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Using geographic information systems and spatial and space-time scan statistics for a population-based risk analysis of the 2002 equine West Nile epidemic in six contiguous regions of Texas.
- Source :
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International journal of health geographics [Int J Health Geogr] 2007 Sep 21; Vol. 6, pp. 42. Date of Electronic Publication: 2007 Sep 21. - Publication Year :
- 2007
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Abstract
- Background: In 2002, West Nile virus (WNV) first appeared in Texas. Surveillance data were retrospectively examined to explore the temporal and spatial characteristics of the Texas equine WNV epidemic in 2002. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Spatial and Space-Time Scan (SaTScan) statistics, we analyzed 1421 of the reported equine WNV cases from six contiguous state Health Service Regions (HSRs), comprising 158 counties, in western, northern, central and eastern Texas.<br />Results: Two primary epidemic peaks occurred in Epidemiological (Epi) week 35 (August 25 to 31) and Epi week 42 (October 13 to 19) of 2002 in the western and eastern part of the study area, respectively. The SaTScan statistics detected nine non-random spatio-temporal equine case aggregations (mini-outbreaks) and five unique high-risk areas imbedded within the overall epidemic.<br />Conclusion: The 2002 Texas equine WNV epidemic occurred in a bi-modal pattern. Some "local hot spots" of the WNV epidemic developed in Texas. The use of GIS and SaTScan can be valuable tools in analyzing on-going surveillance data to identify high-risk areas and shifts in disease clustering within a large geographic area. Such techniques should become increasingly useful and important in future epidemics, as decisions must be made to effectively allocate limited resources.
- Subjects :
- Animals
Cluster Analysis
Geographic Information Systems
Horse Diseases transmission
Horse Diseases virology
Horses virology
Population Surveillance
Retrospective Studies
Risk Assessment methods
Texas epidemiology
West Nile Fever epidemiology
West Nile Fever transmission
Disease Outbreaks veterinary
Horse Diseases epidemiology
West Nile Fever veterinary
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1476-072X
- Volume :
- 6
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- International journal of health geographics
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 17888159
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-072X-6-42