Plataforma TI de vigilancia entomológica del Aedes aegypti con colaboración colectiva, Web GIS y mHealth / IT platform for entomological surveillance of Aedes aegypti with crowdsourcing, Web GIS and mHealth / Plataforma de TI para vigilância entomològica de Aedes aegypti com colaboração coletiva, Web GIS e mHealth

RESUMEN El mosquito Aedes aegypti es una especie antropoflica que se ha adaptado a entornos urbanos y es el principal vector de enfermedades como el dengue, la fiebre de Zika, la enfermedad del Chikungunya y la fiebre amarilla, lo que representa una importante carga al sistema de salud, en especial en países tropicales donde es endèmico. Ejercer apropiadamente la vigilancia en salud pública es fundamental para la prevención de estas enfermedades mediante sistemas de información. El propósito de este trabajo es proporcionar una plataforma de tecnologias de la información (TI), integrando tecnologias abiertas Web GIS y mHealth para la vigilancia entomológica del vector a partir de colaboración abierta distribuida para la generación de mapas de infestación. Se realizó un piloto con un grupo focal de 23 estudiantes del curso de epidemiologia, que permitió registrar l20 elementos en 55 reportes en la Universidad de los Llanos para la generación automática de 21 mapas de calor de sintomas, zancudos y criaderos, y un mapa global de infestación. Este trabajo sugiere una perspectiva novedosa de interacción y participación colaborativa de la comunidad con las autoridades de salud soportado por las TI.

ABSTRACT The Aedes aegypti mosquito is an anthropophilic species that has adapted to urban environments and it is the main vector of diseases such as dengue, Zika fever; Chikungunya disease and yellow fever; which represents a significant burden on the health system, especially in tropical countries where it is endemic. Properly exercising public health surveillance is essential for the prevention of these diseases through information systems. The purpose of this work is to provide an information technology (IT) platform, integrating open technologies Web GIS and mHealth for the entomological surveillance ofthe vector; based on crowdsourcing for the generation of infestation maps. A pilot was carried out with a focus group of 23 students from the epidemiology course, which allowed the registration of l20 elements in 55 reports at the Universidad de los Llanos for the automatic generation of 2l heatmaps of symptoms, mosquitoes and breeding sites, and a global infestation map. This work suggests a novel perspective of interaction and collaborative participation of the community with health authorities supported by IT

RESUMO O mosquito Aedes aegypti è uma espècie antropofílica que se adaptou aos ambientes urbanos e è o principal vetor de doenças como dengue, febre Zika, doença Chikungunya e febre amarela, o que representa uma carga significativa para o sistema de saúde, especialmente em países tropicais onde é endêmica. O exercício adequado da vigilância em saúde pública è essencial para a prevenção dessas doenças por meio de sistemas de informação. O objetivo deste trabalho è fornecer uma plataforma de tecnologia da informação (TI), integrando tecnologias abertas Web GIS e mHealth para a vigilância entomológica do vetor com base em uma colaboração aberta distribuída para a geração de mapas de infestação. Um piloto foi realizado com um grupo focal de 23 estudantes do curso de epidemiologia, que permitiu o registro de l20 elementos em 55 relatórios na Universidad de los Llanos para a geração automática de 2l mapas de calor de sintomas, mosquitos e criadouros, e um mapa de infestação global. Este trabalho sugere uma nova perspectiva de interação e participação colaborativa da comunidade com autoridades de saúde apoiadas por TI.

Geographical trends of chikungunya and Zika in the Colombian Amazonian gateway department, Caqueta, 2015-2018 - Implications for public health and travel medicine.

BACKGROUND: Chikungunya (CHIKV) and Zika (ZIKV) significantly affected Latin America in the period 2015-2017. Most studies were reported from urban areas of Brazil and Colombia. In this paper we estimate Incidence rates for CHIKV and ZIKV in Caqueta, the Amazonian gateway area of Colombia, from 2015 to 2018. METHODS: Using surveillance data of CHIKV and ZIKV in Caqueta, Colombia, incidence rates were estimated (cases/100,000 population). Sixteen geographical information systems (GIS)-based municipal maps were developed. GIS software used was Kosmo 3.0®. RESULTS: From 1st of January 2015 to the 24th of November 2018, 825 cases of CHIK and 1079 of ZIKV were reported, yielding cumulated incidence rates of 169.42 and 221.59 cases/100,000 population respectively. In 2016, 48.7% of the CHIKV cases (402) and 96.6% of the ZIKV cases (1042) were reported. The highest number of both arboviral diseases occurred at Florencia (capital department city), 225 cases for CHIKV (127.17 cases/100,000 pop.) and 611 for ZIKV (345.34 cases/100,000 pop.). DISCUSSION: The temporo-spatial distribution of CHIKV and ZIKV infections in Caquetá reflected the pattern of concurrent epidemics, especially in 2016. Studies using GIS-linked maps are necessary to attain accurate epidemiological analyses for public health decisions. That is also useful for an epidemiologically based assessment of traveler risks when visiting specific areas in destination countries.

Technology Support for Collaborative Preparation of Emergency Plans.

Preparing a plan for reaction to a grave emergency is a significant first stage in disaster management. A group of experts can do such preparation. Best results are obtained with group members having diverse backgrounds and access to different relevant data. The output of this stage should be a plan as comprehensive as possible, taking into account various perspectives. The group can organize itself as a collaborative decision-making team with a process cycle involving modeling the process, defining the objectives of the decision outcome, gathering data, generating options and evaluating them according to the defined objectives. The meeting participants may have their own evidences concerning people's location at the beginning of the emergency and assumptions about people's reactions once it occurs. Geographical information is typically crucial for the plan, because the plan must be based on the location of the safe areas, the distances to move people, the connecting roads or other evacuation links, the ease of movement of the rescue personnel, and other geography-based considerations. The paper deals with this scenario and it introduces a computer tool intended to support the experts to prepare the plan by incorporating the various viewpoints and data. The group participants should be able to generate, visualize and compare the outcomes of their contributions. The proposal is complemented with an example of use: it is a real case simulation in the event of a tsunami following an earthquake at a certain urban location.

Spatial distribution of dengue in Honduras during 2016-2019 using a geographic information systems (GIS)-Dengue epidemic implications for public health and travel medicine.

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 to 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 January 1, 2016 to July 21, 2019, a total of 109,557 cases of DENV were reported, 28,603 in 2019, with an incidence rate of 312.32 cases/100,000 population this year; 0.13% laboratory-confirmed. The highest peak was reached on the EW 28°, 2019 (5299 cases; 57.89 cases/100,000 population). The department with the highest number of cases and incidence rate was Cortes (8404 cases, 479.68 cases/100,000 population 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 >1000 cases/100,000 population (or 1%). Studies using geographical information systems linked with clinical disease characteristics are necessary to obtain 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.

Spatial distribution of Zika in Honduras during 2016-2017 using geographic information systems (GIS) - Implications for public health and travel medicine.

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 to 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 (2559 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 have 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.

Climatic adaptation and ecological descriptors of wild beans from Mexico.

Despite its economic, social, biological, and cultural importance, wild forms of the genus Phaseolus are not well represented in germplasm banks, and they are at great risk due to changes in land use as well as climate change. To improve our understanding of the potential geographical distribution of wild beans (Phaseolus spp.) from Mexico and support in situ and ex situ conservation programs, we determined the climatic adaptation ranges of 29 species and two subspecies of Phaseolus collected throughout Mexico. Based on five biotic and 117 abiotic variables obtained from different databases-WorldClim, Global-Aridity, and Global-PET-we performed principal component and cluster analyses. Germplasm was distributed among 12 climatic types from a possible 28. The general climatic ranges were as follows: 8-3,083 m above sea level; 12.07-26.96°C annual mean temperature; 10.33-202.68 mm annual precipitation; 9.33-16.56 W/m2 of net radiation; 11.68-14.23 hr photoperiod; 0.06-1.57 aridity index; and 10-1,728 mm/month of annual potential evapotranspiration. Most descriptive variables (25) clustered species into two groups: One included germplasm from semihot climates, and the other included germplasm from temperate climates. Species clustering showed 45% to 54% coincidence with species previously grouped using molecular data. The species P. filiformis, P. purpusii, and P. maculatus were found at low-humidity locations; these species could be used to improve our understanding of the extreme aridity adaptation mechanisms used by wild beans to avoid or tolerate climate change as well as to introgress favorable alleles into new cultivars adapted to hot, dry environments.

Mapping the residual incidence of taeniasis and cysticercosis in Colombia, 2009-2013, using geographical information systems: Implications for public health and travel medicine.

BACKGROUND: In Colombia, taeniasis and cysticercosis have been significantly reduced over the past decades, however still reported with implications for public health and travel medicine. METHODS: An observational, retrospective study, in which the incidence of taeniasis and cysticercosis (ICD-10 codes B68s/B69s) in Colombia, 2009-2013, was estimated based on data extracted from the Individual Health Records System (Registro Individual de Prestación de Servicios, RIPS) was performed. The Geographic Information System (GIS) generated national maps showing the distribution of taeniasis and cysticercosis by department by year. RESULTS: During the period, 3626 cases were reported (median 796/year), for a cumulative crude national rate of 7.7 cases/100,000pop; 58.2% corresponded to male; 57% were <40 year-old (10.2% < 9.9 year-old). Cases were 57.6% neurocysticercosis, the rest were taeniasis due to T. solium, T. saginata, ocular cysticercosis and cysticerci in other organs. Bolivar, a touristic department, had the highest cumulated incidence rate (16.17 cases/100,000pop), as also evident across the map series developed in this study. CONCLUSION: Despite the limitations of this study, data presented provide recent estimates of national taeniasis and cysticercosis incidence in the country useful in public health and for travel medicine practitioners, as some highly touristic areas presented higher disease incidence. Improved control, particularly of taeniasis, should be an attainable goal, which among other strategies would require improved sanitation and health education to prevent transmission, but also enhanced surveillance.

Urban weather data and building models for the inclusion of the urban heat island effect in building performance simulation.

This data article presents files supporting calculation for urban heat island (UHI) inclusion in building performance simulation (BPS). Methodology is used in the research article "From urban climate to energy consumption. Enhancing building performance simulation by including the urban heat island effect" (Palme et al., 2017) [1]. In this research, a Geographical Information System (GIS) study is done in order to statistically represent the most important urban scenarios of four South-American cities (Guayaquil, Lima, Antofagasta and Valparaíso). Then, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is done to obtain reference Urban Tissues Categories (UTC) to be used in urban weather simulation. The urban weather files are generated by using the Urban Weather Generator (UWG) software (version 4.1 beta). Finally, BPS is run out with the Transient System Simulation (TRNSYS) software (version 17). In this data paper, four sets of data are presented: 1) PCA data (excel) to explain how to group different urban samples in representative UTC; 2) UWG data (text) to reproduce the Urban Weather Generation for the UTC used in the four cities (4 UTC in Lima, Guayaquil, Antofagasta and 5 UTC in Valparaíso); 3) weather data (text) with the resulting rural and urban weather; 4) BPS models (text) data containing the TRNSYS models (four building models).

Mapping the ecoepidemiology of Zika virus infection in urban and rural areas of Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia, 2015-2016: Implications for public health and travel medicine.

OBJECTIVE: Geographical information systems (GIS) have been demonstrated earlier to be of great use to inform public health action against vector-borne infectious diseases. METHODS: Using surveillance data on the ongoing ZIKV outbreak from Pereira, Colombia (2015-2016), we estimated incidence rates (cases/100,000 population), and developed maps correlating with the ecoepidemiology of the area. RESULTS: Up to October 8, 2016, 439 cases of ZIKV were reported in Pereira (93 cases/100,000 pop.), with highest rates in the South-West area. At the corregiments (sub-municipalities) of Pereira, Caimalito presented the highest rate. An urban area, Cuba, has 169 cases/100,000 pop., with a low economical level and the highest Aedic index (9.1%). Entomological indexes were associated with ZIKV incidence at simple and multiple non-linear regressions (r2 > 0.25; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Combining entomological, environmental, human population density, travel patterns and case data of vector-borne infections, such as ZIKV, leads to a valuable tool that can be used to pinpoint hotspots also for infections such as dengue, chikungunya and malaria. Such a tool is key to planning mosquito control and the prevention of mosquito-borne diseases in local populations. Such data also enable microepidemiology and the prediction of risk for travelers who visit specific areas in a destination country.

A Mesoamerican origin of cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.): Implications for the conservation of plant genetic resources.

Knowledge on the structure and distribution of genetic diversity is a key aspect to plan and execute an efficient conservation and utilization of the genetic resources of any crop as well as for determining historical demographic inferences. In this work, a large data set of 1,765 accessions of cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill, Annonaceae), an underutilized fruit tree crop native to the Neotropics and used as a food source by pre-Columbian cultures, was collected from six different countries across the American continent and amplified with nine highly informative microsatellite markers. The structure analyses, fine representation of the genetic diversity and an ABC approach suggest a Mesoamerican origin of the crop, contrary to previous reports, with clear implications for the dispersion of plant germplasm between Central and South America in pre-Columbian times. These results together with the potential distribution of the species in a climatic change context using two different climate models provide new insights for the history and conservation of extant genetic resources of cherimoya that can be applied to other currently underutilized woody perennial crops.

Health risks due to pre-harvesting sugarcane burning in São Paulo State, Brazil / Riscos à saúde devido à queima prévia da palha de cana-de-açúcar no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

After 2003, a new period of expansion of the sugarcane culture began in Brazil. Pre-harvesting burning of sugarcane straw is an agricultural practice that, despite the nuisance for the population and pollution generated, still persisted in over 70% of the municipalities of São Paulo State in 2010. In order to study the distribution of this risk factor, an ecological epidemiological study was conducted associating the rates of deaths and hospital admissions for respiratory diseases, for each municipality in the State, with the exposure to the pre-harvesting burning of sugarcane straw. A Bayesian multivariate regression model, controlled for the possible effects of socioeconomic and climate (temperature, humidity, and rainfall) variations, has been used. The effect on health was measured by the standardized mortality and morbidity ratio. The measures of exposure to the pre-harvesting burning used were: percentage of the area of sugarcane harvested with burning, average levels of aerosol, and number of outbreaks of burning. The autocorrelation between data was controlled using a neighborhood matrix. It was observed that the increase in the number of outbreaks of burning was significantly associated with higher rates of hospital admissions for respiratory disease in children under five years old. Pre-harvesting burning of sugarcane effectively imposes risk to population health and therefore it should be eliminated.

Após 2003, teve início um novo período de expansão da cultura da cana-de-açúcar no Brasil. A queima prévia da palha de cana é uma prática agrícola, que, apesar dos incômodos à população e da poluição gerada, ainda persistia em mais de 70% dos municípios do Estado de São Paulo, em 2010. A fim de estudar a distribuição desse fator de risco, realizou-se um estudo epidemiológico ecológico associando as taxas de óbitos e as internações por doenças respiratórias, para cada município do Estado, com a exposição à queima prévia da palha de cana. Foi aplicado um modelo Bayesiano de regressão multivariada, sendo controlado para os possíveis efeitos das variações socioeconômicas e climáticas (temperatura, umidade e precipitação). O efeito sobre a saúde foi medido por meio da razão de mortalidade e morbidade padronizada. Como medidas de exposição à queima prévia foram usadas o percentual da área de cana colhida com queima, os níveis médios de aerossol e a quantidade de focos de queima. A autocorrelação entre os dados foi controlada pelo emprego de uma matriz de vizinhança. Observou-se que o aumento no número de focos de queima esteve associado significativamente com o aumento das internações por doenças respiratórias na faixa etária de menores de cinco anos. A queima prévia da palha da cana-de-açúcar oferece efetivamente risco à saúde da população, portanto sua eliminação deve ser promovida.

Georeferencing deaths from stroke in São Paulo: an intra-city stroke belt?

BACKGROUND: The role of socioeconomic status in the worldwide stroke burden has been studied with various methods using vital statistics and research-generated data. AIM: The objective of our study was to describe the stroke mortality rates and the stroke mortality distribution, and to evaluate the association between stroke mortality rates and geographical distribution with the human development index in São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: This ecological study evaluated a historical series of stroke mortality in São Paulo, Brazil, from 2004 to 2010. Standard stroke mortality rate per 100 000 inhabitants at each year, the address of residence assumed as the place of living, and the human development index applied as a social indicator were used in order to evaluate if stroke mortality correlated with socioeconomic status. RESULTS: The mean standardized stroke mortality in São Paulo decreased from 66 to 46·7 per 100 000 inhabitants from 2004 to 2010. Stroke mortality differed according to human development index strata with an almost three times higher stroke mortality in the lowest when compared with the highest human development index stratum. Visual inspection of the map of the districts with high stroke mortality disclosed regional clusters with high mortality in the east, northwest, and south regions, a finding suggestive of the presence of a stroke belt inside the city of São Paulo. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, between 2004 and 2010, stroke mortality rates decreased by 28·5% in São Paulo. A geographical pattern in stroke mortality could be observed, with considerable differences according the human development index level of the place of living.

Organização, disponibilização e possibilidades de análise de dados sobre desastres de origem climática e seus impactos sobre a saúde no Brasil / Organization, availability and possibility of analysis of disaster data of climate related origin and its impacts on health

A ocorrência de desastres muitas vezes é associada a processos naturais imprevisíveis. No entanto, a análise de grandes bases de dados permite mostrar tendências sazonais e de longo prazo, bem como padrões e áreas onde se concentram riscos. Neste trabalho é descrito o processo de aquisição e organização de dados sobre desastres, coletados pelos órgãos de defesa civil, e disponibilizados pelo Observatório Nacional de Clima e Saúde. As análises preliminares mostram a concentração de eventos desastres causados por chuvas intensas ao longo da costa brasileira, principalmente durante o verão. As secas apresentam maior duração e extensão, atingindo grande parte do sul e nordeste do país. Estes dados podem ser usados para analisar e monitorar o impacto de eventos climáticos extremos sobre a saúde, bem como seus determinantes de vulnerabilidade e clima.

The occurrence of disasters is often related to unforeseeable able natural processes. However, the analysis of major databases may highlight seasonal and long-term trends, as well as some spatial patterns where risks are concentrated. In this paper the process of acquiring and organizing climate-related disaster data collected by civil protection institutions and made available by the Brazilian Climate and Health Observatory is described. Preliminary analyses show the concentration of disasters caused by heavy rainfall events along the Brazilian coastline especially during the summer. Droughts have longer duration and extent, affecting large areas of the south and northeast regions of the country. These data can be used to analyze and monitor the impact of extreme climatic events on health, as well as identify the vulnerability and climate deteminants.

Spatial distribution of Schistosoma mansoni infection before and after chemotherapy with two praziquantel doses in a community of Pernambuco, Brazil

Praziquantel chemotherapy has been the focus of the Schistosomiasis Control Program in Brazil for the past two decades. Nevertheless, information on the impact of selective chemotherapy against Schistosoma mansoni infection under the conditions confronted by the health teams in endemic municipalities remains scarce. This paper compares the spatial pattern of infection before and after treatment with either a 40 mg/kg or 60 mg/kg dose of praziquantel by determining the intensity of spatial cluster among patients at 180 and 360 days after treatment. The spatial-temporal distribution of egg-positive patients was analysed in a Geographic Information System using the kernel smoothing technique. While all patients became egg-negative after 21 days, 17.9 percent and 30.9 percent reverted to an egg-positive condition after 180 and 360 days, respectively. Both the prevalence and intensity of infection after treatment were significantly lower in the 60 mg/kg than in the 40 mg/kg treatment group. The higher intensity of the kernel in the 40 mg/kg group compared to the 60 mg/kg group, at both 180 and 360 days, reflects the higher number of reverted cases in the lower dose group. Auxiliary, preventive measures to control transmission should be integrated with chemotherapy to achieve a more enduring impact.