Remote sensing as a tool to survey endemic diseases in Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this study, based on a systematic literature review, is to present the characteristics and potentialities of remote sensing as a useful environmental surveillance tool for applied research in the control of endemics in Brazil. Onboard satellite sensors allow for monitoring the territory, furnishing spatial and temporal information on various scales and regions in the electromagnetic spectrum. Based on the literature review on the application of this technology to the study of endemics and the identification of the potential of new sensors with better spectral, spatial, and temporal resolutions, this study highlights perspectives for the use of remote sensing in the study of important endemics for Brazil.

Uso e cobertura do solo e prevalência de leishmaniose visceral canina em Teresina, Piauí, Brasil: uma abordagem utilizando sensoriamento remoto orbital

“…Spatial approaches to study the epidemiology of infectious diseases using GIS and RS to define high-risk areas for transmission have been used for quite some time 30,31 , mainly in studies on 30,32 . However, their use in the study of VL is much more recent and relatively infrequent, particularly in Brazil, where VL transmission is zoonotic 33 .…”

Fatores ambientais associados à ocorrência de leishmaniose visceral canina em uma área de recente introdução da doença no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

“…Classification of the image, performed only in cells with dogs, aimed to extract the following characteristics pertaining to land cover: swimming pools (water), dark gray cover (characterizing commercial areas and areas with gray asbestos roofing, indicating poverty-prone urbanized areas), ceramic roof tiles (red), metal roofing, and vegetation (dense versus sparse). Classes of vegetation were discriminated by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which allowed minimizing the spectral confounding resulting from shadow effects 13 .…”

“…The identification of these factors can support resource allocation and implementation of control measures 1,11,12 . However, some studies have highlighted that the use of remote sensing images for studying endemics in urban and periurban areas raises major conceptual and technical challenges 12,13,14 .…”

Monitoring Recreational Waters: How to Integrate Environmental Determinants

“…Data from Earth observation can be highly precise depending on the sensor; knowing the precise data on characteristics associated with fecal contamination can be very relevant in the context of a hydrological matter. However, some factors can make their use difficult for recreational water monitoring, such as image cost and the expertise and technical resources needed for the gathering, processing, and analysing of those data [95][96][97]. As all sources of data present advantages and limitations, a combination of more than one source is probably the best way to tackle this step depending on the environment and the recreational waters involved.…”