14th Esri India User Conference 2013 Development Vector Surveillance System through Bio-spatial Technology for Better Public Health Services – A case study M. Govindaraju1, P. Suganthi1, V.Thenmozhi2 and B.K. Tyagi2 1Bio - Spatial Technology Research Unit, Department of Environmental Biotechnology School of Environmental Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli - 620024. 2Centre for Research in Medical Entomology, Madurai - 625002. Abstract: About the Author: Our country facing serious issues in health sector due to population pressure, urbanization, environmental pollution and fast depletion of natural resources leads poor sanitation in urban environment. Breeding source and vector habitats are the main reason for re-emergence of VBD in the country. Monitoring and management of vectors through surveillance using GIS is more effective and useful to the public health services and to control Dr. M. Govindaraju Ph. D vector borne diseases. The goal of present study is to map Dr. M. Govindaraju received his B.Sc., degree in high risk areas in urban environment. In the study Zoology from University of Madras, completed his relevant parameters such as climatic factors, population, M.S Ecology, M.Phil. degree at Pondicherry Land use/ land cover changes, environmental parameters, University, and awarded Ph.D., by Anna University, source of vector habitats, VBD occurrence, rate of Chennai, India. He has eight years of research infection and people perception where integrated and experience at Institute of Remote Sensing, Anna analyzed by Interpolation and overlay method at GIS University and one plus eight years of teaching platform. The study identifies sensitive areas in respect experiences as Assistant professor in the with environment and health aspects in the city. It is Department in Civil Engineering, Jayam College of observed that GIS has its own potential for the Engineering and Technology, Dharmapuri and the development of vector control and disease surveillance in Department of Environmental Biotechnology, a systematic approach. Bharathidasan University till date respectively. His area of research interest includes development of Key words: Vector control, Public health, Risk assessment, Bio-Spatial Technology towards ecological Remote sensing and GIS. restoration, climate change studies, Health GIS, EIA and Urban ecology. He has 25 research papers in international and national peer-reviewed journals and eleven papers as monographs in books. At present he is supervising eight Doctoral Researchers and one M.Phil, scholar. He is the Principal investigator of various major research projects funded by DST, ICMR, UGC, NRDMS and SERB for total cost of Rs. 87, 06,080. E mail ID: [email protected] Phone : +91-431-2407088, 2407072 Extn : 632 Fax : +91-431-2407045 Mobile : 94436 88336 Page 1 of 9 14th Esri India User Conference 2013 Introduction Vector borne diseases like chikungunya and dengue are major problem in India. Poor environmental sanitation and high population density are the major factors causing these problems. Remote sensing is an advanced technology to apply and identify the vector habitats with maximum accuracy. GIS is a tool to integrate, analyze, predict and manipulation of data for specified purpose. It may also be able to predict the areas and periods of the high vector-borne disease transmission by using spatial and temporal changes of the environment. There is a wide scope for remote sensing and GIS in monitoring and evaluation of tropical diseases, which needs to be explored further towards research. But these technologies remains largely underutilized in less developed countries including India. Disease surveillance and its control activities require advanced technological applications with professional analysis to achieve the target in short term to cover maximum geographical area. Disease prevention, the ultimate objective of disease surveillance involves mapping the disease, host, vector, and parasite. Remote sensing data helps to identify and track environmental characteristics and changes are useful for the study of diseases. Satellite data through remote sensing may be integrated with other data and information using GIS to discern spatio-temporal landscape patterns. Role of Regional Environment in Vector Biology The distribution of vector-borne diseases is largely determined by the availability of suitable habitats. The environmental factors like climate, rainfall, soil, altitude and human population are very important parameter that responsive to spread of the diseases. The life of mosquitoes was influenced by variations in climatic conditions, and hence there is diversity in distribution and habitats of different vector species. Pemola and Jauhari (2006) have also reported