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Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique logoLink to Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique
editorial
. 2005 Jan 1;96(1):37–40. doi: 10.1007/BF03404012

Ecological Complexity and West Nile Virus

Perspectives on Improving Public Health Response

Daniel G C Rainham 1,✉
PMCID: PMC6976112  PMID: 15682692

Abstract

The emergence of West Nile Virus, as well as other emerging diseases, is linked to complex ecosystem processes such as climate change and constitutes an important threat to population health. Traditional public health intervention activities related to vector surveillance and control tend to be reactive and limited in their ability to deal with multiple epidemics and in their consideration of population health determinants. This paper reviews the current status of West Nile Virus in Canada and describes how complex systems and geographical perspectives help to acknowledge the influence of ecosystem processes on population health. It also provides examples of how these perspectives can be integrated into population-based intervention strategies.

MeSH terms: Disease transmission, ecological systems, geographic information systems, systems theory, primary prevention

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