The Use of Remote Sensing to Assess Global Trends in Seasonality of Cryptosporidiosis

摘要

The use of remote sensing data, particularly NDVI, has been shown to be useful for epidemiological studies. Considering the nature and etiology of waterborne diarrheal infections, it is quite likely that seasonal patterns of diseases such as cryptosporidiosis can be predicted with remote sensing data on a global scale. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine how an increase in cryptosporidiosis relates to precipitation and ambient temperature and to investigate the potential use of NDVI as a proxy for exposure to Cryptosporidium parvum. Our results provide a quantitative link between disease incidence and meteorological parameters and illustrate strong potential for NDVI as a suitable proxy for exposure in the humid mid-latitude climate zones.