Spatial and Temporal Clustering of Chikungunya Virus Transmission in Dominica
| Autor: | Heidi E. Brown, Durland Fish, Martial L. Ndeffo Mbah, R. Paul Ricketts, Natasha S. Wenzel, Alison P. Galvani, David P. Durham, Ellen Shelly, Elaine O. Nsoesie, Katharine A. Owers, Shalauddin Ahmed, Trudy Christian, Clement Marcellin, John S. Brownstein |
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| Rok vydání: | 2015 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Temporal clustering lcsh:Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine lcsh:RC955-962 Virus transmission 030231 tropical medicine Chikungunya fever medicine.disease_cause Young Adult 03 medical and health sciences Spatio-Temporal Analysis 0302 clinical medicine Age groups medicine Cluster Analysis Humans 030212 general & internal medicine Chikungunya Spatial Analysis lcsh:Public aspects of medicine Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health virus diseases Outbreak lcsh:RA1-1270 Middle Aged Virology Infectious Diseases Geography Geographic Information Systems Chikungunya Fever Dominica Female Chikungunya virus Cartography Research Article |
| Zdroj: | PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 9, Iss 8, p e0003977 (2015) |
| ISSN: | 1935-2735 |
| DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003977 |
| Popis: | Using geo-referenced case data, we present spatial and spatio-temporal cluster analyses of the early spread of the 2013–2015 chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in Dominica, an island in the Caribbean. Spatial coordinates of the locations of the first 417 reported cases observed between December 15th, 2013 and March 11th, 2014, were captured using the Global Positioning System (GPS). We observed a preponderance of female cases, which has been reported for CHIKV outbreaks in other regions. We also noted statistically significant spatial and spatio-temporal clusters in highly populated areas and observed major clusters prior to implementation of intensive vector control programs suggesting early vector control measures, and education had an impact on the spread of the CHIKV epidemic in Dominica. A dynamical identification of clusters can lead to local assessment of risk and provide opportunities for targeted control efforts for nations experiencing CHIKV outbreaks. Author Summary Chikungunya is a disease transmitted by mosquitoes. Currently, there is an epidemic of chikungunya in several islands and countries in the Americas. Despite efforts at understanding and predicting spread, there have been no studies assessing the spatio-temporal spread of chikungunya in any of the Caribbean islands, mainly due to a lack of data. Here, we present a spatio-temporal analysis of the spread of chikungunya virus in Dominica, an island in the Western Hemisphere, using geo-referenced case data. The findings in this study suggest that females are at higher risk for chikungunya virus transmission in Dominica. In addition, there is statistically significant clustering of cases in densely populated areas. Lack of data prevented additional analyses on the impact of mosquito population density, environmental factors and housing conditions on the location and timing of the clusters. This study is relevant for chikungunya control in Dominica, and other regions can use similar methods to assess chikungunya risk at the local level. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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