The Use of GIS and Remote Sensing in Schistosomiasis Control in China

Abstract

Despite considerable achievements in the control of schistosomiasis in China, it remains one of the country’s most serious public health problems. Geographic information systems and remote sensing provide new tools for better understanding the spatial epidemiology of disease transmission. We present applications of these technologies at both the regional and local scale. At the regional scale, we compare remote sensing approaches for mapping snail intermediate host habitat in the mountainous environment and the flood basins of the upper and lower Yangtze River, respectively. At the local scale, we present the use of global positioning systems and geocoding of routinely collected field data. High-resolution IKONOS imagery is used to identify landscape characteristics associated with disease transmission at the village level. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of these technologies for improved disease control.

Individual and village‐level study of water contact patterns and Schistosoma japonicum infection in mountainous rural China

“…frequency, duration, seasonality) and magnitude (skin area), but also where water contacts occur in relationship with the location of cercariae or infected snails in the environment. Geographic information systems (GIS) studies have focused on environmental factors related with snail habitats, and in mapping the spatial distribution of human infection, and snail and cercarial densities within a village to inform control (Seto et al. 2001, 2002; Clennon et al.…”

Health Access Livelihood Framework Reveals Potential Barriers in the Control of Schistosomiasis in the Dongting Lake Area of Hunan Province, China

“…Broadening control efforts to include other parasitic diseases may maximize the benefits of available resources, improve efficiency and resource allocation, and increase cost-effectiveness, particularly in light of the incorporation of novel technologies such as geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing for disease surveillance in remote areas [41], [43], [52], [53], [66], [68], [69]. This expanded profile of parasites may include soil-transmitted helminthiasis and intestinal protozoa infections, which are highly prevalent in many areas of P.R.…”

Abrupt spatiotemporal land and water changes and their potential drivers in Poyang Lake, 2000–2012

“…This caused catastrophic damage to the local ecosystem and subsequently threatened the animals relying on it (Feng et al, 2012a). In addition, human activities such as the construction of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) and urbanization have also caused problems on local ecosystems (Seto et al, 2002;Zhang and Xu, 2014).…”