Persistent poverty and incidence-based melanoma mortality in Texas.

Purpose: Previous studies have shown that individuals living in areas with persistent poverty (PP) experience worse cancer outcomes compared to those living in areas with transient or no persistent poverty (nPP). The association between PP and melanoma outcomes remains unexplored. We hypothesized that melanoma patients living in PP counties (defined as counties with ≥ 20% of residents living at or below the federal poverty level for the past two decennial censuses) would exhibit higher rates of incidence-based melanoma mortality (IMM).

Potential Bacillus anthracis Risk Zones for Male Plains Bison ( Bison bison bison) in Southwestern Montana, USA.

A re-emergence of anthrax, a zoonosis caused by the long-lived, spore-forming Bacillus anthracis, occurred with a multispecies outbreak in southwestern Montana, US in 2008. It substantially impacted a managed herd of about 3,500 free-ranging plains bison ( Bison bison bison) on a large, private ranch southwest of Bozeman, with about 8% mortality and a disproportionate 28% mortality of mature males; a similar high rate occurred in male Rocky Mountain elk ( Cervus canadensis nelson). Grazing herbivores are particularly at risk for anthrax from ingesting spore-contaminated soil and grasses in persistent environmental reservoirs.

A 24-year exploratory spatial data analysis of Lyme disease incidence rate in Connecticut, USA.

Despite efforts to control Lyme disease in Connecticut, USA, it remains endemic in many towns, posing a heavy burden. We examined changes in the spatial distribution of significant spatial clusters of Lyme disease incidence rates at the town level from 1991 to 2014 as an approach for targeted interventions. Lyme disease data were grouped into four discrete time periods and incidence rates were smoothed with Empirical Bayes estimation in GeoDa.

Cholera in Cameroon, 2000-2012: Spatial and Temporal Analysis at the Operational (Health District) and Sub Climate Levels.

Introduction: Recurrent cholera outbreaks have been reported in Cameroon since 1971. However, case fatality ratios remain high, and we do not have an optimal understanding of the epidemiology of the disease, due in part to the diversity of Cameroon's climate subzones and a lack of comprehensive data at the health district level.

Methods/findings: A unique health district level dataset of reported cholera case numbers and related deaths from 2000-2012, obtained from the Ministry of Public Health of Cameroon and World Health Organization (WHO) country office, served as the basis for the analysis.

Mapping Resource Selection Functions in Wildlife Studies: Concerns and Recommendations.

Predicting the spatial distribution of animals is an important and widely used tool with applications in wildlife management, conservation, and population health. Wildlife telemetry technology coupled with the availability of spatial data and GIS software have facilitated advancements in species distribution modeling. There are also challenges related to these advancements including the accurate and appropriate implementation of species distribution modeling methodology.

Predicting Disease Risk, Identifying Stakeholders, and Informing Control Strategies: A Case Study of Anthrax in Montana.

Infectious diseases that affect wildlife and livestock are challenging to manage and can lead to large-scale die-offs, economic losses, and threats to human health. The management of infectious diseases in wildlife and livestock is made easier with knowledge of disease risk across space and identifying stakeholders associated with high-risk landscapes. This study focuses on anthrax, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, risk to wildlife and livestock in Montana.

Elk Resource Selection and Implications for Anthrax Management in Montana.

Anthrax, caused by the spore-forming bacterium , is a zoonotic disease that affects humans and animals throughout the world. In North America, anthrax outbreaks occur in livestock and wildlife species. Vaccine administration in wildlife is untenable; the most effective form of management is surveillance and decontamination of carcasses.