Factors influencing the spatial distribution of cystic echinococcosis in Tibet, China

Tian Ma; Dong Jiang; Gongsang Quzhen; Chuizhao Xue; Shuai Han; Weiping Wu; Canjun Zheng; Fangyu Ding

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142229

Factors influencing the spatial distribution of cystic echinococcosis in Tibet, China

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Feb 1:754:142229. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142229. Epub 2020 Sep 6.

Authors

Tian Ma¹, Dong Jiang², Gongsang Quzhen³, Chuizhao Xue⁴, Shuai Han⁴, Weiping Wu⁴, Canjun Zheng⁵, Fangyu Ding⁶

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Key Laboratory of Carrying Capacity Assessment for Resource and Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China, Beijing 100101, China.
³ Tibet Autonomous Region Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Lhasa 850000, Tibet Autonomous Region, China.
⁴ National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, MOH, Shanghai 200025, China.
⁵ Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), Beijing 102206, China. Electronic address: zhengcj@chinacdc.cn.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address: dingfy.17b@igsnrr.ac.cn.

PMID: 33254864
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142229

Abstract

Cystic echinococcosis (CE), which is caused by Echinococcus granulosus, is a worldwide helminthozoonosis that is highly endemic in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China and has important public health and economic impacts. However, the spatial epidemiological characteristics of CE in Tibet are still unclear. Based on recorded human CE cases and the use of a geographic information system, the spatial distribution patterns of CE prevalence at three different scales were analyzed. In addition, a spatial agglomeration map of CE prevalence was generated based on cold/hot spot analysis. By combining maps of environmental and biological covariates with information about known human CE cases, the links between CE prevalence and relevant covariates were explored, revealing that the annual average precipitation, elevation, water accessibility and animal population (dog and yak) were associated with the prevalence of CE at the significance level of P < 0.05. Our results provide a novel insight and better understanding of the current situation of and the factors influencing CE in Tibet, which can help public health authorities develop disease prevention and control strategies.

Keywords: Cystic echinococcosis; Geographic information system; Influencing factors; Prevalence; Spatial agglomeration; Spatial distribution.

MeSH terms

Animals
China / epidemiology
Dogs
Echinococcosis* / epidemiology
Geographic Information Systems
Humans
Prevalence
Public Health
Tibet / epidemiology