Forest fragmentation predicts local scale heterogeneity of Lyme disease risk.

@article{citeulike:364176, abstract = {Fragmentation of the landscape has been proposed to play an important role in defining local scale heterogeneity in Lyme disease risk through influence on mammalian host density and species composition. We tested this observed relationship in a suburban region around Lyme, Connecticut, where we collected data on the density of the tick vector, Ixodes scapularis and prevalence of the Lyme bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi at 30 sites. Analysis of the landscape pattern of forest patches was performed using satellite imagery. The calculated landscape indices, which included patch size and isolation, revealed a positive link between fragmentation and both tick density and infection prevalence in ticks. In spite of higher entomologic risk, human incidence of Lyme disease is lower in fragmented contexts suggesting that entomologic risk is not the critical driver of human infections. These results represent a departure from the prior claims that fragmentation and human Lyme disease risk are positively linked. A complete understanding of the influence of landscape fragmentation will allow for improved risk mapping and potential environmental management of Lyme disease.}, address = {Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale School of Medicine, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8034, USA.}, author = {Brownstein, John S. and Skelly, David K. and Holford, Theodore R. and Fish, Durland }, citeulike-article-id = {364176}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00442-005-0251-9}, issn = {0029-8549}, journal = {Oecologia}, keywords = {disease, forest, fragmentation, habitat, lyme}, month = {September}, pages = {1--7}, posted-at = {2005-10-25 08:08:00}, priority = {2}, title = {Forest fragmentation predicts local scale heterogeneity of Lyme disease risk.}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00442-005-0251-9}, year = {2005} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:364176 L3 - citeulike-article-id:364176 TI - Forest fragmentation predicts local scale heterogeneity of Lyme disease risk. JF - Oecologia SP - 1 EP - 7 AD - Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale School of Medicine, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8034, USA. SN - 0029-8549 N2 - Fragmentation of the landscape has been proposed to play an important role in defining local scale heterogeneity in Lyme disease risk through influence on mammalian host density and species composition. We tested this observed relationship in a suburban region around Lyme, Connecticut, where we collected data on the density of the tick vector, Ixodes scapularis and prevalence of the Lyme bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi at 30 sites. Analysis of the landscape pattern of forest patches was performed using satellite imagery. The calculated landscape indices, which included patch size and isolation, revealed a positive link between fragmentation and both tick density and infection prevalence in ticks. In spite of higher entomologic risk, human incidence of Lyme disease is lower in fragmented contexts suggesting that entomologic risk is not the critical driver of human infections. These results represent a departure from the prior claims that fragmentation and human Lyme disease risk are positively linked. A complete understanding of the influence of landscape fragmentation will allow for improved risk mapping and potential environmental management of Lyme disease. KW - disease KW - forest KW - fragmentation KW - habitat KW - lyme AU - Brownstein, John AU - Skelly, David AU - Holford, Theodore AU - Fish, Durland PY - 2005/09/27/ UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00442-005-0251-9 ER -