Spatial patterns of urinary schistosomiasis infection in a highly endemic area of coastal Kenya.
Urinary schistosomiasis remains a major contributor to the disease burden along the southern coast of Kenya. Selective identification of transmission hot spots offers the potential for more effective, highly-focal snail control and human chemotherapy to reduce Schistosoma haematobium transmission. In the present study, a geographic information system was used to integrate demographic, parasitologic, and household location data for an endemic village and neighboring households with the biotic, abiotic, and location data for snail collection/water contact sites. A global spatial statistic was used to detect area-wide trends of clustering for human infection at the household level. Local spatial statistics were then applied to detect specific household clusters of infection, and, as a focal spatial statistic, to evaluate clustering of infection around a putative transmission site. High infection intensities were clustered significantly around a water contact site with high numbers of snails shedding S. haematobium cercariae. When age was considered, clustering was found to be significant at different distances for different age groups.
Clennon
Julie A
JA
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA. jaclenno@uiuc.edu
King
Charles H
CH
Muchiri
Eric M
EM
Kariuki
H Curtis
HC
Ouma
John H
JH
Mungai
Peter
P
Kitron
Uriel
U
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D002033:Bulinus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000469:parasitology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D017215:Satellite Communications; D012548:Schistosoma haematobium / Q000254:growth & development*; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D012737:Sex Factors; D014867:Water / Q000469:parasitology*
D014867:Water