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Environmental Determinants of Infectious Disease Transmission
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Environmental Determinants of Infectious Disease Transmission

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2018) | Viewed by 28051

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Kow-Tong Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
Interests: epidemiology; infectious disease epidemiology; public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Morbidity from infectious diseases has increased during the past few decades and represents 70%, or more, of emerging diseases. One of the major hurdles in designing effective control measures against infectious diseases is insufficient understanding of environment–agent interactions with human hosts during infections. Although a great deal of research is under way on this issue, many questions remain that require urgent attention.

For example, the resurgence of infectious diseases in many of the areas where they were previously eliminated serves as a reminder that vigilant surveillance systems need to be sustained for as long as the agents and vectors, climate and other conditions exist to facilitate disease transmission is needed. The risk of re-emerging is determined by many factors, including prevailing vectorial capacity, infectious disease introduction rate, susceptibility of infection, and interaction between environment–agent–host. Therefore, elimination of infectious diseases, once achieved, is more likely to be sustained in regions where receptivity is low or decreased by human development or which are geographically isolated with limited movement across borders and limited importation of agents.

The focus of this Special Issue is on one health concept, we emphasize interdependence between humans and non-human species in complex socio-ecological systems, and environmental factors affecting infectious disease transmission. Authors are invited to submit original articles, systemic reviews and meta-analysis, critical reviews and short communications addressing all the issue relevant to highlight any recent advance in infectious disease transmission and their impact in individual and public health.

Prof. Kow-Tong Chen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • infectious disease epidemiology
  • field epidemiology
  • outbreak investigation
  • environmental factors

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 234 KiB  
Editorial
Environmental Determinants of Infectious Disease Transmission: A Focus on One Health Concept
by Hui-Yi Yeh, Kou-Huang Chen and Kow-Tong Chen
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(6), 1183; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061183 - 6 Jun 2018
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4546
Abstract
n/a Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Determinants of Infectious Disease Transmission)

