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Zardini A, Menegale F, Gobbi A, Manica M, Guzzetta G, d'Andrea V, Marziano V, Trentini F, Montarsi F, Caputo B, Solimini A, Marques-Toledo C, Wilke ABB, Rosà R, Marini G, Arnoldi D, Pastore Y Piontti A, Pugliese A, Capelli G, Della Torre A, Teixeira MM, Beier JC, Rizzoli A, Vespignani A, Ajelli M, Merler S, Poletti P. Estimating the potential risk of transmission of arboviruses in the Americas and Europe: a modelling study. Lancet Planet Health 2024; 8:e30-e40. [PMID: 38199719 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(23)00252-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Estimates of the spatiotemporal distribution of different mosquito vector species and the associated risk of transmission of arboviruses are key to design adequate policies for preventing local outbreaks and reducing the number of human infections in endemic areas. In this study, we quantified the abundance of Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti and the local transmission potential for three arboviral infections at an unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution in areas where no entomological surveillance is available. METHODS We developed a computational model to quantify the daily abundance of Aedes mosquitoes, leveraging temperature and precipitation records. The model was calibrated on mosquito surveillance data collected in 115 locations in Europe and the Americas between 2007 and 2018. Model estimates were used to quantify the reproduction number of dengue virus, Zika virus, and chikungunya in Europe and the Americas, at a high spatial resolution. FINDINGS In areas colonised by both Aedes species, A aegypti was estimated to be the main vector for the transmission of dengue virus, Zika virus, and chikungunya, being associated with a higher estimate of R0 when compared with A albopictus. Our estimates highlighted that these arboviruses were endemic in tropical and subtropical countries, with the highest risks of transmission found in central America, Venezuela, Colombia, and central-east Brazil. A non-negligible potential risk of transmission was also estimated for Florida, Texas, and Arizona (USA). The broader ecological niche of A albopictus could contribute to the emergence of chikungunya outbreaks and clusters of dengue autochthonous cases in temperate areas of the Americas, as well as in mediterranean Europe (in particular, in Italy, southern France, and Spain). INTERPRETATION Our results provide a comprehensive overview of the transmission potential of arboviral diseases in Europe and the Americas, highlighting areas where surveillance and mosquito control capacities should be prioritised. FUNDING EU and Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca, Italy (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza Extended Partnership initiative on Emerging Infectious Diseases); EU (Horizon 2020); Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca, Italy (Progetti di ricerca di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale programme); Brazilian National Council of Science, Technology and Innovation; Ministry of Health, Brazil; and Foundation of Research for Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnese Zardini
- Center for Health Emergencies, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Francesco Menegale
- Center for Health Emergencies, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy; Department of Mathematics, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Andrea Gobbi
- Digital Industry Center, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Mattia Manica
- Center for Health Emergencies, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy; Epilab-Joint Research Unit, Fondazione Edmund Mach-Fondazione Bruno Kessler Joint Research Unit, Trento, Italy
| | - Giorgio Guzzetta
- Center for Health Emergencies, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy; Epilab-Joint Research Unit, Fondazione Edmund Mach-Fondazione Bruno Kessler Joint Research Unit, Trento, Italy
| | - Valeria d'Andrea
- Center for Health Emergencies, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | | | - Filippo Trentini
- Center for Health Emergencies, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy; Dondena Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policy, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy; Department of Decision Sciences, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Montarsi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy
| | - Beniamino Caputo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Angelo Solimini
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Cecilia Marques-Toledo
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - André B B Wilke
- Laboratory for Computational Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Roberto Rosà
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy; Center Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Giovanni Marini
- Epilab-Joint Research Unit, Fondazione Edmund Mach-Fondazione Bruno Kessler Joint Research Unit, Trento, Italy; Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Daniele Arnoldi
- Epilab-Joint Research Unit, Fondazione Edmund Mach-Fondazione Bruno Kessler Joint Research Unit, Trento, Italy; Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Ana Pastore Y Piontti
- Laboratory for the Modeling of Biological and Socio-technical Systems, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrea Pugliese
- Department of Mathematics, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Gioia Capelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy
| | - Alessandra Della Torre
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro M Teixeira
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - John C Beier
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Annapaola Rizzoli
- Epilab-Joint Research Unit, Fondazione Edmund Mach-Fondazione Bruno Kessler Joint Research Unit, Trento, Italy; Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Alessandro Vespignani
- Laboratory for the Modeling of Biological and Socio-technical Systems, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marco Ajelli
- Laboratory for Computational Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Stefano Merler
- Center for Health Emergencies, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy; Epilab-Joint Research Unit, Fondazione Edmund Mach-Fondazione Bruno Kessler Joint Research Unit, Trento, Italy
| | - Piero Poletti
- Center for Health Emergencies, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy; Epilab-Joint Research Unit, Fondazione Edmund Mach-Fondazione Bruno Kessler Joint Research Unit, Trento, Italy.
