Ecohealth最新文献

Background: Eco-distress shows positive correlations with mental health impairments. However, the correlations reported by different studies vary widely. The aim of our review was to explore possible methodological sources for this heterogeneity, hereby deepening our understanding of eco-distress and its relationship with mental health.

Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, Academic Search Complete, PubMed, PsycInfo, and Web of Science were searched on 15.03.2025 for publications reporting the initial development of instruments assessing eco-distress, subsequent validation studies, or correlations with mental health impairments. We analyzed the relationship of psychometric quality and the range of effect sizes descriptively, as well as the potential influence of the type of mental health questionnaire, the psychometric quality, and study and sample characteristics statistically as moderators in meta-analysis.

Results: We included 87 studies reporting on 15 different instruments. The underlying definitions of eco-distress differed and psychometric quality was mixed. However, confidence intervals did not vary systematically due to psychometric quality. Overall, eco-distress and mental health impairments correlated with r = 0.32, 95% CI [0.27; 0.37]. Only type of mental health questionnaire moderated the effect size.

Conclusion: Although it varied in magnitude, there was a significant positive correlation between eco-distress and mental health impairments. However, type of eco-distress questionnaire did not systematically influence the effect size. The heterogeneity was considerable and could only be partially explained by the moderators used. Future research should focus on the psychometric evaluation of existing instruments, as information on psychometric quality was incomplete for many instruments.

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a fungal pathogen responsible for amphibian population declines worldwide. In Mexico, understanding the potential distribution of Bd is crucial for conservation. Here, we developed an ecophysiological suitability index that integrates five key physiological parameters related to temperature. The environmental variables from WorldClim v2.1 were used to derive spatial representations of Bd's thermal responses. A multicriteria evaluation combined these parameters into an ecophysiological suitability index. This index was projected to 2050 and 2070 under two contrasting climate change scenarios. We also analyzed the overlap between Bd's suitability, natural protected areas (NPAs), and endemic amphibian geographic distributions to assess conservation implications. Our results indicate that Bd suitability is highest in the mountainous regions of central Mexico and declines significantly in coastal and lowland areas. By 2050 and 2070, both climate change scenarios predict reduced suitability across most of Mexico. Thirty-five percent of federal NPAs and 53% of state NPAs had high suitability for Bd. Endemic amphibians inhabiting mountains face greater suitability for Bd in their habitats. Our findings highlight the utility of mechanistic models for predicting pathogen distributions under environmental constraints. This approach provides actionable insights for prioritizing conservation efforts, including habitat management and amphibian population monitoring.

The global acceptance of the One Health (OH) approach has surged over the past two decades, leading to a proliferation of OH-related activities. A consequence of this growth is the increase in discipline-specific terminologies emerging in the OH lexicon to become lingua franca. However, some of these terms are used ambiguously, and interpreted broadly, thereby hampering systematic OH coordination. This article elucidates the semantics of eight fundamental terminologies, including 'One Health', 'One Health Systems', 'One Health Framework', 'One Health Core Competency', 'One Health Education/Curriculum', 'One Health Professional/Workforce', 'One Health Study/Research', and 'One Health Governance/Legislation'. The major findings of this study are that while there is a consensus on OH definition and OH framework usage, OH systems remain ambiguous despite frequent mentions. Core competencies and educational models are disparate, thus requiring harmonization, and a putative global OH governance structure is being defined through international organizations.

Community gardens in urban Brooklyn, New York are social spaces that provide food sovereignty to many New Yorkers, but the arrival of the mosquito Aedes albopictus and longtime presence of Culex pipiens makes socializing in these spaces more dangerous. Ae. albopictus is associated with several mosquito-borne diseases including dengue fever, Zika virus, and chikungunya virus while Cx. pipiens is a longtime vector of West Nile virus. Since Ae. albopictus and Cx. pipiens both breed in human-made plastic containers, knowledge of their preferred container types and locations could aid best management practices for community gardeners. This research looked at the abundance and genera of mosquito larvae in 22 Brooklyn community gardens to understand the breeding habits and survivability of these mosquitoes. This research found that non-purposeful container types and lower total volumes of water were significant predictors of higher mosquito densities, but these variables did not predict egg laying preference.

The international demand for shrimp from Bangladesh exhibits a Telecoupled system. Semi-intensive to intensive shrimp farming has changed vast coastal areas into saline zones by altering land use and land cover. While shrimp cultivation significantly contributes to foreign exchange earnings, it also leads to various social and environmental impacts that affect planetary health. This study sees shrimp farming as a result of these Telecoupled dynamics. It uses a mixed-methods approach, combining both primary and secondary data to examine its effects on planetary health in Bangladesh's southwestern coastal areas. The findings reveal several important health and social issues associated with shrimp farming. These include (i) scarcity of drinking and household water, (ii) infectious diseases, (iii) non-infectious diseases, (iv) food and nutritional insecurity, (v) antimicrobial resistance and chemical contamination, (vi) mental pressure, (vii) disaster-related health vulnerability, (viii) social conflict, (ix) healthcare inequality, and (x) rural-urban migration. This analysis enhances our understanding of the complex interactions between humans and nature in shrimp farming systems and their evolving impacts on planetary health in southwestern coastal Bangladesh. The study stresses the urgent need for integrated, ecosystem-based agricultural practices to find a balance between economic benefits and sustainable health and environmental outcomes.

