Presentation by Dr Lina Moses of Tulane University at the One Health for the Real World: zoonoses, ecosystems and wellbeing symposium, London 17-18 March 2016
2. Njala University
Thomas Winnebah
Bashiru Koroma
Morrison Lahai
Alie Kamara
Alhaji Gogra
John Borway
Institute of Development Studies
Melissa Leach
Annie Wilkinson
Catherine Grant
Tulane University
Lina Moses
Kenema Government Hospital
Donald Grant
James Koninga
Lansana Kanneh
Franklyn Kanneh
Momoh Foday
Special thanks to the communities of
Lalehun Kovoma
Lambayama (Kenema)
Largo Square (Segbwema)
Majihun
3. Lassa Fever
• Viral hemorrhagic fever endemic to West Africa
• Mortality up to 69% Kenema Government Hospital,
Sierra Leone (Shaffer et al. 2014 PLoS NTD)
• Rodent reservoir: Mastomys natalensis
• Where and how are people getting
infected?
• West African subspecies
(Redding et al. 2016 Mol Ecol Evol)
• Rodent to human transmission: 80%
(Lo Iocono et al. 2015 PLoS NTD)
Photo: Dan Bausch
Photo: Lina Moses
Image: David Redding
4. Lassa Fever Case Study
• Land use impact on small mammal abundance, M. natalensis
• Livelihood practices and ecosystems service uses that
increase/decrease exposure to M. natalensis
• Virus regulation as an ecosystems service (human and rodent
infection)
• Local knowledge of disease transmission and prevention
7. OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
Harvest
Burning
Brushing
Planting
Upland
Cycle
2 years of data
collection
2013 2014 2015
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
Four points of
data collection
Transectmapping
Focusgroups
Trapping
Bloodsampling
Focusgroups
Trapping
Bloodsampling
Focusgroups
Trapping
Bloodsampling
Trapping
Swamp
Cycle
Weeding,
birdmgmt
Weeding,
birdmgmt
Harvest
Harvest
Harvest
Vegetable
gardening
Soilprep,
planting
Vegetable
gardening
Soilprep,
planting
Burning
Brushing
Planting
EBOLA
Temporal Dimensions
8. 0.0%
0.5%
1.0%
1.5%
2.0%
2.5%
3.0%
3.5%
OctNov 13 FebMar 14 MayJ 14 AugS 15
Cleared
Old fallow
Swamp rice
Upland mixed
Young fallow
Total
Mastomys Trap Success by Land Use and Season
Fallow land recently
cleared for upland
mixed crops
Swamp vegetable,
post rice harvest
Upland soil
prep, planting
Oct 2013 Mar 2014 May 2014 Aug 2015
9. Fallow land recently cleared—Feb/March
Men: convert bush to farm—brushing, felling trees, burning; use of tools, fire
Women and children: feed work parties, bring food and water, gather and bundle fuel wood
10. Swamp Vegetable Garden, post rice harvest—Feb/March
Women: Vegetable gardening using hands intensively. Independent income source.
11. Upland Soil Preparation and Planting—May
Women, men and children all involved in planting rice, ground nuts, intercrops. Land (and burrows?)
significantly disturbed
12. Seasonal Peaks of Lassa Fever cases reporting to Kenema
Government Hospital 2008-2012
Peak of M. natalensis
abundance in cleared and
swamp land
Peak of M. natalensis
abundance in upland
farms
(Shaffer et al. 2014, PLoS NTD)
This study also
showed Lassa
fever for women
13. Analyses in Progress
• Human Lassa Antibody Seroconversions
• Gender and age distribution
• Association with agricultural activities
• Integrating data on local understanding of rodent, diseases, and their
control
• Virus incidence in small mammal populations
• Species richness, disease regulation
• Interspecific competition
14. Key findings
• Peak abundance of Mastomys coincides with
times of significant human-driven land
perturbation
• This perturbation is gender and age specific.
• This coincides with peak seasons in Lassa fever incidence
• Seroconversion data will give better insight
• Lassa fever disease system should be examined in the context of ecosystems
services
• Mastomys as protein source
• Mastomys as agricultural pest and disease reservoir
• Potential cross-cutting with agricultural sector
15. This work, Dynamic Drivers of Disease in Africa Consortium, NERC project number
NE-J001570-1, was funded with support from the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA)
programme. The ESPA programme is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), the
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).