Modeling the effects of palm-house proximity on the theoretical risk of Chagas disease transmission in a rural locality of the Orinoco basin, Colombia

Erazo, Diana; Cordovez, Juan Manuel

doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1884-8

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 29 publications

(34 reference statements)

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“…During 40 days, R. prolixus dispersal was motivated mainly by starvation and did not exceed 15 m. Besides, migration seemed to be unidirectional, from palms towards houses [ 36 ]. A recent study [ 37 ] suggests through mathematical models that the closer the palm of the house, the greater is the chances of it being visited by R. prolixus .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Should I stay or should I go? Movement of adult Triatoma sordida within the peridomestic area of a typical Brazilian Cerrado rural household

et al. 2018

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BackgroundChagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is an important neglected tropical illness caused by the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, which is primarily transmitted to humans by hematophagous insects of the subfamily Triatominae. Although knowledge on triatomine movement capabilities at the micro-geographical scale is of fundamental importance concerning the development of effective vector control strategies, it remains a poorly understood subject. Furthermore, survival rates and size estimates of natural populations are important topics to consider when evaluating transmission intensity.ResultsThe movement of adult Triatoma sordida within the peridomestic area of a rural Brazilian household was evaluated via mark-release-recapture assays. A total of 210 insects had their pronota marked with fluorescent dyes and were released at different distances from the chicken coop (two, five, ten and 20 m), and from the horse corral (27, 32, 35, 46 and 56 m). Recaptures occurred in three consecutive 15-day intervals. Specimens were successfully recaptured at all distances up to 32 m. Bayesian models were used to estimate recapture probability, survival rates (males vs females) and population size. Although recapture probability was inversely proportional to distance for both sexes, females were more affected by increased distance. On the other hand, no significant difference was detected in the survival rates between males and females in a 15-day period. Fisher-Ford and Bayesian models gave more accurate population size estimates than Lincoln method.ConclusionsTriatoma sordida adults were able to cover a distance of 32 m in 45 days. Recapture data modelling reveals that male dispersal was more effective suggesting that T. sordida males are more likely to contribute as potential colonizers of the peridomestic environment. Increasing the distance between the peridomestic structures and the sylvatic environment as much as possible appears to be a simple and feasible recommendation to reduce the contact rate between humans and infected bugs and ultimately Chagas disease transmission.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Should I stay or should I go? Movement of adult Triatoma sordida within the peridomestic area of a typical Brazilian Cerrado rural household

et al. 2018

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“…A. butyracea palms in secondary growth regions are more likely to be infested with Chagas disease vectors (8), and, when initial deforestation occurs as a result of human settlement and agriculture, inherently more likely to exist in close proximity to human establishments (9,10). This close proximity of households to Attalea spp palms is hypothesized to increase risk of Chagas disease transmission in humans (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16) and has been shown, in one study, to increase risk in domestic canine populations (17).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Landscape Disturbance Impacts on Attalea Butyracea Palm Distribution in Central Panama: Implications for Chagas Disease Transmission

