Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2010, 7(6), 2486-2500; doi:10.3390/ijerph7062486
Article

Satellite Derived Forest Phenology and Its Relation with Nephropathia Epidemica in Belgium

José Miguel Barrios 1,* email, Willem W. Verstraeten 1 email, Piet Maes 2 email, Jan Clement 2 email, Jean-Marie Aerts 1 email, Sara Amirpour Haredasht 1 email, Julie Wambacq 2 email, Katrien Lagrou 3 email, Geneviève Ducoffre 4 email, Marc Van Ranst 2 email, Daniel Berckmans 1 email and Pol Coppin 1 email
1 Biosystems Department, M3-BIORES, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Willem de Croylaan 34, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium 2 Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Hantavirus Reference Center, Rega Institute, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Minderbroederstraat 10, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium 3 Department of Experimental Laboratory Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium 4 Scientific Institute of Public Health, Epidemiology, Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 17 May 2010 / Accepted: 7 June 2010 / Published: 9 June 2010
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change and Human Health Impacts and Adaptation)
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Abstract: The connection between nephropathia epidemica (NE) and vegetation dynamics has been emphasized in recent studies. Changing climate has been suggested as a triggering factor of recently observed epidemiologic peaks in reported NE cases. We have investigated whether there is a connection between the NE occurrence pattern in Belgium and specific trends in remotely sensed phenology parameters of broad-leaved forests. The analysis of time series of the MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index revealed that changes in forest phenology, considered in literature as an effect of climate change, may affect the mechanics of NE transmission.
Keywords: nephropathia epidemica; hantavirus; forest phenology; remote sensing; bank vole

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MDPI and ACS Style

Barrios, J.M.; Verstraeten, W.W.; Maes, P.; Clement, J.; Aerts, J.-M.; Haredasht, S.A.; Wambacq, J.; Lagrou, K.; Ducoffre, G.; Ranst, M.V.; Berckmans, D.; Coppin, P. Satellite Derived Forest Phenology and Its Relation with Nephropathia Epidemica in Belgium. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2010, 7, 2486-2500.

AMA Style

Barrios JM, Verstraeten WW, Maes P, Clement J, Aerts J-M, Haredasht SA, Wambacq J, Lagrou K, Ducoffre G, Ranst MV, Berckmans D, Coppin P. Satellite Derived Forest Phenology and Its Relation with Nephropathia Epidemica in Belgium. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2010; 7(6):2486-2500.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Barrios, José Miguel; Verstraeten, Willem W.; Maes, Piet; Clement, Jan; Aerts, Jean-Marie; Haredasht, Sara Amirpour; Wambacq, Julie; Lagrou, Katrien; Ducoffre, Geneviève; Ranst, Marc Van; Berckmans, Daniel; Coppin, Pol. 2010. "Satellite Derived Forest Phenology and Its Relation with Nephropathia Epidemica in Belgium." Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 7, no. 6: 2486-2500.

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