Environmental Drivers and Potential Distribution of <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> Endemic Areas in Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, human schistosomiasis is caused by two species of schistosome, <i>Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium,</i> with the former being dominant in the country, causing infections of more than 5 million people and more than 37 million at risk of infection. What is more, new tran...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Microorganisms |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/10/2144 |
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| author | Keerati Ponpetch Berhanu Erko Teshome Bekana Tadesse Kebede Di Tian Yang Yang Song Liang |
| author_facet | Keerati Ponpetch Berhanu Erko Teshome Bekana Tadesse Kebede Di Tian Yang Yang Song Liang |
| author_sort | Keerati Ponpetch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In Ethiopia, human schistosomiasis is caused by two species of schistosome, <i>Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium,</i> with the former being dominant in the country, causing infections of more than 5 million people and more than 37 million at risk of infection. What is more, new transmission foci for <i>S. mansoni</i> have been reported over the past years in the country, raising concerns over the potential impacts of environmental changes (e.g., climate change) on the disease spread. Knowledge on the distribution of schistosomiasis endemic areas and associated drivers is much needed for surveillance and control programs in the country. Here we report a study that aims to examine environmental determinants underlying the distribution and suitability of <i>S. mansoni</i> endemic areas at the national scale of Ethiopia. The study identified that, among five physical environmental factors examined, soil property, elevation, and climatic factors (e.g., precipitation and temperature) are key factors associated with the distribution of <i>S. mansoni</i> endemic areas. The model predicted that the suitable areas for schistosomiasis transmission are largely distributed in northern, central, and western parts of the country, suggesting a potentially wide distribution of <i>S. mansoni</i> endemic areas. The findings of this study are potentially instrumental to inform public health surveillance, intervention, and future research on schistosomiasis in Ethiopia. The modeling approaches employed in this study may be extended to other schistosomiasis endemic regions and to other vector-borne diseases. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:22:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fec95559587347b3972e468713db50b3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:22:38Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-fec95559587347b3972e468713db50b32023-11-22T19:15:02ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072021-10-01910214410.3390/microorganisms9102144Environmental Drivers and Potential Distribution of <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> Endemic Areas in EthiopiaKeerati Ponpetch0Berhanu Erko1Teshome Bekana2Tadesse Kebede3Di Tian4Yang Yang5Song Liang6Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USAAklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa 3614, EthiopiaAklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa 3614, EthiopiaAklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa 3614, EthiopiaDepartment of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USAEmerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USADepartment of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USAIn Ethiopia, human schistosomiasis is caused by two species of schistosome, <i>Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium,</i> with the former being dominant in the country, causing infections of more than 5 million people and more than 37 million at risk of infection. What is more, new transmission foci for <i>S. mansoni</i> have been reported over the past years in the country, raising concerns over the potential impacts of environmental changes (e.g., climate change) on the disease spread. Knowledge on the distribution of schistosomiasis endemic areas and associated drivers is much needed for surveillance and control programs in the country. Here we report a study that aims to examine environmental determinants underlying the distribution and suitability of <i>S. mansoni</i> endemic areas at the national scale of Ethiopia. The study identified that, among five physical environmental factors examined, soil property, elevation, and climatic factors (e.g., precipitation and temperature) are key factors associated with the distribution of <i>S. mansoni</i> endemic areas. The model predicted that the suitable areas for schistosomiasis transmission are largely distributed in northern, central, and western parts of the country, suggesting a potentially wide distribution of <i>S. mansoni</i> endemic areas. The findings of this study are potentially instrumental to inform public health surveillance, intervention, and future research on schistosomiasis in Ethiopia. The modeling approaches employed in this study may be extended to other schistosomiasis endemic regions and to other vector-borne diseases.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/10/2144environmental driver<i>Schistosoma mansoni</i>Ethiopiaecological niche modeling |
| spellingShingle | Keerati Ponpetch Berhanu Erko Teshome Bekana Tadesse Kebede Di Tian Yang Yang Song Liang Environmental Drivers and Potential Distribution of <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> Endemic Areas in Ethiopia Microorganisms environmental driver <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> Ethiopia ecological niche modeling |
| title | Environmental Drivers and Potential Distribution of <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> Endemic Areas in Ethiopia |
| title_full | Environmental Drivers and Potential Distribution of <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> Endemic Areas in Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Environmental Drivers and Potential Distribution of <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> Endemic Areas in Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental Drivers and Potential Distribution of <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> Endemic Areas in Ethiopia |
| title_short | Environmental Drivers and Potential Distribution of <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> Endemic Areas in Ethiopia |
| title_sort | environmental drivers and potential distribution of i schistosoma mansoni i endemic areas in ethiopia |
| topic | environmental driver <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> Ethiopia ecological niche modeling |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/10/2144 |
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