Examinando por Autor "Escobar, Luis E."
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Ítem A global map of suitability for coastal Vibrio cholerae under current and future climate conditions(Elsevier, 2015-09) Escobar, Luis E.; Ryan, Sadie J.; Stewart-Ibarra, Anna M.; Finkelstein, Julia L.; King, Christine A.; Qiao, Huijie; Polhemus, Mark E.Vibrio cholerae is a globally distributed water-borne pathogen that causes severe diarrheal disease and mortality, with current outbreaks as part of the seventh pandemic. Further understanding of the role of environmental factors in potential pathogen distribution and corresponding V. cholerae disease transmission over time and space is urgently needed to target surveillance of cholera and other climate and water-sensitive diseases. We used an ecological niche model (ENM) to identify environmental variables associated with V. cholerae presence in marine environments, to project a global model of V. cholerae distribution in ocean waters under current and future climate scenarios. We generated an ENM using published reports of V. cholerae in seawater and freely available remotely sensed imagery. Models indicated that factors associated with V. cholerae presence included chlorophyll-a, pH, and sea surface temperature (SST), with chlorophyll-a demonstrating the greatest explanatory power from variables selected for model calibration. We identified specific geographic areas for potential V. cholerae distribution. Coastal Bangladesh, where cholera is endemic, was found to be environmentally similar to coastal areas in Latin America. In a conservative climate change scenario, we observed a predicted increase in areas with environmental conditions suitable for V. cholerae. Findings highlight the potential for vulnerability maps to inform cholera surveillance, early warning systems, and disease prevention and control. © 2015 The Authors.Ítem Assessing Variation in the Individual-Level Impacts of a Multihost Pathogen(Wiley-Hindawi, 2023) Lewin, Zachary M.; Astorga, Francisca; Escobar, Luis E.; Carver, ScottMost pathogens infect more than one host species, and given infection, the individual-level impact they have varies among host species. Nevertheless, variation in individual-level impacts of infection remains poorly characterised. Using the impactful and host-generalist ectoparasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei (causing sarcoptic mange), we assessed individual-level variation in pathogen impacts by (1) compiling all documented individual-level impacts of S. scabiei across free-living host species, (2) quantifying and ranking S. scabiei impacts among host species, and (3) evaluating factors associated with S. scabiei impacts. We compiled individual-level impacts of S. scabiei infection from 77 host species, spanning 31 different impacts, and totalling 683 individual-level impact descriptions. Te most common impacts were those affecting the skin, alopecia (130 descriptions), and hyperkeratosis coverage (106). From these impacts, a standardised metric was generated for each species (average impact score (AIS) with a 0-1 range), as a proxy of pathogen virulence allowing quantitative comparison of S. scabiei impacts among host species while accounting for the variation in the number and types of impacts assessed. Te Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes viverrinus) was found to be the most impacted host (AIS 0.899). We applied species inclusion criteria for ranking and found more well-studied species tended to be those impacted more by S. scabiei (26/27 species AIS < 0.5). AIS had relatively weak relationships with predictor variables (methodological, phylogenetic, and geographic). Tere was a tendency for Diprotodontia, Artiodactyla, and Carnivora to be the most impacted taxa and for research to be focussed in developed regions of the world. Tis study is the first quantitative assessment of individual-level pathogen impacts of a multihost parasite. Te proposed methodology can be applied to other multihost pathogens of public health, animal welfare, and conservation concern and enables further research to address likely causes of variation in pathogen virulence among host species. © 2023 Zachary M. Lewin et al.Ítem BAT-BORNE RABIES IN LATIN AMERICA(Instituto de Medicina Tropical, 2015) Escobar, Luis E.; Townsend Peterson, A.; Favi, Myriam; Yung, Verónica; Medina-Vogel, GonzaloThe situation of rabies in America is complex: rabies in dogs has decreased dramatically, but bats are increasingly recognized as natural reservoirs of other rabies variants. Here, bat species known to be rabies-positive with different antigenic variants, are summarized in relation to bat conservation status across Latin America. Rabies virus is widespread in Latin American bat species, 22.5%75 of bat species have been confirmed as rabies-positive. Most bat species found rabies positive are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as “Least Concern”. According to diet type, insectivorous bats had the most species known as rabies reservoirs, while in proportion hematophagous bats were the most important. Research at coarse spatial scales must strive to understand rabies ecology; basic information on distribution and population dynamics of many Latin American and Caribbean bat species is needed; and detailed information on effects of landscape change in driving bat-borne rabies outbreaks remains unassessed. Finally, integrated approaches including public health, ecology, and conservation biology are needed to understand and prevent emergent diseases in bats.