Climate and urbanization drive changes in the habitat suitability of Schistosoma mansoni competent snails in Brazil

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by Schistosoma parasites. Schistosoma are obligate parasites of freshwater Biomphalaria and Bulinus snails, thus controlling snail populations is critical to reducing transmission risk. As snails are sensitive to environmental conditions, we expect their distribution is significantly impacted by global change. Here, we used machine learning, remote sensing, and 30 years of snail occurrence records to map the historical and current distribution of forward-transmitting Biomphalaria hosts throughout Brazil. We identified key features influencing the distribution of suitable habitat and determined how Biomphalaria habitat has changed with climate and urbanization over the last three decades. Our models show that climate change has driven broad shifts in snail host range, whereas expansion of urban and peri-urban areas has driven localized increases in habitat suitability. Elucidating change in Biomphalaria distribution—while accounting for non-linearities that are difficult to detect from local case studies—can help inform schistosomiasis control strategies.

Schistosomiasis is an emerging urban and peri-urban disease in Brazil and freshwater snails are an obligate host of the causative parasite. Here, the authors investigate the ecological suitability for the three freshwater snail hosts in Brazil and identify changes over time driven by climate and urbanisation.