Dataset Information

Landscape ecology and epidemiology of malaria associated with rubber plantations in Thailand: integrated approaches to malaria ecotoping.

ABSTRACT: The agricultural land use changes that are human-induced changes in agroforestry ecosystems and in physical environmental conditions contribute substantially to the potential risks for malaria transmission in receptive areas. Due to the pattern and extent of land use change, the risks or negatively ecosystemic outcomes are the results of the dynamics of malaria transmission, the susceptibility of human populations, and the geographical distribution of malaria vectors. This review focused basically on what are the potential effects of agricultural land use change as a result of the expansion of rubber plantations in Thailand and how significant the ecotopes of malaria-associated rubber plantations (MRP) are. More profoundly, this review synthesized the novel concepts and perspectives on applied landscape ecology and epidemiology of malaria, as well as approaches to determine the degree to which an MRP ecotope as fundamental landscape scale can establish malaria infection pocket(s). Malaria ecotoping encompasses the integrated approaches and tools applied to or used in modeling malaria transmission. The scalability of MRP ecotope depends upon its unique landscape structure as it is geographically associated with the infestation or reinfestation of Anopheles vectors, along with the attributes that are epidemiologically linked with the infections. The MRP ecotope can be depicted as the hotspot such that malaria transmission is modeled upon the MRP factors underlying human settlements and movement activities, health behaviors, land use/land cover change, malaria vector population dynamics, and agrienvironmental and climatic conditions. The systemic and uniform approaches to malaria ecotoping underpin the stratification of the potential risks for malaria transmission by making use of remotely sensed satellite imagery or landscape aerial photography using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), global positioning systems (GPS), and geographical information systems (GIS).

SUBMITTER: Kaewwaen W

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4370114 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Landscape ecology and epidemiology of malaria associated with rubber plantations in Thailand: integrated approaches to malaria ecotoping.

Kaewwaen Wuthichai W Bhumiratana Adisak A

Interdisciplinary perspectives on infectious diseases 20150309

The agricultural land use changes that are human-induced changes in agroforestry ecosystems and in physical environmental conditions contribute substantially to the potential risks for malaria transmission in receptive areas. Due to the pattern and extent of land use change, the risks or negatively ecosystemic outcomes are the results of the dynamics of malaria transmission, the susceptibility of human populations, and the geographical distribution of malaria vectors. This review focused basical ...[more]

PMID: 25838822

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Project description:BackgroundThe ongoing spread of artemisinin resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria is a major threat to global health. In response, countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, including Cambodia, have declared ambitious goals to eliminate malaria. Major challenges include the lack of information on the at-risk population-individuals who live or work in or near the forest where the malaria vectors are found, including plantation workers. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap through a cross-sectional survey conducted in rubber plantations in Cambodia in 2014.MethodsThe survey was conducted in two rounds in four provinces and included a malaria prevalence survey, analysis for the K13 genetic mutation, and a comprehensive behavioural questionnaire. Forty plantations were included in each round, and 4201 interviews were conducted. An additional 701 blood samples were collected from family members of plantation workers.ResultsOverall malaria prevalence was relatively low with adjusted PCR prevalence rate of 0.6% for P. falciparum and 0.3% for Plasmodium vivax, and was very heterogenous between plantations. There was little difference in risk between permanent residents and temporary workers, and between the two rounds. The main risk factors for P. falciparum infection were smaller plantations, age under 30 years, lack of self-reported use of a treated net and recent travel, especially to the Northeastern provinces. Proximity of plantations to the forest was also a risk factor for malaria in round one, while male gender was also a risk factor for malaria by either species.ConclusionsWith Cambodia's P. falciparum elimination target on the horizon, identifying every single malaria case will become increasingly important. Plantations workers are relatively accessible compared to some other at-risk groups and will likely remain a high priority. Ongoing surveillance and adaptive strategies will be critical if malaria elimination is to be achieved in this setting.

Project description:Anthropogenic activity such as the establishment of Anopheles-infested rubber plantations can influence local malaria transmission dynamics to which the population dynamics and insecticide susceptibility of local Anopheles vectors are related. Using human landing catch collections at a house protected by indoor residual spraying (IRS), the periodic assessment of species composition, abundance, and blood-feeding behaviors was done in pre-IRS, during IRS, and post-IRS at 3, 6, and 12 months in a malaria-associated rubber plantation (MRP) ecotope of the Bo Rai district, Trat Province, Thailand, after malaria outbreak occurred. The study MRP ecotope elicited the population ratio (pi ) of Anopheles vectors: An. campestris (0.747), An. dirus (0.168), An. minimus (0.037), An. barbirostris (0.027), and An. pseudowillmori (0.002), and of An. jamesii nonvector (0.019). Among these, two predominant An. campestris and An. dirus night-biters were then used in the susceptibility test against 0.05% deltamethrin (DEL) and 0.09% bifenthrin (BT) insecticides currently used in IRS. An. campestris, a suspected vector of Plasmodium vivax, had a tendency to appear throughout the study and behaved both exophagy and endophagy. It was highly susceptible to BT, showing 95.0% mortality (95% CI, 79.1-100) while decreasing sensitivity of 87.2% (95% CI, 78.4-95.9) to DEL. An. dirus, a primary vector of Plasmodium falciparum, had a tendency to feed outdoors rather than indoors. Significant differences in the abundance (mean density and human landing rate) were observed at pre-IRS (P < 0.001 and P=0.046), and similarly, during IRS (P=0.001 and P=0.037). It was highly susceptible to DEL and BT, showing 100% mortality rate. Evidently, the study MRP ecotope contributed receptive environment to favor the abundant local Anopheles vectors and their outdoor biting preference. This can pose the risk for residual malaria parasite transmission in Anopheles vectors even though the house is protected by IRS.

Project description:BackgroundTak Province, at the Thai-Myanmar border, is one of three high malaria incidence areas in Thailand. This study aimed to describe and identify possible factors driving the spatiotemporal trends of disease incidence from 2012 to 2015.MethodsClimate variables and forest cover were correlated with malaria incidence using Pearson's r. Statistically significant clusters of high (hot spots) and low (cold spots) annual parasite incidence per 1000 population (API) were identified using Getis-Ord Gi* statistic.ResultsThe total number of confirmed cases declined by 76% from 2012 to 2015 (Plasmodium falciparum by 81%, Plasmodium vivax by 73%). Incidence was highly seasonal with two main annual peaks. Most cases were male (62.75%), ??15 years (56.07%), and of Myanmar (56.64%) or Thai (39.25%) nationality. Median temperature (1- and 2-month lags), average temperature (1- and 2-month lags) and average relative humidity (2- and 3-month lags) correlated positively with monthly total, P. falciparum and P. vivax API. Total rainfall in the same month correlated with API for total cases and P. vivax but not P. falciparum. At sub-district level, percentage forest cover had a low positive correlation with P. falciparum, P. vivax, and total API in most years. There was a decrease in API in most sub-districts for both P. falciparum and P. vivax. Sub-districts with the highest API were in the Tha Song Yang and Umphang Districts along the Thai-Myanmar border. Annual hot spots were mostly in the extreme north and south of the province.ConclusionsThere has been a large decline in reported clinical malaria from 2012 to 2015 in Tak Province. API was correlated with monthly climate and annual forest cover but these did not account for the trends over time. Ongoing elimination interventions on one or both sides of the border are more likely to have been the cause but it was not possible to assess this due to a lack of suitable data. Two main hot spot areas were identified that could be targeted for intensified elimination activities.

Dataset Information

Landscape ecology and epidemiology of malaria associated with rubber plantations in Thailand: integrated approaches to malaria ecotoping.

Publications

Landscape ecology and epidemiology of malaria associated with rubber plantations in Thailand: integrated approaches to malaria ecotoping.

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