141st APHA Annual Meeting

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287580
Using remote sensing technology to estimate abundance of vectors of disease agents: Association between remotely sensed rainfall data and abundance of larvae and pupae of the mosquito vector of dengue virus, Αedes aegypti, in Mexico, as a case

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 1:30 PM - 1:50 PM

Max Moreno-Madriñán, PhD , Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health Science, Indiana University, IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN
William Crosson, PhD , Global Hydrology and Climate Center NSSTC/MSFC/NASA, Science and Technology Institute, USRA, Huntsville, AL, USA, Huntsville, AL
Lars Eisen, PhD , Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology,, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO, USA, Ft. Collins, CO
Maurice Estes, MS , Global Hydrology and Climate Center NSSTC/MSFC/NASA, Science and Technology Institute, USRA, Huntsville, AL
Sue Estes, MS , Public Health applications of Earth Science Products, Science and Technology Institute, USRA, Huntsville, AL
Mary Hayden, PhD , Research Applications Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO
Saul Lozano-Fuentes, PhD , Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO
Andrew Monaghan, PhD , NCAR, Research Applications Laboratory, NCAR, Boulder, CO, USA, Boulder, CO
Carlos Welsh-Rodriguez, PhD , University of Veracruz, Xalapa, Mexico, Veracruz, Mexico
Dale Quattrochi, PhD , Global Hydrology and Climate Center NSSTC/MSFC/NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL
Carolina Ochoa-Martinez, MS , Public Health, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
Berenice Tapia-Santos, MS , Public Health, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
Sarah Hemmings, MPH , Global Hydrology and Climate Center NSSTC/MSFC/NASA, Science and Technology Institute, USRA, Huntsville, AL
The potential effects leading to geographical expansion in areas at risk of infectious diseases are among the important concerns linked to the discussion of climate change. Associations reported in the literature suggest the possibility of monitoring climate related environmental variables to estimate abundance of some vectors of disease agents. Since in situ monitoring is generally costly and time consuming, Remote Sensing technology is being increasingly used to estimate habitat suitability for a variety of vectors of disease agents. Rainfall is a weather parameter of special interest because is a well-defined indicator of vector habitats. However, satisfactory association between remotely sensed rainfall data and vector abundance is still a matter of much uncertainty. The speaker will provide a general introduction about the significance and applicability of satellite technology in this field and describe as a case the results of a cross-sectional analysis of possible association between remotely sensed rainfall data and abundance of larvae and pupae of the mosquito vector of dengue virus, Aedes aegypti, in Mexico. Remotely sensed data were derived from the NASA Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). Data on abundance of larvae and pupae of Aedes aegypti were obtained through field surveys conducted in 12 communities in Mexico from ongoing NSF- and NASA-funded studies. The work presented here is aimed to contribute to the above-mentioned studies by helping identify useful indicators of a possibly ongoing climate change.

Learning Areas:
Environmental health sciences
Epidemiology

Learning Objectives:
Describe the likelihood of using association between remotely sensed rainfall data and abundance of Aedes aegypti to estimate the potential expansion of the mosquito. Identify suitable climate change indicators.

Keywords: Climate Change, Environmental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I work on research using satellite technology on environmental health related issues. I completed a fellowship at NASA applying remote sensing to public health. I have PhD in Environmental Health and teach environmental health related courses at the graduate and undergraduate level.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.