Satellite Hyperspectral Imagery to Support Tick-Borne Infectious Diseases Surveillance

Author(s)

Polo, Gina ^[1] ; Labruna, Marcelo Bahia ^[2] ; Ferreira, Fernando ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Prevent Vet Med & Anim Hlth, Lab Epidemiol & Biostat, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Prevent Vet Med & Anim Hlth, Parasit Dis Lab, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PLoS One; v. 10, n. 11 NOV 24 2015.
• Web of Science Citations: 3

Abstract

This study proposed the use of satellite hyperspectral imagery to support tick-borne infectious diseases surveillance based on monitoring the variation in amplifier hosts food sources. To verify this strategy, we used the data of the human rickettsiosis occurrences in southeastern Brazil, region in which the emergence of this disease is associated with the rising capybara population. Spatio-temporal analysis based on Monte Carlo simulations was used to identify risk areas of human rickettsiosis and hyperspectral moderate-resolution imagery was used to identify the increment and expansion of sugarcane crops, main food source of capybaras. In general, a pixel abundance associated with increment of sugarcane crops was detected in risk areas of human rickettsiosis. Thus, the hypothesis that there is a spatio-temporal relationship between the occurrence of human rickettsiosis and the sugarcane crops increment was verified. Therefore, due to the difficulty of monitoring locally the distribution of infectious agents, vectors and animal host's, satellite hyperspectral imagery can be used as a complementary tool for the surveillance of tick-borne infectious diseases and potentially of other vector-borne diseases. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/12213-1 - Modelling and stochastic simulation to study the dynamics of Rickettsia rickettsii in populations of Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris and Amblyomma cajennense in the State of São Paulo, Brazil
• Grantee: Gina Paola Polo Infante
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate