Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA.
Wildlands Conservation, Inc., 15310 Amberly Drive, Suite 250, Tampa, FL, 33647, USA.
Nat Commun. 2018 Feb 26;9(1):837. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-03189-w.
Schistosomiasis is a snail-borne parasitic disease that ranks among the most important water-based diseases of humans in developing countries. Increased prevalence and spread of human schistosomiasis to non-endemic areas has been consistently linked with water resource management related to agricultural expansion. However, the role of agrochemical pollution in human schistosome transmission remains unexplored, despite strong evidence of agrochemicals increasing snail-borne diseases of wildlife and a projected 2- to 5-fold increase in global agrochemical use by 2050. Using a field mesocosm experiment, we show that environmentally relevant concentrations of fertilizer, a herbicide, and an insecticide, individually and as mixtures, increase densities of schistosome-infected snails by increasing the algae snails eat and decreasing densities of snail predators. Epidemiological models indicate that these agrochemical effects can increase transmission of schistosomes. Identifying agricultural practices or agrochemicals that minimize disease risk will be critical to meeting growing food demands while improving human wellbeing.
血吸虫病是一种由蜗牛传播的寄生虫病，在发展中国家是最重要的水传播疾病之一。人类血吸虫病的流行率和传播范围不断扩大，与农业扩张相关的水资源管理有关。然而，尽管有强有力的证据表明农用化学品会增加野生动物的蜗牛传播疾病，并且预计到 2050 年，全球农用化学品的使用将增加 2 到 5 倍，但农用化学品污染在人类血吸虫病传播中的作用仍未得到探索。本研究使用野外中观实验表明，肥料、除草剂和杀虫剂的环境相关浓度，单独以及混合使用，通过增加蜗牛食用的藻类和降低蜗牛捕食者的密度，增加感染血吸虫的蜗牛的密度。流行病学模型表明，这些农用化学品的影响可以增加血吸虫病的传播。确定可最大限度降低疾病风险的农业实践或农用化学品，对于满足不断增长的粮食需求和提高人类福祉至关重要。