Research

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12 pages, 1426 KiB  
Article
Risk Factors and Spatial Clusters of Cryptosporidium Infection among School-Age Children in a Rural Region of Eastern China
by Hao Zheng, Jianfeng He, Li Wang, Rong Zhang, Zhen Ding and Wenbiao Hu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(5), 924; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15050924 - 6 May 2018
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3856
Abstract
The epidemiological features of Cryptosporidium infection among school-age children in China still remain unclear. Hereby, a cross-sectional study of 1637 children aged 3–9 years was designed to investigate the risk factors and spatial clusters of Cryptosporidium infection in a rural region of Eastern [...] Read more.
The epidemiological features of Cryptosporidium infection among school-age children in China still remain unclear. Hereby, a cross-sectional study of 1637 children aged 3–9 years was designed to investigate the risk factors and spatial clusters of Cryptosporidium infection in a rural region of Eastern China. Stool specimens collected from participants were examined using the auramine-phenol and modified acid-fast staining. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify the risk factors of Cryptospordium infection. The spatial clusters were analyzed by a discrete Poisson model using SaTScan software. Our results showed that the overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection was 11‰ in the research region. At the age of 3–6 years (odds ratios (OR) = 3.072, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.001–9.427), not washing hands before eating and after defecation (OR = 3.003, 95% CI: 1.060–8.511) were recognized as risk factors. Furthermore, a high-risk spatial cluster (relative risk = 4.220, p = 0.025) was identified. These findings call for effective sustainable interventions including family and school-based hygienic education to reduce the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection. Therefore, an early warning system based spatiotemporal models with risk factors is required to further improve the effectiveness and efficiency of cryptosporidiosis control in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Determinants of Infectious Disease Transmission)
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1554 KiB  
Article
Seasonal Patterns of Japanese Encephalitis and Associated Meteorological Factors in Taiwan
by Che-Liang Lin, Hsiao-Ling Chang, Chuan-Yao Lin and Kow-Tong Chen
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(11), 1317; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14111317 - 29 Oct 2017
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 5527
Abstract
The persistent transmission of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in Taiwan necessitates exploring the risk factors of occurrence of Japanese encephalitis (JE). The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between meteorological factors and the incidence of JE in Taiwan. We collected [...] Read more.
The persistent transmission of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in Taiwan necessitates exploring the risk factors of occurrence of Japanese encephalitis (JE). The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between meteorological factors and the incidence of JE in Taiwan. We collected data for cases of JE reported to the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) from 2000 to 2014. Meteorological data were obtained from the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau. The relationships between weather variability and the incidence of JE in Taiwan were determined via Poisson regression analysis and a case-crossover methodology. During the 15-year study period, a total of 379 cases of JE were reported. The incidence of JE showed significant seasonality, with the majority of cases occurring in summertime (for oscillation, p < 0.001). The number of JE cases started to increase at temperatures of 22 °C (r2 = 0.88, p < 0.001). Similarly, the number of JE cases began to increase at a relative humidity of 70–74% (r2 = 0.75, p < 0.005). The number of JE cases was positively associated with mean temperature and relative humidity in the period preceding the infection. In conclusion, the occurrence of JE is significantly associated with increasing temperature and relative humidity in Taiwan. Therefore, these factors could be regarded as warning signals indicating the need to implement preventive measures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Determinants of Infectious Disease Transmission)
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924 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli Isolated in Organic Waste Products (Cattle Fecal Matter, Manure and, Slurry) from Cattle’s Markets in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
by Evariste Bako, Assèta Kagambèga, Kuan Abdoulaye Traore, Touwendsida Serge Bagre, Hadiza Bawa Ibrahim, Soutongnooma Caroline Bouda, Isidore Juste Ouindgueta Bonkoungou, Saidou Kaboré, Cheikna Zongo, Alfred Sababenejo Traore and Nicolas Barro
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(10), 1100; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14101100 - 22 Sep 2017
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5157
Abstract
Cattle farming can promote diarrheal disease transmission through waste, effluents or cattle fecal matter. The study aims to characterize the diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) isolated from cattle feces, manure in the composting process and slurry, collected from four cattle markets in Ouagadougou. A [...] Read more.
Cattle farming can promote diarrheal disease transmission through waste, effluents or cattle fecal matter. The study aims to characterize the diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) isolated from cattle feces, manure in the composting process and slurry, collected from four cattle markets in Ouagadougou. A total of 585 samples (340 cattle feces, 200 slurries and 45 manures in the composting process) were collected from the four cattle markets between May 2015 and May 2016. A multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), namely 16-plex PCR, was used to screen simultaneously the virulence genes specific for shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC). DEC was detected in 10.76% of samples. ETEC was the most prevalent (9.91%). STEC and EAEC have been observed with the same rate (0.51%). ETEC were detected in 12.64% of cattle feces, in 6.66% of manure in the composting process and in 5% of slurry. STEC were detected in 0.58% of cattle feces and in 2.22% of manure in the composting process. EAEC was detected only in 1% of slurry and in 2.22% of manure in the composting process. ETEC strains were identified based on estIa gene and/or estIb gene and/or elt gene amplification. Of the 58 ETEC, 10.34% contained astA, 17.24% contained elt, 3.44% contained estIa and 79.31% contained estIb. The two positive EAEC strains contained only the aggR gene, and the third was positive only for the pic gene. The results show that effluent from cattle markets could contribute to the spreading of DEC in the environment in Burkina Faso. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Determinants of Infectious Disease Transmission)
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Review

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1159 KiB  
Review
Systematic Review: Land Cover, Meteorological, and Socioeconomic Determinants of Aedes Mosquito Habitat for Risk Mapping
by Mohamed F. Sallam, Chelsea Fizer, Andrew N. Pilant and Pai-Yei Whung
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(10), 1230; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14101230 - 16 Oct 2017
Cited by 61 | Viewed by 8358
Abstract
Asian tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus and Ae. aegypti) are global nuisances and are competent vectors for viruses such as Chikungunya (CHIKV), Dengue (DV), and Zika (ZIKV). This review aims to analyze available spatiotemporal distribution models of Aedes mosquitoes [...] Read more.
Asian tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus and Ae. aegypti) are global nuisances and are competent vectors for viruses such as Chikungunya (CHIKV), Dengue (DV), and Zika (ZIKV). This review aims to analyze available spatiotemporal distribution models of Aedes mosquitoes and their influential factors. A combination of five sets of 3–5 keywords were used to retrieve all relevant published models. Five electronic search databases were used: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and Google Scholar through 17 May 2017. We generated a hierarchical decision tree for article selection. We identified 21 relevant published studies that highlight different combinations of methodologies, models and influential factors. Only a few studies adopted a comprehensive approach highlighting the interaction between environmental, socioeconomic, meteorological and topographic systems. The selected articles showed inconsistent findings in terms of number and type of influential factors affecting the distribution of Aedes vectors, which is most likely attributed to: (i) limited availability of high-resolution data for physical variables, (ii) variation in sampling methods; Aedes feeding and oviposition behavior; (iii) data collinearity and statistical distribution of observed data. This review highlights the need and sets the stage for a rigorous multi-system modeling approach to improve our knowledge about Aedes presence/abundance within their flight range in response to the interaction between environmental, socioeconomic, and meteorological systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Determinants of Infectious Disease Transmission)
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