Land use and land cover (LULC) change-especially habitat disruption-has long been linked to zoonotic disease emergence, yet direct empirical evidence remains limited. Using new spatially disaggregated data, this study offers the clearest evidence to date that fire-linked vegetation loss significantly increases zoonotic risk in forest landscapes, but not in agricultural or other-use areas. Monthly vegetation anomalies, captured via NDVI deviations, are tracked across landscape types. A quasi-experimental mediation design estimates the indirect effect of fire on outbreaks through vegetation loss. Results show that in forests, fire-driven vegetation decline is associated with increased outbreak rates, while no significant effects appear in agricultural or other zones. Fires-including slash-and-burn practices and uncontrolled natural fires-hence play a key role in shaping zoonotic risk. The results underscore the need for integrated fire management and land-use strategies to reduce spillover potential and align public health with climate and conservation goals.

The international amphibian trade is a cause for concern due to its potential to introduce different lineages of the chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or Bd) into new environments, threatening native populations. Current diagnostic methods, particularly qPCR, lack the capability to differentiate between these lineages, necessitating more accurate genotyping approaches. Here we propose the application of TaqMan SNP genotyping assays to discriminate Bd genotypes (Bd-GPL, Bd-ASIA2/Bd-BRAZIL, and Hybrid) in skin swabs, tadpole mouthparts, and Bd cultures from Brazilian bullfrog farms. Employing two assays utilizing both qPCR and dPCR, we identified genotype presence and analyzed the relationship between Bd load and genotype determination. The genotyping assay achieved approximately 57% success overall, rising to nearly 82% in samples with over 1,000 genomic equivalents. The use of dPCR also enabled the recovery of genotypes in previously unresolved samples, enhancing lineage detection in challenging field contexts. Culture samples achieved a 100% success rate. We identified all Bd genotypes previously reported in Brazil-the targets of our assay-and detected coinfections and hybrids in high-density farms. We hereby present an efficient method for discriminating Bd genotypes, applicable to both pure cultures and field samples with low Bd loads. We emphasize the need for advanced discriminatory methods and comprehensive genetic studies, particularly regarding national regulations governing breeding sites and the global amphibian trade. Our findings highlight the feasibility and relevance of the method and support further research into infection dynamics by different Bd lineages to inform amphibian conservation efforts and trade regulatory policies.

To predict and prevent public health risks from urban rats, studies often examine zoonotic pathogen prevalence in rats in different urban environments. However, human exposure to rats and their awareness of the associated risks are poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to identify factors associated with two aspects of vulnerability to leptospirosis as a model rat-associated disease: (1) exposure to rat urine in the home and (2) lack of awareness that rats carry leptospirosis. To collect data on residents' experiences and knowledge about rats, we mailed a survey to randomly selected households along an income gradient in Chicago. Of 432 complete cases, 36% had observed rat urine in the home and 73% were unaware that rats carry leptospirosis. Using logistic regression, we found that non-white respondents had over three times higher odds of observing rat urine in the home than white respondents. Dog owners and respondents who sought out information about rats, regardless of source, were more likely to be aware that rats carry leptospirosis. When we examined both aspects of vulnerability simultaneously using multinomial regression, we found that residents most vulnerable to leptospirosis (who had been exposed to urine and were not aware that rats carry leptospirosis) were significantly less likely to be white and less likely to be dog owners. Our results suggest that more public education is needed about rat-associated diseases spread through feces and urine and that exposure to rats should be considered another environmental health burden that is disproportionately persistent in underserved communities of color.

Dengue is a neglected tropical disease with a huge disease burden globally. Even though previous studies have focused on socio-demographic and climatic predictors of dengue, the independent effects of age, period, and birth cohort have not been studied. Here, using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, a joinpoint regression analysis and an age-period-cohort model were applied to identify temporal trends in age-standardized incidence and mortality rates and to estimate the longitudinal age curves, the rate ratios of period and cohort effects, the net drift, and the local drift values of dengue incidence and mortality in India, respectively. Dengue incidence and mortality trends in India showed a significant increase from 1990 to 2021. The average annual percent change (AAPC) of age-standardized incidence (AAPC: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.34, 1.44) and mortality (AAPC: 1.65; 95% CI: 1.23, 2.08) increased significantly over the study period. The Error, Trend, and Seasonality model forecasts a rise in cases from 28.86 million in 2020 to 32.06 million, while the ARIMA model projects an increase from 28.95 million to 33.43 million by 2031. The age-standardized rates of incidence, mortality, age, period, and cohort effects of dengue incidence and mortality in India show an increasing trend in all age groups from 1990 to 2021 in both sexes. The findings underscore the need for enhanced dengue prevention and control strategies in India.