Future climate and demographic changes will almost double the risk of schistosomiasis transmission in the Lake Victoria Basin.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Lake Victoria Basin (LVB), supporting millions of people across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi, is a critical freshwater ecosystem. However, it faces significant One Health challenges, notably urogenital and intestinal schistosomiasis, diseases transmitted by Bulinus and Biomphalaria snails, respectively. Climate, topography, environmental and demographic drivers influence snail habitat suitability and distribution, potentially increasing schistosomiasis risks for communities dependent on agriculture, fishing, and water-related livelihoods.

Methods

This study applied ecological ensemble modeling (Random Forest, XGBoost, and MaxEnt) to identify key drivers of habitat suitability, assessing current and future climate scenarios under S

SUBMITTER: Tabo Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12305727 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature