Estimating the temporal and spatial risk of bluetongue related to the incursion of infected vectors into Switzerland
The design of veterinary and public health surveillance systems has been improved by the ability to combine Geographical Information Systems (GIS), mathematical models and up to date epidemiological knowledge. In Switzerland, an early warning system was developed for detecting the incursion of the bluetongue disease virus (BT) and to monitor the frequency of its vectors.
Based on data generated by this surveillance system, GIS and transmission models were used in order to determine suitable seasonal vector habitat locations and risk periods for a larger and more targeted surveillance program.
Results: Combined thematic maps of temperature, humidity and altitude were created to visualize the association with Culicoides vector habitat locations. Combined with estimated basic reproduction number transmission rates (R0), the results supported evidence that outbreaks involving vector-borne diseases were highly dependent on a variety of factors, with host and vector presence as well as temperature, precipitation and altitude being the most influential.
The maps revealed that northern parts of Switzerland were highly suitable for both vector presence and vector activity.Results showed that R0 values were highest between June and July of 2006 as compared with the year 2005, and suggested that Switzerland was at risk of an outbreak of BT, especially if the incursion arrived in a suitable vector activity period. Since the time of conducting these analyses, this has proved to be the case with the recent outbreaks of BT in northern Switzerland.
Conclusions: Our results stress the importance of environmental factors and their effect on the dynamics of a vector-borne disease.
In this case, results of this model were used as input parameters for creating a national targeted surveillance program tailored to both the spatial and the temporal aspect of the disease and its vectors. In this manner, financial and logistic resources can be used in an optimal way through seasonally and geographically adjusted surveillance efforts.
This model can serve as a tool for other vector-borne diseases including human zoonotic vectors which are likely to spread into Europe.
Author: V Racloz, G Venter, C Griot and K D C Staerk
Credits/Source: BMC Veterinary Research 2008, 4:42
Published on: 2008-10-15
Copyright by the authors listed above - made available via BioMedCentral (Open Access). Please
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