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Walsh MG, Webb C, Brookes V. An evaluation of the landscape structure and La Niña climatic anomalies associated with Japanese encephalitis virus outbreaks reported in Australian piggeries in 2022. One Health 2023; 16:100566. [PMID: 37363260 PMCID: PMC10285696 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100566] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The widespread activity of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) reported in previously unaffected regions of eastern and southern Australia in 2022 represents the most significant local arbovirus emergency in almost 50 years. Japanese encephalitis virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and maintained in wild ardeid birds and amplified in pigs, the latter of which suffer significant reproductive losses as a result of infection. The landscape epidemiology of JEV in mainland Australia is almost entirely unknown, particularly in the eastern and southern parts of the country where the virus has not been previously documented. Although other areas with endemic JEV circulation in the Indo-Pacific region have demonstrated the importance of wild waterbird-livestock interface in agricultural-wetland mosaics, no such investigation has yet determined the composition and configuration of pathogenic landscapes for Australia. Moreover, the recent emergence in Australia has followed substantial precipitation and temperature anomalies associated with the La Niña phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation. This study investigated the landscape epidemiology of JEV outbreaks in Australian piggeries reported between January and April of 2022 to determine the influence of ardeid habitat suitability, hydrogeography, hydrology, land cover and La Niña-associated climate anomalies. Outbreaks of JEV in domestic pigs were associated with intermediate ardeid species richness, cultivated land and grassland fragmentation, waterway proximity, temporary wetlands, and hydrological flow accumulation. This study has identified the composition and configuration of landscape features that were associated with piggery outbreaks reported in 2022 in Australia. Although preliminary, these findings can inform actionable strategies for the development of new One Health JEV surveillance specific to the needs of Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G. Walsh
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Public Health, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- One Health Centre, The Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
- The Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Cameron Webb
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Medical Entomology, NSW Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Victoria Brookes
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
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Walsh MG, Pattanaik A, Vyas N, Saxena D, Webb C, Sawleshwarkar S, Mukhopadhyay C. A biogeographical description of the wild waterbird species associated with high-risk landscapes of Japanese encephalitis virus in India. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:e3015-e3023. [PMID: 35809085 PMCID: PMC9796264 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14656] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Wild reservoirs of Japanese encephalitis virus are under-studied globally, which presents critical knowledge gaps for JEV epidemiology and infection ecology despite decades of received wisdom regarding this high-impact mosquito-borne virus. As a result, ardeid birds, generally understood to be the primary reservoirs for JEV, as well as other waterbirds occupying landscapes at high risk for spillover to humans, are frequently ignored by current surveillance mechanisms and infrastructure. This is particularly true in India, which experiences a high annual burden of human outbreaks. Incorporating wild reservoirs into surveillance of human and livestock populations is therefore essential but will first require a data-driven approach to target individual host species. The current study sought to identify preliminary waterbird target species for JEV surveillance development based on species' distributions in high-risk landscapes. Twenty-one target species were identified after adjusting species presence and abundance for the biotic constraints of sympatry. Furthermore, ardeid bird species richness demonstrated a strong non-linear association with the distribution of human JEV outbreaks, which suggested areas with the highest ardeid species richness corresponded to low JEV outbreak risk. No association was identified between JEV outbreaks and anatid or rallid richness. The lack of association between Anatidae and Rallidae family-level diversity and JEV outbreak risk notwithstanding, this study did identify several individual species among these two bird families in high-risk landscapes. The findings from this work provide the first data-driven evidence base to inform wildlife sampling for the monitoring of JEV circulation in outbreak hotspots in India and thus identify good preliminary targets for the development of One Health JEV surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G. Walsh
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Public HealthThe University of SydneyCamperdownNew South WalesAustralia,Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Institute for Infectious DiseasesThe University of SydneyWestmeadNew South WalesAustralia,One Health Centre, The Prasanna School of Public HealthManipal Academy of Higher EducationManipalKarnatakaIndia,The Prasanna School of Public HealthManipal Academy of Higher EducationManipalKarnatakaIndia
| | - Amrita Pattanaik
- Manipal Institute of VirologyManipal Academy of Higher EducationManipalKarnatakaIndia
| | - Navya Vyas
- One Health Centre, The Prasanna School of Public HealthManipal Academy of Higher EducationManipalKarnatakaIndia,The Prasanna School of Public HealthManipal Academy of Higher EducationManipalKarnatakaIndia
| | - Deepak Saxena
- Department of EpidemiologyIndian Institute of Public Health GandhinagarGandhinagarGujaratIndia
| | - Cameron Webb
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Institute for Infectious DiseasesThe University of SydneyWestmeadNew South WalesAustralia,Department of Medical EntomologyNSW Health Pathology, Westmead HospitalWestmeadNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Shailendra Sawleshwarkar
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Institute for Infectious DiseasesThe University of SydneyWestmeadNew South WalesAustralia,One Health Centre, The Prasanna School of Public HealthManipal Academy of Higher EducationManipalKarnatakaIndia,The Prasanna School of Public HealthManipal Academy of Higher EducationManipalKarnatakaIndia,Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead Clinical SchoolThe University of SydneyWestmeadNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Chiranjay Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Microbiology, Kasturba Medical CollegeManipal Academy of Higher EducationManipalKarnatakaIndia,Centre for Emerging and Tropical Diseases, Kasturba Medical CollegeManipal Academy of Higher EducationManipalKarnatakaIndia
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3
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Kumssa DB, Mossa AW, Amede T, Ander EL, Bailey EH, Botoman L, Chagumaira C, Chimungu JG, Davis K, Gameda S, Haefele SM, Hailu K, Joy EJM, Lark RM, Ligowe IS, McGrath SP, Milne A, Muleya P, Munthali M, Towett E, Walsh MG, Wilson L, Young SD, Haji IR, Broadley MR, Gashu D, Nalivata PC. Cereal grain mineral micronutrient and soil chemistry data from GeoNutrition surveys in Ethiopia and Malawi. Sci Data 2022; 9:443. [PMID: 35879373 PMCID: PMC9314434 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01500-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The dataset comprises primary data for the concentration of 29 mineral micronutrients in cereal grains and up to 84 soil chemistry properties from GeoNutrition project surveys in Ethiopia and Malawi. The work provided insights on geospatial variation in the micronutrient concentration in staple crops, and the potential influencing soil factors. In Ethiopia, sampling was conducted in Amhara, Oromia, and Tigray regions, during the late-2017 and late-2018 harvest seasons. In Malawi, national-scale sampling was conducted during the April–June 2018 harvest season. The concentrations of micronutrients in grain were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Soil chemistry properties reported include soil pH; total soil nitrogen; total soil carbon (C); soil organic C; effective cation exchange capacity and exchangeable cations; a three-step sequential extraction scheme for the fractionation of sulfur and selenium; available phosphate; diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)-extractable trace elements; extractable trace elements using 0.01 M Ca(NO3)2 and 0.01 M CaCl2; and isotopically exchangeable Zn. These data are reported here according to FAIR data principles to enable users to further explore agriculture-nutrition linkages. Measurement(s) | Trace Element • soil chemical properties | Technology Type(s) | Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry | Factor Type(s) | Geography • Staple cereal crop | Sample Characteristic - Organism | Staple cereal food crops | Sample Characteristic - Environment | Smallholder farming | Sample Characteristic - Location | Ethiopia • Malawi |
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Affiliation(s)
- D B Kumssa
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - A W Mossa
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - T Amede
- International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), ILRI Sholla Campus, P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - E L Ander
- Centre for Environmental Geochemistry, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, NG12 5GG, UK
| | - E H Bailey
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - L Botoman
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda College, P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi.,The Department of Agricultural Research Services, P.O. Box 30779, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - C Chagumaira
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK.,Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda College, P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi.,Future Food Beacon, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK.,Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - J G Chimungu
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda College, P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - K Davis
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - S Gameda
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), ILRI Sholla Campus, P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - S M Haefele
- Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - K Hailu
- Centre for Food Science and Nutrition, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.,Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - E J M Joy
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - R M Lark
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK.,Future Food Beacon, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - I S Ligowe
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda College, P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi.,The Department of Agricultural Research Services, P.O. Box 30779, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - S P McGrath
- Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - A Milne
- Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - P Muleya
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - M Munthali
- The Department of Agricultural Research Services, P.O. Box 30779, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - E Towett
- World Agroforestry (ICRAF), United Nations Avenue, P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - M G Walsh
- Africa Soil Information Service, Selian Agricultural Research Institute, P.O. Box 2704, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - L Wilson
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - S D Young
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - I R Haji
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - M R Broadley
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK. .,Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK.
