Schistosoma japonicum transmission risk maps at present and under climate change in mainland China.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The South-to-North Water Diversion (SNWD) project is designed to channel fresh water from the Yangtze River north to more industrialized parts of China. An important question is whether future climate change and dispersal via the SNWD may synergistically favor a northward expansion of species involved in hosting and transmitting schistosomiasis in China, specifically the intermediate host, Oncomelania hupensis.

Methodology/ principal findings

In this study, climate spaces occupied by the four subspecies of O. hupensis (O. h. hupensis, O. h. robertsoni, O. h. guangxiensis and O. h. tangi) were estimated, and niche conservatism tested among each pair of subspecies. Fine-tuned Maxent (fMaxent) and ensemble models were used to anticipate potential distributions of O.

SUBMITTER: Zhu G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5659800 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature