How urbanization affects the epidemiology of emerging infectious diseases

Neiderud, Carl-Johan

One of the neglected infectious diseases is lymphatic filariasis (LF) with 2 billion people at risk, and 394.5 million in urban areas. One of the main reasons is the lack of proper sanitation facilities (35) . LF still has its major impact in rural settings, but the increasing urbanization in the developing world has made LF an infectious disease that also has to be considered elsewhere. One of the parasite species Wuchereria bancrofti has been located in many urban areas and has the potential for transmission in this environment. Moreover, one of the vectors for the parasite is the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus, which thrives in these surroundings, especially in overcrowded areas with poor sanitary and draining facilities. However, within one city the transmission can vary substantially depending on the standard of the sanitary conditions. The mosquito vector Culex spp. can be found in large parts of Central and South America, East Africa, and Asia (36) .