Mertzlufft¹,

Madden²,

Gottdenker³

et al. 2020

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Background: Chagas disease is a vector-borne zoonotic disease endemic to Latin America. In Panama, Attalea butyracea palm trees are the preferred habitat of the region’s primary Chagas disease vector (Rhodnius pallescens). Close proximity of these palms to human dwellings is linked to increased risk of Chagas disease transmission. However, these palms thrive in disturbed habitats associated with human settlement and agriculture. This study examines the relationship between landscape disturbance and mature A. butyracea spatial distribution, density, and proximity to susceptible populations and vector movement corridors in a heterogeneous tropical region in central Panama. Presence of A. butyracea does not guarantee corresponding presence of R. pallescens, but as the vectors’ preferred habitat, quantifying A. butyracea response to disturbance may provide new insight into Chagas disease transmission risks in changing landscapes. Methods: We remotely identified the locations of over 50,000 mature A. butyracea palms using high-resolution WorldView2 satellite imagery. A local Getis-Ord Gi* spatial analysis identified significant clusters of aggregated palms. Associations between palm and cluster abundance and a landscape disturbance gradient, derived from official Panama landcover data, were tested using Chi-square tests for Homogeneity and Z-test for proportions. Kruskall-Wallace non-parametric analysis of variance tests were run to assess whether palm cluster area varied by disturbance level, or whether disturbance influenced average proximity of palms and palm clusters to susceptible populations or vector movement corridors.Results: Our findings indicate a regional relationship between landscape disturbance and A. butyracea occurrence. We observe a significant increase in both individual and clustered A. butyracea in secondary forest, but a reduction in palms in agricultural settings. Notably, we do not detect evidence of any thinning in abundance of palms in residential settings. All but one household in our study area is within vector flight distance of potential vector habitat in palm crowns.Conclusions: We observe probable anthropogenic thinning of A. butyracea palms in agricultural, but not residential, settings. Even in heavily deforested regions, significant concentrations of mature palms remain in close proximity to human establishments. The potential of A. butyracea palms as a source of infectious Chagas disease vectors in this region warrants further study.

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“…Therefore Chagas disease transmission in human populations remains a low but constant risk in Panama due to potential crossover from sylvatic to domestic transmission cycles (7,12). Close proximity of A. butyracea palms to households is considered an elevated risk factor for Chagas disease transmission for this reason (3,4,15,(18)(19)(20)(21). This risk is compounded by A. butyracea palms' propensity to thrive in disturbed landscapes (5,22,23), de ned here as altered physical environments that disrupt or change the underlying ecosystem (24).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Landscape disturbance impacts on Attalea butyracea palm distribution in central Panama

Mertzlufft¹,

Madden²,

Gottdenker³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background: Increased Attalea butyracea palm propagation, notable for its role as key habitat for the primary Chagas disease vector in Panama, has been linked to landscape disturbance in single-palm observations in this region. Close proximity of these palms to human dwellings is proposed to increase risk of Chagas disease transmission from sylvatic transmission cycles to domestic transmission involving human populations. This study examines the relationship between landscape disturbance and mature A. butyracea spatial distribution, density, and proximity to human populations and vector and reservoir species’ movement corridors at a regional scale in a 300-km2 heterogeneous tropical landscape in central Panama.Methods: We remotely identified the locations of over 50,000 mature A. butyracea palms using high-resolution WorldView2 satellite imagery. A local Getis-Ord Gi* spatial analysis identified significant clusters of aggregated palms. Associations between palm and cluster abundance and a landscape disturbance gradient, derived from official Panama land cover data, were tested using Chi-square tests for Homogeneity and Z-test for proportions. Kruskall-Wallis non-parametric analysis of variance tests were run to assess whether palm cluster area varied by disturbance level, or whether disturbance influenced average proximity of palms and palm clusters to susceptible populations or vector movement corridors.Results: Our findings indicate a regional relationship between landscape disturbance and A. butyracea occurrence. We observe a significant increase in both individual and clustered A. butyracea in secondary forest, but a reduction of palms in agricultural settings. We do not detect evidence of any reduction in abundance of palms in residential settings. A majority of residential and commercial buildings in our study area are within vector flight distance of potential vector habitat in palm crowns.Conclusions: We observe probable anthropogenic elimination of A. butyracea palms in agricultural, but not residential, settings. Even in heavily deforested regions, significant concentrations of mature palms remain in close proximity to human establishments.

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Modeling the effects of palm-house proximity on the theoretical risk of Chagas disease transmission in a rural locality of the Orinoco basin, Colombia

Cited by 13 publications

References 29 publications

Should I stay or should I go? Movement of adult Triatoma sordida within the peridomestic area of a typical Brazilian Cerrado rural household

Should I stay or should I go? Movement of adult Triatoma sordida within the peridomestic area of a typical Brazilian Cerrado rural household

Landscape Disturbance Impacts on Attalea Butyracea Palm Distribution in Central Panama: Implications for Chagas Disease Transmission

Landscape disturbance impacts on Attalea butyracea palm distribution in central Panama

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