Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Guest
Field Note
The diffusion of diseases carried by vectors, such as the Aedes
mosquito that transmits dengue, is not solely a result of the envi-
ronmental factors in a place. I use disease ecology to understand
the ways in which environmental, social, and cultural factors
interact to produce disease in a place. Through a combination of
fi eldwork and geographic information systems (GIS) modeling, I
studied the environmental habitat of the Aedes mosquito in
Hawaii and the social and cultural factors that stimulated the
outbreak of dengue in Hawaii.
When I went into the fi eld in Hawaii, I observed the diver-
sity of the physical geography of Hawaii, from deserts to rain-
forests. I saw the specifi c local environments of the dengue
outbreak area, and I examined the puddles in streams (Fig. 1.15A)
in which the mosquitoes likely bred during the 2001-2002 dengue outbreak. I talked to public health offi cials who worked
so hard to control the dengue outbreak so that I better understood the local environmental factors contributing to the
disease. I visited a family that had been heavily affected by dengue, and I saw their home, which, by their choice, lacked
walls or screens on all sides. In talking with the family, I came to understand the social and cultural factors that affected
the outbreak of dengue in Hawaii.
I created a GIS model of mosquito habitat that considered not only total precipitation in Hawaii (Fig. 1.15B), but also
seasonal variations in precipitation (Fig. 1.15C) and temperature (Fig. 1.15D), to help explain where the Aedes mosquito is able
to breed and survive on the islands. I also studied seasonal fl uctuations in streams and population distributions in creating
my model of dengue potential areas (Fig. 1.15E).
The GIS model I created can now be altered by public offi cials in Hawaii to refl ect precipitation and temperature
variations each year or to incorporate new layers of environmental, social, and cultural data. Offi cials will be able to better
predict locations of dengue outbreaks so they can focus their efforts to combat the spread of the disease.
Credit: Korine N. Kolivras, Virginia Tech
Figure 1.15 A
Maui, Hawaii. Aedes mosquitoes breed in artifi cial and natu-
ral water containers, such as the standing puddles left behind
when streams dry up during a drought as shown in this pho-
tograph along the northeast coast of Maui.
Figure 1.15 C
Average June precipitation.
Figure 1.15 B
Total annual precipitation.
Figure 1.15 D
Average February minimum temperature.
Figure 1.15 E
Dengue potential areas.
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