidemiology. Although limitations of ecological niche modeling are noted, it is clear that the application and value of ecological niche modeling to epidemiology will increase in the future. Potential research lines include the examination of the effects of biotic variables on model performance, assessments of protocols for model calibration in disease systems, and new tools and metrics for robust model evaluation. Epidemiologists aiming to employ ecological niche modeling theory and methods to reconstruct and forecast epidemics should familiarize themselves with ecological literature and must consider multidisciplinary collaborations including veterinarians to develop biologically sound, statistically robust analyses. This review attempts to increase the use of tools from ecology in disease mapping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
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de Thoisy B, Silva NIO, Sacchetto L, de Souza Trindade G, Drumond BP. Spatial epidemiology of yellow fever: Identification of determinants of the 2016-2018 epidemics and at-risk areas in Brazil. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008691. [PMID: 33001982 PMCID: PMC7553304 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Optimise control strategies of infectious diseases, identify factors that favour the circulation of pathogens, and propose risk maps are crucial challenges for global health. Ecological niche modelling, once relying on an adequate framework and environmental descriptors can be a helpful tool for such purposes. Despite the existence of a vaccine, yellow fever (YF) is still a public health issue. Brazil faced massive sylvatic YF outbreaks from the end of 2016 up to mid-2018, but cases in human and non-human primates have been recorded until the beginning of 2020. Here we used both human and monkey confirmed YF cases from two epidemic periods (2016/2017 and 2017/2018) to describe the spatial distribution of the cases and explore how biotic and abiotic factors drive their occurrence. The distribution of YF cases largely overlaps for humans and monkeys, and a contraction of the spatial extent associated with a southward displacement is observed during the second period of the epidemics. More contributive variables to the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of cases were related to biotic factors (mammal richness), abiotic factors (temperature and precipitation), and some human-related variables (population density, human footprint, and human vaccination coverage). Both projections of the most favourable conditions showed similar trends with a contraction of the more at-risk areas. Once extrapolated at a large scale, the Amazon basin remains at lower risk, although surrounding forest regions and notably the North-West region, would face a higher risk. Spatial projections of infectious diseases often relied on climatic variables only; here for both models, we instead highlighted the importance of considering local biotic conditions, hosts vulnerability, social and epidemiological factors to run the spatial risk analysis correctly: all YF cases occurring later on, in 2019 and 2020, were observed in the predicted at-risk areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoit de Thoisy
- Laboratoire des Interactions Virus-Hôtes, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | | | - Lívia Sacchetto
- Department of Microbiology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Giliane de Souza Trindade
- Department of Microbiology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Betânia Paiva Drumond
- Department of Microbiology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Kubota Y, Shiono T, Kusumoto B, Fujinuma J. Multiple drivers of the COVID-19 spread: The roles of climate, international mobility, and region-specific conditions. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0239385. [PMID: 32966315 PMCID: PMC7510993 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Following its initial appearance in December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quickly spread around the globe. Here, we evaluated the role of climate (temperature and precipitation), region-specific COVID-19 susceptibility (BCG vaccination factors, malaria incidence, and percentage of the population aged over 65 years), and human mobility (relative amounts of international visitors) in shaping the geographical patterns of COVID-19 case numbers across 1,020 countries/regions, and examined the sequential shift that occurred from December 2019 to June 30, 2020 in multiple drivers of the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases. Our regression model adequately explains the cumulative COVID-19 case numbers (per 1 million population). As the COVID-19 spread progressed, the explanatory power (R2) of the model increased, reaching > 70% in April 2020. Climate, host mobility, and host susceptibility to COVID-19 largely explained the variance among COVID-19 case numbers across locations; the relative importance of host mobility and that of host susceptibility to COVID-19 were both greater than that of climate. Notably, the relative importance of these factors changed over time; the number of days from outbreak onset drove COVID-19 spread in the early stage, then human mobility accelerated the pandemic, and lastly climate (temperature) propelled the phase following disease expansion. Our findings demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic is deterministically driven by climate suitability, cross-border human mobility, and region-specific COVID-19 susceptibility. The identification of these multiple drivers of the COVID-19 outbreak trajectory, based on mapping the spread of COVID-19, will contribute to a better understanding of the COVID-19 disease transmission risk and inform long-term preventative measures against this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Kubota
- Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
- Think Nature Inc., Okinawa, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Takayuki Shiono
- Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
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Adham D, Moradi-Asl E, Dorosti A, Khaiatzadeh S. Spatial autocorrelation and epidemiological survey of visceral leishmaniasis in an endemic area of Azerbaijan region, the northwest of Iran. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236414. [PMID: 32845890 PMCID: PMC7449399 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a common infectious disease that is endemic in Iran. This study aimed to investigate the spatial autocorrelation of VL in the northwest of Iran. In this cross-sectional study, the data of all patients were collected in 2009–2017 and analyzed by SPSS23 and Moran's and General G Index. The MaxEnt3.3.3 software was used to determine the ecological niche. A big hot spot area was identified in five counties in the northwest of Iran. More than 70% of the cases were reported from these regions, and the incidence rate increased in the northwest of Iran from 2013 to 2017. Seasonal rainfall and average daily temperature were the most important climate variables affecting the incidence of VL in this region (p < 0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that VL in the northwest of Iran is expanding to new areas along the border with the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the northeastern section of this region is a high-risk area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davoud Adham
- Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Eslam Moradi-Asl
- Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
- * E-mail:
| | - Abbasali Dorosti
- CDC, Health Center of Tabriz, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, East Azerbaijan, Iran
| | - Simin Khaiatzadeh
- CDC, Health Center of Tabriz, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, East Azerbaijan, Iran
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Deka MA. Mapping the Geographic Distribution of Tungiasis in Sub-Saharan Africa. Trop Med Infect Dis 2020; 5:E122. [PMID: 32722011 PMCID: PMC7558156 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed5030122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The geographic distribution of tungiasis is poorly understood, despite the frequent occurrence of the disease in marginalized populations of low socioeconomic status. To date, little work is available to define the geography of this neglected tropical disease (NTD). This exploratory study incorporated geostatistical modeling to map the suitability for tungiasis transmission in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In SSA, environmental suitability is predicted in 44 countries, including Angola, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Cote de Ivoire, Mali, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Gabon, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, and South Africa. In total, an estimated 668 million people live in suitable areas, 46% (304 million) of which reside in East Africa. These evidence-based maps provide vital evidence of the potential geographic extent of SSA. They will help to guide disease control programs, inform policymakers, and raise awareness at the global level. Likewise, these results will hopefully provide decisionmakers with the pertinent information necessary to lessen morbidity and mortality in communities located in environmentally suitable areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Deka
- Department of Geography, Texas State University; 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
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Krasteva S, Jara M, Frias-De-Diego A, Machado G. Nairobi Sheep Disease Virus: A Historical and Epidemiological Perspective. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:419. [PMID: 32793646 PMCID: PMC7387652 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Nairobi Sheep Disease virus (NSDv) is a zoonotic and tick-borne disease that can cause over 90% mortality in small ruminants. NSDv has historically circulated in East Africa and has recently emerged in the Asian continent. Despite efforts to control the disease, some regions, mostly in warmer climates, persistently report disease outbreaks. Consequently, it is necessary to understand how environmental tolerances and factors that influence transmission may shed light on its possible emergence in other regions. In this study, we quantified the available literature of NSDv from which occurrence data was extracted. In total, 308 locations from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, India, Sri Lanka and China were coupled with landscape conditions to reconstruct the ecological conditions for NSDv circulation and identify areas of potential disease transmission risk. Our results identified areas suitable for NSDv in Ethiopia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Southeastern China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Unsuitable areas included Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Southern Somalia. In summary, soil moisture, livestock density, and precipitation predispose certain areas to NSDv circulation. It is critical to investigate the epidemiology of NSDv in order to promote better allocation of resources to control its spread in regions that are more at risk. This will help reduce disease impact worldwide as climate change will favor emergence of such vector-borne diseases in areas with dense small ruminant populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Krasteva
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Manuel Jara
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Alba Frias-De-Diego
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Gustavo Machado
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
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Kanankege KST, Alvarez J, Zhang L, Perez AM. An Introductory Framework for Choosing Spatiotemporal Analytical Tools in Population-Level Eco-Epidemiological Research. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:339. [PMID: 32733923 PMCID: PMC7358365 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatiotemporal visualization and analytical tools (SATs) are increasingly being applied to risk-based surveillance/monitoring of adverse health events affecting humans, animals, and ecosystems. Different disciplines use diverse SATs to address similar research questions. The juxtaposition of these diverse techniques provides a list of options for researchers who are new to population-level spatial eco-epidemiology. Here, we are conducting a narrative review to provide an overview of the multiple available SATs, and introducing a framework for choosing among them when addressing common research questions across disciplines. The framework is comprised of three stages: (a) pre-hypothesis testing stage, in which hypotheses regarding the spatial dependence of events are generated; (b) primary hypothesis testing stage, in which the existence of spatial dependence and patterns are tested; and (c) secondary-hypothesis testing and spatial modeling stage, in which predictions and inferences were made based on the identified spatial dependences and associated covariates. In this step-wise process, six key research questions are formulated, and the answers to those questions should lead researchers to select one or more methods from four broad categories of SATs: (T1) visualization and descriptive analysis; (T2) spatial/spatiotemporal dependence and pattern recognition; (T3) spatial smoothing and interpolation; and (T4) geographic correlation studies (i.e., spatial modeling and regression). The SATs described here include both those used for decades and also other relatively new tools. Through this framework review, we intend to facilitate the choice among available SATs and promote their interdisciplinary use to support improving human, animal, and ecosystem health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaushi S. T. Kanankege
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, United States
| | - Julio Alvarez
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lin Zhang
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Andres M. Perez
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, United States
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Peters DPC, McVey DS, Elias EH, Pelzel‐McCluskey AM, Derner JD, Burruss ND, Schrader TS, Yao J, Pauszek SJ, Lombard J, Rodriguez LL. Big data–model integration and AI for vector‐borne disease prediction. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Debra P. C. Peters
- US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Jornada Experimental Range Unit, and Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Program New Mexico State University Las Cruces New Mexico 88003 USA
| | - D. Scott McVey
- US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Center for Grain and Animal Health Research Arthropod‐Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit Manhattan Kansas 66506 USA
| | - Emile H. Elias
- US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Jornada Experimental Range Unit, and Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Program New Mexico State University Las Cruces New Mexico 88003 USA
| | - Angela M. Pelzel‐McCluskey
- US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinary Services Fort Collins Colorado 80526 USA
| | - Justin D. Derner
- US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit Cheyenne Wyoming 82009 USA
| | - N. Dylan Burruss
- Jornada Experimental Range New Mexico State University Las Cruces New Mexico 88003 USA
| | - T. Scott Schrader
- US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Jornada Experimental Range Unit, and Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Program New Mexico State University Las Cruces New Mexico 88003 USA
| | - Jin Yao
- US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Jornada Experimental Range Unit, and Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Program New Mexico State University Las Cruces New Mexico 88003 USA
| | - Steven J. Pauszek
- US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Plum Island Animal Disease Center Orient Point New York 11957 USA
| | - Jason Lombard
- US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinary Services Fort Collins Colorado 80526 USA
| | - Luis L. Rodriguez
- US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Plum Island Animal Disease Center Orient Point New York 11957 USA
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Ros AFH, Basen T, Teschner RJ, Brinker A. Morphological and molecular data show no evidence of the proposed replacement of endemic Pomphorhynchus tereticollis by invasive P. laevis in salmonids in southern Germany. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234116. [PMID: 32544162 PMCID: PMC7297375 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in parasite communities might result in new host-parasite dynamics and may threaten local fish populations. This phenomenon has been suggested for acanthocephalan parasites in the river Rhine and Danube where the species Pomphorhynchus tereticollis is becoming replaced by the Ponto-Caspian P. laevis. Developing knowledge on morphologic, genetic and behavioural differences between such species is important to follow such changes. However, disagreements on the current phylogeny of these two acanthocephalan species are producing conflicts that is affecting their correct identification. This study is offering a clearer morphological and genetic distinction between these two species. As P. tereticollis is found in rhithral tributaries of the Rhine, it was questioned whether the local salmonid populations were hosts for this species and whether P. laevis was expanding into the Rhine watershed as well. In order to test for this, brown trout, Salmo trutta, and grayling, Thymallus thymallus from South-Western Germany watersheds have been samples and screened for the occurrence of acanthocephalan parasites. For the first time, both species were confirmed to be hosts for P. tereticollis in continental Europe. P. tereticollis was found to be common, whereas P. leavis was found only at a single location in the Danube. This pattern suggest either that the expansion of P. laevis through salmonid hosts into rhithral rivers has not yet occurred, or that not yet ascertained biotic or abiotic features of rhithral rivers hinder P. laevis to spread into these areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert F. H. Ros
- Fisheries Research Station Baden-Württemberg, LAZBW, Langenargen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Timo Basen
- Fisheries Research Station Baden-Württemberg, LAZBW, Langenargen, Germany
| | - Ruben J. Teschner
- Fisheries Research Station Baden-Württemberg, LAZBW, Langenargen, Germany
| | - Alexander Brinker
- Fisheries Research Station Baden-Württemberg, LAZBW, Langenargen, Germany
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Barreto L, Velásquez G, Mendoza M, Camacho E, Goncalves E, Rodríguez S, Niño-Vega GA. Geographical distribution and ecological niche modeling of the etiological agents of human sporotrichosis in Venezuela. Braz J Microbiol 2020; 52:63-71. [PMID: 32696418 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-020-00306-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The geographical distribution and ecological niche of the two circulating species of the Sporothrix genus in Venezuela was established. For this, 68 isolates of Sporothrix spp. from patients of different regions of the country were analyzed. A molecular taxonomy analysis was conducted using a fragment of the calmodulin gene (CAL), and ITS regions, confirming the presence of S. schenckii (62%) and S. globosa (38%). Computational models of ecological niche for each species were obtained by the maximum entropy method using the MaxEnt software, which predicted the best environmental conditions for the presence of the two species. These models predict that the main variables influencing the presence of S. schenckii were altitude and annual mean temperature, while for S. globosa, the more influent variable was the land use, with 82% of S. globosa located at urban areas vs 56% for S. schenckii. The results here presented could contribute to understand the specific environmental factors that might modulate the occurrence of Sporothrix spp. as well as its transmission. To our knowledge, our analyses show for the first time Sporothrix spp.-specific ecological niche data, a valuable tool to promote evidence-based public health policymaking within endemic areas of sporotrichosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Barreto
- Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, Laboratorio de Micología, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela
- Instituto de Formación Docente Salomé Ureña, Santiago, República Dominicana
| | - Grisel Velásquez
- Unidad de Sistemas de Información Geográfica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Mireya Mendoza
- Laboratorio de Micología, Instituto de Biomedicina "Dr. Jacinto Convit", Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Emma Camacho
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunobiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Estefany Goncalves
- Laboratorio de Ecología Geográfica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sabrina Rodríguez
- Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, Laboratorio de Micología, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Gustavo A Niño-Vega
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Gto, Mexico.
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Alkishe A, Cobos ME, Peterson AT, Samy AM. Recognizing sources of uncertainty in disease vector ecological niche models: An example with the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato. Perspect Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2020.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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Escobar LE, Pritzkow S, Winter SN, Grear DA, Kirchgessner MS, Dominguez-Villegas E, Machado G, Peterson AT, Soto C. The ecology of chronic wasting disease in wildlife. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:393-408. [PMID: 31750623 PMCID: PMC7085120 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Prions are misfolded infectious proteins responsible for a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases termed transmissible spongiform encephalopathy or prion diseases. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is the prion disease with the highest spillover potential, affecting at least seven Cervidae (deer) species. The zoonotic potential of CWD is inconclusive and cannot be ruled out. A risk of infection for other domestic and wildlife species is also plausible. Here, we review the current status of the knowledge with respect to CWD ecology in wildlife. Our current understanding of the geographic distribution of CWD lacks spatial and temporal detail, does not consider the biogeography of infectious diseases, and is largely biased by sampling based on hunters' cooperation and funding available for each region. Limitations of the methods used for data collection suggest that the extent and prevalence of CWD in wildlife is underestimated. If the zoonotic potential of CWD is confirmed in the short term, as suggested by recent results obtained in experimental animal models, there will be limited accurate epidemiological data to inform public health. Research gaps in CWD prion ecology include the need to identify specific biological characteristics of potential CWD reservoir species that better explain susceptibility to spillover, landscape and climate configurations that are suitable for CWD transmission, and the magnitude of sampling bias in our current understanding of CWD distribution and risk. Addressing these research gaps will help anticipate novel areas and species where CWD spillover is expected, which will inform control strategies. From an ecological perspective, control strategies could include assessing restoration of natural predators of CWD reservoirs, ultrasensitive CWD detection in biotic and abiotic reservoirs, and deer density and landscape modification to reduce CWD spread and prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E. Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
| | - Sandra Pritzkow
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, U.S.A
| | - Steven N. Winter
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
| | - Daniel A. Grear
- US Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, 59711, U.S.A
| | | | | | - Gustavo Machado
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, U.S.A
| | - A. Townsend Peterson
- Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, U.S.A
| | - Claudio Soto
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, U.S.A
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50
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Mironova VA, Shartova NV, Beljaev AE, Varentsov MI, Korennoy FI, Grishchenko MY. Re-introduction of vivax malaria in a temperate area (Moscow region, Russia): a geographic investigation. Malar J 2020; 19:116. [PMID: 32188468 PMCID: PMC7081549 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03187-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Between 1999 and 2008 Russia experienced a flare-up of transmission of vivax malaria following its massive importation with more than 500 autochthonous cases in European Russia, the Moscow region being the most affected. The outbreak waned soon after a decrease in importation in mid-2000s and strengthening the control measures. Compared with other post-eradication epidemics in Europe this one was unprecedented by its extension and duration. Methods The aim of this study is to identify geographical determinants of transmission. The degree of favourability of climate for vivax malaria was assessed by measuring the sum of effective temperatures and duration of season of effective infectivity using data from 22 weather stations. For geospatial analysis, the locations of each of 405 autochthonous cases detected in Moscow region have been ascertained. A MaxEnt method was used for modelling the territorial differentiation of Moscow region according to the suitability of infection re-emergence based on the statistically valid relationships between the distribution of autochthonous cases and environmental and climatic factors. Results In 1999–2004, in the beginning of the outbreak, meteorological conditions were extremely favourable for malaria in 1999, 2001 and 2002, especially within the borders of the city of Moscow and its immediate surroundings. The greatest number of cases occurred at the northwestern periphery of the city and in the adjoining rural areas. A significant role was played by rural construction activities attracting migrant labour, vegetation density and landscape division. A cut-off altitude of 200 m was observed, though the factor of altitude did not play a significant role at lower altitudes. Most likely, the urban heat island additionally amplified malaria re-introduction. Conclusion The malariogenic potential in relation to vivax malaria was high in Moscow region, albeit heterogeneous. It is in Moscow that the most favourable conditions exist for vivax malaria re-introduction in the case of a renewed importation. This recent event of large-scale re-introduction of vivax malaria in a temperate area can serve as a case study for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varvara A Mironova
- Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Natalia V Shartova
- Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
| | | | - Mikhail I Varentsov
- Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia.,A.M, Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, 3 Pyzhyovskiy Pereulok, Moscow, 119017, Russia.,Research Computing Center, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Fedor I Korennoy
- FGBI Federal Center for Animal Health (FGBI ARRIAH), Vladimir, 600901, Russia
| | - Mikhail Y Grishchenko
- Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia.,Faculty of Geography and Geoinformatics, Higher School of Economics, Moscow, 101000, Russia
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