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Johnson DR, Ghosh D, Wagner BD, Carlton EJ. Did COVID-19 ICU patient mortality risk increase as Colorado hospitals filled? A retrospective cohort study. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e079022. [PMID: 38724053 PMCID: PMC11086500 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-079022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess whether increasing levels of hospital stress-measured by intensive care unit (ICU) bed occupancy (primary), ventilators in use and emergency department (ED) overflow-were associated with decreasing COVID-19 ICU patient survival in Colorado ICUs during the pre-Delta, Delta and Omicron variant eras. DESIGN A retrospective cohort study using discrete-time survival models, fit with generalised estimating equations. SETTING 34 hospital systems in Colorado, USA, with the highest patient volume ICUs during the COVID-19 pandemic. PARTICIPANTS 9196 non-paediatric SARS-CoV-2 patients in Colorado hospitals admitted once to an ICU between 1 August 2020 and 1 March 2022 and followed for 28 days. OUTCOME MEASURES Death or discharge to hospice. RESULTS For Delta-era COVID-19 ICU patients in Colorado, the odds of death were estimated to be 26% greater for patients exposed every day of their ICU admission to a facility experiencing its all-era 75th percentile ICU fullness or above, versus patients exposed for none of their days (OR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.54; p=0.0102), adjusting for age, sex, length of ICU stay, vaccination status and hospital quality rating. For both Delta-era and Omicron-era patients, we also detected significantly increased mortality hazard associated with high ventilator utilisation rates and (in a subset of facilities) states of ED overflow. For pre-Delta-era patients, we estimated relatively null or even protective effects for the same fullness exposures, something which provides a meaningful contrast to previous studies that found increased hazards but were limited to pre-Delta study windows. CONCLUSIONS Overall, and especially during the Delta era (when most Colorado facilities were at their fullest), increasing exposure to a fuller hospital was associated with an increasing mortality hazard for COVID-19 ICU patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Johnson
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Debashis Ghosh
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Brandie D Wagner
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental & Occupational Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Carlton EJ. Invited Perspective: Climate Changes the Effectiveness of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Interventions. Environ Health Perspect 2024; 132:41301. [PMID: 38602831 PMCID: PMC11008708 DOI: 10.1289/ehp14771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J. Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Grover EN, Buchwald AG, Ghosh D, Carlton EJ. Does behavior mediate the effect of weather on SARS-CoV-2 transmission? Evidence from cell-phone data. medRxiv 2024:2024.03.26.24304854. [PMID: 38585859 PMCID: PMC10996765 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.26.24304854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Background There is growing evidence that weather alters SARS-CoV-2 transmission, but it remains unclear what drives the phenomenon. One prevailing hypothesis is that people spend more time indoors in cooler weather, leading to increased spread of SARS-CoV-2 related to time spent in confined spaces and close contact with others. However, the evidence in support of that hypothesis is limited and, at times, conflicting. Objectives We aim to evaluate the extent to which weather impacts COVID-19 via time spent away-from-home in indoor spaces, as compared to a direct effect of weather on COVID-19 hospitalization, independent of mobility. Methods We use a mediation framework, and combine daily weather, COVID-19 hospital surveillance, cellphone-based mobility data and building footprints to estimate the relationship between daily indoor and outdoor weather conditions, mobility, and COVID-19 hospitalizations. We quantify the direct health impacts of weather on COVID-19 hospitalizations and the indirect effects of weather via time spent indoors away-from-home on COVID-19 hospitalizations within five Colorado counties between March 4th 2020 and January 31st 2021. Results We found evidence that changes in 12-day lagged hospital admissions were primarily via the direct effects of weather conditions, rather than via indirect effects by which weather changes time spent indoors away-from-home. Sensitivity analyses evaluating time at home as a mediator were consistent with these conclusions. Discussion Our findings do not support the hypothesis that weather impacted SARS-CoV-2 transmission via changes in mobility patterns during the first year of the pandemic. Rather, weather appears to have impacted SARS-CoV-2 transmission primarily via mechanisms other than human movement. We recommend further analysis of this phenomenon to determine whether these findings generalize to current SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics and other seasonal respiratory pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise N. Grover
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
| | - Andrea G. Buchwald
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Debashis Ghosh
- Department of Biostatistics & Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
| | - Elizabeth J. Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
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Grover EN, Allshouse WB, Lund AJ, Liu Y, Paull SH, James KA, Crooks JL, Carlton EJ. Open-source environmental data as an alternative to snail surveys to assess schistosomiasis risk in areas approaching elimination. Int J Health Geogr 2023; 22:12. [PMID: 37268933 DOI: 10.1186/s12942-023-00331-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although the presence of intermediate snails is a necessary condition for local schistosomiasis transmission to occur, using them as surveillance targets in areas approaching elimination is challenging because the patchy and dynamic quality of snail host habitats makes collecting and testing snails labor-intensive. Meanwhile, geospatial analyses that rely on remotely sensed data are becoming popular tools for identifying environmental conditions that contribute to pathogen emergence and persistence. METHODS In this study, we assessed whether open-source environmental data can be used to predict the presence of human Schistosoma japonicum infections among households with a similar or improved degree of accuracy compared to prediction models developed using data from comprehensive snail surveys. To do this, we used infection data collected from rural communities in Southwestern China in 2016 to develop and compare the predictive performance of two Random Forest machine learning models: one built using snail survey data, and one using open-source environmental data. RESULTS The environmental data models outperformed the snail data models in predicting household S. japonicum infection with an estimated accuracy and Cohen's kappa value of 0.89 and 0.49, respectively, in the environmental model, compared to an accuracy and kappa of 0.86 and 0.37 for the snail model. The Normalized Difference in Water Index (an indicator of surface water presence) within half to one kilometer of the home and the distance from the home to the nearest road were among the top performing predictors in our final model. Homes were more likely to have infected residents if they were further from roads, or nearer to waterways. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that in low-transmission environments, leveraging open-source environmental data can yield more accurate identification of pockets of human infection than using snail surveys. Furthermore, the variable importance measures from our models point to aspects of the local environment that may indicate increased risk of schistosomiasis. For example, households were more likely to have infected residents if they were further from roads or were surrounded by more surface water, highlighting areas to target in future surveillance and control efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise N Grover
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
| | - William B Allshouse
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
| | - Andrea J Lund
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, China.
| | - Sara H Paull
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
| | - Katherine A James
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
| | - James L Crooks
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
- Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, National Jewish Health, Denver, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA.
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Buchwald AG, Thomas E, Karnauskas KB, Grover E, Kotloff K, Carlton EJ. The Association Between Rainfall, Temperature, and Reported Drinking Water Source: A Multi-Country Analysis. Geohealth 2022; 6:e2022GH000605. [PMID: 36381499 PMCID: PMC9662587 DOI: 10.1029/2022gh000605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Climate change may alter access to safe drinking water, with important implications for health. We assessed the relationship between temperature and rainfall and utilization of basic drinking water (BDW) in The Gambia, Mozambique, Pakistan, and Kenya. The outcomes of interest were (a) whether the reported drinking water source used in the past 2 weeks met the World Health Organization definition of BDW and (b) use of a BDW source that was always available. Temperature and precipitation data were compiled from weather stations and satellite data and summarized to account for long- and short-term weather patterns and lags. We utilized random forests and logistic regression to identify key weather variables that predicted outcomes by site and the association between important weather variables and BDW use. Higher temperatures were associated with decreased BDW use at three of four sites and decreased use of BDW that is always available at all four sites. Increasing rainfall, both in the long- and short-term, was associated with increased BDW use in three sites. We found evidence for interactions between household wealth and weather variables at two sites, suggesting lower wealth populations may be more sensitive to weather-driven changes in water access. Changes in temperature and precipitation can alter safe water use in low-resource settings-investigating drivers for these relationships can inform efforts to build climate resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea G. Buchwald
- Department of Environmental and Occupational HealthColorado School of Public HealthAuroraCOUSA
| | - Evan Thomas
- Mortenson Center in Global EngineeringUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | - Kristopher B. Karnauskas
- Department of Environmental and Occupational HealthColorado School of Public HealthAuroraCOUSA
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic SciencesCooperative Institute for Research in Environmental SciencesUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | - Elise Grover
- Department of Environmental and Occupational HealthColorado School of Public HealthAuroraCOUSA
| | - Karen Kotloff
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global HealthUniversity of Maryland School of MedicineMDBaltimoreUSA
| | - Elizabeth J. Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational HealthColorado School of Public HealthAuroraCOUSA
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Nikolakis ZL, Adams RH, Wade KJ, Lund AJ, Carlton EJ, Castoe TA, Pollock DD. Prospects for genomic surveillance for selection in schistosome parasites. Front Epidemiol 2022; 2:932021. [PMID: 38455290 PMCID: PMC10910990 DOI: 10.3389/fepid.2022.932021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by multiple parasitic Schistosoma species, and which impacts over 200 million people globally, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. Genomic surveillance to detect evidence for natural selection in schistosome populations represents an emerging and promising approach to identify and interpret schistosome responses to ongoing control efforts or other environmental factors. Here we review how genomic variation is used to detect selection, how these approaches have been applied to schistosomes, and how future studies to detect selection may be improved. We discuss the theory of genomic analyses to detect selection, identify experimental designs for such analyses, and review studies that have applied these approaches to schistosomes. We then consider the biological characteristics of schistosomes that are expected to respond to selection, particularly those that may be impacted by control programs. Examples include drug resistance, host specificity, and life history traits, and we review our current understanding of specific genes that underlie them in schistosomes. We also discuss how inherent features of schistosome reproduction and demography pose substantial challenges for effective identification of these traits and their genomic bases. We conclude by discussing how genomic surveillance for selection should be designed to improve understanding of schistosome biology, and how the parasite changes in response to selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary L. Nikolakis
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, United States
| | - Richard H. Adams
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville, GA, United States
| | - Kristen J. Wade
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Andrea J. Lund
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Elizabeth J. Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Todd A. Castoe
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, United States
| | - David D. Pollock
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
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Freeman EA, Carlton EJ, Paull S, Dadzie S, Buchwald A. Utilizing citizen science to model the distribution of Aedes aegypti in West Africa. J Vector Ecol 2022; 47:117-127. [PMID: 36629363 DOI: 10.52707/1081-1710-47.1.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In the rapidly urbanizing region of West Africa, Aedes mosquitoes pose an emerging threat of infectious disease that is compounded by limited vector surveillance. Citizen science has been proposed as a way to fill surveillance gaps by training local residents to collect and share information on disease vectors. Understanding the distribution of arbovirus vectors in West Africa can inform researchers and public health officials on where to conduct disease surveillance and focus public health interventions. We utilized citizen science data collected through NASA's GLOBE Observer mobile phone application and data from a previously published literature review on Aedes mosquito distribution to examine the contribution of citizen science to understanding the distribution of Ae. aegypti in West Africa using Maximum Entropy modeling. Combining citizen science and literature-derived observations improved the fit of the model compared to models created by each data source alone but did not alleviate location bias within the models, likely due to lack of widespread observations. Understanding Ae. aegypti distribution will require greater investment in Aedes mosquito surveillance in the region, and citizen science should be utilized as a tool in this mission to increase the reach of surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Freeman
- Colorado School of Public Health, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523,
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health,University of Colorado, Denver, CO 80045
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health,University of Colorado, Denver, CO 80045
| | - Sara Paull
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health,University of Colorado, Denver, CO 80045
| | - Samuel Dadzie
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Andrea Buchwald
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Denver, CO 80045
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Nikolakis ZL, Carlton EJ, Pollock DD, Castoe TA. A genomic can of worms for schistosome host-specificity. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:496-497. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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9
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Grover E, Paull S, Kechris K, Buchwald A, James K, Liu Y, Carlton EJ. Predictors of bovine Schistosoma japonicum infection in rural sichuan, china. Int J Parasitol 2022; 52:485-496. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Abstract
Emerging evidence supports a link between environmental factors-including air pollution and chemical exposures, climate, and the built environment-and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) susceptibility and severity. Climate, air pollution, and the built environment have long been recognized to influence viral respiratory infections, and studies have established similar associations with COVID-19 outcomes. More limited evidence links chemical exposures to COVID-19. Environmental factors were found to influence COVID-19 through four major interlinking mechanisms: increased risk of preexisting conditions associated with disease severity; immune system impairment; viral survival and transport; and behaviors that increase viral exposure. Both data and methodologic issues complicate the investigation of these relationships, including reliance on coarse COVID-19 surveillance data; gaps in mechanistic studies; and the predominance of ecological designs. We evaluate the strength of evidence for environment-COVID-19 relationships and discuss environmental actions that might simultaneously address the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental determinants of health, and health disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K Weaver
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA; ,
| | - Jennifer R Head
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA;
| | - Carlos F Gould
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA;
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz, Aurora, Colorado, USA;
| | - Justin V Remais
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA; ,
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Bianchin G, Dall'Anese E, Poveda JI, Jacobson D, Carlton EJ, Buchwald AG. Novel use of online optimization in a mathematical model of COVID-19 to guide the relaxation of pandemic mitigation measures. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4731. [PMID: 35304511 PMCID: PMC8932375 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08389-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Since early 2020, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)—implemented at varying levels of severity and based on widely-divergent perspectives of risk tolerance—have been the primary means to control SARS-CoV-2 transmission. This paper aims to identify how risk tolerance and vaccination rates impact the rate at which a population can return to pre-pandemic contact behavior. To this end, we developed a novel mathematical model and we used techniques from feedback control to inform data-driven decision-making. We use this model to identify optimal levels of NPIs across geographical regions in order to guarantee that hospitalizations will not exceed given risk tolerance thresholds. Results are shown for the state of Colorado, United States, and they suggest that: coordination in decision-making across regions is essential to maintain the daily number of hospitalizations below the desired limits; increasing risk tolerance can decrease the number of days required to discontinue NPIs, at the cost of an increased number of deaths; and if vaccination uptake is less than 70%, at most levels of risk tolerance, return to pre-pandemic contact behaviors before the early months of 2022 may newly jeopardize the healthcare system. The sooner we can acquire population-level vaccination of greater than 70%, the sooner we can safely return to pre-pandemic behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Bianchin
- Department of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Emiliano Dall'Anese
- Department of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Jorge I Poveda
- Department of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Andrea G Buchwald
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, CO, USA
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Lund AJ, Wade KJ, Nikolakis ZL, Ivey KN, Perry BW, Pike HNC, Paull SH, Liu Y, Castoe TA, Pollock DD, Carlton EJ. Integrating genomic and epidemiologic data to accelerate progress toward schistosomiasis elimination. eLife 2022; 11:79320. [PMID: 36040013 PMCID: PMC9427098 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The global community has adopted ambitious goals to eliminate schistosomiasis as a public health problem, and new tools are needed to achieve them. Mass drug administration programs, for example, have reduced the burden of schistosomiasis, but the identification of hotspots of persistent and reemergent transmission threaten progress toward elimination and underscore the need to couple treatment with interventions that reduce transmission. Recent advances in DNA sequencing technologies make whole-genome sequencing a valuable and increasingly feasible option for population-based studies of complex parasites such as schistosomes. Here, we focus on leveraging genomic data to tailor interventions to distinct social and ecological circumstances. We consider two priority questions that can be addressed by integrating epidemiological, ecological, and genomic information: (1) how often do non-human host species contribute to human schistosome infection? and (2) what is the importance of locally acquired versus imported infections in driving transmission at different stages of elimination? These questions address processes that can undermine control programs, especially those that rely heavily on treatment with praziquantel. Until recently, these questions were difficult to answer with sufficient precision to inform public health decision-making. We review the literature related to these questions and discuss how whole-genome approaches can identify the geographic and taxonomic sources of infection, and how such information can inform context-specific efforts that advance schistosomiasis control efforts and minimize the risk of reemergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea J Lund
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado AnschutzAuroraUnited States
| | - Kristen J Wade
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraUnited States
| | - Zachary L Nikolakis
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at ArlingtonArlingtonUnited States
| | - Kathleen N Ivey
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at ArlingtonArlingtonUnited States
| | - Blair W Perry
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at ArlingtonArlingtonUnited States
| | - Hamish NC Pike
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraUnited States
| | - Sara H Paull
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado AnschutzAuroraUnited States
| | - Yang Liu
- Sichuan Centers for Disease Control and PreventionChengduChina
| | - Todd A Castoe
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at ArlingtonArlingtonUnited States
| | - David D Pollock
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraUnited States
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado AnschutzAuroraUnited States
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Buchwald AG, Bayham J, Adams J, Bortz D, Colborn K, Zarella O, Buran M, Samet J, Ghosh D, Herlihy R, Carlton EJ. Estimating the Impact of Statewide Policies to Reduce Spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Real Time, Colorado, USA. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 27:2312-2322. [PMID: 34193334 PMCID: PMC8386789 DOI: 10.3201/eid2709.204167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic necessitated rapid local public health response, but studies examining the impact of social distancing policies on SARS-CoV-2 transmission have struggled to capture regional-level dynamics. We developed a susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered transmission model, parameterized to Colorado, USA‒specific data, to estimate the impact of coronavirus disease‒related policy measures on mobility and SARS-CoV-2 transmission in real time. During March‒June 2020, we estimated unknown parameter values and generated scenario-based projections of future clinical care needs. Early coronavirus disease policy measures, including a stay-at-home order, were accompanied by substantial decreases in mobility and reduced the effective reproductive number well below 1. When some restrictions were eased in late April, mobility increased to near baseline levels, but transmission remained low (effective reproductive number <1) through early June. Over time, our model parameters were adjusted to more closely reflect reality in Colorado, leading to modest changes in estimates of intervention effects and more conservative long-term projections.
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Buchwald AG, Grover E, Van Dyke J, Kechris K, Lu D, Liu Y, Zhong B, Carlton EJ. Human Mobility Associated With Risk of Schistosoma japonicum Infection in Sichuan, China. Am J Epidemiol 2021; 190:1243-1252. [PMID: 33438003 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwaa292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization increases human mobility in ways that can alter the transmission of classically rural, vector-borne diseases like schistosomiasis. The impact of human mobility on individual-level Schistosoma risk is poorly characterized. Travel outside endemic areas may protect against infection by reducing exposure opportunities, whereas travel to other endemic regions may increase risk. Using detailed monthly travel- and water-contact surveys from 27 rural communities in Sichuan, China, in 2008, we aimed to describe human mobility and to identify mobility-related predictors of S. japonicum infection. Candidate predictors included timing, frequency, distance, duration, and purpose of recent travel as well as water-contact measures. Random forests machine learning was used to detect key predictors of individual infection status. Logistic regression was used to assess the strength and direction of associations. Key mobility-related predictors include frequent travel and travel during July-both associated with decreased probability of infection and less time engaged in risky water-contact behavior, suggesting travel may remove opportunities for schistosome exposure. The importance of July travel and July water contact suggests a high-risk window for cercarial exposure. The frequency and timing of human movement out of endemic areas should be considered when assessing potential drivers of rural infectious diseases.
