Impulsive intervention strategies for temperature and rainfall-dependent visceral leishmaniasis transmission dynamics

Description

Temesgen Debas Awoke, Semu Mitiku Kassa, and Gizaw Mengistu Tsidu model short, sharp control bursts against visceral leishmaniasis, a deadly parasite disease spread by sandflies, in a 2026 study. Heat and rain drive sandfly numbers, so spread swings with the seasons. Steady year round control is too costly for many poor regions, which pushed the team toward brief, well timed pushes.

Their model folds weather into the spread math and tests spray rounds, breeding site clearing, and culling of infected host animals. Sandfly linked factors drove cases far more than host factors, so fly control won priority. Two one week pushes a year cut human cases by about ninety five percent in the model. Starting six weeks after the infection peak worked best, and pairing fly control with culling beat either alone.

Catalog record

Source: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/PMC13578424