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Carrieri M, Albieri A, Angelini P, Soracase M, Dottori M, Antolini G, Bellini R. Effects of the Weather on the Seasonal Population Trend of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Northern Italy. INSECTS 2023; 14:879. [PMID: 37999078 PMCID: PMC10672383 DOI: 10.3390/insects14110879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, has become a prevalent pest in Italy, causing severe nuisance and posing a threat of transmission of arboviruses introduced by infected travelers. In this study, we investigated the influence of weather parameters on the seasonal population density of Aedes albopictus. METHODS A Bayesian approach was employed to identify the best meteorological predictors of species trend, using the eggs collected monthly from 2010 to 2022 by the Emilia-Romagna regional monitoring network. RESULTS The findings show that the winter-spring period (January to May) plays a crucial role in the size of the first generation and seasonal development of the species. CONCLUSIONS A temperate winter and a dry and cold March, followed by a rainy and hot spring and a rainy July, seem to favor the seasonal development of Ae. albopictus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Carrieri
- Centro Agricoltura Ambiente “G.Nicoli”, Sanitary Entomology & Zoology Department, 40014 Crevalcore, Italy; (M.C.); (R.B.)
| | - Alessandro Albieri
- Centro Agricoltura Ambiente “G.Nicoli”, Sanitary Entomology & Zoology Department, 40014 Crevalcore, Italy; (M.C.); (R.B.)
| | - Paola Angelini
- Regional Health Authority of Emilia-Romagna, 40127 Bologna, Italy; (P.A.); (M.S.)
| | - Monica Soracase
- Regional Health Authority of Emilia-Romagna, 40127 Bologna, Italy; (P.A.); (M.S.)
| | - Michele Dottori
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Lombardia e Dell’Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), 25124 Brescia, Italy;
| | - Gabriele Antolini
- Environmental Protection Agency of Emilia-Romagna, Hydro-Meteo-Climate Service (ARPAE-SIMC), 40122 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Romeo Bellini
- Centro Agricoltura Ambiente “G.Nicoli”, Sanitary Entomology & Zoology Department, 40014 Crevalcore, Italy; (M.C.); (R.B.)
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Pennino F, Fiorilla C, Sorrentino M, Armonia U, Parisi A, Mirizzi PD, Di Lillo M, De Silva O, Montuori P, Triassi M, Nardone A. Investigating Awareness Regarding Travel-Related Infectious Disease Prevention in a Metropolitan Area. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:476. [PMID: 37888604 PMCID: PMC10611143 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8100476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The rise in international travel has led to an increase in travel-related infectious diseases. It is predicted that by 2030, the number of international travelers will reach 1.8 billion, with over 250 million people affected globally. This issue also has an economic impact, as the eradication of travel-related infectious diseases leads to a loss of USD 12 billion in tourism. To understand the association between demographic variables and knowledge, attitude, and behaviors related to travel-related infectious diseases, a cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted among 1191 individuals in the metropolitan city of Naples, Italy. Multiple linear regression was performed over three models. The results revealed that knowledge about travel-related infectious diseases was positively associated with age, female gender, non-smoking habits, being single, and higher education attainment. The attitude towards travel-related infectious diseases was positively associated with being female, non-smoking habits, being single, higher education attainment, and a higher level of knowledge. A statistically significant association was observed between behaviors and non-smoking habits and between higher levels of knowledge and attitudes. To address this issue, public health programs could be implemented to improve behaviors in the general population. Overall, this study provides valuable information about the determinants of knowledge, attitude, and behaviors related to travel-related infectious diseases in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Pennino
- Department of Public Health, “Federico II” University, Via Sergio Pansini No. 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
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Solimini A, Virgillito C, Manica M, Poletti P, Guzzetta G, Marini G, Rosà R, Filipponi F, Scognamiglio P, Vairo F, Caputo B. How habitat factors affect an Aedes mosquitoes driven outbreak at temperate latitudes: The case of the Chikungunya virus in Italy. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0010655. [PMID: 37590255 PMCID: PMC10465128 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Outbreaks of Aedes-borne diseases in temperate areas are not frequent, and limited in number of cases. We investigate the associations between habitat factors and temperature on individuals' risk of chikungunya (CHIKV) in a non-endemic area by spatially analyzing the data from the 2017 Italian outbreak. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We adopted a case-control study design to analyze the association between land-cover variables, temperature, and human population density with CHIKV cases. The observational unit was the area, at different scales, surrounding the residence of each CHIKV notified case. The statistical analysis was conducted considering the whole dataset and separately for the resort town of Anzio and the metropolitan city of Rome, which were the two main foci of the outbreak. In Rome, a higher probability for the occurrence of CHIKV cases is associated with lower temperature (OR = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.61-0.85) and with cells with higher vegetation coverage and human population density (OR = 1.03; 95% CI: 1.00-1.05). In Anzio, CHIKV case occurrence was positively associated with human population density (OR = 1.03; 95% CI: 1.00-1.06) but not with habitat factors or temperature. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE Using temperature, human population density and vegetation coverage data as drives for CHIKV transmission, our estimates could be instrumental in assessing spatial heterogeneity in the risk of experiencing arboviral diseases in non-endemic temperate areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Solimini
- Departement of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
| | - Chiara Virgillito
- Departement of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
| | - Mattia Manica
- Center for Health Emergencies, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Piero Poletti
- Center for Health Emergencies, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Giorgio Guzzetta
- Center for Health Emergencies, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Giovanni Marini
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige (TN), Italy
| | - Roberto Rosà
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige (TN), Italy
- Center Agriculture Food Environment, Università di Trento, San Michele all’Adige (TN), Italy
| | - Federico Filipponi
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Roma, Italy
| | - Paola Scognamiglio
- Regional Service for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases (SERESMI)—Lazio Region, National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Vairo
- Regional Service for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases (SERESMI)—Lazio Region, National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Beniamino Caputo
- Departement of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
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Lack of Evidence of Chikungunya Virus Infection among Blood Donors during the Chikungunya Outbreak in Lazio Region, Italy, 2017. Viruses 2022; 14:v14030619. [PMID: 35337026 PMCID: PMC8950832 DOI: 10.3390/v14030619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The latest European Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) outbreak occurred in Italy in 2017, in the municipalities of Anzio and Rome (Lazio Region), with a secondary outbreak in the Calabrian Region. Most CHIKV infections are symptomatic but about 15% of people who acquire the infection may be asymptomatic. A retrospective study was conducted with the aim of assessing the prevalence of recent/ongoing CHIKV infections on the blood donor population in the Lazio Region, during the 2017 outbreak (including in the period before it was detected). Methods: The study was conducted on 4595 plasma samples from donors who donated in 14 different Blood Establishments in the Lazio Region, in the period June–November 2017. A total of 389 of these samples were collected in provinces not affected by the outbreak and were used as negative controls. All samples were tested for IgM detection by the use of an ELISA test, and positive samples were tested for confirmation through the use of a PRNT. Molecular tests were performed on sera that were found to be IgM-positive or borderline. Results: A total of 41 (0.89%) blood donors tested positive for IgM. None of these positive IgM ELISA results was confirmed either by PRNT or by molecular tests. Conclusions: Our study has shown no evidence of recent/ongoing CHIKV infection in blood donors of the affected area.
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Cardenas R, Hussain-Alkhateeb L, Benitez-Valladares D, Sánchez-Tejeda G, Kroeger A. The Early Warning and Response System (EWARS-TDR) for dengue outbreaks: can it also be applied to chikungunya and Zika outbreak warning? BMC Infect Dis 2022; 22:235. [PMID: 35255839 PMCID: PMC8902764 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07197-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the Americas, endemic countries for Aedes-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika face great challenges particularly since the recent outbreaks of CHIKV and ZIKV, all transmitted by the same insect vectors Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus. The Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR-WHO) has developed together with partners an Early Warning and Response System (EWARS) for dengue outbreaks based on a variety of alarm signals with a high sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV). The question is if this tool can also be used for the prediction of Zika and chikungunya outbreaks. METHODOLOGY We conducted in nine districts of Mexico and one large city in Colombia a retrospective analysis of epidemiological data (for the outbreak definition) and of climate and entomological data (as potential alarm indicators) produced by the national surveillance systems for dengue, chikungunya and Zika outbreak prediction covering the following outbreak years: for dengue 2012-2016, for Zika 2015-2017, for chikungunya 2014-2016. This period was divided into a "run in period" (to establish the "historical" pattern of the disease) and an "analysis period" (to identify sensitivity and PPV of outbreak prediction). RESULTS In Mexico, the sensitivity of alarm signals for correctly predicting an outbreak was 100% for dengue, and 97% for Zika (chikungunya data could not be obtained in Mexico); the PPV was 83% for dengue and 100% for Zika. The time period between alarm and start of the outbreak (i.e. the time available for early response activities) was for Zika 4-5 weeks. In Colombia the sensitivity of the outbreak prediction was 92% for dengue, 93% for chikungunya and 100% for Zika; the PPV was 68% for dengue, 92% for chikungunya and 54% for Zika; the prediction distance was for dengue 3-5 weeks, for chikungunya 10-13 weeks and for Zika 6-10 weeks. CONCLUSION EWARS demonstrated promising capability of timely disease outbreak prediction with an operational design likely to improve the coordination among stakeholders. However, the prediction validity varied substantially across different types of diseases and appeared less optimal in low endemic settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocio Cardenas
- Instituto Departamental de Salud de Norte de Santander-IDS, Norte de Santander, Colombia. .,Centre for Medicine and Society, Master Programme Global Urban Health, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Laith Hussain-Alkhateeb
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Institute of Medicine, Global Health, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - David Benitez-Valladares
- Programa de Enfermedades Transmitidas por Vector, Centro Nacional de Programas Preventivos y Control de Enfermedades, CENAPRECE, Secretaría de Salud de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Gustavo Sánchez-Tejeda
- Programa de Enfermedades Transmitidas por Vector, Centro Nacional de Programas Preventivos y Control de Enfermedades, CENAPRECE, Secretaría de Salud de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Axel Kroeger
- Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Centre for Medicine and Society, Master Programme Global Urban Health, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Bega AG, Moskaev AV, Gordeev MI. Ecology and Distribution of the Invasive Mosquito Species Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1895) in the South of the European Part of Russia. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s2075111721020041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Haider N, Vairo F, Ippolito G, Zumla A, Kock RA. Basic Reproduction Number of Chikungunya Virus Transmitted by Aedes Mosquitoes. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 26:2429-2431. [PMID: 32946722 PMCID: PMC7510706 DOI: 10.3201/eid2610.190957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We estimated the weighted mean basic reproduction number (R0) of chikungunya virus based on outbreak size. R0 was 3.4 (95% CI 2.4–4.2) and varied for 2 primary chikungunya mosquito vectors: 4.1 (95% CI 1.5–6.6) for Aedes aegypti and 2.8 (95% CI 1.8–3.8) for Ae. albopictus.
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Tjaden NB, Cheng Y, Beierkuhnlein C, Thomas SM. Chikungunya Beyond the Tropics: Where and When Do We Expect Disease Transmission in Europe? Viruses 2021; 13:v13061024. [PMID: 34072346 PMCID: PMC8226708 DOI: 10.3390/v13061024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Chikungunya virus disease (chikungunya) is a mosquito-borne infectious disease reported in at least 50 countries, mostly in the tropics. It has spread around the globe within the last two decades, with local outbreaks in Europe. The vector mosquito Aedes albopictus (Diptera, Culicidae) has already widely established itself in southern Europe and is spreading towards central parts of the continent. Public health authorities and policymakers need to be informed about where and when a chikungunya transmission is likely to take place. Here, we adapted a previously published global ecological niche model (ENM) by including only non-tropical chikungunya occurrence records and selecting bioclimatic variables that can reflect the temperate and sub-tropical conditions in Europe with greater accuracy. Additionally, we applied an epidemiological model to capture the temporal outbreak risk of chikungunya in six selected European cities. Overall, the non-tropical ENM captures all the previous outbreaks in Europe, whereas the global ENM had underestimated the risk. Highly suitable areas are more widespread than previously assumed. They are found in coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea, in the western part of the Iberian Peninsula, and in Atlantic coastal areas of France. Under a worst-case scenario, even large areas of western Germany and the Benelux states are considered potential areas of transmission. For the six selected European cities, June–September (the 22th–38th week) is the most vulnerable time period, with the maximum continuous duration of a possible transmission period lasting up to 93 days (Ravenna, Italy).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Benjamin Tjaden
- Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany; (N.B.T.); (Y.C.); (C.B.)
| | - Yanchao Cheng
- Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany; (N.B.T.); (Y.C.); (C.B.)
| | - Carl Beierkuhnlein
- Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany; (N.B.T.); (Y.C.); (C.B.)
- Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Stephanie Margarete Thomas
- Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany; (N.B.T.); (Y.C.); (C.B.)
- Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-921-55-2307
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ECOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION OF INVASIVE MOSQUITO SPECIES<i> AEDES ALBOPICTUS</i> (SKUSE, 1895) IN THE SOUTH OF EUROPEAN PART OF RUSSIA. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS 2021. [DOI: 10.35885/1996-1499-2021-14-1-27-37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to show ecological preferences and to establish the actual range of the invasive mosquito species Aedes albopictus . The moving of Ae. albopictus from the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus into the interior of the European part of Russia for the period 2017-2019 is shown. The northern border of the distribution of this species in 2019 passed through the cities: Timashevsk, Kropotkin, and Armavir. The limiting environmental parameters for the preimaginal stages of Ae. albopictus development are: the content of oxygen dissolved in the water and the water acidity. We believe that the air humidity and the floristic composition of the territory are the main factors determining the movement of the Aedes albopictus mosquitoes deep into the Russian Plain. The data obtained can be used for epidemiological surveillance and planning of preventive measures.
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Buonfrate D, Requena-Mendez A, Bisoffi Z. Travel, infections, and the importance of networking in the global health perspectives. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. EUROPE 2021; 1:100006. [PMID: 35104302 PMCID: PMC8454783 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2020.100006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dora Buonfrate
- Department of Infectious – Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Ana Requena-Mendez
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Solna 17176, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Zeno Bisoffi
- Department of Infectious – Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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12
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Marini G, Manica M, Arnoldi D, Inama E, Rosà R, Rizzoli A. Influence of Temperature on the Life-Cycle Dynamics of Aedes albopictus Population Established at Temperate Latitudes: A Laboratory Experiment. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11110808. [PMID: 33212996 PMCID: PMC7698496 DOI: 10.3390/insects11110808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Mosquitoes represent a potential major public health concern, as they are capable of transmitting several pathogens when biting humans. It is well known that temperature is a crucial factor affecting mosquito biology: for instance, warmer conditions can increase survival and fecundity. Here, we quantify the influence of different temperatures on the bionomics of Aedes albopictus, which is a mosquito species native to Southeast Asia that has been able to spread worldwide during the last forty years. We used specimens collected from northern Italy to assess if temperate individuals are characterized, possibly thanks to an adaptation process, by a different thermal response with respect to subtropical individuals. We found that immature stages are well adapted to colder temperatures, which nonetheless seem to prevent any blood-feeding activity. Adult longevity and fecundity were substantially greater at mild conditions. This thermal adaptation might increase the length of the breeding season and could allow the colonization of areas at higher altitude, resulting in an overall increased risk for potential transmission of Ae. albopictus-borne pathogens. Abstract The mosquito species Aedes albopictus has successfully colonized many areas at temperate latitudes, representing a major public health concern. As mosquito bionomics is critically affected by temperature, we experimentally investigated the influence of different constant rearing temperatures (10, 15, 25, and 30 °C) on the survival rates, fecundity, and developmental times of different life stages of Ae. albopictus using a laboratory colony established from specimens collected in northern Italy. We compared our results with previously published data obtained with subtropical populations. We found that temperate Ae. albopictus immature stages are better adapted to colder temperatures: temperate larvae were able to develop even at 10 °C and at 15 °C, larval survivorship was comparable to the one observed at warmer conditions. Nonetheless, at these lower temperatures, we did not observe any blood-feeding activity. Adult longevity and fecundity were substantially greater at 25 °C with respect to the other tested temperatures. Our findings highlight the ability of Ae. albopictus to quickly adapt to colder environments and provide new important insights on the bionomics of this species at temperate latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Marini
- Research and Innovation Centre, Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy; (M.M.); (D.A.); (E.I.); (R.R.); (A.R.)
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Province of Trento, 38100 Trento, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Mattia Manica
- Research and Innovation Centre, Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy; (M.M.); (D.A.); (E.I.); (R.R.); (A.R.)
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Province of Trento, 38100 Trento, Italy
- Center for Information and Communication Technology, Bruno Kessler Foundation, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Daniele Arnoldi
- Research and Innovation Centre, Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy; (M.M.); (D.A.); (E.I.); (R.R.); (A.R.)
| | - Enrico Inama
- Research and Innovation Centre, Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy; (M.M.); (D.A.); (E.I.); (R.R.); (A.R.)
| | - Roberto Rosà
- Research and Innovation Centre, Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy; (M.M.); (D.A.); (E.I.); (R.R.); (A.R.)
- Center Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy
| | - Annapaola Rizzoli
- Research and Innovation Centre, Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy; (M.M.); (D.A.); (E.I.); (R.R.); (A.R.)
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ZanzaMapp: A Scalable Citizen Science Tool to Monitor Perception of Mosquito Abundance and Nuisance in Italy and Beyond. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17217872. [PMID: 33121060 PMCID: PMC7672598 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17217872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Mosquitoes represent a considerable nuisance and are actual/potential vectors of human diseases in Europe. Costly and labour-intensive entomological monitoring is needed to correct planning of interventions aimed at reducing nuisance and the risk of pathogen transmission. The widespread availability of mobile phones and of massive Internet connections opens the way to the contribution of citizen in complementing entomological monitoring. ZanzaMapp is the first mobile “mosquito” application for smartphones specifically designed to assess citizens’ perception of mosquito abundance and nuisance in Italy. Differently from other applications targeting mosquitoes, ZanzaMapp prioritizes the number of records over their scientific authentication by requesting users to answer four simple questions on perceived mosquito presence/abundance/nuisance and geo-localizing the records. The paper analyses 36,867 ZanzaMapp records sent by 13,669 devices from 2016 to 2018 and discusses the results with reference to either citizens’ exploitation and appreciation of the app and to the consistency of the results obtained with the known biology of main mosquito species in Italy. In addition, we provide a first small-scale validation of ZanzaMapp data as predictors of Aedes albopictus biting females and examples of spatial analyses and maps which could be exploited by public institutions and administrations involved in mosquito and mosquito-borne pathogen monitoring and control.
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14
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Zé-Zé L, Borges V, Osório HC, Machado J, Gomes JP, Alves MJ. Mitogenome diversity of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus: Detection of multiple introduction events in Portugal. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008657. [PMID: 32997656 PMCID: PMC7549828 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Aedes albopictus, along with Ae. aegypti, are key arbovirus vectors that have been expanding their geographic range over the last decades. In 2017, Ae. albopictus was detected for the first time at two distinct locations in Portugal. In order to understand how the Ae. albopictus populations recently introduced in Portugal are genetically related and which is their likely route of invasion, we performed an integrative cytochrome C oxidase I gene (COI)- and mitogenome-based phylogeographic analysis of mosquitoes samples collected in Portugal in 2017 and 2018 in the context of the global Ae. albopictus diversity. COI-based analysis (31 partial sequences obtained from 83 mosquitoes) revealed five haplotypes (1 to 5), with haplotype 1 (which is widely distributed in temperate areas worldwide) being detected in both locations. Haplotypes 2 and 3 were exclusively found in Southern region (Algarve), while haplotype 4 and 5 were only detected in the North of Portugal (Penafiel, Oporto region). Subsequent high discriminatory analyses based on Ae. albopictus mitogenome (17 novel sequences) not only confirmed a high degree of genetic variability within and between populations at both geographic locations (compatible with the Ae. albopictus mosquito populations circulating in Europe), but also revealed two mitogenome mutational signatures not previously reported at worldwide level. While our results generally sustain the occurrence of multiple introduction events, fine mitogenome sequence inspection further indicates a possible Ae. albopictus migration within the country, from the Northern introduction locality to the Southern region. In summary, the observed scenario of high Ae. albopictus genetic diversity in Portugal, together with the detection of mosquitoes in successive years since 2017 in Algarve and Penafiel, points that both Ae. albopictus populations seem to be already locally established, as its presence has been reported for three consecutive years, raising the public health awareness for future mosquito-borne diseases outbreaks. In 2017, Aedes albopictus was reported for the first time in Portugal at two distinct locations, in the premises of a tire company in Penafiel, in the North, and nearby a golf course in Algarve, a tourism destination in the southernmost country region. The geographical spread of this species is promoted by egg and larvae transport in aquatic trade goods, as tires and aquatic