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Nikolakis ZL, Hales NR, Perry BW, Schield DR, Timm LE, Liu Y, Zhong B, Kechris KJ, Carlton EJ, Pollock DD, Castoe TA. Patterns of relatedness and genetic diversity inferred from whole genome sequencing of archival blood fluke miracidia (Schistosoma japonicum). PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009020. [PMID: 33406094 PMCID: PMC7815185 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic approaches hold great promise for resolving unanswered questions about transmission patterns and responses to control efforts for schistosomiasis and other neglected tropical diseases. However, the cost of generating genomic data and the challenges associated with obtaining sufficient DNA from individual schistosome larvae (miracidia) from mammalian hosts have limited the application of genomic data for studying schistosomes and other complex macroparasites. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing whole genome amplification and sequencing (WGS) to analyze individual archival miracidia. As an example, we sequenced whole genomes of 22 miracidia from 11 human hosts representing two villages in rural Sichuan, China, and used these data to evaluate patterns of relatedness and genetic diversity. We also down-sampled our dataset to test how lower coverage sequencing could increase the cost effectiveness of WGS while maintaining power to accurately infer relatedness. Collectively, our results illustrate that population-level WGS datasets are attainable for individual miracidia and represent a powerful tool for ultimately providing insight into overall genetic diversity, parasite relatedness, and transmission patterns for better design and evaluation of disease control efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary L. Nikolakis
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, United States of America
| | - Nicole R. Hales
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, United States of America
| | - Blair W. Perry
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, United States of America
| | - Drew R. Schield
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, United States of America
| | - Laura E. Timm
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Yang Liu
- Institute of Parasitic Disease, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, The People’s Republic of China
| | - Bo Zhong
- Institute of Parasitic Disease, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, The People’s Republic of China
| | - Katerina J. Kechris
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth J. Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - David D. Pollock
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Todd A. Castoe
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, United States of America
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16
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Gallichotte EN, Quicke KM, Sexton NR, Fitzmeyer E, Young MC, Janich AJ, Dobos K, Pabilonia KL, Gahm G, Carlton EJ, Ebel GD, Ehrhart N. Longitudinal Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 Among Staff in Six Colorado Long-Term Care Facilities: Epidemiologic, Virologic and Sequence Analysis. medRxiv 2020. [PMID: 32577700 PMCID: PMC7302309 DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.08.20125989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background: SARS-CoV-2 emerged in 2019 and has become a major global pathogen. Its emergence is notable due to its impacts on individuals residing within long term care facilities (LTCFs) such as rehabilitation centers and nursing homes. LTCF residents tend to possess several risk factors for more severe SARS-CoV-2 outcomes, including advanced age and multiple comorbidities. Indeed, residents of LTCFs represent approximately 40% of SARS-CoV-2 deaths in the United States. Methods: To assess the prevalence and incidence of SARS-CoV-2 among LTCF workers, determine the extent of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, and provide information on the genomic epidemiology of the virus within these unique care settings, we collected nasopharyngeal swabs from workers for 8–11 weeks at six Colorado LTCFs, determined the presence and level of viral RNA and infectious virus within these samples, and sequenced 54 nearly complete genomes. Findings: Our data reveal a strikingly high degree of asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic infection, a strong correlation between viral RNA and infectious virus, prolonged infections and persistent RNA in a subset of individuals, and declining incidence over time. Interpretation: Our data suggest that asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals contribute to virus persistence and transmission within the workplace, due to high levels of virus. Genetic epidemiology revealed that SARS-CoV-2 likely spreads between staff within an LTCF. Funding: Colorado State University Colleges of Health and Human Sciences, Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering, the Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily N Gallichotte
- Arthropod-Borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80526
| | - Kendra M Quicke
- Arthropod-Borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80526
| | - Nicole R Sexton
- Arthropod-Borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80526
| | - Emily Fitzmeyer
- Arthropod-Borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80526
| | - Michael C Young
- Arthropod-Borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80526
| | - Ashley J Janich
- Arthropod-Borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80526
| | - Karen Dobos
- Arthropod-Borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80526
| | - Kristy L Pabilonia
- Arthropod-Borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80526
| | - Gregory Gahm
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Colorado Medical Center.,Vivage Senior Living, Denver, CO 80228
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Gregory D Ebel
- Arthropod-Borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80526
| | - Nicole Ehrhart
- Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging and Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523
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17
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Buchwald AG, Adams J, Bortz DM, Carlton EJ. Infectious Disease Transmission Models to Predict, Evaluate, and Improve Understanding of COVID-19 Trajectory and Interventions. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2020; 17:1204-1206. [PMID: 32610024 PMCID: PMC7640630 DOI: 10.1513/annalsats.202005-501ps] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea G. Buchwald
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Jimi Adams
- Health & Behavioral Sciences, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado; and
| | - David M. Bortz
- Applied Mathematics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Elizabeth J. Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz, Aurora, Colorado
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18
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Buchwald AG, Hayden MH, Dadzie SK, Paull SH, Carlton EJ. Aedes-borne disease outbreaks in West Africa: A call for enhanced surveillance. Acta Trop 2020; 209:105468. [PMID: 32416077 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Arboviruses transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes are a growing global concern; however, there remain large gaps in surveillance of both arboviruses and their vectors in West Africa. We reviewed over 50 years of data including outbreak reports, peer-reviewed literature, and prior data compilations describing Zika, dengue, and chikungunya, and their vectors in West Africa. Large outbreaks of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya have recently occurred in the region with over 27,000 cases of Aedes-borne disease documented since 2007. Recent arboviral outbreaks have become more concentrated in urban areas, and Aedes albopictus, recently documented in the region, has emerged as an important vector in several areas. Seroprevalence surveys suggest reported cases are a gross underestimate of the underlying arboviral disease burden. These findings indicate a shifting epidemiology of arboviral disease in West Africa and highlight a need for increased research and implementation of vector and disease control. Rapid urbanization and climate change may further alter disease patterns, underscoring the need for improved diagnostic capacity, and vector and disease surveillance to address this evolving health challenge.
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19
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Pollock DD, Castoe TA, Perry BW, Lytras S, Wade KJ, Robertson DL, Holmes EC, Boni MF, Kosakovsky Pond SL, Parry R, Carlton EJ, Wood JLN, Pennings PS, Goldstein RA. Viral CpG Deficiency Provides No Evidence That Dogs Were Intermediate Hosts for SARS-CoV-2. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 37:2706-2710. [PMID: 32658964 PMCID: PMC7454803 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the scope and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic there exists a strong desire to understand where the SARS-CoV-2 virus came from and how it jumped species boundaries to humans. Molecular evolutionary analyses can trace viral origins by establishing relatedness and divergence times of viruses and identifying past selective pressures. However, we must uphold rigorous standards of inference and interpretation on this topic because of the ramifications of being wrong. Here, we dispute the conclusions of Xia (2020. Extreme genomic CpG deficiency in SARS-CoV-2 and evasion of host antiviral defense. Mol Biol Evol. doi:10.1093/molbev/masa095) that dogs are a likely intermediate host of a SARS-CoV-2 ancestor. We highlight major flaws in Xia's inference process and his analysis of CpG deficiencies, and conclude that there is no direct evidence for the role of dogs as intermediate hosts. Bats and pangolins currently have the greatest support as ancestral hosts of SARS-CoV-2, with the strong caveat that sampling of wildlife species for coronaviruses has been limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- David D Pollock
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
| | - Todd A Castoe
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX
| | - Blair W Perry
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX
| | - Spyros Lytras
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR), Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Kristen J Wade
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
| | - David L Robertson
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR), Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Edward C Holmes
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases & Biosecurity, School of Life & Environmental Sciences and School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Maciej F Boni
- 5Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | | | - Rhys Parry
- Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz, Aurora, CO
| | - James L N Wood
- Disease Dynamics Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Pleuni S Pennings
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
| | - Richard A Goldstein
- Division of Infection & Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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20
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Humphrey JL, Barton KE, Man Shrestha P, Carlton EJ, Newman LS, Dowling Root E, Adgate JL, Miller SL. Air infiltration in low-income, urban homes and its relationship to lung function. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 2020; 30:262-270. [PMID: 31641277 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-019-0184-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has found increased home ventilation, which may affect health by altering the composition of indoor air, is associated with improvement of respiratory health, but evidence linking home ventilation to objectively measured lung function is sparse. The Colorado Home Energy Efficiency and Respiratory health (CHEER) study, a cross-sectional study of low-income, urban, nonsmoking homes across the Northern Front Range of Colorado, USA, focused on elucidating this link. We used a multipoint depressurization blower door test to measure the air tightness of the homes and calculate the annual average infiltration rate (AAIR). Lung function tests were administered to eligible participants. We analyzed data from 253 participants in 187 homes with two or more acceptable spirometry tests. We used generalized estimating equations to model forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC z-scores as a function of AAIR. AAIRs ranged from 0.10 to 1.98 air changes per hour. Mean z-scores for FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC were -0.57, 0.32, and -0.43, respectively. AAIR was positively associated with increased FEV1/FVC z-scores, such that a 1-unit change in AAIR corresponded to a half of a standard deviation in lung function (β = 0.51, CI: 0.02-0.99). These associations were strongest for healthy populations and weaker for those with asthma and asthma-like symptoms. AAIR was not associated with FEV1 or FVC. Our study is the first in the United States to link home ventilation by infiltration to objectively measured lung function in low-income, urban households.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie L Humphrey
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 427 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309-0427, USA
| | - Kelsey E Barton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E 17th Place B119, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Prateek Man Shrestha
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 427 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309-0427, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E 17th Place B119, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Lee S Newman
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E 17th Place B119, Aurora, CO, USA
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E. 17th Place B119, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Elisabeth Dowling Root
- Department of Geography and Division of Epidemiology, The Ohio State University, 1036 Derby Hall, 154 North Oval Mall, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - John L Adgate
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E 17th Place B119, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Shelly L Miller
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 427 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309-0427, USA.
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21
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Shrestha PM, Humphrey JL, Carlton EJ, Adgate JL, Barton KE, Root ED, Miller SL. Impact of Outdoor Air Pollution on Indoor Air Quality in Low-Income Homes during Wildfire Seasons. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019; 16:E3535. [PMID: 31546585 PMCID: PMC6801919 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16193535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Indoor and outdoor number concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon (BC), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were monitored continuously for two to seven days in 28 low-income homes in Denver, Colorado, during the 2016 and 2017 wildfire seasons. In the absence of indoor sources, all outdoor pollutant concentrations were higher than indoors except for CO. Results showed that long-range wildfire plumes elevated median indoor PM2.5 concentrations by up to 4.6 times higher than outdoors. BC, CO, and NO2 mass concentrations were higher indoors in homes closer to roadways compared to those further away. Four of the homes with mechanical ventilation systems had 18% higher indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios of PM2.5 and 4% higher I/O ratios of BC compared to other homes. Homes with exhaust stove hoods had PM2.5 I/O ratios 49% less than the homes with recirculating hoods and 55% less than the homes with no stove hoods installed. Homes with windows open for more than 12 hours a day during sampling had indoor BC 2.4 times higher than homes with windows closed. This study provides evidence that long-range wildfire plumes, road proximity, and occupant behavior have a combined effect on indoor air quality in low-income homes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prateek M Shrestha
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
| | - Jamie L Humphrey
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Colorado, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
| | - John L Adgate
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Colorado, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
| | - Kelsey E Barton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Colorado, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
| | - Elisabeth D Root
- Department of Geography and Division of Epidemiology, The Ohio State University, 1036 Derby Hall, 154 North Oval Mall, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Shelly L Miller
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
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22
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Abstract
PURPOSE Climate change threatens progress achieved in global reductions of infectious disease rates over recent decades. This review summarizes literature on potential impacts of climate change on waterborne diseases, organized around a framework of questions that can be addressed depending on available data. RECENT FINDINGS A growing body of evidence suggests that climate change may alter the incidence of waterborne diseases, and diarrheal diseases in particular. Much of the existing work examines historical relationships between weather and diarrhea incidence, with a limited number of studies projecting future disease rates. Some studies take social and ecological factors into account in considerations of historical relationships, but few have done so in projecting future conditions. The field is at a point of transition, toward incorporating social and ecological factors into understanding the relationships between climatic factors and diarrheal diseases and using this information for future projections. The integration of these components helps identify vulnerable populations and prioritize adaptation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Levy
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
| | - Shanon M Smith
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E 17th Place B119, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
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23
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Levy MC, Collender PA, Carlton EJ, Chang HH, Strickland MJ, Eisenberg JNS, Remais JV. Spatiotemporal Error in Rainfall Data: Consequences for Epidemiologic Analysis of Waterborne Diseases. Am J Epidemiol 2019; 188:950-959. [PMID: 30689681 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwz010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between rainfall, especially extreme rainfall, and increases in waterborne infectious diseases is widely reported in the literature. Most of this research, however, has not formally considered the impact of exposure measurement error contributed by the limited spatiotemporal fidelity of precipitation data. Here, we evaluate bias in effect estimates associated with exposure misclassification due to precipitation data fidelity, using extreme rainfall as an example. We accomplished this via a simulation study, followed by analysis of extreme rainfall and incident diarrheal disease in an epidemiologic study in Ecuador. We found that the limited fidelity typical of spatiotemporal rainfall data sets biases effect estimates towards the null. Use of spatial interpolations of rain-gauge data or satellite data biased estimated health effects due to extreme rainfall (occurrence) and wet conditions (accumulated totals) downwards by 35%-45%. Similar biases were evident in the Ecuadorian case study analysis, where spatial incompatibility between exposed populations and rain gauges resulted in the association between extreme rainfall and diarrheal disease incidence being approximately halved. These findings suggest that investigators should pay greater attention to limitations in using spatially heterogeneous environmental data sets to assign exposures in epidemiologic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan C Levy
- School of Global Policy and Strategy, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Philip A Collender
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Howard H Chang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | | | - Joseph N S Eisenberg
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Justin V Remais
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
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24
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Carlton EJ, Barton K, Shrestha PM, Humphrey J, Newman LS, Adgate JL, Root E, Miller S. Relationships between home ventilation rates and respiratory health in the Colorado Home Energy Efficiency and Respiratory Health (CHEER) study. Environ Res 2019; 169:297-307. [PMID: 30500684 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As societies adopt green building practices to reduce energy expenditures and emissions that contribute to climate change, it is important to consider how such building design changes influence health. These practices typically focus on reducing air exchange rates between the building interior and the outdoor environment to minimize energy loss, the health effects of which are not well characterized. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between air exchange rates and respiratory health in a multi-ethnic population living in low-income, urban homes. METHODS The Colorado Home Energy Efficiency and Respiratory Health (CHEER) study is a cross-sectional study that enrolled 302 people in 216 non-smoking, low-income single-family homes, duplexes and town-homes from Colorado's Northern Front Range. A blower door test was conducted and the annual average air exchange rate (AAER) was estimated for each home. Respiratory health was assessed using a structured questionnaire based on standard instruments. We estimated the association between AAER and respiratory symptoms, adjusting for relevant confounders. RESULTS Air exchange rates in many homes were high compared to prior studies (median 0.54 air changes per hour, range 0.10, 2.17). Residents in homes with higher AAER were more likely to report chronic cough, asthma and asthma-like symptoms, including taking medication for wheeze, wheeze that limited activities and dry cough at night. Allergic symptoms were not associated with AAER in any models. The association between AAER and asthma-like symptoms was stronger for households located in areas with high potential exposure to traffic related pollutants, but this was not consistent across all health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS While prior studies have highlighted the potential hazards of low ventilation rates in residences, this study suggests high ventilation rates in single-family homes, duplexes and town-homes in urban areas may also have negative impacts on respiratory health, possibly due to the infiltration of outdoor pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E 17th Place B119, Aurora, CO, United States.
| | - Kelsey Barton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E 17th Place B119, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Prateek Man Shrestha
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, 427 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0427, United States
| | - Jamie Humphrey
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, 427 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0427, United States
| | - Lee S Newman
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E 17th Place B119, Aurora, CO, United States; Division of Pulmonary Science and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - John L Adgate
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E 17th Place B119, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Elisabeth Root
- Department of Geography and Division of Epidemiology, The Ohio State University, 1036 Derby Hall, 154 North Oval Mall, Columbus, OH 43210, United States
| | - Shelly Miller
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, 427 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0427, United States
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25
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Worasith C, Wangboon C, Duenngai K, Kiatsopit N, Kopolrat K, Techasen A, Sithithaworn J, Khuntikeo N, Loilome W, Namwat N, Yongvanit P, Carlton EJ, Sithithaworn P. Comparing the performance of urine and copro-antigen detection in evaluating Opisthorchis viverrini infection in communities with different transmission levels in Northeast Thailand. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007186. [PMID: 30735492 PMCID: PMC6383950 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
To combat and eventually eliminate the transmission of the liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini, an accurate and practical diagnostic test is required. A recently established urine antigen detection test using monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (mAb-ELISA) has shown promise due to its high diagnostic accuracy and the use of urine in place of fecal samples. To further test the utility of this urine assay, we performed a cross sectional study of 1,043 people in 3 opisthorchiasis endemic communities in northeast Thailand by applying urine antigen detection together with copro-antigen detection methods. The quantitative formalin-ethyl acetate concentration technique (FECT) was concurrently performed as a reference method. The prevalence of O. viverrini determined by urine antigen detection correlated well with that by copro-antigen detection and both methods showed 10-15% higher prevalence than FECT. Within the fecal negative cases by FECT, 29% and 43% were positive by urine and copro-antigen detection, respectively. The prevalence and intensity profiles determined by antigen detection and FECT showed similar patterns of increasing trends of infection with age. The concentration of antigen measured in urine showed a positive relationship with the concentration of copro-antigen, both of which were positively correlated with fecal egg counts. The data observed in this study indicate that urine antigen detection had high diagnostic accuracy and was in concordance with copro-antigen detection. Due to the ease and noninvasiveness of sample collection, the urine assay has high potential for clinical diagnosis as well as population screening in the program for the control and elimination of opisthorchiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanika Worasith
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Chompunoot Wangboon
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Biomedical Science Program, Graduate School, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Kunyarat Duenngai
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Science and Technology, Phetchabun Rajabhat University, Phetchabun, Thailand
| | - Nadda Kiatsopit
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Kulthida Kopolrat
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Anchalee Techasen
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | | | - Narong Khuntikeo
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Watcharin Loilome
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Nisana Namwat
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Puangrat Yongvanit
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Elizabeth J. Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Paiboon Sithithaworn
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
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Nawrocki CC, Kiatsopit N, Namsanor J, Sithithaworn P, Carlton EJ. Culture of fecal indicator bacteria from snail intestinal tubes as a tool for assessing the risk of Opisthorchis viverrini infection in Bithynia snail habitat. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:66. [PMID: 30700304 PMCID: PMC6354346 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3313-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Like many trematodes of human health significance, the carcinogenic liver fluke, Opisthorchis viverrini, is spread via fecal contamination of snail habitat. Methods for assessing snail exposure to fecal waste can improve our ability to identify snail infection hotspots and potential sources of snail infections. We evaluated the feasibility of culturing fecal indicator bacteria from Bithynia snail intestinal tubes as a method for assessing snail exposure to fecal waste. Snails and water samples were collected from a site with a historically high prevalence of O. viverrini infected snails (“hotspot” site) and a site with historically no infected snails (“non-hotspot” site) on two sampling days. Snails were tested for O. viverrini and a stratified random sample of snails from each site was selected for intestinal tube removal and culture of gut contents for the fecal indicator bacteria, Escherichia coli. Water samples were tested for E. coli and nearby households were surveyed to assess sources of fecal contamination. Results At the hotspot site, 26 of 2833 Bithynia siamensis goniomphalos snails were infected with O. viverrini compared to 0 of 1421 snails at the non-hotspot site. A total of 186 snails were dissected and cultured. Escherichia coli were detected in the guts of 20% of uninfected snails, 4% of O. viverrini-positive snails and 8% of snails not examined for cercarial infection at the hotspot site. Only one of 75 snails from the non-hotspot site was positive for E. coli. Accounting for sampling weights, snails at the hotspot site were more likely to have gut E. coli than snails from the non-hotspot site. The concentration of fecal indicator bacteria in surface water was higher at the hotspot vs non-hotspot site on only the first sampling day. Conclusions Fecal indicator bacteria can be detected in the intestinal tubes of Bithynia snails. The presence of fecal indicator bacteria in Bithynia snail guts may indicate risk of O. viverrini infection in snail populations. This method has the potential to aid in identifying locations and time windows of peak snail infection risk and may be applicable to other trematodes of human-health significance. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3313-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney C Nawrocki
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Nadda Kiatsopit
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Jutamas Namsanor
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Paiboon Sithithaworn
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
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Dally M, Butler-Dawson J, Krisher L, Monaghan A, Weitzenkamp D, Sorensen C, Johnson RJ, Carlton EJ, Asensio C, Tenney L, Newman LS. The impact of heat and impaired kidney function on productivity of Guatemalan sugarcane workers. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205181. [PMID: 30289894 PMCID: PMC6173423 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate change has implications for human health and productivity. Models suggest that heat extremes affect worker health, reduce labor capacity, and commodity supply. Chronic health conditions are on the rise internationally. However there is a paucity of direct empirical evidence relating increasing temperatures to both agricultural worker health and productivity. METHODS AND FINDINGS We evaluated the relationship between temperature exposure, kidney function, and two measures of productivity-tons of commodity produced and job attrition, of 4,095 Guatemalan sugarcane cutters over a 6-month harvest. We used distributed lag non-linear models to evaluate associations between wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and productivity of workers with normal or impaired kidney function. The cumulative effect of exposure to a max WBGT of 34°C was 1.16 tons (95% CI: -2.87, 0.54) less sugarcane cut over the next five days by workers with impaired kidney function, compared to exposure to 29°C. Impaired kidney function was associated with premature workforce attrition. Workers starting the harvest season with impaired kidney function were more than twice as likely to leave employment (HR: 2.92, 95% CI: 1.88, 4.32). CONCLUSIONS Heat extremes may be associated with loss of agricultural worker productivity and employment, especially among those with impaired kidney function. Agricultural workers who develop health conditions, such as kidney disease, are particularly vulnerable in the face of climate change and increasing heat extremes. The resultant loss of employment and productivity has significant implications for global commodity supplies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda Dally
- Center for Health, Work & Environment, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Colorado Consortium on Climate Change and Human Health, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jaime Butler-Dawson
- Center for Health, Work & Environment, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Colorado Consortium on Climate Change and Human Health, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Lyndsay Krisher
- Center for Health, Work & Environment, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Colorado Consortium on Climate Change and Human Health, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Andrew Monaghan
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - David Weitzenkamp
- Center for Health, Work & Environment, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Cecilia Sorensen
- Colorado Consortium on Climate Change and Human Health, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Richard J. Johnson
- Colorado Consortium on Climate Change and Human Health, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth J. Carlton
- Colorado Consortium on Climate Change and Human Health, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | | | - Liliana Tenney
- Center for Health, Work & Environment, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Colorado Consortium on Climate Change and Human Health, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Lee S. Newman
- Center for Health, Work & Environment, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Colorado Consortium on Climate Change and Human Health, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
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28
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Pitaksakulrat O, Kiatsopit N, Laoprom N, Webster BL, Webster JP, Lamberton PHL, Laha T, Andrews RH, Petney TN, Blair D, Carlton EJ, Spear RC, Sithithaworn P. Preliminary genetic evidence of two different populations of Opisthorchis viverrini in Lao PDR. Parasitol Res 2017; 116:1247-1256. [PMID: 28238124 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-017-5401-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Opisthorchis viverrini is a major public health concern in Southeast Asia. Various reports have suggested that this parasite may represent a species complex, with genetic structure in the region perhaps being dictated by geographical factors and different species of intermediate hosts. We used four microsatellite loci to analyze O. viverrini adult worms originating from six species of cyprinid fish in Thailand and Lao PDR. Two distinct O. viverrini populations were observed. In Ban Phai, Thailand, only one subgroup occurred, hosted by two different fish species. Both subgroups occurred in fish from That Luang, Lao PDR, but were represented to very different degrees among the fish hosts there. Our data suggest that, although geographical separation is more important than fish host specificity in influencing genetic structure, it is possible that two species of Opisthorchis, with little interbreeding, are present near Vientiane in Lao PDR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Opal Pitaksakulrat
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.,Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.,Faculty of Veterinary Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
| | - Nadda Kiatsopit
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.,Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
| | - Nonglak Laoprom
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.,Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.,Department of General Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kasetsart University, Chalermphrakiat Sakon Nakhon Province Campus, Sakon Nakhon, 47000, Thailand
| | - Bonnie L Webster
- Department of Life Sciences, Parasites and Vectors Division, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK.,The London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNTDR), Imperial College, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK
| | - Joanne P Webster
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK.,Department of Pathology and Pathogen Biology, Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases (CEEED), Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hertfordshire, London, AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Poppy H L Lamberton
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, and Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Graham Kerr Building, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Thewarach Laha
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
| | - Ross H Andrews
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.,Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.,Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK.,Cholangiocarcinoma Screening and Care Program, (CASCAP) Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
| | - Trevor N Petney
- Cholangiocarcinoma Screening and Care Program, (CASCAP) Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.,Institute of Zoology 1: Ecology and Parasitology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, KornblumenStrasse 13, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - David Blair
- Centre for Tropical Diversity and Climate change, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, 13001 E. 17th Place, B119, Aurora, CO, 8004510, USA
| | - Robert C Spear
- Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Paiboon Sithithaworn
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand. .,Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.
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29
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Shortt JA, Card DC, Schield DR, Liu Y, Zhong B, Castoe TA, Carlton EJ, Pollock DD. Whole Genome Amplification and Reduced-Representation Genome Sequencing of Schistosoma japonicum Miracidia. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005292. [PMID: 28107347 PMCID: PMC5287463 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In areas where schistosomiasis control programs have been implemented, morbidity and prevalence have been greatly reduced. However, to sustain these reductions and move towards interruption of transmission, new tools for disease surveillance are needed. Genomic methods have the potential to help trace the sources of new infections, and allow us to monitor drug resistance. Large-scale genotyping efforts for schistosome species have been hindered by cost, limited numbers of established target loci, and the small amount of DNA obtained from miracidia, the life stage most readily acquired from humans. Here, we present a method using next generation sequencing to provide high-resolution genomic data from S. japonicum for population-based studies. Methodology/Principal Findings We applied whole genome amplification followed by double digest restriction site associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) to individual S. japonicum miracidia preserved on Whatman FTA cards. We found that we could effectively and consistently survey hundreds of thousands of variants from 10,000 to 30,000 loci from archived miracidia as old as six years. An analysis of variation from eight miracidia obtained from three hosts in two villages in Sichuan showed clear population structuring by village and host even within this limited sample. Conclusions/Significance This high-resolution sequencing approach yields three orders of magnitude more information than microsatellite genotyping methods that have been employed over the last decade, creating the potential to answer detailed questions about the sources of human infections and to monitor drug resistance. Costs per sample range from $50-$200, depending on the amount of sequence information desired, and we expect these costs can be reduced further given continued reductions in sequencing costs, improvement of protocols, and parallelization. This approach provides new promise for using modern genome-scale sampling to S. japonicum surveillance, and could be applied to other schistosome species and other parasitic helminthes. Schistosomiasis is a devastating tropical disease that affects more than 200 million people worldwide. Over the past several decades, transmission control strategies implemented in China have reduced the prevalence and morbidity of Schistosoma japonicum in many areas. Infections still persist, however, and it is therefore of great interest to determine the sources of recurring infections. Genetic analysis is a promising means to achieve this. Towards this aim, we conducted a pilot study to assess the feasibility of using high-throughput sequencing to assess the geographic distribution of schistosome genetic variants. Because DNA yields from miracidia, the most easily accessible life stage, are insufficient for high throughput sequencing, we first employed whole genome amplification to obtain sufficient quantities of DNA. We then employed a technique that reproducibly sequences the same fraction of a genome across numerous samples. We successfully sequenced 6-year old S. japonicum samples from Sichuan Province, China, easily and economically identifying tens of thousands of variable loci, a sufficient number to discriminate fine-scale population structure. Further population sampling will help answer important questions concerning the persistence of infections, the sources of new infections, and whether parasite populations have undergone incipient evolution of drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan A. Shortt
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | - Daren C. Card
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, United States of America
| | - Drew R. Schield
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, United States of America
| | - Yang Liu
- Institute of Parasitic Disease, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, The People’s Republic of China
| | - Bo Zhong
- Institute of Parasitic Disease, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, The People’s Republic of China
| | - Todd A. Castoe
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth J. Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Colorado, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | - David D. Pollock
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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30
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Head JR, Chang H, Li Q, Hoover CM, Wilke T, Clewing C, Carlton EJ, Liang S, Lu D, Zhong B, Remais JV. Genetic Evidence of Contemporary Dispersal of the Intermediate Snail Host of Schistosoma japonicum: Movement of an NTD Host Is Facilitated by Land Use and Landscape Connectivity. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0005151. [PMID: 27977674 PMCID: PMC5157946 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the dispersal of hosts and vectors-through active or passive movement-is known to facilitate the spread and re-emergence of certain infectious diseases, little is known about the movement ecology of Oncomelania spp., intermediate snail host of the parasite Schistosoma japonicum, and its consequences for the spread of schistosomiasis in East and Southeast Asia. In China, despite intense control programs aimed at preventing schistosomiasis transmission, there is evidence in recent years of re-emergence and persistence of infection in some areas, as well as an increase in the spatial extent of the snail host. A quantitative understanding of the dispersal characteristics of the intermediate host can provide new insights into the spatial dynamics of transmission, and can assist public health officials in limiting the geographic spread of infection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni snails (n = 833) were sampled from 29 sites in Sichuan, China, genotyped, and analyzed using Bayesian assignment to estimate the rate of recent snail migration across sites. Landscape connectivity between each site pair was estimated using the geographic distance distributions derived from nine environmental models: Euclidean, topography, incline, wetness, land use, watershed, stream use, streams and channels, and stream velocity. Among sites, 14.4% to 32.8% of sampled snails were identified as recent migrants, with 20 sites comprising >20% migrants. Migration rates were generally low between sites, but at 8 sites, over 10% of the overall host population originated from one proximal site. Greater landscape connectivity was significantly associated with increased odds of migration, with the minimum path distance (as opposed to median or first quartile) emerging as the strongest predictor across all environmental models. Models accounting for land use explained the largest proportion of the variance in migration rates between sites. A greater number of irrigation channels leading into a site was associated with an increase in the site's propensity to both attract and retain snails. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our findings have important implications for controlling the geographic spread of schistosomiasis in China, through improved understanding of the dispersal capacity of the parasite's intermediate host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R. Head
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Howard Chang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Qunna Li
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Christopher M. Hoover
- Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Thomas Wilke
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Catharina Clewing
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Elizabeth J. Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Song Liang
- Department of Environmental & Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Ding Lu
- Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Zhong
- Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, China
| | - Justin V. Remais
- Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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31
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Levy K, Woster AP, Goldstein RS, Carlton EJ. Untangling the Impacts of Climate Change on Waterborne Diseases: a Systematic Review of Relationships between Diarrheal Diseases and Temperature, Rainfall, Flooding, and Drought. Environ Sci Technol 2016; 50:4905-22. [PMID: 27058059 PMCID: PMC5468171 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b06186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Global climate change is expected to affect waterborne enteric diseases, yet to date there has been no comprehensive, systematic review of the epidemiological literature examining the relationship between meteorological conditions and diarrheal diseases. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Collection for studies describing the relationship between diarrheal diseases and four meteorological conditions that are expected to increase with climate change: ambient temperature, heavy rainfall, drought, and flooding. We synthesized key areas of agreement and evaluated the biological plausibility of these findings, drawing from a diverse, multidisciplinary evidence base. We identified 141 articles that met our inclusion criteria. Key areas of agreement include a positive association between ambient temperature and diarrheal diseases, with the exception of viral diarrhea and an increase in diarrheal disease following heavy rainfall and flooding events. Insufficient evidence was available to evaluate the effects of drought on diarrhea. There is evidence to support the biological plausibility of these associations, but publication bias is an ongoing concern. Future research evaluating whether interventions, such as improved water and sanitation access, modify risk would further our understanding of the potential impacts of climate change on diarrheal diseases and aid in the prioritization of adaptation measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Levy
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Address correspondence to: Karen Levy, Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30322. Telephone: 404.727.4502. Fax: 404.727.8744.
| | - Andrew P. Woster
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Rebecca S. Goldstein
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Elizabeth J. Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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32
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Eisenhauer IF, Hoover CM, Remais JV, Monaghan A, Celada M, Carlton EJ. Estimating the Risk of Domestic Water Source Contamination Following Precipitation Events. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2016; 94:1403-6. [PMID: 27114298 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is expected to increase precipitation extremes, threatening water quality. In low resource settings, it is unclear which water sources are most vulnerable to contamination following rainfall events. We evaluated the relationship between rainfall and drinking water quality in southwest Guatemala where heavy rainfall is frequent and access to safe water is limited. We surveyed 59 shallow household wells, measured precipitation, and calculated simple hydrological variables. We compared Escherichia coli concentration at wells where recent rainfall had occurred versus had not occurred, and evaluated variability in the association between rainfall and E. coli concentration under different conditions using interaction models. Rainfall in the past 24 hours was associated with greater E. coli concentrations, with the strongest association between rainfall and fecal contamination at wells where pigs were nearby. Because of the small sample size, these findings should be considered preliminary, but provide a model to evaluate vulnerability to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian F Eisenhauer
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California; National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado; Centro de Desarrollo Humano, Trifinio, Guatemala; Center for Global Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Christopher M Hoover
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California; National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado; Centro de Desarrollo Humano, Trifinio, Guatemala; Center for Global Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Justin V Remais
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California; National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado; Centro de Desarrollo Humano, Trifinio, Guatemala; Center for Global Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Andrew Monaghan
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California; National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado; Centro de Desarrollo Humano, Trifinio, Guatemala; Center for Global Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Marco Celada
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California; National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado; Centro de Desarrollo Humano, Trifinio, Guatemala; Center for Global Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California; National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado; Centro de Desarrollo Humano, Trifinio, Guatemala; Center for Global Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
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Eisenhauer IF, Celada MA, Carlton EJ. In search of safe and sufficient water: a portrait of household wells in rural Guatemala. Int J Epidemiol 2016; 45:677-82. [PMID: 26989122 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyw026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marco A Celada
- Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA, Centro de Desarrollo Humano, Trifinio, Guatemala
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA,
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Carlton EJ, Woster AP, DeWitt P, Goldstein RS, Levy K. A systematic review and meta-analysis of ambient temperature and diarrhoeal diseases. Int J Epidemiol 2015; 45:117-30. [PMID: 26567313 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyv296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Global climate change is expected to increase the risk of diarrhoeal diseases, a leading cause of childhood mortality. However, there is considerable uncertainty about the magnitude of these effects and which populations bear the greatest risks. METHODS We conducted a systematic review using defined search terms across four major databases and, additionally, examined the references of 54 review articles captured by the search. We evaluated sources of heterogeneity by pathogen taxon, exposure measure, study quality, country income level and regional climate, and estimated pooled effect estimates for the subgroups identified in the heterogeneity analysis, using meta-analysis methods. RESULTS We identified 26 studies with 49 estimates. Pathogen taxa were a source of heterogeneity. There was a positive association between ambient temperature and all-cause diarrhoea (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03, 1.10) and bacterial diarrhoea (IRR 1.07; 95% CI 1.04, 1.10), but not viral diarrhoea (IRR 0.96; 95% CI 0.82, 1.11). These associations were observed in low-, middle- and high-income countries. Only one study of protozoan diarrhoea was identified. CONCLUSIONS Changes in temperature due to global climate change can and may already be affecting diarrhoeal disease incidence. The vulnerability of populations may depend, in part, on local pathogen distribution. However, evidence of publication bias and the uneven geographical distribution of studies limit the precision and generalizability of the pooled estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA,
| | - Andrew P Woster
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Peter DeWitt
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA and
| | | | - Karen Levy
- Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Carlton EJ, Liu Y, Zhong B, Hubbard A, Spear RC. Associations between schistosomiasis and the use of human waste as an agricultural fertilizer in China. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003444. [PMID: 25590142 PMCID: PMC4295866 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Human waste is used as an agricultural fertilizer in China and elsewhere. Because the eggs of many helminth species can survive in environmental media, reuse of untreated or partially treated human waste, commonly called night soil, may promote transmission of human helminthiases. Methodology/Principal Findings We conducted an open cohort study in 36 villages to evaluate the association between night soil use and schistosomiasis in a region of China where schistosomiasis has reemerged and persisted despite control activities. We tested 2,005 residents for Schistosoma japonicum infection in 2007 and 1,365 residents in 2010 and interviewed heads of household about agricultural practices each study year. We used an intervention attributable ratio framework to estimate the association between night soil use and S. japonicum infection. Night soil use was reported by half of households (56% in 2007 and 46% in 2010). Village night soil use was strongly associated with human S. japonicum infection in 2007. We estimate cessation of night soil use would lead to a 49% reduction in infection prevalence in 2007 (95% CI: 12%, 71%). However, no association between night soil and schistosomiasis was observed in 2010. These inconsistent findings may be due to unmeasured confounding or temporal shifts in the importance of different sources of S. japonicum eggs on the margins of disease elimination. Conclusions/Significance The use of untreated or partially treated human waste as an agricultural fertilizer may be a barrier to permanent reductions in human helminthiases. This practice warrants further attention by the public health community. Many people use human waste as an agricultural fertilizer, often called “night soil.” If the waste is not properly treated, the use of night soil may promote the spread of infectious diseases. We suspected that night soil use may facilitate the spread of the water-borne disease, schistosomiasis, as some schistosomiasis eggs can survive in the environment for weeks. We conducted a study in 36 villages in rural China in order to see if the amount of night soil used in a village was associated with schistosomiasis. The study was conducted in an area where schistosomiasis reemerged and persisted despite an aggressive disease control program. We found half of households reported using night soil—it was used on all major crops and by people across the socio-economic spectrum. We also found that night soil use was strongly associated with schistosomiasis infection in 2007, but not in 2010. Our findings show the use of human waste as an agricultural fertilizer is common in our study region and may increase schistosomiasis infections. The extent to which night soil is used and risks of this practice should be evaluated as part of disease control programs targeting schistosomiasis and other human helminthiases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Yang Liu
- Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Zhong
- Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, China
| | - Alan Hubbard
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Robert C Spear
- Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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Hodges M, Belle JH, Carlton EJ, Liang S, Li H, Luo W, Freeman MC, Liu Y, Gao Y, Hess JJ, Remais JV. Delays reducing waterborne and water-related infectious diseases in China under climate change. Nat Clim Chang 2014; 4:1109-1115. [PMID: 25530812 PMCID: PMC4266400 DOI: 10.1038/nclimate2428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Despite China's rapid progress improving water, sanitation and hygiene (WSH) access, in 2011, 471 million people lacked access to improved sanitation and 401 million to household piped water. Because certain infectious diseases are sensitive to changes in both climate and WSH conditions, we projected impacts of climate change on WSH-attributable diseases in China in 2020 and 2030 by coupling estimates of the temperature sensitivity of diarrheal diseases and three vector-borne diseases, temperature projections from global climate models, WSH-infrastructure development scenarios, and projected demographic changes. By 2030, climate change is projected to delay China's rapid progress toward reducing WSH-attributable infectious disease burden by 8-85 months. This development delay summarizes the adverse impact of climate change on WSH-attributable infectious diseases in China, and can be used in other settings where a significant health burden may accompany future changes in climate even as the total burden of disease falls due to non-climate reasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie Hodges
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Emory University School of Medicine, 1648 Pierce Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jessica H. Belle
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Elizabeth J. Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, 13001 E. 17th Place, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Song Liang
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Huazhong Li
- Office of Disease Control and Emergency Response, China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 155 Changbai Road, Changping District, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Wei Luo
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Matthew C. Freeman
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Yang Gao
- Atmospheric Science and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Boulevard, Richland, WA, 99352USA
| | - Jeremy J. Hess
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Emory University School of Medicine, 1648 Pierce Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Justin V. Remais
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Correspondence to: Dr. Justin V. Remais, Department of Environmental Health, Emory University; address: 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322; phone: 404-712-8908, fax: 404-727-8744;
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Liang S, Yang C, Zhong B, Guo J, Li H, Carlton EJ, Freeman MC, Remais JV. Surveillance systems for neglected tropical diseases: global lessons from China's evolving schistosomiasis reporting systems, 1949-2014. Emerg Themes Epidemiol 2014; 11:19. [PMID: 26265928 PMCID: PMC4531518 DOI: 10.1186/1742-7622-11-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Though it has been a focus of the country’s public health surveillance systems since the 1950s, schistosomiasis represents an ongoing public health challenge in China. Parallel, schistosomiasis-specific surveillance systems have been essential to China’s decades-long campaign to reduce the prevalence of the disease, and have contributed to the successful elimination in five of China’s twelve historically endemic provinces, and to the achievement of morbidity and transmission control in the other seven. More recently, an ambitious goal of achieving nation-wide transmission interruption by 2020 has been proposed. This paper details how schistosomiasis surveillance systems have been structured and restructured within China’s evolving public health system, and how parallel surveillance activities have provided an information system that has been integral to the characterization of, response to, and control of the disease. With the ongoing threat of re-emergence of schistosomiasis in areas previously considered to have achieved transmission control, a critical examination of China’s current surveillance capabilities is needed to direct future investments in health information systems and to enable improved coordination between systems in support of ongoing control. Lessons drawn from China’s experience are applied to the current global movement to reduce the burden of helminthiases, where surveillance capacity based on improved diagnostics is urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Liang
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 1225 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
| | - Changhong Yang
- Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Institute of Public Health Information, 6 Middle School Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041 China
| | - Bo Zhong
- Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Institute of Parasitic Diseases, 6 Middle School Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041 China
| | - Jiagang Guo
- Department of Schistosomiasis, Institute of Parasitic Diseases. Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China ; Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Huazhong Li
- Department of Emergence Response, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Matthew C Freeman
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Justin V Remais
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
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Carlton EJ, Eisenberg JNS, Goldstick J, Cevallos W, Trostle J, Levy K. Heavy rainfall events and diarrhea incidence: the role of social and environmental factors. Am J Epidemiol 2014; 179:344-52. [PMID: 24256618 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwt279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of heavy rainfall events on waterborne diarrheal diseases is uncertain. We conducted weekly, active surveillance for diarrhea in 19 villages in Ecuador from February 2004 to April 2007 in order to evaluate whether biophysical and social factors modify vulnerability to heavy rainfall events. A heavy rainfall event was defined as 24-hour rainfall exceeding the 90th percentile value (56 mm) in a given 7-day period within the study period. Mixed-effects Poisson regression was used to test the hypothesis that rainfall in the prior 8 weeks, water and sanitation conditions, and social cohesion modified the relationship between heavy rainfall events and diarrhea incidence. Heavy rainfall events were associated with increased diarrhea incidence following dry periods (incidence rate ratio = 1.39, 95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.87) and decreased diarrhea incidence following wet periods (incidence rate ratio = 0.74, 95% confidence interval: 0.59, 0.92). Drinking water treatment reduced the deleterious impacts of heavy rainfall events following dry periods. Sanitation, hygiene, and social cohesion did not modify the relationship between heavy rainfall events and diarrhea. Heavy rainfall events appear to affect diarrhea incidence through contamination of drinking water, and they present the greatest health risks following periods of low rainfall. Interventions designed to increase drinking water treatment may reduce climate vulnerability.
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Xiao N, Remais JV, Brindley PJ, Qiu DC, Carlton EJ, Li RZ, Lei Y, Blair D. Approaches to genotyping individual miracidia of Schistosoma japonicum. Parasitol Res 2013; 112:3991-9. [PMID: 24013341 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-013-3587-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2013] [Accepted: 08/22/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Molecular genetic tools are needed to address questions as to the source and dynamics of transmission of the human blood fluke Schistosoma japonicum in regions where human infections have reemerged, and to characterize infrapopulations in individual hosts. The life stage that interests us as a target for collecting genotypic data is the miracidium, a very small larval stage that consequently yields very little DNA for analysis. Here, we report the successful development of a multiplex format permitting genotyping of 17 microsatellite loci in four sequential multiplex reactions using a single miracidium held on a Whatman Classic FTA indicating card. This approach was successful after short storage periods, but after long storage (>4 years), considerable difficulty was encountered in multiplex genotyping, necessitating the use of whole genome amplification (WGA) methods. WGA applied to cards stored for long periods of time resulted in sufficient DNA for accurate and repeatable genotyping. Trials and tests of these methods, as well as application to some field-collected samples, are reported, along with the discussion of the potential insights to be gained from such techniques. These include recognition of sibships among miracidia from a single host, and inference of the minimum number of worm pairs that might be present in a host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Xiao
- Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, People's Republic of China,
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Wang S, Carlton EJ, Chen L, Liu Y, Spear RC. Evaluation of an educational intervention on villagers' knowledge, attitude and behaviour regarding transmission of Schistosoma japonicum in Sichuan province, China. Acta Trop 2013; 127:226-35. [PMID: 23711611 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2013] [Revised: 05/16/2013] [Accepted: 05/19/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Health education is an important component of efforts to control schistosomiasis. In China, while education programmes have been implemented intensively, few articles in recent years in either the Chinese or English literature report randomised, controlled interventions of the impacts on knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. Thus, we designed and carried out a cluster-randomised controlled education intervention trial that targeted 706 adults from rural areas in 28 villages in Sichuan, China. We evaluated the effects of the intervention on five endpoints: (1) schistosomiasis knowledge, (2) attitudes towards infection testing and treatment, (3) use of personal protective equipment (PPE), (4) reducing defecation in the field, and (5) reducing dermal contact with potentially contaminated water sources. The results indicated that people in both the intervention and control groups showed improvement in knowledge, attitudes and reduction in field-defecation in the follow-up surveys. However, there was little evidence that suggested statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding any endpoint. Participation in intervention classes was associated with age, gender, occupation and education level. Our study suggests short-term health education interventions may not be effective in improving schistosomiasis knowledge or in the adoption of health-protective behaviours. This might be partially due to the spontaneous learning process of people subject to repeated surveys and other disease control activities. Considering the difficulties of occupation-associated behaviour change and knowledge reinforcement in general, longer-term education programmes should be considered in the future.
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Carlton EJ, Hubbard A, Wang S, Spear RC. Repeated Schistosoma japonicum infection following treatment in two cohorts: evidence for host susceptibility to helminthiasis? PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2013; 7:e2098. [PMID: 23505589 PMCID: PMC3591324 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2012] [Accepted: 01/24/2013] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In light of multinational efforts to reduce helminthiasis, we evaluated whether there exist high-risk subpopulations for helminth infection. Such individuals are not only at risk of morbidity, but may be important parasite reservoirs and appropriate targets for disease control interventions. Methods/Principal Findings We followed two longitudinal cohorts in Sichuan, China to determine whether there exist persistent human reservoirs for the water-borne helminth, Schistosoma japonicum, in areas where treatment is ongoing. Participants were tested for S. japonicum infection at enrollment and two follow-up points. All infections were promptly treated with praziquantel. We estimated the ratio of the observed to expected proportion of the population with two consecutive infections at follow-up. The expected proportion was estimated using a prevalence-based model and, as highly exposed individuals may be most likely to be repeatedly infected, a second model that accounted for exposure using a data adaptive, machine learning algorithm. Using the prevalence-based model, there were 1.5 and 5.8 times more individuals with two consecutive infections than expected in cohorts 1 and 2, respectively (p<0.001 in both cohorts). When we accounted for exposure, the ratio was 1.3 (p = 0.013) and 2.1 (p<0.001) in cohorts 1 and 2, respectively. Conclusions/Significance We found clustering of infections within a limited number of hosts that was not fully explained by host exposure. This suggests some hosts may be particularly susceptible to S. japonicum infection, or that uncured infections persist despite treatment. We propose an explanatory model that suggests that as cercarial exposure declines, so too does the size of the vulnerable subpopulation. In low-prevalence settings, interventions targeting individuals with a history of S. japonicum infection may efficiently advance disease control efforts. Approximately 1 billion people are infected with one or more helminthes – a class of parasites that can impair physical, mental and economic development. We are interested in whether there exist groups who are repeatedly infected with helminthes over time in areas where treatment is ongoing. Such individuals may be at risk of morbidity and may also serve as parasite reservoirs, making them appropriate targets for disease control programs. We followed two cohorts in rural Sichuan, China in order to evaluate whether the same individuals were repeatedly infected with the water-borne helminth, Schistosoma japonicum. Each participant was tested for infection at enrollment and two follow-up points – all infections were promptly treated. We conducted detailed interviews to assess exposures to S. japonicum. We found infections repeatedly occurred in a subgroup of individuals and this clustering of infections was only partly explained by differences in exposure. This suggests some individuals may be particularly susceptible to S. japonicum infection. Further exploration of the interplay of exposure and susceptibility suggest that as exposure declines, so too does the fraction of the population vulnerable to infection. Helminth control programs that target people with a history of infection may efficiently reduce helminth infections and morbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Carlton
- Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
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Fung MS, Xiao N, Wang S, Carlton EJ. Field evaluation of a PCR test for Schistosoma japonicum egg detection in low-prevalence regions of China. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2012; 87:1053-8. [PMID: 23109374 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.12-0177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensitive Schistosoma japonicum detection methods are needed to progress from schistosomiasis control to elimination. The sensitivity of the Kato-Katz thick smear and miracidium hatching tests decrease with infection intensity and serological tests cannot always identify current infections. We evaluated a fecal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to detect S. japonicum infection in 106 humans and 8 bovines in China. PCR was highly sensitive, detecting S. japonicum DNA at 0.5 eggs/g of stool. Comparing PCR examination of a single stool sample to the miracidium hatching test using three consecutive stool samples, more humans were hatching test positive (20%) than PCR positive (15%). However, two individuals were PCR positive in a village where no infections were detected by coprological methods. The sensitivity of PCR makes it a promising tool for schistosomiasis diagnostics and screening, although egg shedding variability and stool sample size present challenges for any detection method in low-transmission areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mai S Fung
- Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California-Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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Carlton EJ, Liang S, McDowell JZ, Li H, Luo W, Remais JV. Regional disparities in the burden of disease attributable to unsafe water and poor sanitation in China. Bull World Health Organ 2012; 90:578-87. [PMID: 22893741 DOI: 10.2471/blt.11.098343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2011] [Revised: 02/08/2012] [Accepted: 03/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To estimate the disease burden attributable to unsafe water and poor sanitation and hygiene in China, to identify high-burden groups and to inform improvement measures. METHODS The disease burden attributable to unsafe water and poor sanitation and hygiene in China was estimated for diseases resulting from exposure to biologically contaminated soil and water (diarrhoeal disease, helminthiases and schistosomiasis) and vector transmission resulting from inadequate management of water resources (malaria, dengue and Japanese encephalitis). The data were obtained from China's national infectious disease reporting system, national helminthiasis surveys and national water and sanitation surveys. The fraction of each health condition attributable to unsafe water and poor sanitation and hygiene in China was estimated from data in the Chinese and international literature. FINDINGS In 2008, 327 million people in China lacked access to piped drinking water and 535 million lacked access to improved sanitation. The same year, unsafe water and poor sanitation and hygiene accounted for 2.81 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and 62,800 deaths in the country, and 83% of the attributable burden was found in children less than 5 years old. Per capita DALYs increased along an east-west gradient, with the highest burden in inland provinces having the lowest income per capita. CONCLUSION Despite remarkable progress, China still needs to conduct infrastructural improvement projects targeting provinces that have experienced slower economic development. Improved monitoring, increased regulatory oversight and more government transparency are needed to better estimate the effects of microbiologically and chemically contaminated water and poor sanitation and hygiene on human health.