| | - D Gashu
- Centre for Food Science and Nutrition, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - P C Nalivata
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda College, P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi
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Botoman L, Chagumaira C, Mossa AW, Amede T, Ander EL, Bailey EH, Chimungu JG, Gameda S, Gashu D, Haefele SM, Joy EJM, Kumssa DB, Ligowe IS, McGrath SP, Milne AE, Munthali M, Towett E, Walsh MG, Wilson L, Young SD, Broadley MR, Lark RM, Nalivata PC. Soil and landscape factors influence geospatial variation in maize grain zinc concentration in Malawi. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7986. [PMID: 35568698 PMCID: PMC9107474 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12014-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Dietary zinc (Zn) deficiency is widespread globally, and in particular among people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In Malawi, dietary sources of Zn are dominated by maize and spatially dependent variation in grain Zn concentration, which will affect dietary Zn intake, has been reported at distances of up to ~ 100 km. The aim of this study was to identify potential soil properties and environmental covariates which might explain this longer-range spatial variation in maize grain Zn concentration. Data for maize grain Zn concentrations, soil properties, and environmental covariates were obtained from a spatially representative survey in Malawi (n = 1600 locations). Labile and non-labile soil Zn forms were determined using isotopic dilution methods, alongside conventional agronomic soil analyses. Soil properties and environmental covariates as potential predictors of the concentration of Zn in maize grain were tested using a priori expert rankings and false discovery rate (FDR) controls within the linear mixed model (LMM) framework that informed the original survey design. Mean and median grain Zn concentrations were 21.8 and 21.5 mg kg−1, respectively (standard deviation 4.5; range 10.0–48.1). A LMM for grain Zn concentration was constructed for which the independent variables: soil pH(water), isotopically exchangeable Zn (ZnE), and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) extractable Zn (ZnDTPA) had predictive value (p < 0.01 in all cases, with FDR controlled at < 0.05). Downscaled mean annual temperature also explained a proportion of the spatial variation in grain Zn concentration. Evidence for spatially dependent variation in maize grain Zn concentrations in Malawi is robust within the LMM framework used in this study, at distances of up to ~ 100 km. Spatial predictions from this LMM provide a basis for further investigation of variations in the contribution of staple foods to Zn nutrition, and where interventions to increase dietary Zn intake (e.g. biofortification) might be most effective. Other soil and landscape factors influencing spatially dependent variation in maize grain Zn concentration, along with factors operating over shorter distances such as choice of crop variety and agronomic practices, require further exploration beyond the scope of the design of this survey.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Botoman
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda College Campus, P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi.,The Department of Agricultural Research Services, P.O. Box 30779, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
| | - C Chagumaira
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda College Campus, P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi.,School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK.,Future Food Beacon, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK.,Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - A W Mossa
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - T Amede
- Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), o/C, ILRI, Guidoshola, P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - E L Ander
- Centre for Environmental Geochemistry, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, NG12 5GG, UK
| | - E H Bailey
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - J G Chimungu
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda College Campus, P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - S Gameda
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), ILRI Sholla Campus, P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - D Gashu
- Centre for Food Science and Nutrition, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - S M Haefele
- Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - E J M Joy
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - D B Kumssa
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - I S Ligowe
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda College Campus, P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi.,The Department of Agricultural Research Services, P.O. Box 30779, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
| | - S P McGrath
- Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - A E Milne
- Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - M Munthali
- The Department of Agricultural Research Services, P.O. Box 30779, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
| | - E Towett
- World Agroforestry (ICRAF), United Nations Avenue, P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - M G Walsh
- Africa Soil Information Service, Selian Agricultural Research Institute, P.O. Box 2704, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - L Wilson
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - S D Young
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - M R Broadley
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK.,Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - R M Lark
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK.,Future Food Beacon, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - P C Nalivata
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda College Campus, P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi.
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Walsh MG, Pattanaik A, Vyas N, Saxena D, Webb C, Sawleshwarkar S, Mukhopadhyay C. High-risk landscapes of Japanese encephalitis virus outbreaks in India converge on wetlands, rain-fed agriculture, wild Ardeidae, and domestic pigs and chickens. Int J Epidemiol 2022; 51:1408-1418. [PMID: 35355081 PMCID: PMC9557850 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyac050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a zoonotic mosquito-borne virus that causes a significant burden of disease across Asia, particularly in India, with high mortality in children. JEV circulates in wild ardeid birds and domestic pig reservoirs, both of which generate sufficiently high viraemias to infect vector mosquitoes, which can then subsequently infect humans. The landscapes of these hosts, particularly in the context of anthropogenic ecotones and resulting wildlife–livestock interfaces, are poorly understood and thus significant knowledge gaps in the epidemiology of JEV persist. This study sought to investigate the landscape epidemiology of JEV outbreaks in India over the period 2010–2020 to determine the influence of shared wetland and rain-fed agricultural landscapes and animal hosts on outbreak risk. Methods Using surveillance data from India’s National Centre for Disease Control Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, JEV outbreaks were modelled as an inhomogeneous Poisson point process and externally validated against independently sourced data. Results Outbreak risk was strongly associated with the habitat suitability of ardeid birds, both pig and chicken density, and the shared landscapes between fragmented rain-fed agriculture and both river and freshwater marsh wetlands. Conclusion The results from this work provide the most complete understanding of the landscape epidemiology of JEV in India to date and suggest important One Health priorities for control and prevention across fragmented terrain comprising a wildlife–livestock interface that favours spillover to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,One Health Centre, The Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.,The Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Amrita Pattanaik
- Manipal Institute of Virology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Navya Vyas
- One Health Centre, The Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.,The Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Deepak Saxena
- Department of Epidemiology, Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Cameron Webb
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Medical Entomology, NSW Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Shailendra Sawleshwarkar
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,One Health Centre, The Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.,The Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.,The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead Clinical School, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Chiranjay Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Microbiology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.,Centre for Emerging and Tropical Diseases, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
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6
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Duong TMN, Le TV, Tran KLH, Nguyen PT, Nguyen BPT, Nguyen TA, Nguyen HLP, Nguyen BNT, Fisher MC, Rhodes J, Marks G, Fox GJ, Chen SCA, Walsh MG, Barrs VR, Talbot J, Halliday CL, Sorrell TC, Day JN, Beardsley J. Azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus is highly prevalent in the environment of Vietnam, with marked variability by land use type. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:7632-7642. [PMID: 34232541 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Azole-resistant environmental Aspergillus fumigatus presents a threat to public health but the extent of this threat in Southeast Asia is poorly described. We conducted environmental surveillance in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, collecting air and ground samples across key land-use types, and determined antifungal susceptibilities of Aspergillus section Fumigati (ASF) isolates and azole concentrations in soils. Of 119 ASF isolates, 55% were resistant (or non-wild type) to itraconazole, 65% to posaconazole and 50% to voriconazole. Azole resistance was more frequent in A. fumigatus sensu stricto isolates (95%) than other ASF species (32%). Resistant isolates and agricultural azole residues were overrepresented in samples from cultivated land. cyp51A gene sequence analysis showed 38/56 resistant A. fumigatus sensu stricto isolates carried known resistance mutations, with TR34 /L98H most frequent (34/38).
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Affiliation(s)
- Tra-My N Duong
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2145, Australia.,Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, 70000, Vietnam
| | - Thanh-Van Le
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, 70000, Vietnam
| | - Khanh-Linh H Tran
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, 70000, Vietnam
| | | | | | - Thu-Anh Nguyen
- Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Hanoi, 10000, Vietnam
| | | | - Bich-Ngoc T Nguyen
- National Lung Hospital, Hanoi, 10000, Vietnam.,Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, 10000, Vietnam
| | - Matthew C Fisher
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College London, London, W2 1NY, UK
| | - Johanna Rhodes
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College London, London, W2 1NY, UK
| | - Guy Marks
- Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Hanoi, 10000, Vietnam
| | - Greg J Fox
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2145, Australia.,Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Hanoi, 10000, Vietnam
| | - Sharon C-A Chen
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2145, Australia.,Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, NSW Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, 2145, Australia
| | - Michael G Walsh
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2145, Australia.,Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2145, Australia
| | - Vanessa R Barrs
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2145, Australia.,Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Jessica Talbot
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2145, Australia
| | - Catriona L Halliday
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2145, Australia.,Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, NSW Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, 2145, Australia
| | - Tania C Sorrell
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2145, Australia.,Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2145, Australia.,Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, Sydney, 2145, Australia
| | - Jeremy N Day
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, 70000, Vietnam.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Justin Beardsley
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2145, Australia.,Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, 70000, Vietnam.,Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2145, Australia.,Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, Sydney, 2145, Australia
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Gashu D, Nalivata PC, Amede T, Ander EL, Bailey EH, Botoman L, Chagumaira C, Gameda S, Haefele SM, Hailu K, Joy EJM, Kalimbira AA, Kumssa DB, Lark RM, Ligowe IS, McGrath SP, Milne AE, Mossa AW, Munthali M, Towett EK, Walsh MG, Wilson L, Young SD, Broadley MR. The nutritional quality of cereals varies geospatially in Ethiopia and Malawi. Nature 2021; 594:71-76. [PMID: 34012114 PMCID: PMC8172382 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03559-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [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] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) remain widespread among people in sub-Saharan Africa1-5, where access to sufficient food from plant and animal sources that is rich in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) is limited due to socioeconomic and geographical reasons4-6. Here we report the micronutrient composition (calcium, iron, selenium and zinc) of staple cereal grains for most of the cereal production areas in Ethiopia and Malawi. We show that there is geospatial variation in the composition of micronutrients that is nutritionally important at subnational scales. Soil and environmental covariates of grain micronutrient concentrations included soil pH, soil organic matter, temperature, rainfall and topography, which were specific to micronutrient and crop type. For rural households consuming locally sourced food-including many smallholder farming communities-the location of residence can be the largest influencing factor in determining the dietary intake of micronutrients from cereals. Positive relationships between the concentration of selenium in grain and biomarkers of selenium dietary status occur in both countries. Surveillance of MNDs on the basis of biomarkers of status and dietary intakes from national- and regional-scale food-composition data1-7 could be improved using subnational data on the composition of grain micronutrients. Beyond dietary diversification, interventions to alleviate MNDs, such as food fortification8,9 and biofortification to increase the micronutrient concentrations in crops10,11, should account for geographical effects that can be larger in magnitude than intervention outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Gashu
- Centre for Food Science and Nutrition, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - P C Nalivata
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - T Amede
- International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - E L Ander
- Centre for Environmental Geochemistry, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, UK
| | - E H Bailey
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - L Botoman
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe, Malawi
- The Department of Agricultural Research Services, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - C Chagumaira
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe, Malawi
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
- Future Food Beacon, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
- Sustainable Agriculture Sciences Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK
| | - S Gameda
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - S M Haefele
- Sustainable Agriculture Sciences Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK
| | - K Hailu
- Centre for Food Science and Nutrition, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Food Science and Applied Nutrition, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - E J M Joy
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - A A Kalimbira
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - D B Kumssa
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - R M Lark
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
- Future Food Beacon, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - I S Ligowe
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe, Malawi
- The Department of Agricultural Research Services, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - S P McGrath
- Sustainable Agriculture Sciences Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK
| | - A E Milne
- Sustainable Agriculture Sciences Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK
| | - A W Mossa
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - M Munthali
- The Department of Agricultural Research Services, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - E K Towett
- World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - M G Walsh
- Africa Soil Information Service, Selian Agricultural Research Institute, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - L Wilson
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - S D Young
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - M R Broadley
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK.
