A climatic suitability indicator to support Leishmania infantum surveillance in Europe: a modelling study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Leishmaniases are neglected diseases transmitted by sand flies. They disproportionately affect vulnerable groups globally. Understanding the relationship between climate and disease transmission allows the development of relevant decision-support tools for public health policy and surveillance. The aim of this modelling study was to develop an indicator that tracks climatic suitability for Leishmania infantum transmission in Europe at the subnational level.

Methods

Historical records of sand fly vectors, human leishmaniasis, bioclimatic indicators, and environmental variables were integrated in a machine learning framework (XGBoost) to predict suitability in two past periods (2001-2010 and 2011-2020). We further assessed if predictions were associated with

SUBMITTER: Carvalho BM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11261136 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature