Health research based on geospatial tools: a timely approach in a changing environment

2009 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Bergquist ◽  
Laura Rinaldi
Keyword(s):  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Weather Forecasting ◽  
Practical Importance ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Intermediate Hosts

AbstractThe possibilities of disease prediction based on the environmental characteristics of geographical areas and specific requirements of the causative infectious agents are reviewed and, in the case of parasites whose life cycles involve more than one host, the needs of the intermediate hosts are also referred to. The geographical information systems framework includes epidemiological data, visualization (in the form of maps), modelling and exploratory analysis using spatial statistics. Examples include climate-based forecast systems, based on the concept of growing degree days, which now exist for several parasitic helminths such as fasciolosis, schistosomiasis, dirofilariasis and also for malaria. The paper discusses the limits of data collection by remote sensing in terms of resolution capabilities (spatial, temporal and spectral) of sensors on-board satellites. Although the data gained from the observation of oceans, land, elevations, land cover, land use, surface temperatures, rainfall, etc. are primarily for weather forecasting, military and commercial use, some of this information, particularly that from the climate research satellites, is of direct epidemiological utility. Disease surveillance systems and early-warning systems (EWS) are prime examples of academic approaches of practical importance. However, even commercial activities such as the construction of virtual globes, i.e. computer-based models of the Earth, have been used in this respect. Compared to conventional world maps, they do not only show geographical and man-made features, but can also be spatially annotated with data on disease distribution, demography, economy and other measures of particular interest.

scholarly journals Impacts of Urban Floods on Road Connectivity - A Review and Systematic Bibliometric Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 575-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashok Kadaverugu ◽  
Kasi Viswanadh Gorthi ◽  
Nageshwar Rao Chintala
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Flood Inundation ◽  
Risk Modeling ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Urban Floods ◽  
Remote Sensing Methods

Urban floods are paralyzing surface transportation and inflicting heavy economic losses. Climate-induced increase in frequency and intensity of rainfalls and excessive urbanization makes urban centers even more vulnerable to floods. It is necessary to quantify all dimensions of losses caused to road connectivity to improve flood mitigation policy. There is a need to consolidate the existing body of peer-reviewed contemporary literature on flood inundation modeling and its impacts on road connectivity. This will improve the awareness of policymakers and researchers and help in science-based decision making. Articles archived in the Web of Science database having the keywords floods and road in their title published between 1977 and 2020 were analyzed using the blibliometrix library of R. Analysis shows that the flood inundation and flood extent modeling has evolved from the conventional hydrological models to the near real-time crowd-sourced modeling methods. Applications of geographical information systems and advanced remote sensing methods have been growing in identifying road network vulnerabilities. We observed a gap in harmonized data availability, due to the unstructured data formats at several scales, which hinders a generalized approach for flood risk modeling studies for urban planning. Concentrated efforts have to be made to fill the gaps in data availability and research methodologies, especially using crowd-sourced data. Further, efforts have to be made to increase awareness, early warning systems, and alternate transport networks, to make the cities less vulnerable to floods.

The use of geographical information systems in climatology and meteorology

2003 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-330
Author(s):  
Lee Chapman ◽  
John E. Thornes
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Weather Forecasting ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Commercial Off The Shelf

The proliferation of ‘commercial off-the-shelf’ geographical information systems into the scientific community has resulted in the widespread use of spatial climate data in a variety of applications. This paper presents a review of the role of geographical information systems in climatology and meteorology by (i) discussing methods used to derive and refine spatial climate data and (ii) reviewing the bespoke application of GIS and spatial climate datasets in agriculture, ecology, forestry, health and disease, weather forecasting, hydrology, transport, urban environments, energy and climate change.

scholarly journals Spatial Distribution of Zika in Honduras during 2016–2017 Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)—Implications in Public Health and Travel Medicine

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lysien I. Zambrano ◽  
Walter O. Vasquez-Bonilla ◽  
Itzel Carolina Fuentes-Barahona ◽  
José Cláudio da Silva ◽  
Jorge Alberto Valle-Reconco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Incidence Rate ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Travel Medicine ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Zikv Infection ◽  
Disease Characteristics

