The impact of industrial activities on vector-borne disease transmission

Abstract

Industrial activities have produced profound changes in the natural environment, including the mass removal of trees, fragmentation of habitats, and creation of larval mosquito breeding sites, that have allowed the vectors of disease pathogens to thrive. We conducted a review of the literature to assess the impact of industrial activities on vector-borne disease transmission. Our study shows that industrial activities may be coupled with significant changes to human demographics that can potentially increase contact between pathogens, vectors and hosts, and produce a shift of parasites and susceptible populations between low and high disease endemic areas. Indeed, where vector-borne diseases and industrial activities intersect, large numbers of potentially immunologically naïve people may be exposed to infection and lack the knowledge and means to protect themselves from infection. Such areas are typically associated with inadequate access to quality health care, thus allowing industrial development and production sites to become important foci of transmission. The altered local vector ecologies, and the changes in disease dynamics that changes affect, create challenges for under-resourced health care and vector-control systems.

Malaria in Gold Miners in the Guianas and the Amazon: Current Knowledge and Challenges

“…Gold miners suffer from a wide range of ailments such as intestinal parasitic disorders, cutaneous leishmaniasis, musculoskeletal pains, or hypertension [11,23]. However, malaria seems to be the main disease linked to gold mining [11,24,25]. Indeed, gold mining favors the proliferation of malaria vectors through deforestation, although this can be reversed in the event of massive deforestation by destroying the ecosystem of certain vectors [20,[25][26][27].…”

“…However, malaria seems to be the main disease linked to gold mining [11,24,25]. Indeed, gold mining favors the proliferation of malaria vectors through deforestation, although this can be reversed in the event of massive deforestation by destroying the ecosystem of certain vectors [20,[25][26][27]. Different species of Anopheles incriminated in malaria transmission are found in gold mining areas, mainly A. darlingi, A. marajoara, A. nuneztovari, and A. albimanus [5,20,28].…”

Introduction to a Landscape Analysis of Multisectoral Approaches for Prevention and Control of Infectious and Vector-Borne Diseases

“…The recent global strategy of VBD control and prevention encourages intersectoral collaboration as an approach to achieving cost-effective and efficient results from an intervention. The review showed that although intersectoral collaboration has played an important role in achieving reduction of VBDs or vector densities, very few studies have measured how much intersectoral collaboration contributed to this impact, and the relevant indicators are missing [ 5 ].…”

“…Jana Fitria Kartika Sari presented intersectoral collaboration for the prevention and control of VBDs, supporting the implementation of a global strategy, with some examples of success when working outside the health sector (eg, including education, agriculture, etc) and the remaining knowledge gaps. The final discussion introduced the global vector control response, which advocates for MSAs among the 4 pillars of the response [ 5 ].…”

The Role of the Private Sector in Supporting Malaria Control in Resource Development Settings

“…In Brazil, for example, deforestation and the inadvertent creation of pools of standing water in road ditches, dams, mining pits, and vehicle ruts, provide suitable breeding habitats for the main vectors of malaria in the Amazon, Anopheles darlingi [ 5 ]. These mosquitoes are notably more abundant in altered landscapes, and the provision of habitats beneficial to their breeding, combined with an influx of immunologically naive migrant populations, has allowed for spikes in malaria cases at development sites [ 5 , 6 ]. In Thailand, the establishment of rubber plantations has influenced local malaria transmission dynamics through changes and variations of vector species composition, abundance, and blood-feeding behaviors [ 7 ].…”