Evaluating how demography and temperature increase might alter the burden of congenital Toxoplasmosis in Africa
Fidisoa T. Rasambainarivo, Ingrid G. Nilsson, Devin E. Cheeks, Wenchang Yang, C. Jessica E. Metcalf, Naomichi Yamamoto, Naomichi Yamamoto, Naomichi Yamamoto, Naomichi Yamamoto
TL;DR
The paper explores how rising temperatures and demographic changes in Africa might increase the risk of congenital Toxoplasmosis by altering infection patterns.
Contribution
The study introduces a novel integration of climate and demographic models to predict future Toxoplasma gondii disease burden in Africa.
Findings
Higher temperatures may reduce T. gondii oocyst survival, potentially lowering transmission.
Reduced transmission could increase the average age of first infection, raising pregnancy-related risks.
Demographic shifts and climate change may combine to increase congenital Toxoplasmosis burden in some African regions.
Abstract
The impact of climate change on environmental pathogens is a question whose importance will amplify in coming years. The protozoan parasite and global zoonosis Toxoplasma gondii is one such: empirical evidence indicates that oocyst survival is reduced at high temperatures. Paradoxically, a decline in incidence of T. gondii infections could amplify the burden of this disease, as the most damaging outcome occurs subsequent to first infection during pregnancy, and reductions in the incidence of the infection will increase the average age of first infection. We blend models of infection dynamics rooted in occurrence across the African continent with models of human demography to bound expectations for the future burden of this pathogen, accounting for the effects of changing temperatures. We discuss targeting efforts and approaches for mitigation. The pathogen Toxoplasma gondii is…
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Taxonomy
TopicsToxoplasma gondii Research Studies · Parasitic infections in humans and animals · Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics