Determinants of the geographic distribution of Puumala virus and Lyme borreliosis infections in Belgium

Linard, Catherine; Lamarque, Pénélope; Heyman, Paul; Ducoffre, G; Luyasu, Victor; Tersago, Katrien; Vanwambeke, Sophie; Lambin, Éric F.

doi:10.1186/1476-072x-6-15

Cited by 123 publications

(132 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The strongest single positive correlate of SNV prevalence was precipitation, possibly related to virus survival in the environment (Linard et al 2007) or food availability for rodents, but positive effects of island area and negative effects of predator diversity (which co-varied) were also significant in a multi-variate model. The point is made that types of predators, avian or mammalian, and their degree of specialization, may be as important as diversity in driving rodent population fluctuations and thereby variable virus transmission potential .…”

Section: I M I T E D E V I D E N C E F O R D I L U T I N G E F F E mentioning

confidence: 99%

Pangloss revisited: a critique of the dilution effect and the biodiversity-buffers-disease paradigm

2012

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SUMMARYThe twin concepts of zooprophylaxis and the dilution effect originated with vector-borne diseases (malaria), were driven forward by studies on Lyme borreliosis and have now developed into the mantra “biodiversity protects against disease”. The basic idea is that by diluting the assemblage of transmission-competent hosts with non-competent hosts, the probability of vectors feeding on transmission-competent hosts is reduced and so the abundance of infected vectors is lowered. The same principle has recently been applied to other infectious disease systems – tick-borne, insect-borne, indirectly transmitted via intermediate hosts, directly transmitted. It is claimed that the presence of extra species of various sorts, acting through a variety of distinct mechanisms, causes the prevalence of infectious agents to decrease. Examination of the theoretical and empirical evidence for this hypothesis reveals that it applies only in certain circumstances even amongst tick-borne diseases, and even less often if considering the correct metric – abundance rather than prevalence of infected vectors. Whether dilution or amplification occurs depends more on specific community composition than on biodiversityper se. We warn against raising a straw man, an untenable argument easily dismantled and dismissed. The intrinsic value of protecting biodiversity and ecosystem function outweighs this questionable utilitarian justification.

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Section: I M I T E D E V I D E N C E F O R D I L U T I N G E F F E mentioning

confidence: 99%

Pangloss revisited: a critique of the dilution effect and the biodiversity-buffers-disease paradigm

2012

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“…Increased rodent species richness and abundance may permit the presence of greater pathogen diversity [86,149,150] because different rodents harbor different pathogens, though some species can be co-infected with multiple pathogens including Leptospira, Babesia and Hantaviruses [150]. Because rodent-associated pathogens are generally spread by direct contact, inhalation and ingestion of rodent saliva, urine and feces [151], exposure risk can increase with the abundance and density of infected rodents, particularly when human-wildlife interfaces favor greater contact [152].…”

Section: Abandonment and Exposure Riskmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abandonment, Ecological Assembly and Public Health Risks in Counter-Urbanizing Cities

et al. 2016

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Urban landscapes can be transformed by widespread abandonment from population and economic decline. Ecological assembly, sometimes referred to as "greening", following abandonment can yield valuable ecosystem services, but also can pose a risk to public health. Abandonment can elevate zoonotic vector-borne disease risk by favoring the hyperabundance of commensal pests and pathogen vectors. Though greater biodiversity in abandoned areas can potentially dilute vector-borne pathogen transmission, "greening" can elevate transmission risk by increasing movement of pathogen vectors between fragmented areas and by giving rise to novel human-wildlife interfaces. Idled and derelict infrastructure can further elevate disease risk from vector-borne and water-borne pathogens, which can build up in stagnant and unprotected water that maintenance and routine use of delivery or sanitation systems would otherwise eliminate. Thus, framing "greening" as inherently positive could result in policies and actions that unintentionally exacerbate inequalities by elevating risks rather than delivering benefits. As counter-urbanism is neither a minor pattern of urban development, nor a short-term departure from urban growth, homeowner and municipal management of abandoned areas should account for potential hazards to reduce health risks. Further socioecological assessments of public health risks following abandonment could better ensure the resilience and well-being of communities in shrinking cities.

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“…However, in the 2000s satellite-image based forest landscape data for this region became available (Reese et al 2003) and even more recently more detailed aerial photo-based landscape data, directly matched to the current sampling plots (Ecke et al 2013) has changed the situation. Together, these have increased the potential to perform landscape-scale studies on vole populations (Hö rnfeldt et al 2006, Christensen et al Langlois et al 2001, Glass et al 2002, Linard et al 2007a. Bank voles in general and PUUV antibody positive bank voles occurred frequently on the habitat scale in old forest, followed by cut-over forest and mires as the least important.…”

Section: Spatial Variation Of Puuv Antibody Positive Bank Volesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial and temporal variation of hantavirus bank vole infection in managed forest landscapes

et al. 2015

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Abstract. Zoonoses are major contributors to emerging infectious diseases globally. Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a zoonosis caused by rodent-borne hantaviruses. In Europe, Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) carried and shed by the bank vole (Myodes glareolus), is the most common cause of HFRS. We explore the relationship of PUUV infection in bank voles, as measured by PUUV antibody detection, with habitat and landscape scale properties during two successive vole cycles in boreal Sweden. Our analysis revealed that PUUV infection in the population was not uniform between cycles and across different landscapes. The mean density index of PUUV antibody positive and negative bank voles were highest in old forest, second highest in cut-over forest (approx. 0-30 years old) and lowest on mires. Most importantly, old forest was the core habitat, where PUUV antibody positive bank voles were found through the low density phase and the transition between successive vole cycles. In spring, occurrence of antibody positive voles was negatively related to the proportion of cut-over forest in the surrounding landscape, suggesting that large scale human induced land-use change altered the occurrence of PUUV infection in voles which has not been shown before. Dependence of PUUV infection on habitat and landscape structure, and the variation in infection load within and between cycles are of importance for human risk assessment.

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Determinants of the geographic distribution of Puumala virus and Lyme borreliosis infections in Belgium

Cited by 123 publications

References 39 publications

Pangloss revisited: a critique of the dilution effect and the biodiversity-buffers-disease paradigm

Pangloss revisited: a critique of the dilution effect and the biodiversity-buffers-disease paradigm

Abandonment, Ecological Assembly and Public Health Risks in Counter-Urbanizing Cities

Spatial and temporal variation of hantavirus bank vole infection in managed forest landscapes

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