that climate variability and breeding of mosquitoes are considered to be one of the important environmental contributors for disease transmission. In urban environment major factors for vector surveillance are garbage, sanitary waste, drainage, open water storage activities and landscape ecology etc. Type of ditch or drain, best suited for a particular situation, will depend upon topography, source of water and landscape ecology will be an important factor for VBD in city area. These factors are increased by increasing level of human population. The highest density of human population leads to increasing the vector abundance and increased the contact between humans where the diseases incidence and transmission highly occur. In forest environment soil and agricultural irrigation is an important factor for vector habitats. The soil drainage capacity determines internal hydro-mechanics. So the distribution pattern of soil plays a major role for mosquito breeding pools and can influence the development of the mosquito species. Mosquito species prefer to establish at various heights where optimum ecological requirements which favour their survival are met. Survey of India map showing 12 categories of altitude. Altitude up to 4500 m was considered in the study, as at an altitude above it mosquito survival is greatly reduced due to low temperature. Case Study - I Vector Surveillance System in Urban Environment About the Tiruchirappalli City Corporation The Study area, Tiruchirappalli city is the fourth largest city in Tamil Nadu, which is situated on the banks of the river Cauvery at 10.5°N, 78.43°E in India. It spreads over an area of 5114 Sq. km with the population of the city is 1,021,717 of which 507,180 are males and 514,537 are females. Tiruchirappalli City Corporation consists of 60 wards and 4 zones, 15 wards to each zone namely, srirangam, ariyamangalam, ponmalai and K.Abishekapalayam (Fig.1). For the maintaining of better health resources, the population data, vector borne disease – its prevalence, Land use/Land Cover (2001), sanitation and other related factors were collected during the study period. From the population density analysis areas including Srirangam, Chattram bus terminus, KK Nagar etc., have been found to be on the higher side while outer regions of the city remains to be less populated. Page 2 of 9 14th Esri India User Conference 2013 Methodology Attribute Data Analysis The distribution of mosquitoes (Culex, Aedes, Anopheles Sp.,) in the wards of Tiruchirappalli were done and the data obtained from department of public health and preventive medicine during 2009-2012. It has been mapped to find out the most vector prone habitats. The data has been presented in Fig.1. Fig.1Prevelance of Vector Distribution in Trichy City during 2009-2012. Land use/Land Cover (LU/LC) Map With help of visual interpretation key, change in satellite image was detection to process and identified the changes in LU/LC class based on coregister multi-dated satellite data during the year of may 2001 (Fig.2) and November 2012 (Fig. 4). The images were visually interpreted on system and classified base on the interpretation key prepared during ground truth verification and attribute to the corresponding LU/LC changes. The classified maps are shown in Fig. 3 & Fig. 5. Page 3 of 9 14th Esri India User Conference 2013 Page 4 of 9 14th Esri India User Conference 2013 Solid Waste dumping site (Ariyamanagalam) Fig.2 Satellite imagery during May 2001 Fig.3 Land Use/Land Cover Map Page 5 of 9 th 14 Esri India User Conference 2013 Solid waste dumping site (Ariyamangalam) Fig. 4 Satellite imagery during November 2012 Fig.5 Land Use/Land Cover Map Observation From the attribute data analysis results, the presence of the vectors have been identified in the wards 1-4, 17, 21, 28, 37- 39, 44, 48, 49, 51, 52. These wards include the areas adjacent to solid waste disposal sites, Ariyamangalam and Panchapur. Also wards in Srirangam and Chatram bus terminus are more prone for vector distribution. Hence the risk of occurrence of diseases like Malaria, Chikungunya and dengue in those wards are much higher than the rest. LU/LC results clearly indicate that there is a significant changes in settlement area. It may be due to increasing human populations which leads higher vector surveillance. Urban Legislative Body, all Municipal Corporations are to develop and implement Programme for water supply, sewage, drainage and solid waste management to keep the environment free from vector breeding. So, the diseases surveillance and control activities require advanced technological applications with professional analysis to achieve the target in short term to cover maximum geographical area. In urban high-risk areas can be identified using Remote sensing