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Abstract
China has seen the largest human migration in history, and the country's rapid urbanisation has important consequences for public health. A provincial analysis of its urbanisation trends shows shifting and accelerating rural-to-urban migration across the country and accompanying rapid increases in city size and population. The growing disease burden in urban areas attributable to nutrition and lifestyle choices is a major public health challenge, as are troubling disparities in health-care access, vaccination coverage, and accidents and injuries in China's rural-to-urban migrant population. Urban environmental quality, including air and water pollution, contributes to disease both in urban and in rural areas, and traffic-related accidents pose a major public health threat as the country becomes increasingly motorised. To address the health challenges and maximise the benefits that accompany this rapid urbanisation, innovative health policies focused on the needs of migrants and research that could close knowledge gaps on urban population exposures are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Gong
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modelling, Centre for Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Song Liang
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Qingwu Jiang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianyong Wu
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Jointly Sponsored by Institute of Remote Sensing Applications, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Justin V Remais
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Correspondence to: Dr Justin V Remais, Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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Seto EYW, Remais JV, Carlton EJ, Wang S, Liang S, Brindley PJ, Qiu D, Spear RC, Wang LD, Wang TP, Chen HG, Dong XQ, Wang LY, Hao Y, Bergquist R, Zhou XN. Toward sustainable and comprehensive control of schistosomiasis in China: lessons from Sichuan. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2011; 5:e1372. [PMID: 22039563 PMCID: PMC3201916 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Triggered by a fascinating publication in the New England Journal of Medicine detailing China's new multi-pronged strategy to control and eventually interrupt the transmission of Schistosoma japonicum, this PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Debate critically examines the generalizability and financial costs of the studies presented from the marshlands of the lake region. Edmund Seto from the University of California and colleagues emphasize that the epidemiology and control of schistosomiasis varies according to the social-ecological context. They conjecture that the successful intervention packages piloted in the lake region is not fully fit for the hilly and mountainous environments in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, and hence call for more flexible, setting-specific, and less expensive control strategies. In response, Xiao-Nong Zhou from the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases at the Chinese Center of Disease Control and Prevention and colleagues explain the steps from designing pilot studies to the articulation and implementation of a new national control strategy through a careful process of scaling-up and adaptations. Finally, the two opponents converge. The need for integrated, intersectoral, and setting-specific control measures is stressed, supported by rigorous surveillance and continuous research. Experiences and lessons from China are important for shaping the schistosomiasis elimination agenda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmund Y. W. Seto
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (EYWS); (X-NZ)
| | - Justin V. Remais
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth J. Carlton
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Shuo Wang
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Song Liang
- College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Paul J. Brindley
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Dongchuan Qiu
- Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Robert C. Spear
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Long-De Wang
- School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Tian-Ping Wang
- Anhui Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuhu, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong-Gen Chen
- Jiangxi Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xing-Qi Dong
- Yunnan Institute of Endemic Diseases, Dali, People's Republic of China
| | - Li-Ying Wang
- Ministry of Health, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Hao
- Ministry of Health, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Xiao-Nong Zhou
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- * E-mail: (EYWS); (X-NZ)
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Carlton EJ, Bates MN, Zhong B, Seto EYW, Spear RC. Evaluation of mammalian and intermediate host surveillance methods for detecting schistosomiasis reemergence in southwest China. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2011; 5:e987. [PMID: 21408127 PMCID: PMC3050915 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2010] [Accepted: 02/14/2011] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Schistosomiasis has reemerged in China, threatening schistosomiasis elimination efforts. Surveillance methods that can identify locations where schistosomiasis has reemerged are needed to prevent the further spread of infections. Methods and Principal Findings We tested humans, cows, water buffalo and the intermediate host snail, Oncomelania hupensis, for Schistosoma japonicum infection, assessed snail densities and extracted regional surveillance records in areas where schistosomiasis reemerged in Sichuan province. We then evaluated the ability of surveillance methods to identify villages where human infections were present. Human infections were detected in 35 of the 53 villages surveyed (infection prevalence: 0 to 43%), including 17 of 28 villages with no prior evidence of reemergence. Bovine infections were detected in 23 villages (infection prevalence: 0 to 65%) and snail infections in one village. Two common surveillance methods, acute schistosomiasis case reports and surveys for S. japonicum-infected snails, grossly underestimated the number of villages where human infections were present (sensitivity 1% and 3%, respectively). Screening bovines for S. japonicum and surveys for the presence of O. hupensis had modest sensitivity (59% and 69% respectively) and specificity (67% and 44%, respectively). Older adults and bovine owners were at elevated risk of infection. Testing only these high-risk human populations yielded sensitivities of 77% and 71%, respectively. Conclusions Human and bovine schistosomiasis were widespread in regions where schistosomiasis had reemerged but acute schistosomiasis and S. japonicum-infected snails were rare and, therefore, poor surveillance targets. Until more efficient, sensitive surveillance strategies are developed, direct, targeted parasitological testing of high-risk human populations should be considered to monitor for schistosomiasis reemergence. Schistosomiasis has reemerged in China in regions where it was previously controlled. As reductions in schistosomiasis, a water-born parasitic infection, prompt consideration of schistosomiasis elimination, surveillance strategies that can signal reemergence and prevent further lapses in control are needed. We examined the distribution of Schistosoma japonicum, the species that causes schistosomiasis in China, in 53 villages. The villages were located in regions of Sichuan province where schistosomiasis reemergence had been documented by public health authorities. We tested three key reservoirs, humans, cows and water buffalo, and freshwater snails for S. japonicum infection in an effort to identify high-risk populations and evaluate their ability to signal reemergence. Human and bovine infections were common, detected in 35 villages and 23 villages, respectively, but infected snails were rare, found in only one village. Two commonly used surveillance methods, hospital reports of acute schistosomiasis and surveys for S. japonicum-infected snails, grossly underestimated the number of villages where human infections were present. Schistosomiasis was widespread in the region we studied, highlighting the danger reemergence poses to disease elimination programs. Surveillance systems that monitor high-risk populations such as older adults or bovine owners should be considered to promote detection of reemergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Carlton
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
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Sudat SEK, Carlton EJ, Seto EYW, Spear RC, Hubbard AE. Using variable importance measures from causal inference to rank risk factors of schistosomiasis infection in a rural setting in China. Epidemiol Perspect Innov 2010; 7:3. [PMID: 20626918 PMCID: PMC2913928 DOI: 10.1186/1742-5573-7-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2009] [Accepted: 07/14/2010] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis infection, contracted through contact with contaminated water, is a global public health concern. In this paper we analyze data from a retrospective study reporting water contact and schistosomiasis infection status among 1011 individuals in rural China. We present semi-parametric methods for identifying risk factors through a comparison of three analysis approaches: a prediction-focused machine learning algorithm, a simple main-effects multivariable regression, and a semi-parametric variable importance (VI) estimate inspired by a causal population intervention parameter. RESULTS The multivariable regression found only tool washing to be associated with the outcome, with a relative risk of 1.03 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.01-1.05. Three types of water contact were found to be associated with the outcome in the semi-parametric VI analysis: July water contact (VI estimate 0.16, 95% CI 0.11-0.22), water contact from tool washing (VI estimate 0.88, 95% CI 0.80-0.97), and water contact from rice planting (VI estimate 0.71, 95% CI 0.53-0.96). The July VI result, in particular, indicated a strong association with infection status - its causal interpretation implies that eliminating water contact in July would reduce the prevalence of schistosomiasis in our study population by 84%, or from 0.3 to 0.05 (95% CI 78%-89%). CONCLUSIONS The July VI estimate suggests possible within-season variability in schistosomiasis infection risk, an association not detected by the regression analysis. Though there are many limitations to this study that temper the potential for causal interpretations, if a high-risk time period could be detected in something close to real time, new prevention options would be opened. Most importantly, we emphasize that traditional regression approaches are usually based on arbitrary pre-specified models, making their parameters difficult to interpret in the context of real-world applications. Our results support the practical application of analysis approaches that, in contrast, do not require arbitrary model pre-specification, estimate parameters that have simple public health interpretations, and apply inference that considers model selection as a source of variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia EK Sudat
- Division of Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Edmund YW Seto
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Robert C Spear
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Alan E Hubbard
- Division of Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley, USA
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Carlton EJ, Hsiang M, Zhang Y, Johnson S, Hubbard A, Spear RC. The impact of Schistosoma japonicum infection and treatment on ultrasound-detectable morbidity: a five-year cohort study in Southwest China. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2010; 4:e685. [PMID: 20502515 PMCID: PMC2872638 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2009] [Accepted: 03/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ultrasonography allows for non-invasive examination of the liver and spleen and can further our understanding of schistosomiasis morbidity. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We followed 578 people in Southwest China for up to five years. Participants were tested for Schistosoma japonicum infection in stool and seven standard measures of the liver and spleen were obtained using ultrasound to evaluate the relationship between schistosomiasis infection and ultrasound-detectable pathology, and the impact of targeted treatment on morbidity. Parenchymal fibrosis, a network pattern of the liver unique to S. japonicum, was associated with infection at the time of ultrasound (OR 1.40, 95% CI: 1.03-1.90) and infection intensity (test for trend, p = 0.002), adjusting for age, sex and year, and more strongly associated with prior infection status and intensity (adjusted OR 1.84, 95% CI: 1.30-2.60; test for trend: p<0.001 respectively), despite prompt treatment of infections. While declines in parenchymal fibrosis over time were statistically significant, only 28% of individuals with severe parenchymal fibrosis (grades 2 or 3) at enrollment reversed to normal or grade 1 within five years. Other liver abnormalities were less consistently associated with S. japonicum infection. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Parenchymal fibrosis is an appropriate measure of S. japonicum morbidity and can document reductions in disease following control efforts. Other ultrasound measures may have limited epidemiological value in regions with similar infection levels. Because severe fibrosis may not reverse quickly following treatment, efforts to reduce exposure to S. japonicum should be considered in combination with treatment to prevent schistosomiasis morbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Carlton
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
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Hsiang MS, Carlton EJ, Zhang Y, Zhong B, Dongchuan Q, Cohen PA, Stewart CC, Spear RC. Use of ultrasonography to evaluate Schistosoma japonicum-related morbidity in children, Sichuan Province, China, 2000-2007. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2010; 82:103-11. [PMID: 20065003 PMCID: PMC2803517 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2010.09-0061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2009] [Accepted: 09/28/2009] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver ultrasonography is a convenient way to evaluate Schistosoma japonicum-related morbidity; however, no consensus standards exist, and data on use in Chinese children are scant. We describe 7 years of ultrasound findings in a prospective cohort of 151 children from an endemic area in Sichuan Province, China and evaluate technical aspects of the ultrasound methodology. Although prevalence of infection decreased over time, prevalence of hepatomegaly increased, which was likely caused by re-infections. The prevalence of late findings such as parenchymal fibrosis and splenomegaly were rare and did not increase over time; however, when present, they were associated with stunting. The use of adult thresholds versus height-adjusted standards underestimated pathology in children. Reliability of all measures except parenchymal grade was poor to fair. Our findings highlight the importance of early intervention and screening. We also suggest methodological refinements to improve reliability of ultrasonography for large-scale assessment of S. japonicum-related subclinical morbidity in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle S Hsiang
- Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California 94105, USA.
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