Hydrology and density feedbacks control the ecology of intermediate hosts of schistosomiasis across habitats in seasonal climates

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1602251113
• Publication Date: 2016-05-10T04:09:33Z
• Authors: Javier Perez-Saez; Theophile Mande; Natalie Ceperley; Enrico Bertuzzo; Lorenzo Mari; Marino Gatto; Andrea Rinaldo
• Keywords: Population Density; freshwater snails water-based disease infection controls environmental monitoring; Biomphalaria; Bulinus; Climate; Schistosoma mansoni; Models, Theoretical; 15. Life on land; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; 13. Climate action; Burkina Faso; Environmental monitoring; Freshwater snails; Infection controls; Water-based disease; Multidisciplinary; Animals; Schistosomiasis; Seasons; 14. Life underwater; Hydrology; Ecosystem

Significance Some freshwater snail species are intermediate hosts in the life cycle of parasites causing human schistosomiasis, a neglected water-based disease (treatable but debilitating and poverty-reinforcing) affecting about 150 million people yearly sub-Saharan Africa alone. Snail abundance is thus often target epidemiological control measures schistosomiasis incidence. Our work studies ecology host snails through field campaigns theoretical models within natural/artificial water habitats across Burkina Faso’s highly seasonal climatic zones. shown to depend on hydrological controls obey density-dependent demographic evolution. Statistical methods based model averaging yield reliable projections. Quantitative predictions effects resources development, risk mapping, allocation appear reach.