The abundance of these reservoir species increases in fragmented and degraded landscapes, leading to higher risk of disease transmission in human-dominated landscape. The objective of this project is to evaluate the ecological factors that influence the disease occurrence in the State of São Paulo and to identify areas of major transmission risk. We combine species distribution modeling and landscape ecology approaches to relate the number of Hantavirus cases with potential explanatory parameters, such as distribution and abundance of the reservoir species, landscape structure metrics, and other relevant environmental factors. Findings from this project will shed lights on the effects of land loss and habitat fragmentation on Hantavirus transmission, as well as on mechanisms to lower costs and increase the efficiency of reservoir species-centered surveillance programs.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is considered an emerging health problem in Brazil, and a threat to public health in South America, in part due to its remarkably high mortality rate (approximately 50% of all infections result in death). The principal reservoir species of Hantavirus are rodents that use both forests and man-induced open areas (e.g. agricultural and pasture areas), where it is directly transmitted to humans through inhalation of aerosoled rodent urine, saliva or feces. Currently, most studies support the hypothesis that increased habitat disturbance and deforestation increase the prevalence of reservoir species, probably as a result of community simplification and a loss in the diversity of small mammals. To date, few studies have explored these environmental correlates of transmission of Hantavirus - and no study has addressed if landscape-level losses in forest cover result in both altered mammal community composition and contact rates between humans and rodent reservoirs. Given the absence of a Hantavirus vaccine or effective chemotherapeutic treatment, the only way to prevent human infection is via preventive measures. These will require a better understanding of the impacts of anthropogenic environmental change and biodiversity loss on the host species, and consequently on the prevalence of Hantavirus.
The overall objective of this sub-project is to evaluate which ecological factors influence the incidence of the disease in the State of São Paulo, and to identify the areas of greatest transmission risk. To do this, we link public health information on reported disease cases, biodiversity data (e.g. the distribution and abundance of reservoir species), with remote sensing information, to explore landscape structure.
We anticipate that municipalities with less remaining forest cover and a greater fragmentation index will report a greater number of HPS cases. These findings should contribute to a greater understanding of the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation in the transmission of Hantaviruses and to a lower cost and increased efficiency of surveillance systems for reservoir species.
* Pictures have links to detailed descriptions of sub-projects.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is considered an emerging health problem in Brazil, and a threat to public health in South America, in part due to its remarkably high mortality rate (approximately 50% of all infections result in death). The principal reservoir species of Hantavirus are rodents that use both forests and man-induced open areas (e.g. agricultural and pasture areas), where it is directly transmitted to humans through inhalation of aerosoled rodent urine, saliva or feces. Currently, most studies support the hypothesis that increased habitat disturbance and deforestation increase the prevalence of reservoir species, probably as a result of community simplification and a loss in the diversity of small mammals. To date, few studies have explored these environmental correlates of transmission of Hantavirus - and no study has addressed if landscape-level losses in forest cover result in both altered mammal community composition and contact rates between humans and rodent reservoirs. Given the absence of a Hantavirus vaccine or effective chemotherapeutic treatment, the only way to prevent human infection is via preventive measures. These will require a better understanding of the impacts of anthropogenic environmental change and biodiversity loss on the host species, and consequently on the prevalence of Hantavirus.
The overall objective of this sub-project is to evaluate which ecological factors influence the incidence of the disease in the State of São Paulo, and to identify the areas of greatest transmission risk. To do this, we link public health information on reported disease cases, biodiversity data (e.g. the distribution and abundance of reservoir species), with remote sensing information, to explore landscape structure.
We anticipate that municipalities with less remaining forest cover and a greater fragmentation index will report a greater number of HPS cases. These findings should contribute to a greater understanding of the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation in the transmission of Hantaviruses and to a lower cost and increased efficiency of surveillance systems for reservoir species.
* Pictures have links to detailed descriptions of sub-projects.
Amanda Prado
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Renata Muylaert
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Paula Prist
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Jean Paul Metzger
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Paulo D’Andrea
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Renata Pardini
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