1
|
Tam WYJ, Nekouei O, Rizzo F, Cheng LST, Choi YR, Staples M, Hobi S, Gray J, Woodhouse F, Shuen PYM, Chai YF, Beatty JA, Barrs VR. Seroreactivity against Leptospira spp. differs between community cats and privately-owned cats in Hong Kong. One Health 2024; 19:100851. [PMID: 39099887 PMCID: PMC11296049 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100851] [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: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease of major One Health significance and public health impact globally, with a wide host range including mammals, cetaceans and herpetofauna. This study aimed to determine Leptospira seroprevalence, risk factors for seroreactivity and prevalence of urinary Leptospira shedding among domestic cats in Hong Kong. Microagglutination testing of 22 Leptospira serovars from 20 serogroups was performed on 738 sera from outdoor free-roaming "community" cats (n = 391) and privately-owned (n = 347) cats. Urine from 268 community cats was tested for pathogenic Leptospira DNA by qPCR targeting lipL32. Potential risk factors associated with exposure were assessed using logistic regression. Overall Leptospira seroprevalence was 9.35%. Of 14 serogroups detected, Javanica (4.3%), Djasiman (2.3%) and Australis (1.5%) were most common. Seroreactivity was significantly higher among community (13.3%) than privately-owned cats (4.9%; OR 2.98 [95% CI 1.68-5.25], P < 0.001), especially to Javanica (7.65% of community cats versus 0.58% of privately-owned cats (P < 0.001). Antibody titres to all serogroups ranged from 1:100 to 1:6400 (median 1:200) and were highest for Javanica (median 1:800). Leptospira DNA was detected in urine from 12/268 community cats (4.48%; median load 6.42 × 102 copies/mL urine; range 1.40 × 101-9.63 × 104). One in three seroreactive community cats with paired urine and blood samples had leptospiruria. After adjusting for source, none of breed, sex, neuter status, age, district rodent infestation rate, serum alanine transaminase or creatinine values were associated with seroreactivity. Cats in Hong Kong are exposed to a diversity of Leptospira serogroups and can shed Leptospira silently in urine. The higher seroprevalence among outdoor free-roaming community cats highlights the importance of environmental drivers in leptospirosis transmission and risks of exposure for sympatric human populations. Gloves should be worn when handling feline urine to minimise the risk of zoonotic transmission from subclinically infected cats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wing Yan Jacqueline Tam
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Omid Nekouei
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Francesca Rizzo
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lok See Tiffany Cheng
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yan Ru Choi
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
- Centre for Animal Health and Welfare, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Megan Staples
- World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, at Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Stefan Hobi
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jane Gray
- Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong), Wan Chai, Hong Kong, China
| | - Fiona Woodhouse
- Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong), Wan Chai, Hong Kong, China
| | - Patricia Yi Man Shuen
- Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong), Wan Chai, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ying Fei Chai
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Julia A. Beatty
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
- Centre for Animal Health and Welfare, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Vanessa R. Barrs
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
- Centre for Animal Health and Welfare, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Douchet L, Menkes C, Herbreteau V, Larrieu J, Bador M, Goarant C, Mangeas M. Climate-driven models of leptospirosis dynamics in tropical islands from three oceanic basins. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0011717. [PMID: 38662800 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leptospirosis is a neglected zoonosis which remains poorly known despite its epidemic potential, especially in tropical islands where outdoor lifestyle, vulnerability to invasive reservoir species and hot and rainy climate constitute higher risks for infections. Burden remains poorly documented while outbreaks can easily overflow health systems of these isolated and poorly populated areas. Identification of generic patterns driving leptospirosis dynamics across tropical islands would help understand its epidemiology for better preparedness of communities. In this study, we aim to model leptospirosis seasonality and outbreaks in tropical islands based on precipitation and temperature indicators. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We adjusted machine learning models on leptospirosis surveillance data from seven tropical islands (Guadeloupe, Reunion Island, Fiji, Futuna, New Caledonia, and Tahiti) to investigate 1) the effect of climate on the disease's seasonal dynamic, i.e., the centered seasonal profile and 2) inter-annual anomalies, i.e., the incidence deviations from the seasonal profile. The model was then used to estimate seasonal dynamics of leptospirosis in Vanuatu and Puerto Rico where disease incidence data were not available. A robust model, validated across different islands with leave-island-out cross-validation and based on current and 2-month lagged precipitation and current and 1-month lagged temperature, can be constructed to estimate the seasonal dynamic of leptospirosis. In opposition, climate determinants and their importance in estimating inter-annual anomalies highly differed across islands. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Climate appears as a strong determinant of leptospirosis seasonality in tropical islands regardless of the diversity of the considered environments and the different lifestyles across the islands. However, predictive and expandable abilities from climate indicators weaken when estimating inter-annual outbreaks and emphasize the importance of these local characteristics in the occurrence of outbreaks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Léa Douchet
- ENTROPIE, IRD, Univ Reunion, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ Nouvelle Calédonie, Nouméa, New Caledonia
- ESPACE-DEV, IRD, Univ Montpellier, Univ. Antilles, Univ Guyane, Univ Réunion, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Christophe Menkes
- ENTROPIE, IRD, Univ Reunion, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ Nouvelle Calédonie, Nouméa, New Caledonia
| | - Vincent Herbreteau
- ESPACE-DEV, IRD, Univ Montpellier, Univ. Antilles, Univ Guyane, Univ Réunion, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Epidemiology and Public Health Unit, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Joséphine Larrieu
- ENTROPIE, IRD, Univ Reunion, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ Nouvelle Calédonie, Nouméa, New Caledonia
| | - Margot Bador
- CECI Université de Toulouse, CERFACS/CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | - Cyrille Goarant
- Institut Pasteur in New Caledonia, Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Nouméa, New Caledonia
- Public Health Division, The Pacific Community, Nouméa, New Caledonia
| | - Morgan Mangeas
