Ecohealth最新文献

The potential risk of rodent-borne diseases along the China-Russia border necessitates the identification and prediction of rodent distribution from a risk management perspective. In this study, we compile distribution records for Apodemus agrarius, which is the main host of hantavirus responsible for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), along the border between China and Russia from various literature sources. We then employ the maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) to assess the influence of climatic and geographic factors on its potential distribution and to predict its current and future habitats. The results show that the current suitable habitats are mainly located in the northeastern part of Heilongjiang Province bordering Russia, showing similar pattern with HFRS incidence rate. The environmental factors that contribute more to the distribution of A. agrarius included temperature, precipitation, elevation, and landscape features of cropland and forest. By 2050, due to changes in climate and land use, the suitable habitat of A. agrarius is expected to shift northeastward, thereby altering the distribution of HFRS risk. Despite anticipated shifts in host habitat, HFRS risk along the China-Russia border will remain high. Therefore, joint prevention and control measures and targeted protective strategies for at-risk populations should be developed.

Surveillance and monitoring of zoonotic pathogens is key to identifying and mitigating emerging public health threats. Surveillance is often designed to be taxonomically targeted or systematically dispersed across geography; however, those approaches may not represent the breadth of environments inhabited by a host, vector, or pathogen, leaving significant gaps in our understanding of pathogen dynamics in their natural reservoirs and environments. As a case study on the design of pathogen surveillance programs, we assess how well 20 years of small mammal surveys in Panamá sampled available environments and propose a multistep approach to selecting survey localities in the future. We use > 8000 georeferenced mammal specimen records, collected as part of a long-term hantavirus surveillance program, to test the completeness of country-wide environmental sampling. Despite 20 years of surveillance, our analyses identify a few key environmental sampling gaps. To refine surveillance strategies, we select a series of "core" historically sampled localities for continued surveillance, supplemented with additional environmentally distinct sites to more completely represent available environments in Panamá. Based on lessons learned through decades of surveillance, we propose a series of recommendations to improve strategic sampling of wildlife for zoonotic pathogen surveillance.

In 1994, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals identified six species of Sahelo-Saharan antelope in immediate danger of extinction. Several of these species are now subjects of large-scale conservation efforts, including reintroductions and population reinforcements across their native ranges. However, disease-related mortalities can cause major setbacks, and wildlife-livestock interfaces are widely thought to have contributed to disease and mortality events in translocated animals. We reviewed 202 English and French publications spanning 20 years (2000-2020) and the WOAH-WAHIS database for infectious diseases and parasites that could pose risks to Sahelo-Saharan antelope. Our review included countries with active conservation translocation initiatives for these species: Chad, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia. We found reports of 159 distinct infectious agents or parasites. Frequently identified viruses included bluetongue virus, Rift Valley fever virus, and small ruminant morbillivirus. Commonly reported bacterial and protozoal agents included Anaplasma spp., Theileria spp., and Toxoplasma spp., while common ectoparasites included Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus ticks. Sixty-nine (43%) of the infectious agents identified were potentially zoonotic, 39 (25%) were vector-borne, and 30 were WOAH-listed diseases. These findings highlight potential regional health threats to Sahelo-Saharan antelope and neighboring livestock and human communities. Targeted research is needed to elucidate the role of wildlife in the epidemiology of livestock diseases and vice versa.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on global public health, highlighting the complex relationship between air pollution and disease transmission. Approximately 2.3 billion people live in regions with high levels of air pollution, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, with countries like India facing severe challenges. This review examines the association between various pollutants, including PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, SO₂, and CO, and the spread, severity, and mortality of COVID-19. Particulate matter, particularly fine particles, serves as a carrier for viral particles, facilitating faster transmission and increasing respiratory vulnerability. Studies have shown that long-term exposure to air pollutants exacerbates the severity of COVID-19 symptoms, especially in densely populated urban areas. During the lockdown phases, significant reductions in air pollution were observed, including decreases in PM_2.5 by up to 93%, PM10 by 83%, and NO₂ levels, which contributed to improved air quality and potentially mitigated COVID-19 mortality rates. The review also underscores regional disparities, with marginalized populations bearing a disproportionate burden of pollution exposure and health impacts. Gaseous pollutants such as NO₂ were found to contribute to respiratory inflammation, increasing the susceptibility to severe COVID-19 outcomes. Additionally, the review explores the influence of meteorological and climatic factors on COVID-19 outcomes, noting the varying impact of temperature, humidity, and other factors depending on the season, geographical location, and latitude. These findings offer critical insights for policymakers and public health authorities in developing strategies for mitigating both air pollution and COVID-19 transmission.

