BMC environmental science最新文献

{"title":"Longitudinal malacological monitoring, with a parasitological survey, reveals new schistosomiasis transmission foci in deforested sites in Western Uganda.","authors":"David W Oguttu, Clinton Nkolokosa, Davis Kiberu, Mathew Odongo, Fred Besigye, Alexandra Juhasz, Wilson Barungi, Tine Huyse, Narcis B Kabatereine, Casim Umba Tolo, Alison M Elliott, Bonnie L Webster, J Russell Stothard","doi":"10.1186/s44329-026-00061-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s44329-026-00061-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In sub-Saharan Africa, the epidemiology of schistosomiasis, a waterborne parasitic disease, is often altered by environmental and land-use changes. In the upland area of Western Uganda, ongoing destruction of the Bugoma Forest is transforming many lotic freshwater habitats, potentially favouring intermediate hosts of schistosomes. We therefore undertook a longitudinal malacological monitoring study for <i>Biomphalaria</i> and <i>Bulinus</i>, keystone intermediate host snails, to describe actual or potential transmission of schistosomiasis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Starting in June 2023, snail sampling was conducted regularly, every other month, at nine sites for eighteen months, until October 2024. To bolster this, an analysis of satellite imagery of vegetation and land-use change over the previous 20 years was undertaken. At each inspection site water temperature, conductivity and pH were noted, alongside on-site observations of human and animal activities. Snails were identified by morphology, with inspection for shedding <i>Schistosoma</i> cercariae, which were later identified by molecular analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Mean water temperature, conductivity and pH were 23.5 °C (± 1.8), 235.0µS (± 81.7) and 6.9 (± 0.3), respectively. A total of 2524 <i>Biomphalaria</i> snails at seven sites and 422 <i>Bulinus</i> snails at one site were examined. Abundance of <i>Biomphalaria</i> snails was greater (<i>p</i> < 0.01) in sites where the forest had been cleared, with human encroachment evident. <i>Schistosoma</i> cercariae were shed from 0.4% of <i>Biomphalaria</i> and 1.9% of <i>Bulinus</i> with monthly maxima of 3.1% and 3.7%, in December 2023 respectively. In August 2024, among local school-aged children (<i>n</i> = 41), the prevalence of intestinal schistosomiasis was 56.1% whereas urogenital schistosomiasis was absent. Further to the presence of <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> cercariae, molecular analyses also revealed <i>Schistosoma bovis</i> and <i>Schistosoma rodhaini</i>. Satellite imagery showed land-use change with the Bugoma central Forest reduced by 18.0% and shrub land by 57.0% due to human agricultural activities, revealing an expanding zone of putative schistosomiasis transmission in upland areas.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This changing endemicity of human and animal schistosomiasis to new areas, some 15 Km away from Lake Albert, needs to be addressed by the Uganda Ministry of Health and National Forestry Authority. Further targeted malacological and schistosomiasis surveillance, at finer geographical resolutions, will pinpoint new foci and better guide local interventions.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s44329-026-00061-x.</p>","PeriodicalId":521147,"journal":{"name":"BMC environmental science","volume":"3 1","pages":"21"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13481426/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148805472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Methods for assessing climate vulnerability in Africa across two decades: a scoping review.","authors":"Emily Odipo, Sharon A Onyango, Moses C Kiti, Robert W Snow, Benjamin Tsofa, Jacob Mcknight, Peter M Macharia, Emelda A Okiro","doi":"10.1186/s44329-025-00041-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s44329-025-00041-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Climate change and extreme weather events (EWEs) have an adverse impact on both populations and their surrounding environment. These effects span regions and sectors, with varying impacts, some of which are irreversible. The changing climate, accompanied by an increasing frequency of EWEs, necessitates assessment of climate vulnerability as an important applied instrument to identify populations and systems at risk and guide decision-makers in prioritising targeted interventions. Africa exhibits considerable climatic variability and is particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change. This review aims to identify key concepts and metrics previously used to define climate vulnerability in Africa facilitating a regional understanding of approaches across various sectors that can be adopted to understand the gaps and limitations as a basis to improve future methods.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We searched literature from 1st January 2003 to 31st December 2023, restricted to publications in English. We analysed the extracted data using both descriptive and thematic approaches, consistent with established scoping review frameworks (Arksey & O'Malley, 2005). Specifically, we used descriptive statistics to summarise study characteristics (e.g., year, location, and type of method) and thematic analysis to identify approaches and frameworks used to assess climate vulnerability in Africa.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We retrieved 94 articles in the review. Most studies were conducted in South Africa (14/94, 15%) and Ethiopia (16/94, 17%). Vulnerability assessments were predominantly conducted in the agriculture (29/94, 31%) and environmental science (30/94, 32%) sectors. Thirteen vulnerability frameworks emerged, with the majority associated with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment report four framework. The primary vulnerability methods were the use of linear aggregation (66/94, 70%) and unbalanced weighting (39/94, 41%). Flooding and rainfall were the most studied climatic hazard and EWEs in Africa. Few studies assessed climate vulnerability in health science, despite its critical importance.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Existing frameworks demonstrate growing innovation; however, their methodological rigour varies, with inadequate contextual validation of indices and models. The methodological robustness enhances the selection of models that align with the specific dynamics and context of the system being evaluated. These methods guide policymaking and resource prioritization, by quantifying climatic vulnerability.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s44329-025-00041-7.</p>","PeriodicalId":521147,"journal":{"name":"BMC environmental science","volume":"2 1","pages":"27"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12684232/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145717261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}