Disease mapping seeks to represent the risk of a disease. This paper focuses on the spatial analysis of risk for pandemic COVID-19 in Europe and the Mediterranean. Morbidity and mortality data for 54 countries in ratio format were used. Two hypotheses were considered, the first one is that the data are homogeneous and the second one is that the ratios are defined in a heterogeneous manner requiring the stratification on the basis of covariables and the methodology of Jenks’ intervals. Spatial risk models were applied as well as methods for the representation of clusters. The results show that the best representation is obtained with the Poisson-Gamma Model under stratification. The variations in the ratios are due to the individual policies of each country for the management of the pandemic. The cluster analysis shows that there is a high mortality process in Eastern Europe. The behavior of the pandemic should be evaluated in the space-time process as well as in other heterogeneous and highly unequal regions.

Abstract. The population dynamics of the small forest rice rat Microryzomys minutus, a murid rodent that occurs in the high altitudes of the northern and central Andes, was studied in disturbed and primary environments in a cloud forest of the Venezuelan Andes (Juan Pablo Peñaloza National Park, 8º11'N, 71º49'W). We collected 121 animals (66 and 55 ) between 1995 and 1998, using pitfall traps with formalin. Adult males were heavier than adult females. Relative abundance was much greater in the disturbed environments (over 10 individuals in some periods) than in the primary cloud forest: 4-8 individuals. In the disturbed environments, the rats were extremely abundant in the first sampling period, and less frequent afterwards. In the cropland, abundance showed some fluctuations during the study and displayed two small abundance peaks in March-June 1997 and 1998. In the mined area, the rats had irregular fluctuations until March-June 1997 and were not recorded in July-October 1997. The occurrence of this rat in both disturbed and natural habitats confirms the wide ecological tolerance of this species. Rev. Biol. Trop. 54(2): 651-. Epub 2006 Jun 01.

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