- ENTROPIE, IRD, Univ Reunion, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ Nouvelle Calédonie, Nouméa, New Caledonia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Shirzad R, Alesheikh AA, Asgharzadeh M, Hoseini B, Lotfata A. Spatio-temporal modeling of human leptospirosis prevalence using the maximum entropy model. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:2521. [PMID: 38104062 PMCID: PMC10724969 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17391-z] [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: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease, stands as one of the prevailing health issues in some tropical areas of Iran. Over a decade, its incidence rate has been estimated at approximately 2.33 cases per 10,000 individuals. Our research focused on analyzing the spatiotemporal clustering of Leptospirosis and developing a disease prevalence model as an essential focal point for public health policymakers, urging targeted interventions and strategies. METHODS The SaTScan and Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) modeling methods were used to find the spatiotemporal clusters of the Leptospirosis and model the disease prevalence in Iran. We incorporated nine environmental covariates by employing a spatial resolution of 1 km x 1 km, the finest resolution ever implemented for modeling Human Leptospirosis in Iran. These covariates encompassed the Digital Elevation Model (DEM), slope, displacement areas, water bodies, and land cover, monthly recorded Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), monthly recorded precipitation, monthly recorded mean and maximum temperature, contributing significantly to our disease modeling approach. The analysis using MaxEnt yielded the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC) metrics for the training and test data, to evaluate the accuracy of the implemented model. RESULTS The findings reveal a highly significant primary cluster (p-value < 0.05) located in the western regions of the Gilan province, spanning from July 2013 to July 2015 (p-value < 0.05). Moreover, there were four more clusters (p-value < 0.05) identified near Someh Sara, Neka, Gorgan and Rudbar. Furthermore, the risk mapping effectively illustrates the potential expansion of the disease into the western and northwestern regions. The AUC metrics of 0.956 and 0.952 for the training and test data, respectively, underscoring the robust accuracy of the implemented model. Interestingly, among the variables considered, the influence of slope and distance from water bodies appears to be minimal. However, altitude and precipitation stand out as the primary determinants that significantly contribute to the prevalence of the disease. CONCLUSIONS The risk map generated through this study carries significant potential to enhance public awareness and inform the formulation of impactful policies to combat Leptospirosis. These maps also play a crucial role in tracking disease incidents and strategically directing interventions toward the regions most susceptible.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reza Shirzad
- Department of Geospatial Information System, Faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Asghar Alesheikh
- Department of Geospatial Information System, Faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mojtaba Asgharzadeh
- Department of Geospatial Information System, Faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Benyamin Hoseini
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- Department of Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Aynaz Lotfata
- School Of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, Davis, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Rees EM, Lotto Batista M, Kama M, Kucharski AJ, Lau CL, Lowe R. Quantifying the relationship between climatic indicators and leptospirosis incidence in Fiji: A modelling study. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0002400. [PMID: 37819894 PMCID: PMC10566718 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Leptospirosis, a global zoonotic disease, is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, including Fiji where it's endemic with year-round cases and sporadic outbreaks coinciding with heavy rainfall. However, the relationship between climate and leptospirosis has not yet been well characterised in the South Pacific. In this study, we quantify the effects of different climatic indicators on leptospirosis incidence in Fiji, using a time series of weekly case data between 2006 and 2017. We used a Bayesian hierarchical mixed-model framework to explore the impact of different precipitation, temperature, and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indicators on leptospirosis cases over a 12-year period. We found that total precipitation from the previous six weeks (lagged by one week) was the best precipitation indicator, with increased total precipitation leading to increased leptospirosis incidence (0.24 [95% CrI 0.15-0.33]). Negative values of the Niño 3.4 index (indicative of La Niña conditions) lagged by four weeks were associated with increased leptospirosis risk (-0.2 [95% CrI -0.29 --0.11]). Finally, minimum temperature (lagged by one week) when included with the other variables was positively associated with leptospirosis risk (0.15 [95% CrI 0.01-0.30]). We found that the final model was better able to capture the outbreak peaks compared with the baseline model (which included seasonal and inter-annual random effects), particularly in the Western and Northern division, with climate indicators improving predictions 58.1% of the time. This study identified key climatic factors influencing leptospirosis risk in Fiji. Combining these results with demographic and spatial factors can support a precision public health framework allowing for more effective public health preparedness and response which targets interventions to the right population, place, and time. This study further highlights the need for enhanced surveillance data and is a necessary first step towards the development of a climate-based early warning system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor M. Rees
- Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Martín Lotto Batista
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
- Epidemiology Department, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Brunswick, Germany
| | - Mike Kama
- Fiji Centre for Communicable Disease Control, The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
| | - Adam J. Kucharski
- Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Colleen L. Lau
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Rachel Lowe
- Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Jayaramu V, Zulkafli Z, De Stercke S, Buytaert W, Rahmat F, Abdul Rahman RZ, Ishak AJ, Tahir W, Ab Rahman J, Mohd Fuzi NMH. Leptospirosis modelling using hydrometeorological indices and random forest machine learning. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2023; 67:423-437. [PMID: 36719482 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-022-02422-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a zoonosis that has been linked to hydrometeorological variability. Hydrometeorological averages and extremes have been used before as drivers in the statistical prediction of disease. However, their importance and predictive capacity are still little known. In this study, the use of a random forest classifier was explored to analyze the relative importance of hydrometeorological indices in developing the leptospirosis model and to evaluate the performance of models based on the type of indices used, using case data from three districts in Kelantan, Malaysia, that experience annual monsoonal rainfall and flooding. First, hydrometeorological data including rainfall, streamflow, water level, relative humidity, and temperature were transformed into 164 weekly average and extreme indices in accordance with the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI). Then, weekly case occurrences were classified into binary classes "high" and "low" based on an average threshold. Seventeen models based on "average," "extreme," and "mixed" indices were trained by optimizing the feature subsets based on the model computed mean decrease Gini (MDG) scores. The variable importance was assessed through cross-correlation analysis and the MDG score. The average and extreme models showed similar prediction accuracy ranges (61.5-76.1% and 72.3-77.0%) while the mixed models showed an improvement (71.7-82.6% prediction accuracy). An extreme model was the most sensitive while an average model was the most specific. The time lag associated with the driving indices agreed with the seasonality of the monsoon. The rainfall variable (extreme) was the most important in classifying the leptospirosis occurrence while streamflow was the least important despite showing higher correlations with leptospirosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Veianthan Jayaramu
- Department of Civil Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Zed Zulkafli
- Department of Civil Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.
