The Effect of Climate Change and the Snail-Schistosome Cycle in Transmission and Bio-Control of Schistosomiasis in Sub-Saharan Africa

Tayo Alex Adekiya, Raphael Taiwo Aruleba, Babatunji Emmanuel Oyinloye, Kazeem Oare Okosun and Abidemi Paul Kappo
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Tayo Alex Adekiya: Biotechnology and Structural Biology Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa 3886, South Africa
Raphael Taiwo Aruleba: Biotechnology and Structural Biology Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa 3886, South Africa
Babatunji Emmanuel Oyinloye: Biotechnology and Structural Biology Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa 3886, South Africa
Kazeem Oare Okosun: Department of Mathematics, Vaal University of Technology, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa
Abidemi Paul Kappo: Biotechnology and Structural Biology Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa 3886, South Africa

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-22

Abstract: In the next century, global warming, due to changes in climatic factors, is expected to have an enormous influence on the interactions between pathogens and their hosts. Over the years, the rate at which vector-borne diseases and their transmission dynamics modify and develop has been shown to be highly dependent to a certain extent on changes in temperature and geographical distribution. Schistosomiasis has been recognized as a tropical and neglected vector-borne disease whose rate of infection has been predicted to be elevated worldwide, especially in sub-Saharan Africa; the region currently with the highest proportion of people at risk, due to changes in climate. This review not only suggests the need to develop an efficient and effective model that will predict Schistosoma spp. population dynamics but seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of several current control strategies. The design of a framework model to predict and accommodate the future incidence of schistosomiasis in human population dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa is proposed. The impact of climate change on schistosomiasis transmission as well as the distribution of several freshwater snails responsible for the transmission of Schistosoma parasites in the region is also reviewed. Lastly, this article advocates for modelling several control mechanisms for schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa so as to tackle the re-infection of the disease, even after treating infected people with praziquantel, the first-line treatment drug for schistosomiasis.

Keywords: Biomphalaria spp.; Bulinus spp.; cercariae; climate change; Schistosomiasis; sub-Saharan Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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