Ítem Encuesta sobre vacunación anti-rábica en veterinarios de fauna silvestre en Chile(Sociedad Chilena de Infectología, 2015-06) Escobar, Luis E.; Yung, Verónica; Vargas-Rodríguez, Renzo; Medina-Vogel, Gonzalo; Favi, MyriamIntroduction: Rabies is a lethal but preventable disease. Knowing the extent of immunization coverage among at risk populations, may help to guide immunization efforts, as well as increase the effectiveness of rabies control and prevention programs. Aim: To determine the proportion of wildlife veterinarians in Chile, as part of a group at risk of rabies transmission. Methods: An electronic survey was sent to wildlife veterinarians in Chile. Results: We found that veterinarians in Chile work mainly with carnivores and deer compared to other mammals (p < 0.001), rarely works with bats (p = 0.6572). Most of the participants had been bitten by domestic animals, while a lesser proportion (29%) by wild animals. Most of the participants never received rabies vaccination (53%), while within the group that had started a rabies vaccination scheme, a substantial proportion (39%) did not complete it. Discussion and conclusion: Identify the vaccination status of risk groups is important for infectious disease control and prevention programs, as this information helps to identify priority groups during outbreaks or vaccine scarcity. Wildlife veterinarians in Chile are at risk of rabies transmission and should be included in rabies prevention programs, especially considering their vulnerability and lack of biosafety practices. Increasing education in rabies epidemiology and prevention is urgently needed in veterinary faculties in Chile.Ítem Galictis cuja (Mammalia): an update of current knowledge and geographic distribution(Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul, 2014) Poo-Muñoz, Daniela A.; Escobar, Luis E.; Townsend Peterson, A.; Astorga, Francisca; Organ, John F.; Medina-Vogel, GonzaloThe lesser grison (Galictis cuja) is one of the least-known mustelids in the Neotropics, despite its broad range across South America. This study aimed to explore current knowledge of the distribution of the species to identify gaps in knowledge and anticipate its full geographic distribution. Eighty-nine articles have mentioned G. cuja since 1969, but only 13 focused on the species. We generated a detailed model of the species’ potential distribution that validated previous maps, but with improved detail, supporting previous southernmost records, and providing a means of identifying priority sites for conservation and management of the species.Ítem Potential for spread of the white-nose fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans) in the Americas: Use of Maxent and NicheA to assure strict model transference(University of Naples Federico II, 2014) Escobar, Luis E.; Lira-Noriega, Andrés; Medina-Vogel, Gonzalo; Townsend Peterson, A.merging infectious diseases can present serious threats to wildlife, even to the point of causing extinction. White nose fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans) is causing an epizootic in bats that is expanding rapidly, both geographically and taxonomically. Little is known of the ecology and distributional potential of this intercontinental pathogen. We address this gap via ecological niche models that characterise coarse resolution niche differences between fungus populations on dif ferent continents, identifying areas potentially vulnerable to infection in South America. Here we explore a novel approach to identifying areas of potential distribution across novel geographic regions that avoids perilious extrapolation into novel environments. European and North American fungus populations show differential use of environmental space, but rather than niche differentiation, we find that changes are best attributed to climatic differences between the two continents. Suitable areas for spread of the pathogen were identified across southern South America; however caution should be taken to avoid underestimating the potential for spread of this pathogen in South America.Ítem Spatial epidemiology of bat-borne rabies in Colombia(Organización Panamericana de la Salud, 2013-08) Escobar, Luis E.; Townsend Peterson, A.In their article, "Geographic distribution of wild rabies risk and evaluation of the factors associated with its incidence in Colombia, 1982–2010," Brito and colleagues (1) analyzed the spatial distribution of bat-borne rabies in Colombia and showed an association of occurrence of rabies outbreaks with climatic tendencies. The authors also identified risk clusters for rabies based on modeled potential distributions. While we appreciate this work, which fills knowledge gaps regarding the epidemiology of vampire-borne rabies in Latin America, we are also concerned because some of the data presented merits re-evaluation and correction.