CGPH FACULTY: Robert Spear
DATE OF PUBLICATION: January 2014
REGION: Asia
REFERENCE: Wang S, Spear RC. Exploring the impact of infection-induced immunity on the transmission of Schistosoma japonicum in hilly and mountainous environments in China. Acta Trop. 2014 Jan 27. pii: S0001-706X(14)00010-2. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2014.01.005.
SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Schistosomiasis has long been a threat to villagers in hilly and mountainous areas of southwestern China where the intermediate snail host is abundant. In recent years our group has focused on the development and parameterization of a community-level mathematical model of S. japonicum transmission that accounts for the role of environmental determinants of transmission intensity in Sichuan Province. To date the model has not incorporated acquired immunityTo explore the potential impacts on the dynamics of transmission, a mathematical representation of acquired immunity was incorporated, and parameterized based on this epidemiological evidence. It is shown through simulation that the effect of immunity is to reduce the rate of worm development and thereby lower the endemic level significantly.
ACCESS: Link to Pubmed