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Integrating land cover and terrain characteristics to explain plague risks in Western Usambara Mountains, Tanzania: a geospatial approach

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dc.creator Hieronimo, Proches
dc.creator Meliyo, Joel
dc.creator Gulinck, Hubert
dc.creator Kimaro, D. N.
dc.creator Mulungu, Loth S.
dc.creator Kihupi, Nganga I.
dc.creator Msanya, B. M.
dc.creator Leirs, Herwing
dc.creator Deckers, J.
dc.date 2016-12-02T09:04:45Z
dc.date 2016-12-02T09:04:45Z
dc.date 2014-07
dc.date.accessioned 2022-10-25T08:52:27Z
dc.date.available 2022-10-25T08:52:27Z
dc.identifier Tanzania Journal of Health Research Volume 16, Number 3, July 2014
dc.identifier https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/1055
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/92571
dc.description Literature suggests that higher resolution remote sensing data integrated in Geographic Information System (GIS) can provide greater possibility to refine the analysis of land cover and terrain characteristics for explanation of abundance and distribution of plague hosts and vectors and hence of health risk hazards to humans. These technologies are not widely used in East Africa for studies on diseases including plague. The objective of this study was to refine the analysis of single and combined land cover and terrain characteristics in order to gain an insight into localized plague infection risks in the West Usambara Mountains in north-eastern Tanzania. The study used a geospatial approach to assess the influence of land cover and terrain factors on the abundance and spatial distribution of plague hosts (small mammals) and plague vectors (fleas). It considered different levels of scale and resolution. Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) statistical method was used to clarify the relationships between land cover and terrain variables with small mammals and fleas. Results indicate that elevation positively influenced the presence of small mammals. The presence of fleas was clearly influenced by land management features such as miraba. Medium to high resolution remotely sensed data integrated in a GIS have been found to be quite useful in this type of analysis. These findings contribute to efforts on plague surveillance and awareness creation among communities on the probable risks associated with various landscape factors during epidemics.
dc.format application/pdf
dc.language en
dc.publisher Tanzania Journal of Health Research
dc.subject land cover
dc.subject remote sensing
dc.subject GIS
dc.subject small mammals
dc.subject fleas
dc.subject Plague
dc.subject Tanzania
dc.title Integrating land cover and terrain characteristics to explain plague risks in Western Usambara Mountains, Tanzania: a geospatial approach
dc.type Article


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