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Walsh MG, Sawleshwarkar S, Hossain S, Mor SM. Whence the next pandemic? The intersecting global geography of the animal-human interface, poor health systems and air transit centrality reveals conduits for high-impact spillover. One Health 2020; 11:100177. [PMID: 33052311 PMCID: PMC7543735 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2020.100177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [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: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The health and economic impacts of infectious disease pandemics are catastrophic as most recently manifested by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The emerging infections that lead to substantive epidemics or pandemics are typically zoonoses that cross species boundaries at vulnerable points of animal-human interface. The sharing of space between wildlife and humans, and their domesticated animals, has dramatically increased in recent decades and is a key driver of pathogen spillover. Increasing animal-human interface has also occurred in concert with both increasing globalisation and failing health systems, resulting in a trifecta with dire implications for human and animal health. Nevertheless, to date we lack a geographical description of this trifecta that can be applied strategically to pandemic prevention. This investigation provides the first geographical quantification of the intersection of animal-human interfaces, poor human health system performance and global connectivity via the network of air travel. In so doing, this work provides a systematic, data-driven approach to classifying spillover hazard based on the distribution of animal-human interfaces while simultaneously identifying globally connected cities that are adjacent to these interfaces and which may facilitate global pathogen dissemination. We present this geography of high-impact spillover as a tool for developing targeted surveillance systems and improved health infrastructure in vulnerable areas that may present conduits for future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G. Walsh
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Shailendra Sawleshwarkar
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Shah Hossain
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Siobhan M. Mor
- University of Liverpool, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Institute of Infection and Global Health Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom
- International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Veterinary Science, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
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Walsh MG, Mor SM, Hossain S. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) Landscape Suitability Varies by Wetland Habitats and the Degree of Interface between Wild Waterfowl and Poultry in India. Viruses 2020; 12:v12111290. [PMID: 33187179 PMCID: PMC7697759 DOI: 10.3390/v12111290] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, subtype H5N1, constitutes one of the world's most important health and economic concerns given the catastrophic impact of epizootics on the poultry industry, the high mortality attending spillover in humans, and its potential as a source subtype for a future pandemic. Nevertheless, we still lack an adequate understanding of HPAI H5N1 epidemiology and infection ecology. The nature of the wild waterfowl-poultry interface, and the sharing of diverse wetland habitat among these birds, currently underscore important knowledge gaps. India has emerged as a global hotspot for HPAI H5N1, while also providing critical wintering habitat for many species of migratory waterfowl and year-round habitat for several resident waterfowl species. The current study sought to examine the extent to which the wild waterfowl-poultry interface, varied wetland habitat, and climate influence HPAI H5N1 epizootics in poultry in India. Using World Organisation for Animal Health reported outbreaks, this study showed that the wild waterfowl-poultry interface and lacustrine, riparian, and coastal marsh wetland systems were strongly associated with landscape suitability, and these relationships varied by scale. Although increasing poultry density was associated with increasing risk, this was only the case in the absence of wild waterfowl habitat, and only at a local scale. In landscapes increasingly shared between wild waterfowl and poultry, suitability was greater among lower density poultry, again at a local scale only. These findings provide further insight into the occurrence of HPAI H5N1 in India and suggest important landscape targets for blocking the waterfowl-poultry interface to interrupt virus transmission and prevent future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G. Walsh
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia;
- The Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
- Correspondence: or
| | - Siobhan M. Mor
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Institute of Infection and Global Health Liverpool, The University of Liverpool, Merseyside L69 3BX, UK;
- International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa 2R87, Ethiopia
| | - Shah Hossain
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia;
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Walsh MG, Hossain S. Population structure and diet generalism define a preliminary ecological profile of zoonotic virus hosts in the Western Ghats, India. Epidemics 2020; 33:100416. [PMID: 33161184 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2020.100416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The rainforests of the Western Ghats exhibit some of the highest biodiversity on the planet, and yet are undergoing rapid land use change due to the expansion of agriculture and other industries. As the landscape of the region is transformed, more people are coming into conflict with wildlife and becoming exposed to pathogens that previously circulated beyond the boundaries of human incursion. Despite an ecological knowledge imperative, this emerging landscape is ill-defined with respect to the ecology of zoonotic viruses and their mammalian wildlife hosts. Without a better understanding of the underlying infection ecology, the epidemiology of viral spillover will remain elusive and unsuited to the task of predicting and preventing outbreaks. The current investigation explored the association between mammalian zoonotic virus richness and species-level landscape, life-history, and dietary traits to describe an initial ecological profile of zoonotic virus hosts in the Western Ghats. Social group composition and dietary forage were both non-linearly associated with greater zoonotic viral richness among these species, whereby species active in smaller social groups, albeit in higher population densities, and exhibiting a tendency toward a generalist diet hosted more zoonotic viruses. While these findings provide no definitive ecological demarcation of zoonotic virus hosts or their contribution to viral maintenance or amplification, it is expected that this preliminary profile can help to develop targeted wildlife pathogen surveillance programs and to expand the current approach to epidemiological modelling of emerging zoonoses in the region, which typically do not account for the macroecological parameters of infection transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia; The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia; Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
| | - Shah Hossain
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia; The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia; Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
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11
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Gashu D, Lark RM, Milne AE, Amede T, Bailey EH, Chagumaira C, Dunham SJ, Gameda S, Kumssa DB, Mossa AW, Walsh MG, Wilson L, Young SD, Ander EL, Broadley MR, Joy EJM, McGrath SP. Spatial prediction of the concentration of selenium (Se) in grain across part of Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Sci Total Environ 2020; 733:139231. [PMID: 32446063 PMCID: PMC7298608 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Grain and soil were sampled across a large part of Amhara, Ethiopia in a study motivated by prior evidence of selenium (Se) deficiency in the Region's population. The grain samples (teff, Eragrostis tef, and wheat, Triticum aestivum) were analysed for concentration of Se and the soils were analysed for various properties, including Se concentration measured in different extractants. Predictive models for concentration of Se in the respective grains were developed, and the predicted values, along with observed concentrations in the two grains were represented by a multivariate linear mixed model in which selected covariates, derived from remote sensor observations and a digital elevation model, were included as fixed effects. In all modelling steps the selection of predictors was done using false discovery rate control, to avoid over-fitting, and using an α-investment procedure to maximize the statistical power to detect significant relationships by ordering the tests in a sequence based on scientific understanding of the underlying processes likely to control Se concentration in grain. Cross-validation indicated that uncertainties in the empirical best linear unbiased predictions of the Se concentration in both grains were well-characterized by the prediction error variances obtained from the model. The predictions were displayed as maps, and their uncertainty was characterized by computing the probability that the true concentration of Se in grain would be such that a standard serving would not provide the recommended daily allowance of Se. The spatial variation of grain Se was substantial, concentrations in wheat and teff differed but showed the same broad spatial pattern. Such information could be used to target effective interventions to address Se deficiency, and the general procedure used for mapping could be applied to other micronutrients and crops in similar settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Gashu
- Centre for Food Science and Nutrition, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - R M Lark
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK.
