Pathogen-host associations and predicted range shifts of human monkeypox in response to climate change in central Africa.

ABSTRACT: Climate change is predicted to result in changes in the geographic ranges and local prevalence of infectious diseases, either through direct effects on the pathogen, or indirectly through range shifts in vector and reservoir species. To better understand the occurrence of monkeypox virus (MPXV), an emerging Orthopoxvirus in humans, under contemporary and future climate conditions, we used ecological niche modeling techniques in conjunction with climate and remote-sensing variables. We first created spatially explicit probability distributions of its candidate reservoir species in Africa's Congo Basin. Reservoir species distributions were subsequently used to model current and projected future distributions of human monkeypox (MPX). Results indicate that forest clearing and climate are sign

SUBMITTER: Thomassen HA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3729955 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature