scholarly journals Microclimate and larval habitat density predict adult Aedes albopictus abundance in urban areas

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle V. Evans ◽  
Carl W. Hintz ◽  
Lindsey Jones ◽  
Justine Shiau ◽  
Nicole Solano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Aedes Albopictus ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Larval Habitat ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Populations At Risk ◽  
Adult Abundance

ABSTRACTThe Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, transmits several arboviruses of public health importance, including chikungunya and Zika. Since its introduction to the United States in 1985, the species has invaded over forty states, including temperate areas not previously at risk of Aedes-transmitted arboviruses. Mathematical models incorporate climatic variables in predictions of site-specific Ae. albopictus abundances to identify human populations at risk of disease. However, these models rely on coarse resolutions of environmental data that may not accurately represent the climatic profile experienced by mosquitoes in the field, particularly in climatically-heterogeneous urban areas. In this study, we pair field surveys of larval and adult Ae. albopictus mosquitoes with site-specific microclimate data across a range of land use types to investigate the relationships between microclimate, density of larval habitat, and adult mosquito abundance and determine whether these relationships change across an urban gradient. We find no evidence for a difference in larval habitat density or adult abundance between rural, suburban, and urban land classes. Adult abundance increases with increasing larval habitat density, which itself is dependent on microclimate. Adult abundance is strongly explained by microclimate variables, demonstrating that theoretically derived, lab-parameterized relationships in ectotherm physiology apply to the field. Our results provide support for the continued use of temperature-dependent models to predict Ae. albopictus abundance in urban areas.

First International Conference on Environmental Mutagens in Human Populations at Risk: Cairo, 1992

1992 ◽  
Vol 272 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wagida Anwar ◽  
William W. Au ◽  
Ali Massoud ◽  
James M. Gentile ◽  
John Ashby
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
International Conference ◽  
Populations At Risk

Understanding evacuation preferences and wildfire mitigations among Northwest Montana residents

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis Paveglio ◽  
Tony Prato ◽  
Douglas Dalenberg ◽  
Tyron Venn
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Fuel Reduction ◽  
Insufficient Information ◽  
Management Behaviour ◽  
Populations At Risk ◽  
Part Time

There is currently insufficient information in the United States about residents’ planned evacuation actions during wildfire events, including any intent to remain at or near home during fire events. This is incompatible with growing evidence that select populations at risk from wildfire are considering alternatives to evacuation. This study explores the evacuation preferences of wildland–urban interface residents in Flathead County, Montana, USA. We compare the performance of wildfire mitigation and fuel reduction actions across groups of residents with different primary evacuation preferences. We also explore what factors (e.g. actions, demographics, attitudes towards government, risk perceptions) help explain residents’ preferences for evacuation. Results suggest that relatively high proportions of residents are interested in staying and defending their homes, with smaller proportions favouring evacuation or passively sheltering in their homes during wildfire. Vegetation management behaviour differs significantly among residents with different evacuation preferences, including significantly higher rates of forest thinning among those intending to remain at home and actively defend their residence. Other results suggest that sex, part-time residency, income and attitudes towards loss from fire are statistically associated with differences in evacuation preferences.

Effects on Local Emergency Departments of Large-Scale Urban Chemical Fire With Hazardous Materials Spill

2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 196-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edbert B. Hsu ◽  
Jurek G. Grabowski ◽  
Rashid A. Chotani ◽  
Jason A. Winslow ◽  
Donald W. Alves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Hazardous Materials ◽  
Chemical Exposure ◽  
The United States ◽  
Shortness Of Breath ◽  
Populations At Risk ◽  
Chief Complaints ◽  
The City

AbstractIntroduction:On 18 July 2001, a train hauling hazardous materials, including hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, and acetic acid, derailed in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, resulting in a fire that burned under a downtown street for five days. Firefighters were stymied in their efforts to extinguish the fire, and the city was subjected to thick smoke for several days.Objectives:To determine whether an urban chemical fire with a hazardous materials spill resulted in a detectable public health impact, and to demo-graphically describe the at-risk population for potential smoke and chemical exposure.Methods:The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was consulted about possible side effects from chemical exposure. Total numbers of emergency department (ED) patients and admissions from 15:00 hours (h), 15 July 2001 to 15:00 h, 21 July 2001 were collected from five local hospitals. Patient encounters citing specified chief complaints from 15:00 h, 15 July to 15:00 h, 18 July (pre-accident) were compared with the period from 15:00 h, July 18 to 15:00 h, 21 July (post-accident). Data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test. The United States Census Bureau's Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) digital database of geographic features and ArcView Geographic Information Systems (GIS) were used to create maps of Baltimore and to identify populations at-risk using attribute census data. Results: There were 62,808 people residing in the immediate, affected area. The mean of the values for age was 33.7 ±3.2 years (standard deviation; range = 16 yrs) with 49% (30,927) males and 51% (31,881) females. A total of 2,922 ED patient encounters were screened. Chief complaints included shortness of breath, pre-event = 109 vs. post-event = 148; chest complaints = 90 vs. 113; burns and/or skin irritation = 45 vs. 42; eye irritation 26 vs. 34; throat irritation = 33 vs. 27; and smoke exposure = 0 vs. 15. There was a statistically significant increase (p <0.05) for shortness of breath and smoke exposure-related complaints. No statistically significant increase in numbers of admitted patients with these complaints was found.Conclusions:In the setting of a large-scale urban chemical fire, local EDs can expect a significant increase in the number of patients presenting to EDs with shortness of breath and/or smoke inhalation. Most do not require inpatient hospitalization. Careful assessment of impact on local EDs should be considered in future city-accident planning. Some official warnings were widely misinterpreted or ignored. Public education on potential hazards and disaster preparedness targeted to populations at-risk should receive a high priority. Geographic information systems (GIS) may serve as useful tools for identifying demographics of populations at-risk for disaster planning and responses.

scholarly journals Microclimate and Larval Habitat Density Predict Adult Aedes albopictus Abundance in Urban Areas

2019 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 362-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle V. Evans ◽  
Carl W. Hintz ◽  
Lindsey Jones ◽  
Justine Shiau ◽  
Nicole Solano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Albopictus ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Larval Habitat
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