| | - A E Milne
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture Sciences, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - T Amede
- International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, ILRI Sholla Campus, P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - E H Bailey
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK
| | - C Chagumaira
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK; Department of Sustainable Agriculture Sciences, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - S J Dunham
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture Sciences, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - S Gameda
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, ILRI Sholla Campus, P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - D B Kumssa
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK
| | - A W Mossa
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK
| | - M G Walsh
- Center for International Earth Science Information Network, The Earth Institute, Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Geoscience Building Suite 201, Palisades, New York 10964, USA
| | - L Wilson
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK
| | - S D Young
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK
| | - E L Ander
- British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Leicestershire NG12 5GG, UK
| | - M R Broadley
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK
| | - E J M Joy
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - S P McGrath
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture Sciences, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK
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12
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Walsh MG, Mor SM, Maity H, Hossain S. Forest loss shapes the landscape suitability of Kyasanur Forest disease in the biodiversity hotspots of the Western Ghats, India. Int J Epidemiol 2020; 48:1804-1814. [PMID: 31740967 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyz232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anthropogenic pressure in biodiversity hotspots is increasingly recognized as a major driver of the spillover and expansion of zoonotic disease. In the Western Ghats region of India, a devastating tick-borne zoonosis, Kyasanur Forest disease (KFD), has been expanding rapidly beyond its endemic range in recent decades. It has been suggested that anthropogenic pressure in the form of land use changes that lead to the loss of native forest may be directly contributing to the expanding range of KFD, but clear evidence has not yet established the association between forest loss and KFD risk. METHODS The current study sought to investigate the relationship between KFD landscape suitability and both forest loss and mammalian species richness, to inform its epidemiology and infection ecology. A total of 47 outbreaks of KFD between 1 January 2012 and 30 June 2019 were modelled as an inhomogeneous Poisson process. RESULTS Both forest loss [relative risk (RR) = 1.83; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.33-2.51] and mammalian species richness (RR = 1.29; 95% CI 1.16-1.42) were strongly associated with increased risk of KFD and dominated its landscape suitability. CONCLUSIONS These results provide the first evidence of a clear association between increasing forest loss and risk for KFD. Moreover, the findings also highlight the importance of forest loss in areas of high biodiversity. Therefore, this evidence provides strong support for integrative approaches to public health which incorporate conservation strategies simultaneously protective of humans, animals and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Westmead, NSW, Australia.,University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Siobhan M Mor
- University of Liverpool, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Institute of Infection and Global Health, Liverpool, UK.,University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Veterinary Science, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Hindol Maity
- Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Shah Hossain
- Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
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Walsh MG, Mor SM, Maity H, Hossain S. A preliminary ecological profile of Kyasanur Forest disease virus hosts among the mammalian wildlife of the Western Ghats, India. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101419. [PMID: 32241712 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Kyasanur Forest disease (KFD) virus is one of India's severe arboviruses capable of causing prolonged debilitating disease. It has been expanding beyond its historical endemic locus at an alarming rate over the last two decades. The natural nidus of this zoonosis is located in the monsoon rainforest of the Western Ghats, India, which is one of the world's most important biodiversity hotspots. Definitive reservoir hosts for KFD virus (KFDV) have yet to be delineated, and thus much of the infection ecology of this virus, and its consequent transmission dynamics, remains uncertain. Given its unique biogeographical context, identifying ecological parameters of KFDV relevant to the virus' epidemiology has been complex and challenging. The challenge has been exacerbated by diminished research efforts in wildlife surveillance over the last two decades, coinciding with the expansion of the range of KFD across the region. The current investigation sought to define a preliminary ecological profile of KFDV hosts based on their life history and feeding traits to aid in re-establishing targeted wildlife surveillance and to discern those ecological traits of wildlife hosts that may improve our understanding of KFD epidemiology. The importance of fast-living among KFDV hosts was of special interest with respect to the latter aim. We compared mammalian traits between host and non-host species using general additive models and phylogenetic generalised linear models. This study found that both body mass and forest forage were strongly associated with mammalian host infection status, but that reproductive life history traits were not. These findings will help in structuring ecologically based wildlife surveillance and field investigations, while also helping to parameterise novel epidemiological models of zoonotic infection risk that incorporate species functional traits in a region where biogeography, landscape ecology, and community ecology manifest extraordinary complexity, particularly under growing anthropogenic pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Westmead, NSW, Australia; The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, NSW, Australia; Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
| | - Siobhan M Mor
- University of Liverpool, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Institute of Infection and Global Health Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom; The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Veterinary Science, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Hindol Maity
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Shah Hossain
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Westmead, NSW, Australia; Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
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14
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Abstract
Anthrax is a potentially life-threatening bacterial disease that can spread between wild and livestock animals and humans. Transmission typically occurs indirectly via environmental exposure, with devastating consequences for human and animal health, as well as pastoralist economies. India has a high annual occurrence of anthrax in some regions, but a country-wide delineation of risk has not yet been undertaken. The current study modelled the geographical suitability of anthrax across India and its associated environmental features using a biogeographic application of machine learning. Both biotic and abiotic features contributed to risk across multiple scales of influence. The elephant-livestock interface was the dominant feature in delineating anthrax suitability. In addition, water-soil balance, soil chemistry and historical forest loss were also influential. These findings suggest that the elephant-livestock interface plays an important role in the cycling of anthrax in India. Livestock prevention efforts targeting this interface, particularly within anthropogenic ecotones, may yield successes in reducing ongoing transmission between animal hosts and subsequent zoonotic transmission to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- 1 Faculty of Medicine and Health, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney , Westmead, New South Wales , Australia.,2 Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney , Westmead, New South Wales , Australia
| | - Siobhan M Mor
- 3 Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Institute of Infection and Global Health Liverpool, University of Liverpool , Merseyside , UK.,4 Faculty of Science, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, New South Wales , Australia
| | - Shah Hossain
- 5 Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education , Manipal, Karnataka , India
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15
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Walsh MG. Ecological and life history traits are associated with Ross River virus infection among sylvatic mammals in Australia. BMC Ecol 2019; 19:2. [PMID: 30646881 PMCID: PMC6334474 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-019-0220-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ross River virus (RRV) is Australia’s most important arbovirus given its annual burden of disease and the relatively large number of Australians at risk for infection. This mosquito-borne arbovirus is also a zoonosis, making its epidemiology and infection ecology complex and cryptic. Our grasp of enzootic, epizootic, and zoonotic RRV transmission dynamics is imprecise largely due to a poor understanding of the role of wild mammalian hosts in the RRV system. Methods The current study applied a piecewise structural equation model (PSEM) toward an interspecific comparison of sylvatic Australian mammals to characterize the ecological and life history profile of species with a history of RRV infection relative to those species with no such history among all wild mammalian species surveyed for RRV infection. The effects of species traits were assessed through multiple causal pathways within the PSEM framework. Results Sylvatic mammalian species with a history of RRV infection tended to express dietary specialization and smaller population density. These species were also characterized by a longer gestation length. Conclusions This study provides the first interspecific comparison of wild mammals for RRV infection and identifies some potential targets for future wildlife surveys into the infection ecology of this important arbovirus. An applied RRV macroecology may prove invaluable to the epidemiological modeling of RRV epidemics across diverse sylvatic landscapes, as well as to the development of human and animal health surveillance systems. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12898-019-0220-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. .,Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, 176 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia.
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16
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Degeling C, Gilbert GL, Annand E, Taylor M, Walsh MG, Ward MP, Wilson A, Johnson J. Managing the risk of Hendra virus spillover in Australia using ecological approaches: A report on three community juries. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209798. [PMID: 30596719 PMCID: PMC6312203 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hendra virus (HeV) infection is endemic in Australian flying-fox populations. Habitat loss has increased the peri-urban presence of flying-foxes, increasing the risk of contact and therefore viral 'spillovers' into horse and human populations. An equine vaccine is available and horse-husbandry practices that minimize HeV exposure are encouraged, but their adoption is suboptimal. Ecological approaches-such as habitat creation and conservation-could complement vaccination and behavioural strategies by reducing spillover risks, but these are controversial. METHODS We convened three community juries (two regional; one metropolitan) to elicit the views of well-informed citizens on the acceptability of adding ecological approaches to current interventions for HeV risk. Thirty-one participants of diverse backgrounds, mixed genders and ages were recruited using random-digit-dialling. Each jury was presented with balanced factual evidence, given time to ask questions of expert presenters and, after deliberation, come to well-reasoned conclusions. RESULTS All juries voted unanimously that ecological strategies should be included in HeV risk management strategies but concluded that current interventions-including vaccination and changing horse-husbandry practices-must remain the priority. The key reasons given for adopting ecological approaches were: (i) they address underlying drivers of disease emergence, (ii) the potential to prevent spillover of other bat-borne pathogens, and (iii) there would be broader community benefits. Juries differed regarding the best mechanism to create/conserve flying-fox habitat: participants in regional centres favoured direct government action, whereas the metropolitan jury preferred to place the burden on landholders. CONCLUSIONS Informed citizens acknowledge the value of addressing the drivers of bat-borne infectious risks but differ substantially as to the best implementation strategies. Ecological approaches to securing bat habitat could find broad social support in Australia, but disagreement about how best to achieve them indicates the need for negotiation with affected communities to co-develop fair, effective and locally appropriate policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Degeling
- Australian Centre for Health Engagement Evidence and Values, School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Gwendolyn L. Gilbert
- Sydney Health Ethics, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Edward Annand
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camden, NSW, Australia
- EquiEpiVet, Picton, NSW, Australia
| | - Melanie Taylor
- Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael G. Walsh
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Westmead Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael P. Ward
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camden, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrew Wilson
- Menzies Centre for Health Policy, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jane Johnson
- Sydney Health Ethics, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Westmead Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
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17
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Abstract
