The Impact of Deforestation, Urbanization, and Changing Land Use Patterns on the Ecology of Mosquito and Tick-Borne Diseases in Central America

Abstract

Central America is a unique geographical region that connects North and South America, enclosed by the Caribbean Sea to the East, and the Pacific Ocean to the West. This region, encompassing Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Nicaragua, is highly vulnerable to the emergence or resurgence of mosquito-borne and tick-borne diseases due to a combination of key ecological and socioeconomic determinants acting together, often in a synergistic fashion. Of particular interest are the effects of land use changes, such as deforestation-driven urbanization and forest degradation, on the incidence and prevalence of these diseases, which are not well understood. In recent years, parts of Central America have experienced social and economic improvements; however, the region still faces major challenges in developing effective strategies and significant investments in public health infrastructure to prevent and control these diseases. In this article, we review the current knowledge and potential impacts of deforestation, urbanization, and other land use changes on mosquito-borne and tick-borne disease transmission in Central America and how these anthropogenic drivers could affect the risk for disease emergence and resurgence in the region. These issues are addressed in the context of other interconnected environmental and social challenges.

Spotted Fever Group Rickettsioses in Central America: The Research and Public Health Disparity among Socioeconomic Lines

“…As the world continues to change through natural cycles of climate change and human-induced changes from carbon emissions, deforestation, urbanization, and travel, it is anticipated that vector-borne disease ranges will expand globally, including tick-borne disease. In Central America, urbanization and deforestation are happening on a larger scale in than many developed nations [ 14 , 42 ]. Additionally, deforestation occurs disproportionately in the region, where the least-developed countries—Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize, and El Salvador—experience deforestation at a significantly higher rate than Panama and Costa Rica [ 42 ].…”

“…Central America has a history of various infectious diseases impacting large numbers of people, notably many neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) such as Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, and dengue [ 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Despite the wide range of potential hosts and suitable tropical habitat for ticks in this region, information on tick-borne disease risk, including SFGR, risk factors, ecology, and epidemiology, is limited [ 15 , 16 ].…”

Seasonal changes of mosquito communities structure in two endemic regions for arboviruses in Costa Rica: Species richness, diversity, bloodmeal preferences and viral positivity

“…Low diversity has been extensively associated with a higher risk of vector-borne diseases (47), and functional diversity has been established as a good predictor for higher R 0 in vector-borne diseases (48). Deforestation and changes in land use such as cattle ranching, which reduce local diversity, have been proposed as risk factor for vector-borne and emerging infectious diseases (49). Furthermore, recently productive landscapes such as oil palm and pineapple plantations have been associated with higher presence of disease vectors (50).…”

Circular Policy: A New Approach to Vector and Vector-Borne Diseases’ Management in Line with the Global Vector Control Response (2017–2030)

“…Factors that can impact vectors’ ecology such as their geographical and seasonal distribution) and their transmission dynamics (i.e., increase of infection risks from disease-causing pathogens) are deforestation, urbanization, changing land use patterns, water control projects, loss of biodiversity, introduction of alien species, agriculture, and increased global travel, human migration and trade, and insecticide and larvicide resistance in all insect groups that serve as vectors of emerging diseases [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”