| | - Simon De Stercke
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Wouter Buytaert
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Fariq Rahmat
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | | | - Asnor Juraiza Ishak
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Wardah Tahir
- Flood Control Research Group, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Shah Alam, Malaysia
| | - Jamalludin Ab Rahman
- Department of Community Medicine, Kulliyyah of Medicine, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Malaysia
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Yigzaw Y, Mekuriaw A, Amsalu T. Analyzing physical and socio-economic factors for property crime incident in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Heliyon 2023; 9:e13282. [PMID: 36816234 PMCID: PMC9932478 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13282] [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: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Property crime has become a challenge in major cities of developing countries including Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. However, factors contributing to property crime have not been carefully examined. Therefore, this paper presents the physical and socio-economic factors that clearly have a substantial impact on property crime. In this study, both primary and secondary data were used. Recorded property crime was collected from Addis Ababa police commission. Property crime incidence locations were georefrenced using Google Earth as well as handheld Global Positioning System. Then, a property crime surface map and pattern were created using point pattern analysis and inverse distance weighted interpolation technique. The study area was then classified into low crime and hotspot areas based on the frequency of crime events as well as the created crime surface map. A total of 200 respondents (100 in high crime area and 100 in low crime area) were selected using purposive sampling techniques. Five key informants were selected purposely from senior police officers. Data were collected using questionnaires and in-depth interview. A binary logistic regression model was employed to analyze the collected data. The data analysis showed that physical features mainly commercial center, road with no street light and river courses were positively correlated at significant level with the committing of property crime. On the other hand, public participation in crime prevention, witness and crime events reporting influenced negatively the committing of property crime. In addition, unemployment, family background, education level, age, time, season and police patrolling activities determine the occurrence of property crime events. The finding depicts that the identified physical and socio-economic factors can influence the patterns and rate of crime incidents in the study area. Therefore, the law enforcement officers should consider these influential factors to deploy police officers and to reduce property crime problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yeshimar Yigzaw
- Cadet School, Ethiopian Police University, Ethiopia
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, College of Social Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Asnake Mekuriaw
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, College of Social Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tadesse Amsalu
- Institute of Land Administration, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Tangena JAA, Mategula D, Sedda L, Atkinson PM. Unravelling the impact of insecticide-treated bed nets on childhood malaria in Malawi. Malar J 2023; 22:16. [PMID: 36635658 PMCID: PMC9837906 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04448-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To achieve malaria elimination it is essential to understand the impact of insecticide-treated net (ITNs) programmes. Here, the impact of ITN access and use on malaria prevalence in children in Malawi was investigated using Malaria Indicator Survey (MIS) data. METHODS MIS data from 2012, 2014 and 2017 were used to investigate the relationship between malaria prevalence in children (6-59 months) and ITN use. Generalized linear modelling (GLM), geostatistical mixed regression modelling and non-stationary GLM were undertaken to evaluate trends, spatial patterns and local dynamics, respectively. RESULTS Malaria prevalence in Malawi was 27.1% (95% CI 23.1-31.2%) in 2012 and similar in both 2014 (32.1%, 95% CI 25.5-38.7) and 2017 (23.9%, 95% CI 20.3-27.4%). ITN coverage and use increased during the same time period, with household ITN access growing from 19.0% (95% CI 15.6-22.3%) of households with at least 1 ITN for every 2 people sleeping in the house the night before to 41.7% (95% CI 39.1-44.4%) and ITN use from 41.1% (95% CI 37.3-44.9%) of the population sleeping under an ITN the previous night to 57.4% (95% CI 55.0-59.9%). Both the geostatistical and non-stationary GLM regression models showed child malaria prevalence had a negative association with ITN population access and a positive association with ITN use although affected by large uncertainties. The non-stationary GLM highlighted the spatital heterogeneity in the relationship between childhood malaria and ITN dynamics across the country. CONCLUSION Malaria prevalence in children under five had a negative association with ITN population access and a positive association with ITN use, with spatial heterogeneity in these relationships across Malawi. This study presents an important modelling approach that allows malaria control programmes to spatially disentangle the impact of interventions on malaria cases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie-Anne A. Tangena
- grid.48004.380000 0004 1936 9764Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Donnie Mategula
- grid.48004.380000 0004 1936 9764Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK ,grid.419393.50000 0004 8340 2442Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Luigi Sedda
- grid.9835.70000 0000 8190 6402Lancaster Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Peter M. Atkinson
- grid.9835.70000 0000 8190 6402Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YR UK ,grid.5491.90000 0004 1936 9297Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ UK ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A Datun Road, Beijing, 100101 China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Liu Y, Goudie RJB. Generalized Geographically Weighted Regression Model within a Modularized Bayesian Framework. BAYESIAN ANALYSIS 2023; -1:1-36. [PMID: 36714467 PMCID: PMC7614111 DOI: 10.1214/22-ba1357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Geographically weighted regression (GWR) models handle geographical dependence through a spatially varying coefficient model and have been widely used in applied science, but its general Bayesian extension is unclear because it involves a weighted log-likelihood which does not imply a probability distribution on data. We present a Bayesian GWR model and show that its essence is dealing with partial misspecification of the model. Current modularized Bayesian inference models accommodate partial misspecification from a single component of the model. We extend these models to handle partial misspecification in more than one component of the model, as required for our Bayesian GWR model. Information from the various spatial locations is manipulated via a geographically weighted kernel and the optimal manipulation is chosen according to a Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence. We justify the model via an information risk minimization approach and show the consistency of the proposed estimator in terms of a geographically weighted KL divergence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Xu J, Chen J, Xiong C, Qin L, Hu B, Liu M, Ren Y, Li Y, Cai K, Chen L, Hou W. Pathogenic Leptospira Infections in Hubei Province, Central China. Microorganisms 2022; 11:microorganisms11010099. [PMID: 36677392 PMCID: PMC9865294 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11010099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is an important zoonosis that is caused by pathogenic Leptospira, which is considered to be a re-emerging infectious disease in many countries. Rodents are the most important reservoirs for both human and animal infection. An epidemiological survey of pathogenic Leptospira in rodents is important for the prevention and control of leptospirosis. In this study, a total of 964 rodents were captured from six cities in Hubei Province, and two pathogenic Leptospira species (L. interrogans and L. borgpetersenii) were detected using nested PCR with an overall prevalence of 4.8%. L. interrogans was distributed in five sampling sites, which may be the dominant species of pathogenic Leptospira in Hubei Province. In addition, Rattus norvegicus showed a relatively high infection rate, which may play an important role in the transmission and infection of pathogenic Leptospira. This study reveals the prevalence of pathogenic Leptospira in wild rodents in Hubei Province, suggesting that the risk of leptospirosis infection in Hubei Province still exists.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiale Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology/Department of Laboratory Medicine/Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, 185 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Jintao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology/Department of Laboratory Medicine/Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, 185 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Chaorui Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Virology/Department of Laboratory Medicine/Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, 185 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Lingxin Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Virology/Department of Laboratory Medicine/Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, 185 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Bing Hu
- Institute of Health Inspection and Testing, Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control & Prevention, 6 Zuodaoquan Road, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Manqing Liu
- Division of Virology, Wuhan Center for Disease Control & Prevention, 288 Machang Road, Wuhan 430015, China
| | - Yuting Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Virology/Department of Laboratory Medicine/Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, 185 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yirong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology/Department of Laboratory Medicine/Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, 185 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Kun Cai
- Institute of Health Inspection and Testing, Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control & Prevention, 6 Zuodaoquan Road, Wuhan 430079, China
- Correspondence: (K.C.); (L.C.); (W.H.)
| | - Liangjun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology/Department of Laboratory Medicine/Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, 185 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071, China
- Correspondence: (K.C.); (L.C.); (W.H.)
| | - Wei Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology/Department of Laboratory Medicine/Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, 185 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071, China
- School of Public Health, Wuhan University, 185 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071, China
- Correspondence: (K.C.); (L.C.); (W.H.)
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Jagals P, Kim I, Brereton C, Lau CL. Assessment of Environmental Impacts on Health: Examples from the Pacific Basin. Ann Glob Health 2022; 88:92. [PMID: 36348704 PMCID: PMC9585977 DOI: 10.5334/aogh.3671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessing environmental impacts on health in the Pacific Basin is challenged by significantly varying data types - quantities, qualities, and paucities - because of varying geographic sizes, environments, biodiversity, ecological assets, and human population densities, with highly varied and unequal socio-economic development and capacity to respond to environmental and health challenges. We discuss three case-based methodological examples from Pacific Basin environmental health impact assessments. These methods could be used to improve environmental health evidence at all country and regional levels across a spectrum of big data availability to no data. These methods are, 1) a risk assessment of airborne particulate matter in Korea based on the chemical composition of these particulates; 2) the use of system dynamics to appraise the influences of a range of environmental health determinants on child health outcomes in remote Solomon Islands; and 3) precision environmental public health methodologies based on comprehensive data collection, analyses, and modelling (including Bayesian belief networks and spatial epidemiology) increasing precision for good environmental health decision making to prevent and control a zoonotic disease in Fiji Islands. We show that while a common theme across the three examples is the value of high quality and quantity data to support stronger policy decisions and appropriate prioritizing of investment, it is also clear that for many countries in the Pacific Basin, sufficient data will remain a challenge to inform decision makers about environmental impact on health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Jagals
- Children’s Health and Environment Program, Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Injeong Kim
- Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Claire Brereton
- Children’s Health and Environment Program, Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Colleen L. Lau
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Havelaar AH, Brhane M, Ahmed IA, Kedir J, Chen D, Deblais L, French N, Gebreyes WA, Hassen JY, Li X, Manary MJ, Mekuria Z, Ibrahim AM, Mummed B, Ojeda A, Rajashekara G, Roba KT, Saleem C, Singh N, Usmane IA, Yang Y, Yimer G, McKune S. Unravelling the reservoirs for colonisation of infants with Campylobacter spp. in rural Ethiopia: protocol for a longitudinal study during a global pandemic and political tensions. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e061311. [PMID: 36198455 PMCID: PMC9535169 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Undernutrition is an underlying cause of mortality in children under five (CU5) years of age. Animal-source foods have been shown to decrease malnutrition in CU5. Livestock are important reservoirs for Campylobacter bacteria, which are recognised as risk factors for child malnutrition. Increasing livestock production may be beneficial for improving nutrition of children but these benefits may be negated by increased exposure to Campylobacter and research is needed to evaluate the complex pathways of Campylobacter exposure and infection applicable to low-income and middle-income countries. We aim to identify reservoirs of infection with Campylobacter spp. of infants in rural Eastern Ethiopia and evaluate interactions with child health (environmental enteric dysfunction and stunting) in the context of their sociodemographic environment. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This longitudinal study involves 115 infants who are followed from birth to 12 months of age and are selected randomly from 10 kebeles of Haramaya woreda, East Hararghe zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia. Questionnaire-based information is obtained on demographics, livelihoods, wealth, health, nutrition and women empowerment; animal ownership/management and diseases; and water, sanitation and hygiene. Faecal samples are collected from infants, mothers, siblings and livestock, drinking water and soil. These samples are analysed by a range of phenotypic and genotypic microbiological methods to characterise the genetic structure of the Campylobacter population in each of these reservoirs, which will support inference about the main sources of exposure for infants. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Florida Internal Review Board (IRB201903141), the Haramaya University Institutional Health Research Ethics Committee (COHMS/1010/3796/20) and the Ethiopia National Research Ethics Review Committee (SM/14.1/1059/20). Written informed consent is obtained from all participating households. Research findings will be disseminated to stakeholders through conferences and peer-reviewed journals and through the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Dehao Chen
- University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | - Nigel French
- Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Wondwossen A Gebreyes
- The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Ohio State Global One Health LLC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Xiaolong Li
- University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Mark J Manary
- Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Zelealem Mekuria
- The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Ohio State Global One Health LLC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | | | - Amanda Ojeda
- University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | | | - Cyrus Saleem
- University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Nitya Singh
- University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | - Yang Yang
- University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Getnet Yimer
- Ohio State Global One Health LLC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Sarah McKune
- University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Cristaldi MA, Catry T, Pottier A, Herbreteau V, Roux E, Jacob P, Previtali MA. Determining the spatial distribution of environmental and socio-economic suitability for human leptospirosis in the face of limited epidemiological data. Infect Dis Poverty 2022; 11:86. [PMID: 35927739 PMCID: PMC9351081 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-022-01010-x] [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: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Leptospirosis is among the leading zoonotic causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Knowledge about spatial patterns of diseases and their underlying processes have the potential to guide intervention efforts. However, leptospirosis is often an underreported and misdiagnosed disease and consequently, spatial patterns of the disease remain unclear. In the absence of accurate epidemiological data in the urban agglomeration of Santa Fe, we used a knowledge-based index and cluster analysis to identify spatial patterns of environmental and socioeconomic suitability for the disease and potential underlying processes that shape them. Methods We geocoded human leptospirosis cases derived from the Argentinian surveillance system during the period 2010 to 2019. Environmental and socioeconomic databases were obtained from satellite images and publicly available platforms on the web. Two sets of human leptospirosis determinants were considered according to the level of their support by the literature and expert knowledge. We used the Zonation algorithm to build a knowledge-based index and a clustering approach to identify distinct potential sets of determinants. Spatial similarity and correlations between index, clusters, and incidence rates were evaluated. Results We were able to geocode 56.36% of the human leptospirosis cases reported in the national epidemiological database. The knowledge-based index showed the suitability for human leptospirosis in the UA Santa Fe increased from downtown areas of the largest cities towards peri-urban and suburban areas. Cluster analysis revealed downtown areas were characterized by higher levels of socioeconomic conditions. Peri-urban and suburban areas encompassed two clusters which differed in terms of environmental determinants. The highest incidence rates overlapped areas with the highest suitability scores, the strength of association was low though (CSc r = 0.21, P < 0.001 and ESc r = 0.19, P < 0.001). Conclusions We present a method to analyze the environmental and socioeconomic suitability for human leptospirosis based on literature and expert knowledge. The methodology can be thought as an evolutive and perfectible scheme as more studies are performed in the area and novel information regarding determinants of the disease become available. Our approach can be a valuable tool for decision-makers since it can serve as a baseline to plan intervention measures. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40249-022-01010-x.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maximiliano A Cristaldi
- Department of Natural Sciences, College of Humanities and Sciences, National University of Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina.
| | - Thibault Catry
- ESPACE-DEV, French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), University of Montpellier, University of French West Indies, University of French Guiana, University of La Reunion, Montpellier, France
| | - Auréa Pottier
- ESPACE-DEV, French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), University of Montpellier, University of French West Indies, University of French Guiana, University of La Reunion, Montpellier, France
| | - Vincent Herbreteau
- ESPACE-DEV, French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), University of Montpellier, University of French West Indies, University of French Guiana, University of La Reunion, Montpellier, France
| | - Emmanuel Roux
- ESPACE-DEV, French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), University of Montpellier, University of French West Indies, University of French Guiana, University of La Reunion, Montpellier, France.,Sentinela International Joint Laboratory, French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), University of Brasilia (UnB), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Brasília, Brazil.,Sentinela International Joint Laboratory, French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), University of Brasilia (UnB), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Paulina Jacob
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER) "Dr. E. Coni"/National Administration of Health Institutes (ANLIS "Dr. C.G. Malbrán"), Santa Fe, Argentina.,Leptospirosis Laboratory, College of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences, National University of Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - M Andrea Previtali
- Department of Natural Sciences, College of Humanities and Sciences, National University of Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina. .,National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Santa Fe, Argentina.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Evaluating the Spatial Risk of Bacterial Foodborne Diseases Using Vulnerability Assessment and Geographically Weighted Logistic Regression. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14153613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Foodborne diseases are an increasing concern to public health; climate and socioeconomic factors influence bacterial foodborne disease outbreaks. We developed an “exposure–sensitivity–adaptability” vulnerability assessment framework to explore the spatial characteristics of multiple climatic and socioeconomic environments, and analyzed the risk of foodborne disease outbreaks in different vulnerable environments of Zhejiang Province, China. Global logistic regression (GLR) and geographically weighted logistic regression (GWLR) models were combined to quantify the influence of selected variables on regional bacterial foodborne diseases and evaluate the potential risk. GLR results suggested that temperature, total precipitation, road density, construction area proportions, and gross domestic product (GDP) were positively correlated with foodborne diseases. GWLR results indicated that the strength and significance of these relationships varied locally, and the predicted risk map revealed that the risk of foodborne diseases caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus was higher in urban areas (60.6%) than rural areas (20.1%). Finally, distance from the coastline was negatively correlated with predicted regional risks. This study provides a spatial perspective for the relevant departments to prevent and control foodborne diseases.
Collapse
|
14
|
Chakraborty L, Rus H, Henstra D, Thistlethwaite J, Minano A, Scott D. Exploring spatial heterogeneity and environmental injustices in exposure to flood hazards using geographically weighted regression. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 210:112982. [PMID: 35218710 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study explores flood-related environmental injustices by deconstructing racial, ethnic, and socio-demographic disparities and spatial heterogeneity in the areal extent of fluvial, pluvial, and coastal flooding across Canada. The study integrates JBA Risk Management's 100-year Canada Flood Map with the 2016 national census-based socioeconomic data to investigate whether traditionally recognized vulnerable groups and communities are exposed inequitably to inland (e.g., fluvial and pluvial) and coastal flood hazards. Social vulnerability was represented by neighbourhood-level socioeconomic deprivation, including economic insecurity and instability indices. Statistical analyses include bivariate correlation and a series of non-spatial and spatial regression techniques, including ordinary least squares, binary logistic regression, and simultaneous autoregressive models. The study emphasizes the quest for the most appropriate methodological framework to analyze flood-related socioeconomic inequities in Canada. Strong evidence of spatial effects has motivated the study to test for the spatial heterogeneity of covariates by employing geographically weighted regression (GWR) on continuous outcome variables (e.g., percent of residential properties in a census tract exposed to flood hazards) and geographically weighted logistic regression on dichotomous outcome variables (e.g., a census tract in or out of flood hazard zone). GWR results show that the direction and statistical significance of relationships between inland flood exposure and all explanatory variables under consideration are spatially non-stationary. We find certain vulnerable groups, such as females, lone-parent households, Indigenous peoples, South Asians, the elderly, other visible minorities, and economically insecure residents, are at a higher risk of flooding in Canadian neighbourhoods. Spatial and social disparities in flood exposure have critical policy implications for effective emergency management and disaster risk reduction. The study findings are a foundation for a more detailed investigation of the disproportionate impacts of flood risk in Canada.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liton Chakraborty
- Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Horatiu Rus
- Department of Economics and Political Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Daniel Henstra
- Department of Political Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Jason Thistlethwaite
- School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Andrea Minano
- Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Daniel Scott
- Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Gurram MK, Wang MX, Wang YC, Pang J. Impact of urbanisation and environmental factors on spatial distribution of COVID-19 cases during the early phase of epidemic in Singapore. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9758. [PMID: 35697756 PMCID: PMC9191550 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12941-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Geographical weighted regression (GWR) can be used to explore the COVID-19 transmission pattern between cases. This study aimed to explore the influence from environmental and urbanisation factors, and the spatial relationship between epidemiologically-linked, unlinked and imported cases during the early phase of the epidemic in Singapore. Spatial relationships were evaluated with GWR modelling. Community COVID-19 cases with residential location reported from 21st January 2020 till 17th March 2020 were considered for analyses. Temperature, relative humidity, population density and urbanisation are the variables used as exploratory variables for analysis. ArcGIS was used to process the data and perform geospatial analyses. During the early phase of COVID-19 epidemic in Singapore, significant but weak correlation of temperature with COVID-19 incidence (significance 0.5-1.5) was observed in several sub-zones of Singapore. Correlations between humidity and incidence could not be established. Across sub-zones, high residential population density and high levels of urbanisation were associated with COVID-19 incidence. The incidence of COVID-19 case types (linked, unlinked and imported) within sub-zones varied differently, especially those in the western and north-eastern regions of Singapore. Areas with both high residential population density and high levels of urbanisation are potential risk factors for COVID-19 transmission. These findings provide further insights for directing appropriate resources to enhance infection prevention and control strategies to contain COVID-19 transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Murali Krishna Gurram
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, 12 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117549, Singapore
| | - Min Xian Wang
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, 12 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117549, Singapore
| | - Yi-Chen Wang
- Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Block AS2, 1 Arts Link, Singapore, 117570, Singapore
| | - Junxiong Pang
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, 12 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117549, Singapore.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Contamination Assessment and Source Apportionment of Metals and Metalloids Pollution in Agricultural Soil: A Comparison of the APCA-MLR and APCA-GWR Models. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14020783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Metals and metalloids accumulate in soil, which not only leads to soil degradation and crop yield reduction but also poses hazards to human health. Commonly, source apportionment methods generate an overall relationship between sources and elements and, thus, lack the ability to capture important geographical variations of pollution sources. The present work uses a dataset collected by intensive sampling (1848 topsoil samples containing the metals Cd, Hg, Cr, Pb, and a metalloid of As) in the Shanghai study area and proposes a synthetic approach to source apportionment in the condition of spatial heterogeneity (non-stationarity) through the integration of absolute principal component scores with geographically weighted regression (APCA-GWR). The results showed that three main sources were detected by the APCA, i.e., natural sources, such as alluvial soil materials; agricultural activities, especially the overuse of phosphate fertilizer; and atmospheric deposition pollution from industry coal combustion and transportation activities. APCA-GWR provided more accurate and site-specific pollution source information than the mainstream APCA-MLR, which was verified by higher R2, lower AIC values, and non-spatial autocorrelation of residuals. According to APCA-GWR, natural sources were responsible for As and Cr accumulation in the northern mainland and Pb accumulation in the southern and northern mainland. Atmospheric deposition was the main source of Hg in the entire study area and Pb in the eastern mainland and Chongming Island. Agricultural activities, especially the overuse of phosphate fertilizer, were the main source of Cd across the study area and of As and Cr in the southern regions of the mainland and the middle of Chongming Island. In summary, this study highlights the use of a synthetic APCA-GWR model to efficiently handle source apportionment issues with spatial heterogeneity, which can provide more accurate and specific pollution source information and better references for pollution prevention and human health protection.
Collapse
|
17
|
Preventive effect of on-farm biosecurity practices against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N6 infection on commercial layer farms in the Republic of Korea during the 2016-17 epidemic: A case-control study. Prev Vet Med 2021; 199:105556. [PMID: 34896940 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2021.105556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIv) H5N6 has destructive consequences on the global poultry production system. Recently, a growing number of layer farms have been heavily damaged from the HPAIv epidemic due to the increased virulence of the virus and the intensification of the production system. Therefore, stakeholders should implement effective preventive practices at the farm level that are aligned with contingency measures at the national level to minimize poultry losses. However, numerous biosecurity protocols for layer farm workers to follow have been developed, impeding efficient prevention and control. Furthermore, the effectiveness of biosecurity practices varies with the geographical condition and inter-farm contact structures. Hence, the objective of our study was to examine the preventive effect of five biosecurity actions commonly practiced at layer farms in the Republic of Korea against HPAIv H5N6: (i) fence installation around a farm, ii) rodent control inside a farm; iii) disinfection booth for visitors for disinfection protocols, iv) an anterior room in the sheds before entering the bird area and v) boots changes when moving between sheds in the same farm. We conducted a case-control study on 114 layer case farms and 129 layer control farms during the 2016-17 HPAI epidemic. The odds ratios for five on-farm biosecurity practices implemented in those study groups were estimated as a preventive effect on the HPAI infection with covariates, including seven geographical conditions and three network metrics using Bayesian hierarchical logistic regression and geographical location weighted logistic regression. The results showed that the use of a disinfection booth for personnel reduced the odds of HPAIv H5N6 infection (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.002, 95 % credible interval [CrI] = 0.00007 - 0.025) with relatively small spatial variation (minimum AOR - maximum AOR: 0.084-0.263). Changing boots between sheds on the same farm reduced the odds of HPAIv H5N6 infection (AOR = 0.160, 95 % CrI = 0.024-0.852) with relatively wide spatial variation (minimum AOR - maximum AOR = 0.270-0.688). Therefore, enhanced personnel biosecurity protocols at the farm of entry for layer farms is recommended to effectively prevent and respond to HPAIv H5N6 infection under different local condition. Our study provides an important message for layer farmers to effectively implement on-farm biosecurity actions against HPAIv H5N6 infection at their farms by setting priorities based on their spatial condition and network position.
