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Results for “disease ecology”

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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Formulating problems of ecological diseases. Approaches to etiopathogenesis, classification and diagnosis of ecological diseases due to chemicals].

Our long-standing clinical trials proved nonspecific and stress factors contributing into environmental diseases. The studies helped to define traumatic variant of biologic stress, to describe its trigger mechanisms. The authors analyzed physiologic mechanisms of stress-related diseases, role of autonomous nervous system in formation of environmental diseases. Clinical classification of acute and chronic environmental diseases is given, with consideration of their diagnosis.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2004

Natural histories of infectious disease: ecological vision in twentieth-century biomedical science.

During the twentieth century, disease ecology emerged as a distinct disciplinary network within infectious diseases research. The key figures were Theobald Smith, F. Macfarlane Burnet, René Dubos, and Frank Fenner. They all drew on Darwinian evolutionism to fashion an integrative (but rarely holistic) understanding of disease processes, distinguishing themselves from reductionist "chemists" and mere "microbe hunters." They sought a more complex, biologically informed epidemiology. Their emphasis on competition and mutualism in the animated environment differed from the physical determinism that prevailed in much medical geography and environmental health research. Disease ecology derived in part from studies of the interaction of organisms - micro and macro - in tropical medicine, veterinary pathology, and immunology. It developed in postcolonial settler societies. Once a minority interest, disease ecology has attracted more attention since the 1980s for its explanations of disease emergence, antibiotic resistance, bioterrorism, and the health impacts of climate change.

Biomedical Research↗
PubMed1993

Epidemiology of contagious diseases, ecology of mammals, health, management and conservation biology: concluding remarks.

In conclusion to the Proceedings of the Symposium on the Health and management of free-ranging mammals (held in Nancy, France, in 1991), the author presents a review of the literature on the ecology of diseases of wild mammals. This discipline involves the ecology of both pathogens and hosts. The ecology of a pathogen may be considered as a synonym of epidemiology, i.e. the mode of transmission and circulation of parasites, their origin, invasion and persistence. The ecology of the host deals with the outcome of infection within different geographical and time scales: a) the impact on population density and communities within the time scale of the "observer" b) the effect of infection on the co-evolution of hosts and pathogens within the evolutionary time scale. This account is illustrated by numerous examples from field studies, as well as mathematical models, and concludes by examining the effect of pathogens on biodiversity, human health and the health of domestic animals.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Disease ecology and a reformist alternative: the case of infant mortality.

This paper attempts to shed some light on the recent debate between those who advocate a reformed medical geography and those who respond that reform is not necessary. We show that disease ecology and a reformist alternative display certain tendencies in the ways in which they address issues of health and disease. We use the example of geographic variations in infant mortality rates to show how two non-positivist perspectives from social theory, political economy and humanism, support a reformist viewpoint, while also acknowledging the value of a complementary disease ecology approach. Two concepts, the social construction of health and illness and social relevance, are used to portray the political economy approach; humanism is described in terms of the meaning of individual experience and the importance of place. The paper concludes with a discussion of the respective roles of disease ecology and a reformist approach in models of infant mortality and a summary of the main differences between the two perspectives.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1998

Serum complement sensitivity as a key factor in Lyme disease ecology.

The sensitivity of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato to animal sera was analyzed. Complement-mediated borreliacidal effects were observed with particular combinations of host serum and Borrelia genospecies. The species-specific pattern of viability and/or lysis is highly consistent with the pattern of reservoir competence of hosts for B. burgdorferi sensu lato, suggesting a key role of complement in the global ecology of Lyme borreliosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Emerging bacterial zoonotic and vector-borne diseases. Ecological and epidemiological factors.

Among the etiologic agents of emerging infectious diseases are several bacterial organisms that naturally reside in animal and arthropod hosts. The most compelling emerging bacterial zoonotic and vector-borne diseases in the United States are Lyme disease; a Southern erythema migrans-like illness; human monocytic ehrlichiosis; human granulocytic ehrlichiosis; a novel cat flea-associated typhus group rickettsiosis; bartonelloses of immunocompetent and immunocompromised persons, particularly with AIDS; and sylvatic plague. Some of these antimicrobial-treatable infections are life threatening. During the acute stage of illness when antimicrobial agents are most effective, the flulike clinical signs and symptoms and available laboratory tests frequently do not point to a particular diagnosis. Epidemiological factors determined by the ecology of the bacteria are often the most useful diagnostic clues. The recognition of these evolving problems emphasizes the need for development of better laboratory diagnostic methods, for surveillance for and tracking of disease, and for continued research into factors contributing to transmission of the organisms. The continual appearance of previously unidentified bacterial infections requires prospective national strategies for timely recognition of the syndrome, identification of the agent, establishment of criteria and methods for diagnosis, optimization of the treatment regimen, and determination of successful approaches to prevention and control.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Lyme disease ecology in Wisconsin: distribution and host preferences of Ixodes dammini, and prevalence of antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi in small mammals.

Lyme disease recently has been recognized in Wisconsin. Trapping studies were conducted at four geographically separate and ecologically distinct regions in Wisconsin to elucidate the distribution and host preferences of Ixodes dammini on small and medium sized mammals, and the occurrence of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi in these wild mammals. Peak I. dammini larval activity occurred from June-September. Nymphs were most active from May-August. White-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) and chipmunks (Tamias striatus) were important hosts for immature ticks. Mean numbers of I. dammini per mouse were highest in regions of high prevalence of Lyme disease. Antibody to B. burgdorferi was detected in sera of 60/371 (16%) white-footed mice, 5/104 (5%) chipmunks, 3/5 (60%) gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), 0/8 raccoons (procyon lotor), and 0/12 opossum (Didelphis virginiana); antibody prevalence correlated positively with I. dammini occurrence, and seropositive animals were not detected in areas where I. dammini were not found. Two of 15 recaptured P. leucopus had greater than or equal to 4-fold changes in antibody titer. B. burgdorferi was cultured from blood of a P. leucopus captured in west-central Wisconsin, and was observed by direct immunofluorescence in 9/23 (39%) I. dammini nymphs. In Wisconsin, I. dammini has increased in numbers and has significantly expanded its range since its first recognition in 1968.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Disease ecology in the Galápagos Hawk (Buteo galapagoensis): host genetic diversity, parasite load and natural antibodies.

An increased susceptibility to disease is one hypothesis explaining how inbreeding hastens extinction in island endemics and threatened species. Experimental studies show that disease resistance declines as inbreeding increases, but data from in situ wildlife systems are scarce. Genetic diversity increases with island size across the entire range of an extremely inbred Galápagos endemic bird, providing the context for a natural experiment examining the effects of inbreeding on disease susceptibility. Extremely inbred populations of Galápagos hawks had higher parasite abundances than relatively outbred populations. We found a significant island effect on constitutively produced natural antibody (NAb) levels and inbred populations generally harboured lower average and less variable NAb levels than relatively outbred populations. Furthermore, NAb levels explained abundance of amblyceran lice, which encounter the host immune system. This is the first study linking inbreeding, innate immunity and parasite load in an endemic, in situ wildlife population and provides a clear framework for assessment of disease risk in a Galápagos endemic.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

The relationship between neuropsychological performance and daily functioning in individuals with Alzheimer's disease: ecological validity of neuropsychological tests.

The current study examined the relationship between neuropsychological test performance and functional status in 42 individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. A comprehensive battery of cognitive tests was employed in order to assess a wide range of neuropsychological abilities. Functional status was measured through the use of both a performance-based scale of activities of daily living (an expanded version of the Direct Assessment of Functional Status; DAFS, Loewenstein et al., 1989), and by a caregiver/informant-based rating scale (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living; IADL, Lawton & Brody, 1969). Findings suggest that neuropsychological functioning is moderately predictive of functional status. Using multiple regression analyses, neuropsychological variables accounted for 25% of the variance in the IADL and 50% of the variance in the DAFS. Individual domains of both functional measures were also significantly predicted by the neuropsychological variables. The findings provide evidence of a relationship between neuropsychological test performance and ADLs in an Alzheimer disease patient population.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1977

Nidal delineation of Thailand: an approach to disease ecology in major nidal base regions.

Provisional nidal base regions have veen delineated for Thailand. The nidal base regions so derived were compared by computing the percentages of species common to pairs of provinces (coefficient of community, CC). The results provided a CC matrix and dendrogram showing the relationship between regions, combined with the general geographic and climatologic conditions. Six ecological regions have been designated, of which five are classified as super provinces (Northeast, Central, East, South and Far South), while only one is a subregion (North). Problems of error in the data are discussed and the need for further accurate analysis to further the goal of control of disease.

Animals↗