Abstract

The development of water management infrastructures, such as dams and canals, are important components of society’s response to feed a growing human population and to fight climate change. Yet, these changes in land use can also increase the transmission risk for waterborne diseases. Transmission risk associated with artificial reservoirs has been extensively documented for schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease of poverty that infects more than 240 million people worldwide. Over 90% of these cases are in sub-Saharan Africa, a region that is being steadily reshaped by climate change. Controlling the parasite’s obligate intermediate host snail is key to reducing transmission of this disease. Using commercial aquaculture to farm marketable species which predate upon these snails in vulnerable regions can have multiple positive effects, including the improved socioeconomic and nutritional health of surrounding communities. Here the authors assessed the viability of using the aquaculture of snail predators to simultaneously control schistosomiasis infection rates while alleviating economic and/or nutritional poverty in endemic regions of sub-Saharan Africa. A PRISMA-based 6-step systematic methodology was used to explore the primary literature using the case study of Côte d’Ivoire and two native species of snail predator to make evidence-based conclusions on the viability of this method for controlling schistosomiasis. This detailed thematic examination of the literature concluded that using specific approaches and species, aquaculture could be effective in reducing economic poverty and chronic malnourishment along with high levels of schistosomiasis infection. More current species-specific aquaculture data and consumer survey data are, however, needed to determine the economic and logistical effectiveness of farming native snail predators in-country. These and other opportunities for future research are highlighted.

摘要

水坝和运河等水管理基础设施的发展是社会应对不断增长的人口和应对气候变化的重要组成部分。然而，土地利用的这些变化也会增加水传播疾病的传播风险。与人工水库相关的传播风险已被广泛记录为血吸虫病，这是一种贫困的寄生虫病，感染了全世界超过 2.4 亿人。这些病例中超过 90% 发生在撒哈拉以南非洲地区，该地区正因气候变化而稳步重塑。控制寄生虫的专性中间宿主蜗牛是减少这种疾病传播的关键。在脆弱地区利用商业水产养殖养殖早于这些蜗牛的适销物种可以产生多重积极影响，包括改善周边社区的社会经济和营养健康。在这里，作者评估了利用蜗牛捕食者的水产养殖来同时控制血吸虫病感染率，同时缓解撒哈拉以南非洲流行地区的经济和/或营养贫困的可行性。使用基于 PRISMA 的 6 步系统方法来探索主要文献，使用科特迪瓦和两种本地蜗牛捕食者的案例研究，就该方法控制血吸虫病的可行性得出基于证据的结论。对文献的详细专题研究得出结论，使用特定方法和物种，水产养殖可有效减少经济贫困和慢性营养不良以及高水平的血吸虫病感染。然而，需要更多当前特定物种的水产养殖数据和消费者调查数据来确定在国内养殖本地蜗牛捕食者的经济和后勤效率。强调了未来研究的这些和其他机会。