Climate change is impacting ecosystem structure and function, with potentially drastic downstream effects on human and animal health. Emerging zoonotic diseases are expected to be particularly vulnerable to climate and biodiversity disturbance. Anthrax is an archetypal zoonosis that manifests its most significant burden on vulnerable pastoralist communities. The current study sought to investigate the influence of temperature increases on geographic anthrax suitability in the temperate, boreal, and arctic North, where observed climate impact has been rapid. This study also explored the influence of climate relative to more traditional factors, such as livestock distribution, ungulate biodiversity, and soil-water balance, in demarcating risk. Machine learning was used to model anthrax suitability in northern latitudes. The model identified climate, livestock density and wild ungulate species richness as the most influential features in predicting suitability. These findings highlight the significance of warming temperatures for anthrax ecology in northern latitudes, and suggest potential mitigating effects of interventions targeting megafauna biodiversity conservation in grassland ecosystems, and animal health promotion among small to midsize livestock herds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia. .,The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Allard W de Smalen
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Public Health, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Siobhan M Mor
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Veterinary Science, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
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18
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Walsh MG, Mor SM. Interspecific network centrality, host range and early-life development are associated with wildlife hosts of Rift Valley fever virus. Transbound Emerg Dis 2018; 65:1568-1575. [PMID: 29756406 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is responsible for a substantive disease burden in pastoralist communities and the agricultural sector in the African continent and Arabian Peninsula. Enzootic, epizootic and zoonotic RVFV transmission dynamics remain ill-defined, particularly due to a poor understanding of the role of mammalian hosts in the epidemiology and infection ecology of this arbovirus. Using a piecewise structural equation model, this study sought to identify associations between biological and ecological characteristics of mammalian species and documented RVFV infection to highlight species-level traits that may influence wildlife host status. Interspecific network centrality, size of species home range and reproductive life-history traits were all associated with being an RVFV host. The identification of these species-level characteristics may help to provide ecological context for the role of wildlife amplification hosts in the epidemiology of spillover to livestock and humans and may also help to identify specific points of vulnerability at the wildlife-livestock interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- M G Walsh
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.,Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - S M Mor
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Science, School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
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19
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Walsh MG, Webb C. Hydrological features and the ecological niches of mammalian hosts delineate elevated risk for Ross River virus epidemics in anthropogenic landscapes in Australia. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:192. [PMID: 29554980 PMCID: PMC5859420 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2776-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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: 01/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The current understanding of the landscape epidemiology of Ross River virus (RRV), Australia’s most common arthropod-borne pathogen, is fragmented due to gaps in surveillance programs and the relatively narrow focus of the research conducted to date. This leaves public health agencies with an incomplete understanding of the spectrum of infection risk across the diverse geography of the Australian continent. The current investigation sought to assess the risk of RRV epidemics based on abiotic and biotic landscape features in anthropogenic landscapes, with a particular focus on the influence of water and wildlife hosts. Methods Abiotic features, including hydrology, land cover and altitude, and biotic features, including the distribution of wild mammalian hosts, were interrogated using a Maxent model to discern the landscape suitability to RRV epidemics in anthropogenically impacted environments across Australia. Results Water-soil balance, proximity to controlled water reservoirs, and the ecological niches of four species (Perameles nasuta, Wallabia bicolor, Pseudomys novaehollandiae and Trichosurus vulpecula) were important features identifying high risk landscapes suitable for the occurrence of RRV epidemics. Conclusions These results help to delineate human infection risk and thus provide an important perspective for geographically targeted vector, wildlife, and syndromic surveillance within and across the boundaries of local health authorities. Importantly, our analysis highlights the importance of the hydrology, and the potential role of mammalian host species in shaping RRV epidemic risk in peri-urban space. This study offers novel insight into wildlife hosts and RRV infection ecology and identifies those species that may be beneficial to future targeted field surveillance particularly in ecosystems undergoing rapid change. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-2776-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Cameron Webb
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Medical Entomology, NSW Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
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20
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Pangesti KNA, Abd El Ghany M, Walsh MG, Kesson AM, Hill-Cawthorne GA. Molecular epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus. Rev Med Virol 2018; 28. [PMID: 29377415 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.1968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [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: 08/07/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of viral acute respiratory tract infections in young children. The virus is characterised by distinct seasonality that is dependent upon the latitude and its ability to cause reinfection. Respiratory syncytial virus demonstrates a complex molecular epidemiology pattern as multiple strains and/or genotypes cocirculate during a single epidemic. Previous studies have investigated the relationship between RSV genetic diversity, reinfection, and clinical features. Here, we review the evidence behind this relationship together with the impact that the advancement of whole genome sequencing will have upon our understanding and the need for reconsidering the classification of RSV genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Moataz Abd El Ghany
- Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Marie Bashir Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael G Walsh
- Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Marie Bashir Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Alison M Kesson
- Marie Bashir Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia
| | - Grant A Hill-Cawthorne
- School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Marie Bashir Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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21
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Mascareno E, Gupta R, Martello LA, Dhar-Mascareno M, Salciccioli L, Beckles D, Walsh MG, Machado FS, Tanowitz HB, Haseeb M. Rapidly progressive course of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice heterozygous for hexamethylene bis-acetamide inducible 1 (Hexim1) gene. Microbes Infect 2018; 20:25-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2017.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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22
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Walsh MG, Wiethoelter A, Haseeb MA. The impact of human population pressure on flying fox niches and the potential consequences for Hendra virus spillover. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8226. [PMID: 28811483 PMCID: PMC5557840 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08065-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hendra virus (HeV) is an emerging pathogen of concern in Australia given its ability to spillover from its reservoir host, pteropid bats, to horses and further on to humans, and the severe clinical presentation typical in these latter incidental hosts. Specific human pressures over recent decades, such as expanding human populations, urbanization, and forest fragmentation, may have altered the ecological niche of Pteropus species acting as natural HeV reservoirs and may modulate spillover risk. This study explored the influence of inter-decadal net human local migration between 1970 and 2000 on changes in the habitat suitability to P. alecto and P. conspicillatus from 1980 to 2015 in eastern Australia. These ecological niches were modeled using boosted regression trees and subsequently fitted, along with additional landscape factors, to HeV spillovers to explore the spatial dependency of this zoonosis. The spatial model showed that the ecological niche of these two flying fox species, the human footprint, and proximity to woody savanna were each strongly associated with HeV spillover and together explained most of the spatial dependency exhibited by this zoonosis. These findings reinforce the potential for anthropogenic pressures to shape the landscape epidemiology of HeV spillover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Anke Wiethoelter
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - M A Haseeb
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA.,Departments of Cell Biology, Pathology and Medicine, College of Medicine, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA
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23
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Walsh MG, Willem de Smalen A, Mor SM. Wetlands, wild Bovidae species richness and sheep density delineate risk of Rift Valley fever outbreaks in the African continent and Arabian Peninsula. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005756. [PMID: 28742814 PMCID: PMC5526521 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an emerging, vector-borne viral zoonosis that has significantly impacted public health, livestock health and production, and food security over the last three decades across large regions of the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula. The potential for expansion of RVF outbreaks within and beyond the range of previous occurrence is unknown. Despite many large national and international epidemics, the landscape epidemiology of RVF remains obscure, particularly with respect to the ecological roles of wildlife reservoirs and surface water features. The current investigation modeled RVF risk throughout Africa and the Arabian Peninsula as a function of a suite of biotic and abiotic landscape features using machine learning methods. Intermittent wetland, wild Bovidae species richness and sheep density were associated with increased landscape suitability to RVF outbreaks. These results suggest the role of wildlife hosts and distinct hydrogeographic landscapes in RVF virus circulation and subsequent outbreaks may be underestimated. These results await validation by studies employing a deeper, field-based interrogation of potential wildlife hosts within high risk taxa. Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a vector-borne zoonotic disease that imparts a substantial burden to the economy and public health of pastoralist communities across the African continent and Arabian Peninsula. Furthermore, RVF is also an emerging pathogen of growing global concern. Knowledge of the epidemiological and ecological factors that influence the geographic distribution of RVF outbreaks and determine risk for humans and animals is incomplete. The current study examined the distribution of RVF outbreaks from 1998 to 2016 and modeled their occurrence as a function of climate, surface water, land cover, livestock density, wild mammalian species richness, and human migration. The results indicate that wetlands, Bovidae species richness, and sheep density were associated with increased risk of RVF outbreaks. Our findings contribute to improved understanding of the spatial and ecological dynamics of RVF risk with a particular emphasis on the distribution of wetlands and potential wildlife reservoirs in designing RVF surveillance programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G. Walsh
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Siobhan M. Mor
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
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Sathappan SS, Tan MW, Ginat D, Walsh MG, Schweitzer ME, Di Cesare PE. Correlation between the distal anterior femoral cortical axis and femoral rotational alignment: an anatomic study. J Orthop Surg (Hong Kong) 2016; 24:198-203. [PMID: 27574263 DOI: 10.1177/1602400216] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine the correlation between the distal anterior femoral cortical axis (DAFCA) and the femoral rotational alignment/axis. METHODS Magnetic resonance images (MRI) of 82 knees in 34 men and 23 women aged 16 to 47 (mean, 33.4) years were reviewed by a musculoskeletal radiologist. Their diagnoses included meniscal tear (n=4), chondromalacia (n=25), anterior cruciate ligament tears (n=11), and normal (n=42). In all patients the collateral ligaments were intact. The transepicondylar axis (TEA), posterior condylar axis (PCA), Whiteside line (WL), and joint line were drawn on the images, and the condylar twist angle (CTA), TEA-WL angle, DAFCA, epicondylar cortical angle (ECA), and condylar cortical angle (CCA) were measured. The correlations among ECA, CCA, and CTA (control) were assessed. RESULTS The mean distances between the joint line and the TEA, PCA, and DAFCA were 30.8, 22.1, and 62.2 mm, respectively. The angles subtended by the intersection between the standard axes (TEA, PCA, and WL) and the DAFCA were determined. There was correlation between the CTA and ECA (r=0.34, p<0.05), between the ECA and the CCA (r=0.80, p<0.0001), and between the CTA and the CCA (r=- 0.19, p=0.08). CONCLUSION There was correlation between the DAFCA and TEA and PCA; DAFCA can be used to determine the femoral rotational alignment when the standard landmarks are distorted by severe soft tissue and bone loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- S S Sathappan
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, National Healthcare Group, Singapore
| | - M Wp Tan
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - D Ginat
- Department of Radiology, The University of Chicago, United States
| | - M G Walsh
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, United States
| | - M E Schweitzer
- Department of Radiology, Stony Brook School of Medicine, United States
| | - P E Di Cesare
- Musculoskeletal Research Center, NYU-Hospital for Joint Diseases, United States
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25
