De-urbanization and Zoonotic Disease Risk

Eskew, Evan A.; Olival, Kevin J.

doi:10.1007/s10393-018-1359-9

Cited by 26 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Human agglomeration, unplanned urbanization and de-urbanization (neglected/abandoned urban areas) facilitate the emergence and spread of infectious diseases since these factors are associated with sustained human-to-human transmission of pathogens, lack of sanitation, closer contact with wildlife, garbage accumulation, and proliferation of disease vectors ( Gubler, 2011 ; Neiderud, 2015 ; Herfst et al , 2017 ; Dalziel et al , 2018 ; Eskew and Olival, 2018 ; Tian et al , 2018 ). Therefore, urban planning that prioritizes the population access to health infrastructure is a meaningful way to control infectious diseases, since it creates the conditions necessary for life in cities to be healthy, avoiding human settlements in environments without adequate sanitary conditions.…”

Section: Actions For Control and Prevention Of Infectious Diseases: Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Control and prevention of infectious diseases from a One Health perspective

et al. 2021

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The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caught the attention of the global community and rekindled the debate about our ability to prevent and manage outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics. Many alternatives are suggested to address these urgent issues. Some of them are quite interesting, but with little practical application in the short or medium term. To realistically control infectious diseases, human, animal, and environmental factors need to be considered together, based on the One Health perspective. In this article, we highlight the most effective initiatives for the control and prevention of infectious diseases: vaccination; environmental sanitation; vector control; social programs that encourage a reduction in the population growth; control of urbanization; safe sex stimulation; testing; treatment of sexually and vertically transmitted infections; promotion of personal hygiene practices; food safety and proper nutrition; reduction of the human contact with wildlife and livestock; reduction of social inequalities; infectious disease surveillance; and biodiversity preservation. Subsequently, this article highlights the impacts of human genetics on susceptibility to infections and disease progression, using the SARS-CoV-2 infection as a study model. Finally, actions focused on mitigation of outbreaks and epidemics and the importance of conservation of ecosystems and translational ecology as public health strategies are also discussed.

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Section: Actions For Control and Prevention Of Infectious Diseases: Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Control and prevention of infectious diseases from a One Health perspective

et al. 2021

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“…Geographical heterogeneity may occur because common pressures arising from urbanization differentially affect pathogens, vectors and host species (Bradley & Altizer, 2007; Gottdenker et al, 2014; Morand et al., 2019; Werner & Nunn, 2020, Cavia et al 2009). It may also occur because vector and host assemblages are shaped by different pressures arising from sociocultural–ecological (hereafter “socioecological”) variation in cities (Eskew & Olival, 2018; LaDeau et al., 2013; Peterson et al., 2020 Schell et al., 2020). Accordingly, relationships between ecological communities and disease risk may not be a simple function of urban‐to‐rural contrasts or gradients of human influence as observed in many systems (e.g., Blair, 1999; Germaine & Wakeling, 1999; McIntyre, 2000; Riem et al, 2012), but instead exhibit more complex spatial configurations of species interactions governed by socioecological heterogeneity (Hassell et al 2017 , Rothenburger et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Amplification of pathogenicLeptospirainfection with greater abundance and co‐occurrence of rodent hosts across a counter‐urbanizing landscape

Peterson

Ghersi

Riegel³

et al. 2020

Molecular Ecology

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Land use change can elevate disease risk by creating conditions beneficial to species that carry zoonotic pathogens. Observations of concordant global trends in increased pathogen prevalence or disease incidence and landscape change have generated concerns that urbanization could increase transmission risk of some pathogens. Yet host-pathogen relationships underlying transmission risk have not been well characterized within cities, even where contact between humans and species capable of transmitting pathogens of concern occurs. We addressed this deficit by testing the hypothesis that areas in cities experiencing greater population loss and infrastructure decline (i.e., counter-urbanization) can support a greater diversity of host species and a larger and more diverse pool of pathogens. We did so by characterizing pathogenic Leptospira infection relative to rodent host richness and abundance across a mosaic of abandonment in post-Katrina New Orleans (Louisiana, USA). We found that Leptospira infection loads were highest in areas that harboured increased rodent species richness (which ranged from one to four rodent species detected).Areas with greater host co-occurrence also harboured a greater abundance of hosts, including the host species most likely to carry high infection loads, indicating that Leptospira infection can be amplified by increases in overall and relative host abundance. Evidence of shared infection among rodent host species indicates that crossspecies transmission of Leptospira probably increases infection at sites with greater host richness. Additionally, evidence that rodent co-occurrence and abundance and Leptospira infection load parallel abandonment suggests that counter-urbanization can elevate zoonotic disease risk within cities, particularly in underserved communities that are burdened with disproportionate concentrations of derelict properties.

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“…rodent control, removing debris and maintaining vegetation) can be taken to reduce infection prevalence [ 61 ]. Likewise, understanding variation in infection intensity and the diversity of T. cruzi carried by vectors and hosts [ 14 , 32 ] could help alleviate potential risks to human well-being in cities across the USA and elsewhere [ 2 , 23 , 62 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In the heart of the city: Trypanosoma cruzi infection prevalence in rodents across New Orleans

et al. 2020

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Background Trypanosoma cruzi - the causative agent of Chagas disease - is known to circulate in commensal pests, but its occurrence in urban environments is not well understood. We addressed this deficit by determining the distribution and prevalence of T. cruzi infection in urban populations of commensal and wild rodents across New Orleans (Louisiana, USA). We assessed whether T. cruzi prevalence varies according to host species identity and species co-occurrences, and whether T. cruzi prevalence varies across mosaics of abandonment that shape urban rodent demography and assemblage structure in the city. Methods Leveraging city-wide population and assemblage surveys, we tested 1428 rodents comprising 5 species (cotton rats, house mice, Norway rats, rice rats and roof rats) captured at 98 trapping sites in 11 study areas across New Orleans including nine residential neighborhoods and a natural area in Orleans Parish and a neighborhood in St. Bernard Parish. We also assayed Norway rats at one site in Baton Rouge (Louisiana, USA). We used chi-square tests to determine whether infection prevalence differed among host species, among study areas, and among trapping sites according to the number of host species present. We used generalized linear mixed models to identify predictors of T. cruzi infection for all rodents and each host species, respectively. Results We detected T. cruzi in all host species in all study areas in New Orleans, but not in Baton Rouge. Though overall infection prevalence was 11%, it varied by study area and trapping site. There was no difference in prevalence by species, but roof rats exhibited the broadest geographical distribution of infection across the city. Infected rodents were trapped in densely populated neighborhoods like the French Quarter. Infection prevalence seasonally varied with abandonment, increasing with greater abandonment during the summer and declining with greater abandonment during the winter. Conclusions Our findings illustrate that T. cruzi can be widespread in urban landscapes, suggesting that transmission and disease risk is greater than is currently recognized. Our findings also suggest that there is disproportionate risk of transmission in historically underserved communities, which could reinforce long-standing socioecological disparities in New Orleans and elsewhere.

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De-urbanization and Zoonotic Disease Risk

Cited by 26 publications

References 38 publications

Control and prevention of infectious diseases from a One Health perspective

Control and prevention of infectious diseases from a One Health perspective

Amplification of pathogenicLeptospirainfection with greater abundance and co‐occurrence of rodent hosts across a counter‐urbanizing landscape

In the heart of the city: Trypanosoma cruzi infection prevalence in rodents across New Orleans

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