Stephen C. Guptill
U. S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia
Position Statement
Curriculum Vitae
Address
Position Statement
Spatial Analysis of Vector Borne Diseases
For many hundreds of years people have been intuitively aware of the relationships
between human health and the environment. Today, geographic information
systems, remote sensing satellites and other technologies are providing
scientists with the tools and the data to make clear the geographic relationships
between environmental habitats of disease vectors and agents and the occurrence
of disease. By knowing the geographic conditions necessary for the maintenance
of specific pathogens in nature, one can use the landscape to identify
the spatial and temporal distribution of disease risk. Key environmental
elements (including land cover, elevation, temperature, and rainfall) influence
the presence of pathogens, vectors, zoonotic reservoirs of infection, and
their interactions with humans. A program of joint research is being developed
with scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to examine
the environmental influences on Lyme disease, plague, and viral encephalitis.
Specifically we are working to:
- Define geographic distributions of disease cases and relationships
to environmental factors.
- Develop and test a model predicting disease activity and transmission
rates.
- Characterize the human population at risk.
- Devise ecology-based prevention and control measures.
However, the analytical capabilities available in “off the shelf” GIS
packages are inadequate to address these tasks. This research requires
the use of a 4D GIS model (with time sensitive variables such as temperature,
rainfall, and humidity), the use of probabilistic models, as well as spatial
statistical tools. While some capabilities can be assembled from existing
software (e.g. S-Plus), others will need to be custom built. The need to
construct an adequate spatial analysis environment will delay us in conducting
our epidemiological studies.
Curriculum Vitae
Stephen Guptill is the Scientific Advisor for Geography and Spatial Data
Systems, National Mapping Division, U.S. Geological Survey. Guptill is
an internationally recognized scientist noted for his contributions to
geospatial data handling and geographical information systems. He works
on the frontier of research in geographic information science, analytical
cartography, spatial data theory, and information systems. Currently he
is conducting spatial analysis research to determine the environmental
influences on vector borne diseases.
Guptill received a Ph.D. (1975) and M.A. (1974) in Geography, from The
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan and a B.A. (1972) in Chemistry
and Geography, from Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
Guptill is a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal
of Geographical Information Science and served as the Journal's North American
Editor from 1990 - 1992. He is executive secretary of the International
Cartographic Association Commission on Spatial Data Quality. He was president
of the American Cartographic Association, ACSM in 1994. He chaired
the Standards Working Group, Federal Geographic Data Committee from 1991
- 1994 and led the development of the FGDC Content Standards for Digital
Geospatial Metadata.
Guptill is co-author of Elements of Cartography, 6th Edition, and co-editor/author
of Elements of Spatial Data Quality. He has written numerous articles
and papers appearing in the cartographic and geographic literature.
Address
Stephen C. Guptill
U.S. Geological Survey
MS 500, National Center
Reston, VA 20192
Telephone: (703) 648-4520
Fax: (703) 648-5542
Email: sguptill@usgs.gov
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