The Impact of Deforestation, Urbanization, and Changing Land Use Patterns on the Ecology of Mosquito and Tick-Borne Diseases in Central America

Central America is a unique geographical region that connects North and South America, enclosed by the Caribbean Sea to the East, and the Pacific Ocean to the West. This region, encompassing Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Nicaragua, is highly vulnerable to the emer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Insects (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2021-12, Vol.13 (1), p.20
Main Authors: Ortiz, Diana I, Piche-Ovares, Marta, Romero-Vega, Luis M, Wagman, Joseph, Troyo, Adriana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthropogenic factors
Aquatic insects
arbovirus
Culicidae
Deforestation
Dengue fever
Disease control
Disease transmission
Ecology
Environmental changes
Environmental risk
Forest degradation
Forests
Health risks
Human influences
Infectious diseases
Land degradation
Land use
Malaria
Mosquitoes
Parasitic diseases
Public health
Review
Rickettsiales
Socioeconomics
Tick-borne diseases
Urbanization
Vector-borne diseases
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Summary:Central America is a unique geographical region that connects North and South America, enclosed by the Caribbean Sea to the East, and the Pacific Ocean to the West. This region, encompassing Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Nicaragua, is highly vulnerable to the emergence or resurgence of mosquito-borne and tick-borne diseases due to a combination of key ecological and socioeconomic determinants acting together, often in a synergistic fashion. Of particular interest are the effects of land use changes, such as deforestation-driven urbanization and forest degradation, on the incidence and prevalence of these diseases, which are not well understood. In recent years, parts of Central America have experienced social and economic improvements; however, the region still faces major challenges in developing effective strategies and significant investments in public health infrastructure to prevent and control these diseases. In this article, we review the current knowledge and potential impacts of deforestation, urbanization, and other land use changes on mosquito-borne and tick-borne disease transmission in Central America and how these anthropogenic drivers could affect the risk for disease emergence and resurgence in the region. These issues are addressed in the context of other interconnected environmental and social challenges.
ISSN:2075-4450
2075-4450
DOI:10.3390/insects13010020