Background: Zika virus (ZIKV) infection has significantly affected Latin America in 2015–2017. Most studies have been reported from Brazil and Colombia, and only a few from Central America. For these reasons we analyzed the incidence, incidence rates and evolution of cases in Honduras from 2016–2017. Methods: Using epidemiological weeks (EW) surveillance data on the ZIKV epidemics in Honduras, we estimated incidence rates (cases/100,000 population), and developed maps at national, departmental and municipal levels. Results: From 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2017, a total of 32,607 cases of ZIKV were reported (98.5% in 2016 for an incidence rate of 36.85 cases/100,000 pop; 1% confirmed by RT-PCR). The highest peak was reached on the EW 6°, 2016 (2,559 cases; 29.34 cases/100,000 pop). The department with the highest number of cases and incidence rate was Cortés (13,128 cases, 791.08 cases/100,000 pop in 2016). Discussion: The pattern and evolution of ZIKV infection in Honduras has been similar to that which occurred for chikungunya in 2015. As previously reported, infection with chikungunya involved predominantly the central and capital area of the country, reaching incidences there >750 cases/100,000 pop.  Studies using geographical information systems linked with clinical disease characteristics are necessary to attain accurate epidemiological data for public health systems. Such information is also useful for assessment of risk for travelers who visit specific areas in a destination country.

scholarly journals The use of molecular xenomonitoring for surveillance of mosquito-borne diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 376 (1818) ◽  
pp. 20190816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary M. Cameron ◽  
Anita Ramesh
Keyword(s):  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Successful Control ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Molecular Xenomonitoring

The scientific community recognizes that molecular xenomonitoring (MX) can allow infected mosquitoes to serve as a proxy for human infection in vector-borne disease surveillance, but developing reliable MX systems for programmatic use has been challenging. The primary aim of this article is to examine the available evidence to recommend how MX can best be used for various purposes. Although much of the literature published within the last 20 years focuses on using MX for lymphatic filariasis elimination, a growing body of evidence supports its use in early warning systems for emerging infectious diseases (EIDs). An MX system design must consider the goal and target (e.g. diseases targeted for elimination versus EIDs), mosquito and pathogen characteristics, and context (e.g. setting and health system). MX is currently used as a ‘supplement’ to human surveillance and will not be considered as a ‘replacement’ until the correlation between pathogen-infection rates in human and mosquito populations is better understood. Establishing such relationships may not be feasible in elimination scenarios, due to increasingly dwindling human infection prevalence after successful control, but may still be possible for EIDs and in integrated disease surveillance systems. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Novel control strategies for mosquito-borne diseases'.

scholarly journals Spatial Distribution of COVID-19 in Honduras at the Early Phase of the Pandemic Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lysien I. Zambrano ◽  
Manuel Antonio Sierra-Santos ◽  
Homer Mauricio Mejía-Santos ◽  
Elsa Yolanda Palou ◽  
Fausto Muñoz-Lara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Incidence Rate ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Disease Characteristics ◽  
San Pedro

The epidemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have affected all the regions of the world, nevertheless, in some countries there is a lack of studies on its main clinical and epidemiological features. We analyzed the incidence, incidence rates, and evolution of COVID-19 cases in Honduras from February 18-April 24, 2020.Methods: Using daily epidemiological data from surveillance about COVID-19 in Honduras, we calculated the rates of incidence (cases/100,000 population), and developed at national, departmental, and municipal levels GIS-based maps.Results: February 18 - April 24, 2020, a sum of 3,169 suspected COVID-19 cases have been assessed by RT-PCR, 533 (16.8%) of them were positive, for an incidence rate of 5.73 cases/100,000 pop. The highest peak was reached on March 31 (48 cases). The department with the highest number of cases and incidence rate was Cortes (383 cases, 71.9% of the total, 21.45 cases/100,000 pop). Discussion: The pattern and evolution of COVID-19 epidemic in Honduras has been particularly focused in the major urban areas, San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, the capital city. Studies using geographical information systems linked with clinical disease characteristics are necessary to attain accurate epidemiological data for public health systems. Such information is also useful for assessment of the evolution of the pandemic and monitoring interventions.

scholarly journals Detection of ionospheric signatures from GPS-derived total electron content maps

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Durgonics ◽  
G. Prates ◽  
M. Berrocoso
Keyword(s):  
Total Electron Content ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite Systems ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Electron Content ◽  
Total Electron ◽  
Lorca Earthquake ◽  
Satellite Systems

AbstractThe processing of measurement data from satellite constellations such as Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), including the well-known Global Positioning System (GPS), have been successfully applied to virtually all areas of geophysical sciences. In this work, a method is described where Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are employed to build hourly ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) maps for 2011 over the southern Iberian Peninsula. The maps used GPS-derived geometryfree linear combinations attained from station data from the Algarve, Alentejo (Portugal), Andalusia, Murcia and Valencia (Spain) regions. Following the construction of the ionospheric maps, it was possible to relate these results to natural phenomena. The observed phenomena included diurnal and seasonal variations: daytime TEC maxima, nighttime TEC peaks, summer TEC value decreases, and spring and fall TEC maxima. After validation of these periodic phenomena, detection of non-periodic changes, such as solar flares and tectonic interactions with the ionosphere were attempted. The results showed a TEC increase following a selected solar flare event and a potential TEC build-up prior to the 2011 Lorca earthquake. Further studies could open up the possibility of building early warning systems. The presented methods, based on available software packages, are also of value in monitoring the effect of the ionosphere on radio signals, satellite and mobile communication, power grids, and for accurate GNSS navigation.

scholarly journals The world in your hands: GeoHealth then and now

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Bergquist ◽  
Samuel Manda
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
World Health ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Ecological Requirements ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Infectious diseases transmitted by vectors/intermediate hosts constitute a major part of the economic burden related to public health in the endemic countries of the tropics, which challenges local welfare and hinders development. The World Health Organization, in partnership with pharmaceutical companies, major donors, endemic countries and non-governmental organizations, aims to eliminate the majority of these infections in the near future. To succeed, the ecological requirements and real-time distributions of the causative agents (bacteria, parasites and viruses) and their vectors must not only be known to a high degree of accuracy, but the data must also be updated more rapidly than has so far been the case. Current approaches include data collection through terrestrial capture on site and satellite-generated information. This article provides an update of currently available sources of remotely-sensed data, including specific information on satellite-borne sensors, and how such data can be handled by Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Computers, when equipped with GIS software based on common spatial denominators, can connect remotely-sensed environmental records with terrestrial-captured data and apply spatial statistics in ways uniquely suited to manage control activities in areas where vector-borne infections dominate.

scholarly journals Spatial Distribution of Dengue in Honduras during 2016-2019 Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) – Implications During Epidemic for Public Health and Travel Medicine

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lysien I. Zambrano ◽  
Edith Rodriguez ◽  
Iván Alfonso Espinoza-Salvado ◽  
Itzel Carolina Fuentes-Barahona ◽  
Tales Lyra de Oliveira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Incidence Rate ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Travel Medicine ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
The North ◽  
Disease Characteristics

Background: After serious epidemics of chikungunya (CHIKV) and Zika (ZIKV) in the Americas, dengue (DENV) have reemerged in most countries. We analyzed the incidence, incidence rates, and evolution of DENV cases in Honduras from 2015-2018 and the ongoing 2019 epidemic. Methods: Using epidemiological weeks (EW) surveillance data on the DENV in Honduras, we estimated incidence rates (cases/100,000 population), and developed maps at national, departmental, and municipal levels. Results: From 1 January 2016 to 21 July 2019, a total of 109,557 cases of DENV were reported, 28,603 in 2019, for an incidence rate of 312.32 cases/100,000 pop this year; 0.13% laboratory-confirmed. The highest peak was reached on the EW 28°, 2019 (5,299 cases; 57.89 cases/100,000 pop). The department with the highest number of cases and incidence rate was Cortes (8,404 cases, 479.68 cases/100,000 pop in 2019). Discussion: The pattern and evolution of DENV epidemic in 2019 in Honduras has been similar to that which occurred for in 2015. As previously reported, this epidemic involved the north and central areas of the country predominantly, reaching municipality incidences there >1,000 cases/100,000 pop (1%). Studies using geographical information systems linked with clinical disease characteristics are necessary to attain accurate epidemiological data for public health systems. Such information is also useful for assessment of risk for travelers who visit specific areas in a destination country.

scholarly journals Groundwater assessment at east side of Mosul City during 2014–2017

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Al-Abedeen Al-Ozeer ◽  
Mohammed Fakhraldeen Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
East Side ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Groundwater Assessment ◽  
Shallow Wells ◽  
Live Stock ◽  
Suitable Area

This study assesses groundwater quality GWQ at the east side of Mosul city for different purposes during 2014–2017. Eighteen shallow wells distributed in residential areas are selected and assessed by analyzing their physical, chemical and biological properties. This study reviews the textures of sub-layers by using groundwater modelling system (GMS) to show the probability of infiltration of nearby wastewater and gray water. This study analyzes epidemiological data about diarrhea cases that were increased during that period and calculating the relative, attributed and odd risk. There are three types of assessment are conducted including ranking assessment, weighted assessment and geographical information systems (GIS) assessment. A final map is created to show the most suitable area for live stock and irrigation purposes. The results show that the studied groundwater samples are unsuitable for drinking. High damage can happen for crops with sensitivity for salinity. Most wells are acceptable for live stock purpose.

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