Growing population and ecosystem change increase human schistosomiasis around Lake Malaŵi.
Multiple anthropogenic environmental stressors with reinforcing effects to the deterioration of ecosystem stability can obscure links between ecosystem change and the prevalence of infectious diseases. Incomplete understanding may lead to ineffective public health and disease control strategies, as appears to be the case with increased urogenital schistosomiasis in humans around Lake Malaŵi over recent decades. Sedimentation and eutrophication help explain historical changes in intermediate host range and parasite transmission. Hence, control strategies should account for abiotic changes.
Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20560, USA; Ghent University, Department of Geology and Soil Science, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: vanbocxlaerb@si.edu.
Bert
B
Van Bocxlaer
Justus Liebig University Giessen, Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
Christian
C
Albrecht
Penn State University, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Jay R
JR
Stauffer
D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D057231:Climate Change; D017753:Ecosystem; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D060106:Lakes / Q000469:parasitology*; D011158:Population Growth; D015995:Prevalence; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000453:epidemiology*
Bulinus; bilharzia; ecosystem change; eutrophication; global health; parasite transmission; population densities; schistosomiasis; sedimentation