학술논문

Urban Green Spaces and Vector-Borne Disease Risk in Africa: The Case of an Unclean Forested Park in Libreville (Gabon, Central Africa)
Document Type
Academic Journal
Source
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. May, 2023, Vol. 20 Issue 10
Subject
Central African Republic
Gabon
Brazil
Cameroon
Language
English
ISSN
1660-4601
Abstract
In Africa, vector-borne diseases are a major public health issue, especially in cities. Urban greening is increasingly considered to promote inhabitants’ well-being. However, the impact of urban green spaces on vector risk remains poorly investigated, particularly urban forests in poor hygienic conditions. Therefore, using larval sampling and human landing catches, this study investigated the mosquito diversity and the vector risk in a forest patch and its inhabited surroundings in Libreville, Gabon, central Africa. Among the 104 water containers explored, 94 (90.4%) were artificial (gutters, used tires, plastic bottles) and 10 (9.6%) were natural (puddles, streams, tree holes). In total, 770 mosquitoes belonging to 14 species were collected from such water containers (73.1% outside the forested area). The mosquito community was dominated by Aedes albopictus (33.5%), Culex quinquefasciatus (30.4%), and Lutzia tigripes (16.5%). Although mosquito diversity was almost double outside compared to inside the forest (Shannon diversity index: 1.3 vs. 0.7, respectively), the species relative abundance (Morisita–Horn index = 0.7) was similar. Ae. albopictus (86.1%) was the most aggressive species, putting people at risk of Aedes-borne viruses. This study highlights the importance of waste pollution in urban forested ecosystems as a potential driver of mosquito-borne diseases.
Author(s): Judicaël Obame-Nkoghe (corresponding author) [1,2,*,†]; Boris Kevin Makanga [3,†]; Sylvie Brizard Zongo [1,4]; Aubin Armel Koumba [3]; Prune Komba [5]; Neil-Michel Longo-Pendy [2]; Franck Mounioko [1,2]; Rodolphe Akone-Ella [2]; [...]