Using Earth observation images to inform risk assessment and mapping of climate change-related infectious diseases

Kotchi, Serge Olivier; Bouchard, Catherine; Ludwig, Antoinette; Rees, Erin E.; Brazeau, Stéphanie

doi:10.14745/ccdr.v45i05a04

Cited by 14 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…For example, surveillance data on sexually-transmitted infections have been paired with data on the number of hits of public health messaging on social media sites to assess the effectiveness of infectious disease outbreak control (19). Open Data from satellites on weather and environmental indicators has been used to help predict increased risk of floods, fires and extreme weather events to trigger and inform mitigation efforts (20).…”

Section: The Potential Of Open Data For Public Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reaping the benefits of Open Data in public health

Huston

Edge

Bernier

2019

CCDR

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Open Data is part of a broad global movement that is not only advancing science and scientific communication but also transforming modern society and how decisions are made. What began with a call for Open Science and the rise of online journals has extended to Open Data, based on the premise that if reports on data are open, then the generated or supporting data should be open as well. There have been a number of advances in Open Data over the last decade, spearheaded largely by governments. A real benefit of Open Data is not simply that single databases can be used more widely; it is that these data can also be leveraged, shared and combined with other data. Open Data facilitates scientific collaboration, enriches research and advances analytical capacity to inform decisions. In the human and environmental health realms, for example, the ability to access and combine diverse data can advance early signal detection, improve analysis and evaluation, inform program and policy development, increase capacity for public participation, enable transparency and improve accountability. However, challenges remain. Enormous resources are needed to make the technological shift to open and interoperable databases accessible with common protocols and terminology. Amongst data generators and users, this shift also involves a cultural change: from regarding databases as restricted intellectual property, to considering data as a common good. There is a need to address legal and ethical considerations in making this shift. Finally, along with efforts to modify infrastructure and address the cultural, legal and ethical issues, it is important to share the information equitably and effectively. While there is great potential of the open, timely, equitable and straightforward sharing of data, fully realizing the myriad of benefits of Open Data will depend on how effectively these challenges are addressed.

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Section: The Potential Of Open Data For Public Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reaping the benefits of Open Data in public health

Huston

Edge

Bernier

2019

CCDR

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“…Environmental determinants derived from Earth observation (EO) images are increasingly used in the risk modeling and mapping of infectious diseases, because they offer numerous advantages compared to field data or meteorological data [14,15]. These data provide continuous spatial and temporal coverage on a standard and regular basis: spatial, temporal, and spectral resolutions are preserved from one observation to another for the same satellite/sensor system, which are continuously in operation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several other studies used meteorological data [2,[21][22][23] or climate models [8,12] with lower spatial resolution and coverage to model and map the risk of I. scapularis in Canada and North America. However, landscape heterogeneity, fragmentation of forest environments, expansion of mixed areas of woodland, agricultural, and residential surfaces, and increase of climatic variability generate microclimatic conditions and microhabitats that can provide important variation in the spatial distribution of tick populations at fine scales [15,24]. Hence, there is a need to model and map the risk of Lyme disease at finer scales in order to adapt and improve control and prevention strategies at local scales and in mixed and fragmented environments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hence, there is a need to model and map the risk of Lyme disease at finer scales in order to adapt and improve control and prevention strategies at local scales and in mixed and fragmented environments. There are no products covering Canada that can meet this need on a regular basis to support public health activities compared to EO products that have been developed to support areas such as agriculture or forestry [15]. This need requires EO data with better spatial resolution (<1 km) and greater temporal frequency (daily or weekly averages for the calculation of degree days) covering a vast territory such as Canada.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This need requires EO data with better spatial resolution (<1 km) and greater temporal frequency (daily or weekly averages for the calculation of degree days) covering a vast territory such as Canada. This poses the challenge of processing and analyzing massive amounts of EO data [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Earth Observation-Informed Risk Maps of the Lyme Disease Vector Ixodes scapularis in Central and Eastern Canada

et al. 2021

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Climate change is facilitating the geographic range expansion of populations of the tick vector of Lyme disease Ixodes scapularis in Canada. Here, we characterize and map the spatio-temporal variability of environments suitable for I. scapularis using Earth observation (EO) data. A simple algorithm for I. scapularis occurrence (cumulative degree-days and forest: CSDF) was developed by combining cumulative annual surface degree-days above 0 °C and forest cover. To map the environmental risk of I. scapularis (risk of I. scapularis: RIS) in central and eastern Canada from 2000 to 2015, CSDF was adjusted using data from an I. scapularis population model. CSDF was validated using cumulative annual degree days >0 °C (CADD) from meteorological stations, and CSDF was strongly associated with CADD (n = 52, R2 > 0.86, p < 0.001). Data on field surveillance for I. scapularis ticks (2008 to 2018) were used to validate the risk maps. The presence of I. scapularis ticks was significantly associated with CSDF, and at a limit of 2800, sensitivity approached 100%. RIS increased over the study period, with the highest values in 2012 and the lowest in 2000. The RIS was on average higher in Ontario and Quebec compared to other provinces, and it was higher in the southern parts of the provinces. The proportion of the populated areas with a positive RIS increased on average in central and eastern Canada from 2000 to 2015. Predicted I. scapularis occurrence identifies areas with a more probable risk of tick bites, Lyme disease, and other I. scapularis-borne diseases, which can help guide targeted surveillance, prevention, and control interventions.

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High‐resolution environmental and host‐related factors impacting questing Ixodes scapularis at their northern range edge

Crandall,

Millien,

Kerr

2024

Ecology and Evolution

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The geographic range of tick populations has expanded in Canada due to climate warming and the associated poleward range shifts of their vertebrate hosts. Abiotic factors, such as temperature, precipitation, and snow, are known to directly affect tick abundance. Yet, biotic factors, such as the abundance and diversity of mammal hosts, may also alter tick abundance and consequent tick‐borne disease risk. Here, we incorporated host surveillance data with high‐resolution environmental data to evaluate the combined impact of abiotic and biotic factors on questing Ixodes scapularis abundance in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. High‐resolution abiotic factors were derived from remote sensing satellites and meteorological towers, while biotic factors related to mammal hosts were derived from active surveillance data that we collected in the field. Generalized additive models were used to determine the relative importance of abiotic and biotic factors on questing I. scapularis abundance. Combinations of abiotic and biotic factors were identified as important drivers of abundances of questing I. scapularis. Positive and negative linear relationships were found for questing I. scapularis abundance with monthly mean precipitation and accumulated snow, but no effect was found for the relative abundance of white‐footed mice. Positive relationships were also identified between questing I. scapularis abundance with monthly mean precipitation and mammal species richness. Therefore, future studies that assess I. scapularis should incorporate host surveillance data with high‐resolution environmental factors to determine the key drivers impacting the abundance and geographic spread of tick populations and tick‐borne pathogens.

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Using Earth observation images to inform risk assessment and mapping of climate change-related infectious diseases

Cited by 14 publications

References 61 publications

Reaping the benefits of Open Data in public health

Reaping the benefits of Open Data in public health

Earth Observation-Informed Risk Maps of the Lyme Disease Vector Ixodes scapularis in Central and Eastern Canada

High‐resolution environmental and host‐related factors impacting questing Ixodes scapularis at their northern range edge

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