Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
2000-4-26
pubmed:abstractText
Lymphatic filariasis remains a major public health problem in Africa and is 1 of the World Health Organization's 6 diseases targeted for global eradication. However, no detailed maps of the geographical distribution of this disease exist, making it difficult to target control activities and quantify the population at risk. We hypothesized that the distribution lymphatic filariasis is governed by climate. The climate at sites in Africa where surveys for lymphatic filariasis had taken place was characterized using computerized climate surfaces. Logistic regression analysis of the climate variables predicted with 76% accuracy whether sites had microfilaraemic patients or not. We used the logistic equation in a geographical information system to map risk of lymphatic filariasis infection across Africa, which compared favourably with expert opinion. Further validation with a quasi-independent data set showed that the model predicted correctly 88% of infected sites. A similar procedure was used to map risk of microfilaraemia in Egypt, where the dominant vector species differs from those in sub-Saharan Africa. By overlaying risk maps on a 1990 population grid, and adjusting for recent population increases, we estimate that around 420 million people will be exposed to this infection in Africa in the year 2000. This approach could be used to produce a sampling frame, based on estimated risk of microfilaraemia, for conducting filariasis surveys in countries that lack accurate distribution maps and thus save on costs.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
0035-9203
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
94
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
37-45
pubmed:dateRevised
2004-11-17
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:articleTitle
Mapping and estimating the population at risk from lymphatic filariasis in Africa.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Durham, UK. s.w.lindsay@durham.ac.uk
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article