Ao Yu

All Publications

• Re-assessing thermal response of schistosomiasis transmission risk: Evidence for a higher thermal optimum than previously predicted. PLoS neglected tropical diseases Aslan, I. H., Pourtois, J. D., Chamberlin, A. J., Mitchell, K. R., Mari, L., Lwiza, K. M., Wood, C. L., Mordecai, E. A., Yu, A., Tuan, R., Palasio, R. G., Monteiro, A. M., Kirk, D., Athni, T. S., Sokolow, S. H., N'Goran, E. K., Diakite, N. R., Ouattara, M., Gatto, M., Casagrandi, R., Little, D. C., Ozretich, R. W., Norman, R., Allan, F., Brierley, A. S., Liu, P., Pereira, T. A., De Leo, G. A. 2024; 18 (6): e0011836

  Abstract

  The geographical range of schistosomiasis is affected by the ecology of schistosome parasites and their obligate host snails, including their response to temperature. Previous models predicted schistosomiasis' thermal optimum at 21.7°C, which is not compatible with the temperature in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) regions where schistosomiasis is hyperendemic. We performed an extensive literature search for empirical data on the effect of temperature on physiological and epidemiological parameters regulating the free-living stages of S. mansoni and S. haematobium and their obligate host snails, i.e., Biomphalaria spp. and Bulinus spp., respectively. We derived nonlinear thermal responses fitted on these data to parameterize a mechanistic, process-based model of schistosomiasis. We then re-cast the basic reproduction number and the prevalence of schistosome infection as functions of temperature. We found that the thermal optima for transmission of S. mansoni and S. haematobium range between 23.1-27.3°C and 23.6-27.9°C (95% CI) respectively. We also found that the thermal optimum shifts toward higher temperatures as the human water contact rate increases with temperature. Our findings align with an extensive dataset of schistosomiasis prevalence in SSA. The refined nonlinear thermal-response model developed here suggests a more suitable current climate and a greater risk of increased transmission with future warming for more than half of the schistosomiasis suitable regions with mean annual temperature below the thermal optimum.

  View details for DOI 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011836

  View details for PubMedID 38857289

• Correction: Opportunity or catastrophe? effect of sea salt on host-parasite survival and reproduction. PLoS neglected tropical diseases Yu, A., Vannatta, J. T., Gutierrez, S. O., Minchella, D. J. 2022; 16 (5): e0010466

  Abstract

  [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009524.].

  View details for DOI 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010466

  View details for PubMedID 35584358

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC9116941