Rabies is one of the zoonoses with the most significant impact on domestic herbivores, representing a mortality of 100,000 individuals and an economic loss of US$97 million per year in Latin America. The common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) is the primary reservoir for livestock rabies and is naturally distributed in Latin America. The concern arises from the possibility that climate change could facilitate the species' arrival to the southern USA. In this study, we used ecological niche modeling to estimate the distribution of D. rotundus in the present time and under future climate change scenarios. We analyzed whether rabies cases in Mexico were related to D. rotundus climatic suitability, and other factors such as livestock density and an ecological impact index. Our results suggest that climate change could facilitate the colonization of new sites in northern Mexico and the southern USA, which could threaten animal and human health. Further, we found that rabies cases are explained mainly by the reservoir suitability. However, national- and state-level policies may also play a key role in explaining the rabies cases in Mexico. There is a possibility that D. rotundus may expand its range to northern and northeastern Mexico, implying a high risk for the presence of rabies virus-free areas in the southern USA.

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are the primary vectors of arboviruses in Argentina, with increasing importance in Northeastern Argentina (NEA). This study used ecological niche modeling (MaxEnt) to estimate the potential geographic distribution of both species in NEA, integrating bioclimatic, land cover, and sociodemographic variables such as population density and urban accessibility. Occurrence data were compiled from global databases and literature, and model calibration was based on variable selection, spatial filtering, and cross-validation. Results indicate a broader potential distribution for Ae. albopictus compared to Ae. aegypti, particularly in under-sampled areas of Misiones and Corrientes. Urban accessibility emerged as the most influential predictor for both species, with models combining environmental and sociodemographic variables outperforming climate-only models (AUC > 0.84). Binary habitat suitability maps showed marked differences between models, underscoring the importance of human-driven factors. These findings support the use of integrative modeling approaches to better anticipate vector expansion and prioritize surveillance. The study provides critical information to guide vector control programs and reduce the risk of arbovirus transmission, especially in densely populated and highly connected areas.

Studies show the link between hantavirus infection in rodents and human infection risk. Understanding factors contributing to rodent hantavirus transmission is crucial for assessing and predicting human hantavirus pulmonary syndrome risk. Infection dynamics are often studied using seroprevalence time series from serological tests, but this method only provides an average consequence over time, offering limited insight into timing or mechanisms. To overcome this, we developed a strategy which combines capture-mark-recapture data and longitudinal serological data in order to determine the likely time window for infection and correlate it with individual features (sex and age) and the weather conditions to which each individual rodent was subject throughout its lifetime. We applied our seroconversion model to field data from two sigmodontine species, Akodon azarae and Oligoryzomys flavescens, collected in agroecosystems in the Buenos Aires province of Argentina, from May 2014 to January 2016, with a trapping effort of 19,800 trap-nights. By using daily time series, we found different weather conditions related to high seroconversion rates for each species, hardly identifiable in seroprevalence data. Higher infection rates in males and the fact that strongest effects on seroconversion converge at the time of the year that corresponds to the reproductive period indicate that transmission may be connected to matting behavior. In addition, by comparing weather conditions that relate to seroconversion with those which favor virus persistence in the environment, we argue that nesting habits could also play a role in hantavirus transmission.

Dengue has re-emerged in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) over the last five decades. The factors influencing dengue transmission by the Aedes aegypti mosquito vector within the region can be classified as ecological, biological, and social determinants. In this review, we summarized the published literature on the evidence for the determinants of dengue vector dynamics, transmission, and epidemiological outcomes in LAC. We searched PubMed, SCOPUS, and LILACS databases in September 2022 to collect published works irrespective of study design published in either English, French, Portuguese, or Spanish. Full-text articles were obtained for the studies that passed the title and abstract screening process. During full-text screening, articles were assessed to determine if they met the eligibility criteria. Data were extracted using NVivo™ 12. Data were organized as NVivo codes. Themes were compiled and communicated narratively. We included 90 peer-reviewed research articles from LAC between 2007 and 2022. The included studies were from 15 different countries, dependencies, and territories in the region. Several dengue-related indicators and outcomes were classified as ecological, biological, or social. Eight main factors were found, including: micro- and macro-climatic factors; entomological and pathogenic factors; and global-, community-, household-, and individual- level social factors. We identified several existing knowledge gaps in the literature. Making salient these gaps may serve as a starting point for future vector-borne infectious disease research to equip policymakers and public health practitioners to develop effective strategies to mitigate the impact of dengue and protect vulnerable populations in LAC.

Five carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates were obtained from 33 adult Guanay Cormorants from Isla Pescadores, Lima, Peru. Four isolates had a similar antibiotic susceptibility profile and their carbapenem resistance was attributed to mutations in OprD porin; whilst the last isolate carried both bla_VIM (encoded within a Class 1 integron) and bla_IMP. Moreover, the VIM/IMP co-producer belongs to ST111, considered as a high-risk clone. The other isolates could not be identified by MLST since amplification of mutL, aroE, and acsA could not be achieved. The exoA and exoT genes were present in all isolates, while the VIM/IMP isolate also carried exoS and exoY but neither exoU nor algD. BOX-PCR showed that the VIM/IMP isolate was not clonally related to the other four. These findings highlight the importance of surveillance and characterisation of carbapenem-resistant bacteria from environmental sources in Peru.