Potential Impact of Climate Change on Schistosomiasis Transmission in China

Xiao-Nong Zhou National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; Department of Schistosomiasis Control, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, People’s Republic of China; School for Environmental Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia; Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Skip Bertman Drive, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; DBL – Institute for Health Research and Development, University of Copenhagen, Charlottenlund, Denmark; Ingerod 407, Brastad, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland

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Guo-Jing Yang National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; Department of Schistosomiasis Control, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, People’s Republic of China; School for Environmental Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia; Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Skip Bertman Drive, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; DBL – Institute for Health Research and Development, University of Copenhagen, Charlottenlund, Denmark; Ingerod 407, Brastad, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland

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Kun Yang National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; Department of Schistosomiasis Control, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, People’s Republic of China; School for Environmental Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia; Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Skip Bertman Drive, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; DBL – Institute for Health Research and Development, University of Copenhagen, Charlottenlund, Denmark; Ingerod 407, Brastad, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland

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Xian-Hong Wang National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; Department of Schistosomiasis Control, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, People’s Republic of China; School for Environmental Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia; Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Skip Bertman Drive, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; DBL – Institute for Health Research and Development, University of Copenhagen, Charlottenlund, Denmark; Ingerod 407, Brastad, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland

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Qing-Biao Hong National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; Department of Schistosomiasis Control, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, People’s Republic of China; School for Environmental Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia; Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Skip Bertman Drive, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; DBL – Institute for Health Research and Development, University of Copenhagen, Charlottenlund, Denmark; Ingerod 407, Brastad, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland

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Le-Ping Sun National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; Department of Schistosomiasis Control, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, People’s Republic of China; School for Environmental Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia; Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Skip Bertman Drive, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; DBL – Institute for Health Research and Development, University of Copenhagen, Charlottenlund, Denmark; Ingerod 407, Brastad, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland

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John B. Malone National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; Department of Schistosomiasis Control, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, People’s Republic of China; School for Environmental Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia; Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Skip Bertman Drive, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; DBL – Institute for Health Research and Development, University of Copenhagen, Charlottenlund, Denmark; Ingerod 407, Brastad, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland

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Thomas K. Kristensen National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; Department of Schistosomiasis Control, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, People’s Republic of China; School for Environmental Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia; Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Skip Bertman Drive, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; DBL – Institute for Health Research and Development, University of Copenhagen, Charlottenlund, Denmark; Ingerod 407, Brastad, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland

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N. Robert Bergquist National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; Department of Schistosomiasis Control, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, People’s Republic of China; School for Environmental Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia; Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Skip Bertman Drive, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; DBL – Institute for Health Research and Development, University of Copenhagen, Charlottenlund, Denmark; Ingerod 407, Brastad, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland

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Jürg Utzinger National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; Department of Schistosomiasis Control, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, People’s Republic of China; School for Environmental Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia; Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Skip Bertman Drive, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; DBL – Institute for Health Research and Development, University of Copenhagen, Charlottenlund, Denmark; Ingerod 407, Brastad, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland

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Appraisal of the present and future impact of climate change and climate variability on the transmission of infectious diseases is a complex but pressing public health issue. We developed a biology-driven model to assess the potential impact of rising temperature on the transmission of schistosomiasis in China. We found a temperature threshold of 15.4°C for development of Schistosoma japonicum within the intermediate host snail (i.e., Oncomelania hupensis), and a temperature of 5.8°C at which half the snail sample investigated was in hibernation. Historical data suggest that the occurrence of O. hupensis is restricted to areas where the mean January temperature is above 0°C. The combination of these temperature thresholds, together with our own predicted temperature increases in China of 0.9°C in 2030 and 1.6°C in 2050 facilitated predictive risk mapping. We forecast an expansion of schistosomiasis transmission into currently non-endemic areas in the north, with an additional risk area of 783,883 km2 by 2050, translating to 8.1% of the surface area of China. Our results call for rigorous monitoring and surveillance of schistosomiasis in a future warmer China.

Author Notes

Reprint requests: Xiao-Nong Zhou, National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 207 Rui Jin Er Road, Shanghai 200025, People’s Republic of China. Telephone: +86 21 6473–8058, Fax: +86 21 6433–2670, E-mail: ipdzhouxn@sh163.net.
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