Collapse
|
18
|
Zakharova OI, Korennoy FI, Iashin IV, Toropova NN, Gogin AE, Kolbasov DV, Surkova GV, Malkhazova SM, Blokhin AA. Ecological and Socio-Economic Determinants of Livestock Animal Leptospirosis in the Russian Arctic. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:658675. [PMID: 33912609 PMCID: PMC8071861 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.658675] [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: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a re-emerging zoonotic infectious disease caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Leptospira. Regional differences in the disease manifestation and the role of ecological factors, specifically in regions with a subarctic and arctic climate, remain poorly understood. We here explored environmental and socio-economic features associated with leptospirosis cases in livestock animals in the Russian Arctic during 2000–2019. Spatial analysis suggested that the locations of the majority of 808 cases were in “boreal” or “polar” climate regions, with “cropland,” “forest,” “shrubland,” or “settlements” land-cover type, with a predominance of “Polar Moist Cropland on Plain” ecosystem. The cases demonstrated seasonality, with peaks in March, June, and August, corresponding to the livestock pasturing practices. We applied the Forest-based Classification and Regression algorithm to explore the relationships between the cumulative leptospirosis incidence per unit area by municipal districts (G-rate) and a number of socio-economic, landscape, and climatic factors. The model demonstrated satisfactory performance in explaining the observed disease distribution (R2 = 0.82, p < 0.01), with human population density, livestock units density, the proportion of crop area, and budgetary investments into agriculture per unit area being the most influential socio-economic variables. Climatic factors demonstrated a significantly weaker influence, with nearly similar contributions of mean yearly precipitation and air temperature and number of days with above-zero temperatures. Using a projected climate by 2100 according to the RCP8.5 scenario, we predict a climate-related rise of expected disease incidence across most of the study area, with an up to 4.4-fold increase in the G-rate. These results demonstrated the predominant influence of the population and agricultural production factors on the observed increase in leptospirosis cases in livestock animals in the Russian Arctic. These findings may contribute to improvement in the regional system of anti-leptospirosis measures and may be used for further studies of livestock leptospirosis epidemiology at a finer scale.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olga I Zakharova
- Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology, Nizhny Novgorod Research Veterinary Institute-Branch of Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Fedor I Korennoy
- Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology, Nizhny Novgorod Research Veterinary Institute-Branch of Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.,Federal Center for Animal Health (FGBI ARRIAH), Vladimir, Russia
| | - Ivan V Iashin
- Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology, Nizhny Novgorod Research Veterinary Institute-Branch of Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Nadezhda N Toropova
- Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology, Nizhny Novgorod Research Veterinary Institute-Branch of Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Andrey E Gogin
- Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology, Pokrov, Russia
| | - Denis V Kolbasov
- Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology, Pokrov, Russia
| | - Galina V Surkova
- Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Andrei A Blokhin
- Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology, Nizhny Novgorod Research Veterinary Institute-Branch of Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Zeng D, Wu X. Exposure to suicide in residential neighborhood and mental distress symptoms in Hong Kong: A spatiotemporal analysis. Health Place 2020; 67:102472. [PMID: 33316602 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Donglin Zeng
- Center for Applied Social and Economic Research, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong.
| | - Xiaogang Wu
- Center for Applied Social and Economic Research, NYU Shanghai, China; Department of Sociology, New York University, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Wang N, Mengersen K, Tong S, Kimlin M, Zhou M, Liu Y, Hu W. County-level variation in the long-term association between PM 2.5 and lung cancer mortality in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 738:140195. [PMID: 32806350 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The relative risk (RR) of long-term exposure to PM2.5 in lung cancer mortality (LCM) may vary spatially in China. However, previous studies applying global regression have been unable to capture such variation. We aimed to employ a geographically weighted Poisson regression (GWPR) to estimate the RRs of LCM among the elderly (≥65 years) related to long-term exposure to PM2.5 and the LCM attributable to PM2.5 at the county level in China. METHODS We obtained annual LCM in the elderly between 2013 and 2015 from the National Death Surveillance. We linked annual mean concentrations of PM2.5 between 2000 and 2004 with LCM using GWPR model at 148 counties across mainland China, adjusting for smoking and socioeconomic covariates. We used county-specific GWPR models to estimate annual average LCM in the elderly between 2013 and 2015 attributable to PM2.5 exposure between 2000 and 2004. RESULTS The magnitude of the association between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and LCM varied with county. The median of county-specific RRs of LCM among elderly men and women was 1.52 (range: 0.90, 2.40) and 1.49 (range: 0.88, 2.56) for each 10 μg/m3 increment in PM2.5, respectively. The RRs were positively significant (P < 0.05) at 95% (140/148) of counties among both elderly men and women. Higher RRs of PM2.5 among elderly men were located at Southwest and South China, and higher RRs among elderly women were located at Northwest, Southwest, and South China. There were 99,967 and 54,457 lung cancer deaths among elderly men and women that could be attributed to PM2.5, with the attributable fractions of 31.4% and 33.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The relative importance of long-term exposure to PM2.5 in LCM differed by county. The results could help the government design tailored and efficient interventions. More stringent PM2.5 control is urgently needed to reduce LCM in China.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ning Wang
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kerrie Mengersen
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Shilu Tong
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Shanghai Children's Medical Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; School of Public Health, Institute of Environment and Population Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Michael Kimlin
- Health Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Maigeng Zhou
- National Center for Chronic and Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Wenbiao Hu
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Geographical variations in maternal lifestyles during pregnancy associated with congenital heart defects among live births in Shaanxi province, Northwestern China. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12958. [PMID: 32737435 PMCID: PMC7395152 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69788-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to explore regional differences in maternal lifestyle during pregnancy related to congenital heart defects (CHD) in Shaanxi province, Northwestern China. A large-scale epidemiologic survey of birth defects among infants born during 2010–2013, was conducted in Shaanxi province. Non-spatial and geographic weighted logistic regression models were used for analysis. The spatial model indicated that passive smoking frequency was positively associated with CHD for 43.3% of participants (P < 0.05), with the highest OR in North Shaanxi and the lowest in South Shaanxi. Approximately 49.2% of all mothers who ever drink tea were more likely to have an infant with CHD (P < 0.05), with the highest OR values observed in North and Central Shaanxi. Additionally, maternal alcohol intake frequency ≥ 1/week was significantly correlated with CHD among about 24.7% of participants (P < 0.05), with OR values ranging from 0.738 (Central Shaanxi) to 1.198 (North Shaanxi). The rates of unhealthy maternal lifestyles during pregnancy associated with CHD differed in various areas of the province. The role of geographical variations in these factors may provide some possible clues and basis for tailoring site-specific intervention strategies.
Collapse
|
22
|
Dhewantara PW, Zhang W, Al Mamun A, Yin WW, Ding F, Guo D, Hu W, Soares Magalhães RJ. Spatial distribution of leptospirosis incidence in the Upper Yangtze and Pearl River Basin, China: Tools to support intervention and elimination. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 725:138251. [PMID: 32298905 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since 2011 human leptospirosis incidence in China has remained steadily low with persistent pockets of notifications reported in communities within the Upper Yangtze River Basin (UYRB) and Pearl River Basin (PRB). To help guide health authorities within these residual areas to identify communities where interventions should be targeted, this study quantified the local effect of socioeconomic and environmental factors on the spatial distribution of leptospirosis incidence and developed predictive maps of leptospirosis incidence for UYRB and PRB. METHODS Data on all human leptospirosis cases reported during 2005-2016 across the UYRB and PRB regions were geolocated at the county-level and included in the analysis. Bayesian conditional autoregressive (CAR) models with zero-inflated Poisson link for leptospirosis incidence were developed after adjustment of environmental and socioeconomic factors such as precipitation, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI), land surface temperature (LST), elevation, slope, land cover, crop production, livestock density, gross domestic product and population density. RESULTS The relationship of environmental and socioeconomic variables with human leptospirosis incidence varied between both regions. While across UYRB incidence of human leptospirosis was associated with MNDWI and elevation, in PRB human leptospirosis incidence was significantly associated with NDVI, livestock density and land cover. Precipitation was significantly and positively associated with the spatial variation of incidence of leptospirosis in both regions. After accounting for the effect of environmental and socioeconomic factors, the predicted distribution of residual high-incidence county is potentially more widespread both in the UYRB and PRB compared to the observed distribution. In the UYRB, the highest predicted incidence was found along the border of Chongqing and Guizhou towards Sichuan basin and northwest Yunnan. The highest predicted incidence was also identified in counties in the central and lower reaches of the PRB. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated significant geographical heterogeneity in leptospirosis incidence within UYRB and PRB, providing an evidence base for prioritising targeted interventions in counties identified with the highest predicted incidence. Furthermore, environmental drivers of leptospirosis incidence were highly specific to each of the regions, emphasizing the importance of localized control measures. The findings also suggested the need to expand interventional coverage and to support surveillance and diagnostic capacity on the predicted high-risk areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pandji Wibawa Dhewantara
- UQ Spatial Epidemiology Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia; Pangandaran Unit of Health Research and Development, National Institute of Health Research and Development (NIHRD), Ministry of Health of Indonesia, West Java 46396, Indonesia.
| | - Wenyi Zhang
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention of PLA, Beijing 100071, People's Republic of China.
| | - Abdullah Al Mamun
- Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD 4068, Australia.
| | - Wen-Wu Yin
- Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, People's Republic of China.
| | - Fan Ding
- Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, People's Republic of China.
| | - Danhuai Guo
- Scientific Data Center, Computer Network Information Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wenbiao Hu
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia.
| | - Ricardo J Soares Magalhães
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia; Children's Health and Environment Program, Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Driving Factors of Land Change in China’s Loess Plateau: Quantification Using Geographically Weighted Regression and Management Implications. REMOTE SENSING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/rs12030453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Land change is a key topic in research on global environmental change, and the restoration of degraded land is the core component of the global Land Degradation Neutrality target under the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this study, remote-sensing-derived land-use data were used to characterize the land-change processes in China’s Loess Plateau, which is experiencing large-scale ecological restoration. Geographically Weighted Regression was applied to capture the spatiotemporal variations in land change and driving-force relationships. First, we explored land-use change in the Loess Plateau for the period 1990–2015. Grassland, cropland and forestland were dominant land cover in the region, with a total percentage area of 88%. The region experienced dramatic land-use transitions during the study period: degraded grassland and wetland, expansion of cropland and built-up land and weak restoration of forestland during 1990–2000; and increases in grassland, built-up land, forestland and wetland, concurrent with shrinking cropland during 2000–2015. A Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) analysis revealed altitude to be the common dominant factor associated with the four major land-use types (forestland, grassland, cropland and built-up land). Altitude and slope were found to be positively associated with forestland, while being negatively associated with cropland in the high, steep central region. For both forestland and grassland, temperature and precipitation behaved in a similar manner, with a positive hotspot in the northwest. Altitude, slope and distance to road were all negatively associated with built-up land across the region. The GWR captured the spatial non-stationarity on different socioeconomic driving forces. Spatial heterogeneity and temporal variation of the impact of socioeconomic drivers indicate that the ecological restoration projects positively affected the region’s greening trend with hotspots in the center and west, and also improved farmer well-being. Notably, urban population showed undesired effects, expressed in accelerating grassland degradation in central and western regions for 1990–2000, hindering forestland and grassland restoration in the south during 2000–2015, and highlighting the long-term sustainability of the vegetation restoration progress. Such local results have the potential to provide a methodological contribution (e.g., nesting local-level approaches, i.e., GWR, within land system research) and spatially explicit evidence for context-related and proactive land management (e.g., balancing urbanization and ecological restoration processes and advancing agricultural development and rural welfare improvement).
Collapse
|
24
|
Mohammadinia A, Saeidian B, Pradhan B, Ghaemi Z. Prediction mapping of human leptospirosis using ANN, GWR, SVM and GLM approaches. BMC Infect Dis 2019; 19:971. [PMID: 31722676 PMCID: PMC6854714 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-019-4580-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Recent reports of the National Ministry of Health and Treatment of Iran (NMHT) show that Gilan has a higher annual incidence rate of leptospirosis than other provinces across the country. Despite several efforts of the government and NMHT to eradicate leptospirosis, it remains a public health problem in this province. Modelling and Prediction of this disease may play an important role in reduction of the prevalence. Methods This study aims to model and predict the spatial distribution of leptospirosis utilizing Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), Generalized Linear Model (GLM), Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) as capable approaches. Five environmental parameters of precipitation, temperature, humidity, elevation and vegetation are used for modelling and predicting of the disease. Data of 2009 and 2010 are used for training, and 2011 for testing and evaluating the models. Results Results indicate that utilized approaches in this study can model and predict leptospirosis with high significance level. To evaluate the efficiency of the approaches, MSE (GWR = 0.050, SVM = 0.137, GLM = 0.118 and ANN = 0.137), MAE (0.012, 0.063, 0.052 and 0.063), MRE (0.011, 0.018, 0.017 and 0.018) and R2 (0.85, 0.80, 0.78 and 0.75) are used. Conclusion Results indicate the practical usefulness of approaches for spatial modelling and predicting leptospirosis. The efficiency of models is as follow: GWR > SVM > GLM > ANN. In addition, temperature and humidity are investigated as the most influential parameters. Moreover, the suitable habitat of leptospirosis is mostly within the central rural districts of the province.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Mohammadinia
- GIS Division, Faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahram Saeidian
- GIS Division, Faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Biswajeet Pradhan
- The Centre for Advanced Modelling and Geospatial Information Systems (CAMGIS), Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia. .,Department of Energy and Mineral Resources Engineering, Sejong University, Choongmu-gwan, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05006, Republic of Korea.
| | - Zeinab Ghaemi
- GIS Division, Faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Computational Health Engineering Applied to Model Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Resistance Spread. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/app9122486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Infectious diseases are the primary cause of mortality worldwide. The dangers of infectious disease are compounded with antimicrobial resistance, which remains the greatest concern for human health. Although novel approaches are under investigation, the World Health Organization predicts that by 2050, septicaemia caused by antimicrobial resistant bacteria could result in 10 million deaths per year. One of the main challenges in medical microbiology is to develop novel experimental approaches, which enable a better understanding of bacterial infections and antimicrobial resistance. After the introduction of whole genome sequencing, there was a great improvement in bacterial detection and identification, which also enabled the characterization of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance genes. Today, the use of in silico experiments jointly with computational and machine learning offer an in depth understanding of systems biology, allowing us to use this knowledge for the prevention, prediction, and control of infectious disease. Herein, the aim of this review is to discuss the latest advances in human health engineering and their applicability in the control of infectious diseases. An in-depth knowledge of host–pathogen–protein interactions, combined with a better understanding of a host’s immune response and bacterial fitness, are key determinants for halting infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance dissemination.
Collapse
|
26
|
Dhewantara PW, Lau CL, Allan KJ, Hu W, Zhang W, Mamun AA, Soares Magalhães RJ. Spatial epidemiological approaches to inform leptospirosis surveillance and control: A systematic review and critical appraisal of methods. Zoonoses Public Health 2018; 66:185-206. [PMID: 30593736 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a global zoonotic disease that the transmission is driven by complex geographical and temporal variation in demographics, animal hosts and socioecological factors. This results in complex challenges for the identification of high-risk areas. Spatial and temporal epidemiological tools could be used to support leptospirosis control programs, but the adequacy of its application has not been evaluated. We searched literature in six databases including PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Scopus, SciELO and Zoological Record to systematically review and critically assess the use of spatial and temporal analytical tools for leptospirosis and to provide general framework for its application in future studies. We reviewed 115 articles published between 1930 and October 2018 from 41 different countries. Of these, 65 (56.52%) articles were on human leptospirosis, 39 (33.91%) on animal leptospirosis and 11 (9.5%) used data from both human and animal leptospirosis. Spatial analytical (n = 106) tools were used to describe the distribution of incidence/prevalence at various geographical scales (96.5%) and to explored spatial patterns to detect clustering and hot spots (33%). A total of 51 studies modelled the relationships of various variables on the risk of human (n = 31), animal (n = 17) and both human and animal infection (n = 3). Among those modelling studies, few studies had generated spatially structured models and predictive maps of human (n = 2/31) and animal leptospirosis (n = 1/17). In addition, nine studies applied time-series analytical tools to predict leptospirosis incidence. Spatial and temporal analytical tools have been greatly utilized to improve our understanding on leptospirosis epidemiology. Yet the quality of the epidemiological data, the selection of covariates and spatial analytical techniques should be carefully considered in future studies to improve usefulness of evidence as tools to support leptospirosis control. A general framework for the application of spatial analytical tools for leptospirosis was proposed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pandji W Dhewantara
- UQ Spatial Epidemiology Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.,Pangandaran Unit for Health Research and Development, National Health Research and Development, Ministry of Health of Indonesia, Pangandaran, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Colleen L Lau
- Research School of Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.,Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kathryn J Allan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Wenbiao Hu
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Wenyi Zhang
- Center for Disease Surveillance and Research, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention of PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Abdullah A Mamun
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ricardo J Soares Magalhães
- UQ Spatial Epidemiology Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.,Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Mayfield HJ, Smith CS, Lowry JH, Watson CH, Baker MG, Kama M, Nilles EJ, Lau CL. Predictive risk mapping of an environmentally-driven infectious disease using spatial Bayesian networks: A case study of leptospirosis in Fiji. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006857. [PMID: 30307936 PMCID: PMC6198991 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease responsible for over 1 million severe cases and 60,000 deaths annually. The wide range of animal hosts and complex environmental drivers of transmission make targeted interventions challenging, particularly when restricted to regression-based analyses which have limited ability to deal with complexity. In Fiji, important environmental and socio-demographic factors include living in rural areas, poverty, and livestock exposure. This study aims to examine drivers of transmission under different scenarios of environmental and livestock exposures. Methods Spatial Bayesian networks (SBN) were used to analyse the influence of livestock and poverty on the risk of leptospirosis infection in urban compared to rural areas. The SBN models used a combination of spatially-explicit field data from previous work and publically available census information. Predictive risk maps were produced for overall risk, and for scenarios related to poverty, livestock, and urban/rural setting. Results While high, rather than low, commercial dairy farm density similarly increased the risk of infection in both urban (12% to 18%) and rural areas (70% to 79%), the presence of pigs in a village had different impact in rural (43% to 84%) compared with urban areas (4% to 24%). Areas with high poverty rates were predicted to have 26.6% and 18.0% higher probability of above average seroprevalence in rural and urban areas, respectively. In urban areas, this represents >300% difference between areas of low and high poverty, compared to 43% difference in rural areas. Conclusions Our study demonstrates the use of SBN to provide valuable insights into the drivers of leptospirosis transmission under complex scenarios. By estimating the risk of leptospirosis infection under different scenarios, such as urban versus rural areas, these subgroups or areas can be targeted with more precise interventions that focus on the most relevant key drivers of infection. Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease responsible for over 60,000 deaths annually and is transmitted from mammal hosts to humans through contact with infected urine. The range of possible hosts and complex environmental factors related to transmission make targeted interventions challenging. We used spatial Bayesian Networks applied to a case study in Fiji to show that livestock exposure and poverty affect the probability of infection differently in rural compared to urban areas. This work illustrates the complexity of leptospirosis transmission drivers in Fiji, and shows how they are affected by the interactions between livestock exposure and other environmental and socio-demographic factors. In doing so, we support previous findings linking the risk of leptospirosis to poverty.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helen J. Mayfield
- Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Carl S. Smith
- School of Business, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - John H. Lowry
- School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Conall H. Watson
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael G. Baker
- Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Mike Kama
- Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Suva, Fiji
| | - Eric J. Nilles
- Division of Pacific Technical Support, World Health Organization, Suva, Fiji
- Program on Infectious Diseases and Humanitarian Emergencies Harvard Humanitarian Institute, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Colleen L. Lau
- Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Schneider MC, Machado G. Environmental and socioeconomic drivers in infectious disease. Lancet Planet Health 2018; 2:e198-e199. [PMID: 29709281 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(18)30069-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Schneider
- Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), PAHO Health Emergency Department, Infectious Hazard Management Unit, Washington DC 20037, USA.
| | - Gustavo Machado
- North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| |
Collapse
|