Habitat analysis of North American sand flies near veterans returning from leishmania-endemic war zones
Habitat analysis of North American sand flies near veterans returning from leishmania-endemic war zones
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DOI：
10.1186/1476-072x-7-65
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发表时间：
2008-12-18
影响因子：
4.9
通讯作者：
Keep, Lisa
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Claborn, David;Masuoka, Penny;Keep, Lisa
背景：在部署到伊拉克和阿富汗的美国军事人员中已经发现了近1300例利什曼病。这种疾病的症状可以从轻微的自限性皮肤感染到致命的内脏感染，并且不能通过化学预防或免疫来预防。然而，有效的治疗是可行的。这种致病的寄生虫通过雌性白蛉的叮咬传播。虽然这种疾病在旧世界和新世界都有发生，但两个半球的寄生虫种类不同。退伍军人中的大量病例引起了一些担忧，即旧世界的温度适应寄生虫物种可能会被引入美国军事设施的本地沙蝇种群中，目前冲突的退伍军人在部署后返回。本文报告了一项更大规模的研究的一部分，以分析这种意外进口的风险。四个潜在的栖息地在美国东南部的两个大型陆军设施进行了调查，以确定相对沙蝇密度。结果：白蛉密度在落叶林中明显高于在森林与开阔草地交界处，在森林与开阔草地交界处白蛉密度更高。万年青森林和农田支持非常低的密度。在肯塔基州的坎贝尔堡，适宜栖息地覆盖的土地比例非常高。白蛉密度预测图确定了大片土地，在这些土地上，受感染的个体暴露于白蛉叮咬的风险较高，导致将寄生虫引入本地昆虫种群的风险增加。然而，在北卡罗来纳州的布拉格堡，长叶松的商业化种植减少了适合支持白蛉的植被覆盖的土地的百分比。引入外来利什曼原虫的风险。因此，认为布拉格堡比坎贝尔堡低得多。结论：可在区域一级使用现成的土地覆盖产品，以确定人群可能处于较高暴露风险的白蛉栖息地。白蛉密度预测图可用于指导进一步的监测、昆虫控制或对潜在感染士兵的额外患者监测。
Background: Nearly 1300 cases of leishmaniasis have been identified in American military personnel deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The symptoms of this disease can range from a mild, self-limiting cutaneous infection to a deadly visceral infection and are not prevented by chemoprophylaxis or immunization. Effective treatments, however, are available. The disease-causing parasite is spread through the bite of the female sand fly. Although the disease occurs in both the Old World and the New World, the parasite species differ between the hemispheres. The large number of cases in military veterans has caused some concern that Old World, temperate-adapted parasite species could be introduced into the native sand fly populations of American military facilities where veterans of the current conflicts return following their deployments. This paper reports part of a larger study to analyze the risk of such an accidental importation. Four potential habitats on two large Army facilities in the Southeast United States were surveyed to determine relative sand fly density. The National Land Cover Map was used to provide sand fly density prediction maps by habitat.Results: Sand fly density was significantly higher in deciduous forest and even higher at the interface between forest and open grassland. The evergreen forest and agricultural fields supported very low densities. On Fort Campbell, KY, the percentage of land covered by suitable habitat was very high. A sand fly density prediction map identified large tracts of land where infected individuals would be at higher risk of exposure to sand fly bites, resulting in an increased risk of introducing the parasite to a native insect population. On Fort Bragg, NC, however, commercial farming of long leaf pine reduced the percentage of the land covered in vegetation suitable for the support of sand flies. The risk of introducing an exotic Leishmania spp. on Fort Bragg, therefore, is considered to be much lower than on Fort Campbell.Conclusion: A readily available land cover product can be used at the regional level to identify areas of sand fly habitat where human populations may be at higher risk of exposure. The sand fly density prediction maps can be used to direct further surveillance, insect control, or additional patient monitoring of potentially infected soldiers.