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Walsh MG. Mapping the risk of Nipah virus spillover into human populations in South and Southeast Asia. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2015; 109:563-71. [PMID: 26179654 DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trv055] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nipah virus (NiV) is a significant emerging zoonotic pathogen given its wide geographic distribution, and the severe morbidity and high mortality that accompanies infection. Moreover, the layered landscape epidemiology surrounding spillover from reservoir host species to humans is ill-defined. Identifying landscape features that contribute to NiV spillover would likely prove helpful in preventing emergence in human populations. METHODS Using an inhomogeneous Poisson model, this study investigated the role of vegetation cover, the human footprint (HFP) and reservoir Pteropus bat distribution to identify the spatial dependence of spillover and map risk across South and Southeast Asia. RESULTS The spatial model identified HFP (RR=1.08; 95% CI 1.05-1.11) and bat distribution (RR=19.44; 95% CI 1.92-196.7) as significant predictors of NiV risk, while vegetation cover was not significant after accounting for HFP and the presence of Pteropus bats. CONCLUSIONS These findings further inform the landscape epidemiology of NiV and suggest specific conduits for spillover in the landscape. However, more detailed field studies will be required to validate these results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA
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26
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Walsh MG, Haseeb M. The landscape configuration of zoonotic transmission of Ebola virus disease in West and Central Africa: interaction between population density and vegetation cover. PeerJ 2015; 3:e735. [PMID: 25648654 PMCID: PMC4304850 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [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: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 01/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus disease (EVD) is an emerging infectious disease of zoonotic origin that has been responsible for high mortality and significant social disruption in West and Central Africa. Zoonotic transmission of EVD requires contact between susceptible human hosts and the reservoir species for Ebolaviruses, which are believed to be fruit bats. Nevertheless, features of the landscape that may facilitate such points of contact have not yet been adequately identified. Nor have spatial dependencies between zoonotic EVD transmission and landscape structures been delineated. This investigation sought to describe the spatial relationship between zoonotic EVD transmission events, or spillovers, and population density and vegetation cover. An inhomogeneous Poisson process model was fitted to all precisely geolocated zoonotic transmissions of EVD in West and Central Africa. Population density was strongly associated with spillover; however, there was significant interaction between population density and green vegetation cover. In areas of very low population density, increasing vegetation cover was associated with a decrease in risk of zoonotic transmission, but as population density increased in a given area, increasing vegetation cover was associated with increased risk of zoonotic transmission. This study showed that the spatial dependencies of Ebolavirus spillover were associated with the distribution of population density and vegetation cover in the landscape, even after controlling for climate and altitude. While this is an observational study, and thus precludes direct causal inference, the findings do highlight areas that may be at risk for zoonotic EVD transmission based on the spatial configuration of important features of the landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of New York , Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY , USA
| | - Ma Haseeb
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of New York , Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY , USA ; Departments of Cell Biology, Pathology and Medicine, College of Medicine, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center , Brooklyn, NY , USA
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27
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Walsh MG. Rat sightings in New York City are associated with neighborhood sociodemographics, housing characteristics, and proximity to open public space. PeerJ 2014; 2:e533. [PMID: 25237595 PMCID: PMC4157232 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [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: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Rats are ubiquitous in urban environments and, as established reservoirs for infectious pathogens, present a control priority for public health agencies. New York City (NYC) harbors one of the largest rat populations in the United States, but surprising little study has been undertaken to define rat ecology across varied features of this urban landscape. More importantly, factors that may contribute to increased encounters between rats and humans have rarely been explored. Using city-wide records of rat sightings reported to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, this investigation sought to identify sociodemographic, housing, and physical landscape characteristics that are associated with increased rat sightings across NYC census tracts. A hierarchical Bayesian conditional autoregressive Poisson model was used to assess these associations while accounting for spatial heterogeneity in the variance. Closer proximity to both subway lines and recreational public spaces was associated with a higher concentration of rat sightings, as was a greater presence of older housing, vacant housing units, and low education among the population. Moreover, these aspects of the physical and social landscape accurately predicted rat sightings across the city. These findings have identified specific features of the NYC urban environment that may help to provide direct control targets for reducing human–rat encounters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of New York , Downstate, Brooklyn, NY , USA
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28
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Walsh MG. Forest fragmentation and risk of giardiasis in New York State. Ecohealth 2013; 10:405-414. [PMID: 24142462 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-013-0881-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Revised: 07/16/2013] [Accepted: 09/17/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
In the United States, giardiasis is endemic in northern and northeastern states, but its ecology and epidemiology remain elusive. The underlying physical landscape may play a role in shaping points of contact between humans, animals, and Giardia cysts. This study examined 11 years of surveillance data in New York State to measure the relationship between forest fragmentation and the incidence of giardiasis. Adjusted Poisson models showed that increasing points of contact between forested land and developed land, as measured by their shared edges [incident rate ratio (IRR) = 1.003; P < 0.001] and by the perimeter length of forested patches (IRR = 1.31; P = 0.01), were associated with higher incidence of giardiasis cases, whereas increasing forest density was associated with a lower incidence (IRR = 0.97; P < 0.001). These associations were independent of both temperature and surface water area. While these results are only suggestive due to the county-level aggregated data, the findings do identify a potentially important signal in the landscape epidemiology of giardiasis and highlight the need for better, more targeted, field studies on individual water sources for household consumption, inter-species contact in ecotones, surface water contamination, and human giardiasis cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of new York, Downstate, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Box 43, Brooklyn, NY, USA,
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Martello LA, Wadgaonkar R, Gupta R, Machado FS, Walsh MG, Mascareno E, Tanowitz HB, Haseeb MA. Characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi infectivity, proliferation, and cytokine patterns in gut and pancreatic epithelial cells maintained in vitro. Parasitol Res 2013; 112:4177-83. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-013-3609-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Walsh MG. The Relevance of Forest Fragmentation on the Incidence of Human Babesiosis: Investigating the Landscape Epidemiology of an Emerging Tick-Borne Disease. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2013; 13:250-5. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2012.1198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael G. Walsh
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of New York, Downstate, Brooklyn, New York
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Chan KW, Kaplan K, Ong CC, Walsh MG, Schweitzer ME, Sherman OH. Using magnetic resonance imaging to determine preoperative autograft sizes in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Bull NYU Hosp Jt Dis 2012; 70:241-245. [PMID: 23267448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Accurate prediction of autograft size for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction can assist in preoperative planning and decision-making regarding graft choices. This study seeks to determine the accuracy of MRI measurements by comparing intraoperative measurements of the patella, semitendinosis, and gracilis tendons while correlating these measurements with patient anthropometric data such as gender, height, and weight. METHODS A series of 20 consecutive patients were enrolled who underwent a magnetic resonance imaging study of the knee and proceeded with surgical reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament. Intraoperative measurements of the diameter of semitendinosis and gracilis tendons or width of patella tendon were compared to radiographic measurements obtained on the MRI. These measurements were analyzed using a paired t-test as well as regression analysis to evaluate strength of correlation between measurements and also to determine correlation with height, weight, and gender. RESULTS There was no statistical difference between intraoperative and radiographic measurements (p > 0.05). There was strong correlation (Pearson r = 0.98, p = 0.00) found between intraoperative and radiographic measurements of the autograft tendons. Weaker correlation was seen with gender, height, and weight with intraoperative measurements. CONCLUSIONS Measuring the diameter of the semitendinosis and gracilis tendons and patellar width on MRI can give an accurate prediction of actual intraoperative sizes of these anatomic structures. Height, weight, and gender were also correlated with tendon sizes implying that a patient of female gender or of smaller stature in height or weight may have smaller tendon sizes. Routine use of preoperative MRI measurements can guide surgeons with specific graft preferences to other surgical options if the graft is measured to be insufficient in size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith W Chan
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, 301 East 17th Street, New York, NY 10003, USA
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Walsh MG. Toxocara infection and diminished lung function in a nationally representative sample from the United States population. Int J Parasitol 2010; 41:243-7. [PMID: 20937281 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2010.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2010] [Revised: 09/07/2010] [Accepted: 09/09/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The relevance of parasitic infection for the increasing incidence of asthma is a topic of considerable debate. Large population-based studies examining the association between helminth infection and specific measures of lung function in humans are lacking. This report sought to examine this association by exploring the differences in forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV(1)) among participants with and without infection with Toxocara spp. using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, undertaken by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, during 1988-1994. The results showed a significant association between diminished lung function and previous infection with Toxocara spp. Those with antibody evidence of Toxocara infection displayed FEV(1) that was 105.3mL less than those without previous infection. This relationship persisted while controlling for age, sex, education level, BMI, smoking status, ethnicity, immigration, rural residence and dog ownership (fully-adjusted difference=73mL). These findings suggest diminished lung function in the presence of Toxocara infection and illustrate the urgent need for longitudinal data to more clearly define the immunological relationship with helminth infection and its potential influence on lung function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of New York, Downstate 450 Clarkson Avenue, Box 43, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.
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Slover JD, Walsh MG, Zuckerman JD. Sex and race characteristics in patients undergoing hip and knee arthroplasty in an urban setting. J Arthroplasty 2010; 25:576-80. [PMID: 19427753 DOI: 10.1016/j.arth.2009.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2008] [Accepted: 03/06/2009] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between sex, race, and preoperative function in a large diverse patient population undergoing hip and knee arthroplasty. An observational study was conducted on 3542 consecutive primary unilateral total hip and knee arthroplasties. Harris Hip and Knee Society Scores were used to quantify preoperative function. The results demonstrate lower function, with average Harris Hip Scores that were 4.9 (P < .0001) and 8.77 (P < .001) and average Knee Society Scores that were 6.03 (P < .06) and 12.8 (P < .001) points lower in African American and Hispanic patients than white patients for the population, respectively. This study demonstrates that Hispanic and African American patients have worse preoperative hip and knee function before arthroplasty than white patients. Future efforts to elucidate the reasons for this decreased function as well as efforts to rectify any disparities should target these patient populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Slover
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, NY 10010, USA
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Abstract
Fracture is a leading cause of disability in the aging population. Because the cost of fracture in terms of medical expenditures and quality of life lost can be substantial, it is essential to identify a complete profile of fracture risk for the development of timely interventions. Risk factors for fracture have most often been identified clinically. Thus, the contribution by Wagner et al. in this issue of the Journal is particularly important, since it demonstrates a robust association between balance impairment and fracture in a population-based setting. It is unclear, however, whether isolating balance as a risk factor can tell us enough about the clustering of risk factors for fracture that accompanies frailty. Indeed, this problem of risk clustering is one that epidemiologists often encounter as we try to locate the mediating processes between exposures and outcomes that lead downstream through complex interacting causal pathways. In this commentary, the author discusses the importance, particularly when studying frailty and fracture, of quantifying risk clustering rather than continuing to rely on solitary risk factors. Moreover, the author suggests the use of Bayesian networks in the expansion of our tool kit in this field of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Division of Outcomes Studies, Langone Medical Center, New York University, New York, New York 10016, USA.
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Walsh MG, Zgibor J, Borch-Johnsen K, Orchard TJ. A multinational assessment of complications in type 1 diabetes: the DiaMond substudy of complications (DiaComp) level 1. Diab Vasc Dis Res 2006; 3:80-83. [PMID: 17083056 DOI: 10.3132/dvdr.2006.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to describe the global geographic variation of microvascular and macrovascular complications in childhood onset type 1 diabetes (T1D) and to relate any such variation to diabetes care activities such as self blood glucose monitoring and intensive insulin therapy. The DiaComp study is a multinational (17 countries) cross-sectional study of complications in T1D (n=2,657). All participants were diagnosed at < 15 years of age and had a diabetes duration of 5-24 years when surveyed. Complications were assessed by self-report of physician diagnosis. Twenty-two centres in 17 countries achieved at least a 67% response rate and are included in the analyses. Central European centres exhibited high rates of retinopathy (Lithuania=31.6%, Romania=24.2%), laser treatment (Lithuania=25.4%) and neuropathy (Lithuania=29.9%, Romania=12.4%) in those with short duration of diabetes (5-15 years), as did Cuba for neuropathy (15.4%). For retinopathy the geographic variation in the short-duration group was also pronounced, ranging from 1.6% in Italy to 41.6% in Lithuania, and from 0% in Brazil, Italy and Australia, to 29.9% in Lithuania for laser treatment. Variation was less dramatic for the prevalence of complications in the long-duration group (15-25 years). Hypertension and duration were strong consistent predictors of all complications, while women had higher prevalence for half the complications (retinopathy, laser treatment and renal disease). Intensive insulin therapy and self-monitoring of blood glucose showed little association with prevalence of complications. In conclusion, this first population-based account of the geographic variation of T1D complications has demonstrated substantial variation. However, the healthcare practice variables that were measured contributed little toward explaining this variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- , Department of Environmental Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
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Abstract
This study assessed the frequency of acute injury to the spinal cord in Irish Rugby over a period of ten years, between 1995 and 2004. There were 12 such injuries; 11 were cervical and one was thoracic. Ten occurred in adults and two in schoolboys. All were males playing Rugby Union and the mean age at injury was 21.6 years (16 to 36). The most common mechanism of injury was hyperflexion of the cervical spine and the players injured most frequently were playing at full back, hooker or on the wing. Most injuries were sustained during the tackle phase of play. Six players felt their injury was preventable. Eight are permanently disabled as a result of their injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Shelly
- National Spinal Injuries Unit, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccle Street, Dublin 7, Ireland.
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Baja ES, DiCesare PE, Walsh MG. Correlates of Pain in Advanced Knee Osteoarthritis: The Hospital for Joint Diseases Total Joint Registry. Am J Epidemiol 2006. [DOI: 10.1093/aje/163.suppl_11.s138-d] [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] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Ankle fractures are among the most common injuries treated by orthopaedic surgeons. However, very few investigators have examined the functional recovery following ankle fracture surgery and, to our knowledge, none have analyzed factors that may predict functional recovery. In this study, we evaluated predictors of short-term functional outcome following surgical stabilization of ankle fractures. METHODS Over three years, 232 patients who sustained a fracture of the ankle and were treated surgically were followed prospectively, for a minimum of one year. Trained interviewers recorded baseline characteristics, including patient demographics, medical comorbidities, and functional status according to the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA). Laboratory findings, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, and operative findings were recorded from the chart during hospitalization. Follow-up information included the occurrence of complications or additional surgery, weight-bearing status, functional status according to the SMFA, and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score. The data were analyzed to determine predictors of functional recovery at three months, six months, and one year postoperatively. RESULTS Complete follow-up data were available for 198 patients (85%). At one year, 174 (88%) of the patients had either no or mild ankle pain and 178 (90%) had either no limitations or limitations only in recreational activities. According to the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score, 178 (90%) of the patients had > or = 90% functional recovery. A patient age of less than forty years was a predictor of recovery, as measured with the SMFA subscores, at six months after the ankle fracture. At one year, however, age was no longer a predictor of recovery. Patients who were younger than forty were more likely to recover > or = 90% of function (p = 0.004), and men were more likely than women to recover function (p = 0.02). ASA Class 1 or 2 (p = 0.03) and an absence of diabetes (p = 0.02) were also predictors of better functional recovery at one year. SMFA subscores were below average at baseline, indicating a healthy population. At three and six months postoperatively, all SMFA subscores were significantly higher than the baseline subscores (p < 0.001); however, at one year, the SMFA subscores were almost back to the baseline, normal level. CONCLUSIONS One year after ankle fracture surgery, patients are generally doing well, with most experiencing little or mild pain and few restrictions in functional activities. They have a significant improvement in function compared with six months after the surgery. Younger age, male sex, absence of diabetes, and a lower ASA class are predictive of functional recovery at one year following ankle fracture surgery. It is important to counsel patients and their families regarding the expected functional recovery after an ankle injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth A Egol
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases, 301 East 17th Street, Suite 1402, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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Walsh MG, Zgibor J, Songer T, Borch-Johnsen K, Orchard TJ. The socioeconomic correlates of global complication prevalence in type 1 diabetes (T1D): a multinational comparison. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2005; 70:143-50. [PMID: 16188576 DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2005.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2004] [Revised: 11/17/2004] [Accepted: 03/02/2005] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We sought to determine the extent to which the geographic variation in the complications of type 1 diabetes (T1D) may reflect the socioeconomic status (SES) conditions and health care performance (HCP) of countries around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) DiaMond complications study (DiaComp) is a multinational, cross-sectional study of complications in T1D. Information on complications was identified for 892 subjects from 14 clinical centers in 12 countries. All participants were diagnosed with diabetes in childhood (<15 years of age) and had disease duration of 5-24 years. Complications were assessed by self-report, and by clinical exam, with microalbuminuria identified by Micral II dipstick, neuropathy by the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument exam and hypertension using the HDFP protocol. These data were linked to center-specific information on the local social and economic landscape, health care access and diabetes management practices and health care costs. Country-specific indicators of social and economic development were also linked to the complications data. Both diabetes complications and economic and health care factors vary widely across the DiaComp centers. Health system performance, as measured by disability adjusted life expectancy (DALE), gross national investment (GNI) per capita and purchasing power all showed strong consistent correlations with complications, and significant independent associations with complication prevalence after controlling for HbA1c and hypertension. In conclusion, health system performance, social distribution of wealth and purchasing power may play important roles in explaining the geographic variation of diabetes complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, DLR Building, 3512 Fifth Avenue, 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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Walsh MG, Cesare PED, Preston CF, Liu CJ. 518: Classifying Interleukin-6 (IL-6) with an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to Screen for Infection. Am J Epidemiol 2005. [DOI: 10.1093/aje/161.supplement_1.s130a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Walsh MG, Zgibor J, Borch-Johnsen K, Orchard TJ. A multinational comparison of complications assessment in type 1 diabetes: the DiaMond substudy of complications (DiaComp) level 2. Diabetes Care 2004; 27:1610-7. [PMID: 15220236 DOI: 10.2337/diacare.27.7.1610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe the global geographic variation of micro- and macrovascular complications in childhood-onset type 1 diabetes assessed by both reported and measured disease and risk factors and relate any such variation to diabetes control and health care activities. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The DiaComp study is a multinational (17 countries) cross-sectional study of complications in type 1 diabetes and is comprised of two levels (level 1 includes survey only and level 2 includes survey plus examination). This report concerns level 2, representing 12 countries (n = 892). All participants were diagnosed at <15 years of age and had a diabetes duration of 5-24 years when surveyed. All complications were assessed by self-report and for microalbuminuria by Micral II dipstick, neuropathy by the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument exam, and hypertension using the Hypertension Detection and Follow-up Program (HDFP) protocol. HbA(1c) was determined by using the DCA analyzer. RESULTS A wide variation in neuropathy, reported renal disease/proteinuria, and hypertension among those of short diabetes duration was noted, with central Europe (Romania and Lithuania) standing out for both self-reported renal disease and measured microalbuminuria and for both self-reported and examined neuropathy. The Caribbean (Puerto Rico) also had high rates of microalbuminuria and examined neuropathy. For those of long duration, variation was more moderate. We found generally good agreement between the reported and clinically determined measures for neuropathy (r = 0.5, P = 0.01) and hypertension (r = 0.61, P = 0.001) as demonstrated by the high overall correlation between examination and self-report for these two complications. However, the agreement between examination and self-report for renal disease/proteinuria was less, with low overall correlation (r = -0.05, P = 0.86) and incongruous centers (Slovakia and Finland). Geographic variation in prevalence was not consistently explained for all complications, even with strong independent prediction by systolic blood pressure, although the variation in microalbuminuria was largely accounted for by self-monitored blood glucose, which was significantly protective. CONCLUSIONS This report has identified wide variation and geographic patterns in complication prevalence, with a further indication that self-report is generally in agreement with examined prevalence, though less for renal disease/proteinuria. However, this level of DiaComp, with more complete assessment of risk factors and health care practice, was still not able to completely explain the variation in complication prevalence, except for microalbuminuria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Walsh
- Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Abstract
STUDY DESIGN Disc tissue obtained from patients undergoing surgery for scoliosis, lumbar radiculopathy, and discogenic pain was cultured under basal and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated conditions and the medium analyzed for production of a range of pro-inflammatory mediators. OBJECTIVES This study was conducted to confirm that the human intervertebral disc is capable of responding to a pro-inflammatory stimulus and to identify the principal mediators involved in any response. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Degenerate human disc tissue has been shown to spontaneously secrete a number of pro-inflammatory mediators. The importance of these molecules in the pathophysiology of symptomatic disc degeneration is increasingly recognized. Human nucleus pulposus has been shown to synthesize increased amounts of interleukin (IL)-6, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and nitric oxide in response to stimulation with IL-1beta. Murine nucleus pulposus synthesizes increased amounts of IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-10, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in response to lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Lipopolysaccharide is a potent inducer of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), which is thought to play an important role in the pathophysiology of sciatica. To date, human nucleus pulposus has not been shown to secrete TNF-alpha in response to a pro-inflammatory stimulus. METHODS Human disc tissue obtained from patients undergoing surgery for scoliosis, lumbar radiculopathy, and discogenic pain was cultured under basal and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated conditions and the medium subsequently analyzed for a range of pro-inflammatory mediators. RESULTS None of the specimens produced any TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, or leukotriene B4. Measurable quantities of IL-6, IL-8, PGE2, MCP-1, basic fibroblast growth factor, and trans forming growth factor-beta1 were produced by a number of specimens. Lipopolysaccharide significantly increased IL-6, IL-8, and PGE2 production in both control and degenerate disc tissue. Degenerate disc specimens responded more vigorously to lipopolysaccharide stimulation than scoliotic specimens. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that both scoliotic and degenerate human nucleus pulposus can respond to an exogenous pro-inflammatory stimulus by secreting increased amounts of IL-6, IL-8, and PGE2 but not TNF-alpha and that degenerate disc tissue is more sensitive to a pro-inflammatory stimulus than its scoliotic counterpart.
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Burke
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Surgical Professorial Unit, Mater Misericordiae Hospital Dublin and University College Dublin, Ireland.
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Walsh A, Sheehan E, Walsh MG. Lumbar Chance fracture associated with use of the lap belt restraint in an adolescent. Ir Med J 2003; 96:148-9. [PMID: 12848123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
The use of the 2-point seat belt or lap belt in motor vehicles, particularly to restrain young rear seat passengers, remains an issue of some concern. The occurrence of lumbar spinal flexion-distraction injuries in lap belt restrained children and adolescents during road traffic accidents is a well known phenomenon, but is still occurring. High velocity paediatric Chance fractures are frequently associated with significant intra-abdominal trauma. We present the case of a Chance fracture sustained by a 15 year old girl, involved in a motor vehicle collision, while wearing a lap belt. We emphasise the need to develop safer seat belt designs for juvenile car passengers.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Walsh
- National Spinal Injuries Unit, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Eccles St., Dublin 7.
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Abstract
We present a case of progressive atlanto-occipital dislocation, recognized by a new onset of positive neurologic findings. We discuss the anatomic relationship of the lower four cranial nerves to the foramen magnum and the atlanto-occipital joint. The importance of careful assessment of the cranial nerves prior to choosing a treatment algorithm is emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Harty
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
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Burke JG, Watson RWG, McCormack D, Dowling FE, Walsh MG, Fitzpatrick JM. Intervertebral discs which cause low back pain secrete high levels of proinflammatory mediators. J Bone Joint Surg Br 2002; 84:196-201. [PMID: 11924650 DOI: 10.1302/0301-620x.84b2.12511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 422] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Herniated intervertebral disc tissue has been shown to produce a number of proinflammatory mediators and cytokines, but there have been no similar studies using discs from patients with discogenic low back pain. We have compared the levels of production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in disc tissue from patients undergoing discectomy for sciatica (63) with that from patients undergoing fusion for discogenic low back pain (20) using an enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay. There was a statistically significant difference between levels of production of IL-6 and IL-8 in the sciatica and low back pain groups (p < 0.006 and p < 0.003, respectively). The high levels of proinflammatory mediator found in disc tissue from patients undergoing fusion suggest that production of proinflammatory mediators within the nucleus pulposus may be a major factor in the genesis of a painful lumbar disc.
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Burke
- University College Dublin, the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Ireland
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Shannon FJ, Devitt AT, Poynton AR, Fitzpatrick P, Walsh MG. Short-term benefit of arthroscopic washout in degenerative arthritis of the knee. Int Orthop 2001; 25:242-5. [PMID: 11561500 PMCID: PMC3620820 DOI: 10.1007/s002640000212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Over a 4-year period, 55 consecutive knee arthroscopies were performed on 54 patients with symptomatic mild to moderate osteoarthritis. There were 30 female patients and the average patient age was 60.9 years. The average follow-up period was 29.6 months. All patients underwent diagnostic arthroscopy and washout. Further procedures including removal of loose bodies and partial meniscal resection were necessary in 19 patients. There were no significant postoperative complications. Thirty-seven patients had subjective improvement in symptoms. The average duration of benefit was 25.5 months. Arthroscopy and appropriate debridement of the degenerative knee results in significant subjective improvement. This relatively minor procedure can delay or indeed obviate the need for reconstructive surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- F J Shannon
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland.
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Kingston R, Walsh MG. The evolution of hip replacement surgery. Ir Med J 2001; 94:5. [PMID: 11322229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the functional and radiographic outcome of low Weber C ankle fractures and to evaluate the contribution of the syndesmotic screw in their outcome. DESIGN Prospective evaluation of a consecutive series. SETTING Level I trauma center. PATIENTS Forty-five patients divided into two groups matched for age, sex, and severity of injury. Twenty-six patients were treated with open reduction, internal fixation, and a supplemental syndesmotic screw, and nineteen patients were treated without a syndesmotic screw. Minimum time to follow-up was three years. METHODS A subjective, objective, and radiographic ankle scoring system was used. Logistical regression analysis was performed to determine whether the presence or absence of a syndesmotic screw was a predictor of a poor outcome. The likelihood ratio test was used to evaluate the significance of each variable in both univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS There was no statistically significant difference between either group, either using subjective outcome criteria (p = 0.86) or in ankle range of motion (p = 0.94). Logistical regression analysis indicated that fracture dislocation could be used as a predictor of a poor outcome for either group. Inadequate reduction and advancing age were also found to be significant predictors of a poorer outcome regardless of the use of a syndesmotic screw (p = 0.003, p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS Judicious fixation of Weber C type injuries within five centimeters of the ankle joint, with or without a syndesmotic screw, gives similar results. Obligatory fixation of these fractures with syndesmotic screws appears to have no benefit and creates the need for an additional procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Kennedy
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University College Dublin, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Ireland
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Kenny P, O'Brien CP, Synnott K, Walsh MG. Damage to the superior gluteal nerve after two different approaches to the hip. J Bone Joint Surg Br 1999; 81:979-81. [PMID: 10615969 DOI: 10.1302/0301-620x.81b6.9509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
We have carried out a blind, prospective study of 50 consecutive patients undergoing replacement arthroplasty of the hip using two different approaches. Clinical assessment, including the Harris hip score and a modified Trendelenberg test, and electrophysiological examination of the abductor muscles of the hip were undertaken before and three months after surgery. We found that 48% of patients had preoperative evidence of chronic injury to the superior gluteal nerve. Perioperative injury to the nerve occurred commonly with both approaches to the hip. We did not find a significant correlation between injury to the superior gluteal nerve and clinical problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Kenny
- Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital, Finglas, Dublin, Ireland
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50
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Abstract
This retrospective review examined the cause, level of pathology, onset of symptoms, time taken to treatment, and outcome of 19 patients with cauda equina syndrome (CES). The minimum time to follow up was 22 months. Logistical regression analysis was used to determine how these factors influenced the eventual outcome. Out of 19 patients, 14 had satisfactory recovery at 2 years post-decompression; 5 patients were left with some residual dysfunction. The mean time to decompression in the group with a satisfactory outcome was 14 h (range 6-24 h) whilst that of the group with the poor outcome was 30 h (range 20-72 h). There was a clear correlation between delayed decompression and a poor outcome (P = 0.023). Saddle hypoaesthesia was evident in all patients. In addition complete perineal anaesthesia was evident in 7/19 patients, 5 of whom developed a poor outcome. Bladder dysfunction was observed in 19/19 patients, with 12/19 regarded as having significant impairment. Of the five patients identified as having a poor overall outcome, all five presented with a significant sphincter disturbance and 4/5 were left with residual sphincter dysfunction. There was a clear correlation between the presence of complete perineal anaesthesia and significant sphincter dysfunction as both univariate and multivariate predictors of a poor overall outcome. The association between a slower onset of CES and a more favourable outcome did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.052). No correlation could be found between initial motor function loss, bilateral sciatica, level or cause of injury as predictors of a poor outcome (P>0.05). CES can be diagnosed early by judicious physical examination, with particular attention to perineal sensation and a history of urinary dysfunction. The most important factors identified in this series as predictors of a favourable outcome in CES were early diagnosis and early decompression.
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Kennedy
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University College Dublin, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Ireland
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