plants, and adult anthropophilic behavior that favors passive land transportation. In Portugal, especially in the Southern region, temperate climate conditions are adequate for adult mosquitoes to survive most of the year. In a way to understand the genetic variability of Ae. albopictus populations introduced in Portugal, we analyzed 31 cytochrome C oxidase I gene (COI) partial sequences and 17 mitogenome sequences, integrating them in the context of the global Ae. albopictus phylogeographic diversity (i.e., 183 COI and 26 mitogenome sequences previously reported at worldwide level). Although COI haplotype 1 predominated, four additional haplotypes (2 to 5) were detected in Portugal. Subsequent in-depth mitogenome analysis revealed considerable genetic diversity, including not only sequences relating to mitogenomes reported mainly from Italy, Japan and China, but also two novel mitogenome mutational signatures. Our study indicates that Ae. albopictus is locally established in Portugal and intra-country dispersal may have already happened, highlighting the challenges for vector surveillance and control programs aiming at restraining arbovirus disease burden in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Líbia Zé-Zé
- Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Águas de Moura, Portugal
- BioISI—Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- * E-mail:
| | - Vítor Borges
- Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Hugo Costa Osório
- Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Águas de Moura, Portugal
- Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jorge Machado
- Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - João Paulo Gomes
- Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria João Alves
- Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Águas de Moura, Portugal
- Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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Osório HC, Rocha J, Roquette R, Guerreiro NM, Zé-Zé L, Amaro F, Silva M, Alves MJ. Seasonal Dynamics and Spatial Distribution of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in a Temperate Region in Europe, Southern Portugal. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E7083. [PMID: 32992664 PMCID: PMC7579007 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17197083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Aedes albopictus is an invasive mosquito that has colonized several European countries as well as Portugal, where it was detected for the first time in 2017. To increase the knowledge of Ae. albopictus population dynamics, a survey was carried out in the municipality of Loulé, Algarve, a Southern temperate region of Portugal, throughout 2019, with Biogents Sentinel traps (BGS traps) and ovitraps. More than 19,000 eggs and 400 adults were identified from May 9 (week 19) and December 16 (week 50). A positive correlation between the number of females captured in the BGS traps and the number of eggs collected in ovitraps was found. The start of activity of A. albopictus in May corresponded to an average minimum temperature above 13.0 °C and an average maximum temperature of 26.2 °C. The abundance peak of this A. albopictus population was identified from September to November. The positive effect of temperature on the seasonal activity of the adult population observed highlight the importance of climate change in affecting the occurrence, abundance, and distribution patterns of this species. The continuously monitoring activities currently ongoing point to an established population of A. albopictus in Loulé, Algarve, in a dispersion process to other regions of Portugal and raises concern for future outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases associated with this invasive mosquito species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo C. Osório
- Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research/National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida da Liberdade 5, 2965-575 Águas de Moura, Portugal; (L.Z.-Z.); (F.A.); (M.S.); (M.J.A.)
- Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, Ed. Egas Moniz, Piso0, Ala C, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jorge Rocha
- Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Lisbon, Rua Branca Edmée Marques, 1600-276 Lisboa, Portugal;
| | - Rita Roquette
- Department of Epidemiology/National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-019 Lisboa, Portugal;
- NOVA Information Management School, Campus de Campolide, 1070-312 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Nélia M. Guerreiro
- Department of Public Health and Planning, Algarve Regional Health Administration, IP, Rua Brites de Almeida, n° 6, 3rd Dt° 8000-234 Faro, Portugal;
| | - Líbia Zé-Zé
- Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research/National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida da Liberdade 5, 2965-575 Águas de Moura, Portugal; (L.Z.-Z.); (F.A.); (M.S.); (M.J.A.)
- BioISI—Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Fátima Amaro
- Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research/National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida da Liberdade 5, 2965-575 Águas de Moura, Portugal; (L.Z.-Z.); (F.A.); (M.S.); (M.J.A.)
- Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, Ed. Egas Moniz, Piso0, Ala C, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Manuel Silva
- Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research/National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida da Liberdade 5, 2965-575 Águas de Moura, Portugal; (L.Z.-Z.); (F.A.); (M.S.); (M.J.A.)
| | - Maria João Alves
- Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research/National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida da Liberdade 5, 2965-575 Águas de Moura, Portugal; (L.Z.-Z.); (F.A.); (M.S.); (M.J.A.)
- Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, Ed. Egas Moniz, Piso0, Ala C, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
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Guzzetta G, Vairo F, Mammone A, Lanini S, Poletti P, Manica M, Rosa R, Caputo B, Solimini A, Torre AD, Scognamiglio P, Zumla A, Ippolito G, Merler S. Spatial modes for transmission of chikungunya virus during a large chikungunya outbreak in Italy: a modeling analysis. BMC Med 2020; 18:226. [PMID: 32762750 PMCID: PMC7412829 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-020-01674-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The spatial spread of many mosquito-borne diseases occurs by focal spread at the scale of a few hundred meters and over longer distances due to human mobility. The relative contributions of different spatial scales for transmission of chikungunya virus require definition to improve outbreak vector control recommendations. METHODS We analyzed data from a large chikungunya outbreak mediated by the mosquito Aedes albopictus in the Lazio region, Italy, consisting of 414 reported human cases between June and November 2017. Using dates of symptom onset, geographic coordinates of residence, and information from epidemiological questionnaires, we reconstructed transmission chains related to that outbreak. RESULTS Focal spread (within 1 km) accounted for 54.9% of all cases, 15.8% were transmitted at a local scale (1-15 km) and the remaining 29.3% were exported from the main areas of chikungunya circulation in Lazio to longer distances such as Rome and other geographical areas. Seventy percent of focal infections (corresponding to 38% of the total 414 cases) were transmitted within a distance of 200 m (the buffer distance adopted by the national guidelines for insecticide spraying). Two main epidemic clusters were identified, with a radius expanding at a rate of 300-600 m per month. The majority of exported cases resulted in either sporadic or no further transmission in the region. CONCLUSIONS Evidence suggest that human mobility contributes to seeding a relevant number of secondary cases and new foci of transmission over several kilometers. Reactive vector control based on current guidelines might allow a significant number of secondary clusters in untreated areas, especially if the outbreak is not detected early. Existing policies and guidelines for control during outbreaks should recommend the prioritization of preventive measures in neighboring territories with known mobility flows to the main areas of transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Guzzetta
- Center for Information Technology, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Francesco Vairo
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
| | - Alessia Mammone
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Lanini
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Piero Poletti
- Center for Information Technology, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Mattia Manica
- Centro Agricoltura Alimenti e Ambiente, Università di Trento, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Roberto Rosa
- Centro Agricoltura Alimenti e Ambiente, Università di Trento, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy.,Dipartimento di Biodiversità ed Ecologia Molecolare/Centro Ricerca e Innovazione, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Beniamino Caputo
- Dipartimento di Sanitá Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Angelo Solimini
- Dipartimento di Sanitá Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Della Torre
- Dipartimento di Sanitá Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Scognamiglio
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Alimuddin Zumla
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Center for Clinical Microbiology, University College London, London, UK.,the National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at UCL Hospitals, London, UK
| | - Giuseppe Ippolito
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Merler
- Center for Information Technology, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
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17
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Caputo B, Russo G, Manica M, Vairo F, Poletti P, Guzzetta G, Merler S, Scagnolari C, Solimini A. A comparative analysis of the 2007 and 2017 Italian chikungunya outbreaks and implication for public health response. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008159. [PMID: 32525957 PMCID: PMC7289343 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne infection that is emerging in temperate areas of Europe, following the expansion of one of its vector species, Aedes albopictus. Although CHIKV fever is a self-limiting disease, with a clinical syndrome often resolving within few days, it can also cause severe sequelae, including chronic polyarthralgia lasting up to 5 years. Additionally, CHIKV outbreaks may limit blood bank donations, adding economic burden on the health system. Public health authorities in Europe need to increase their preparedness against this emerging threat. Two large CHIKV outbreaks occurred in Italy in 2007 and 2017, with hundreds of cases and significant geographical spread. The aim of this paper is to review and compare the 2 Italian outbreaks in terms of available estimates of key epidemiological features, patient clinical presentation, virus and immunological characteristics, and public health response. Recommendations for public health and future directions for research are also discussed and highlighted. In Europe, vector-borne diseases have been increasing during the last decades. CHIKV is an example of a neglected emerging disease transmitted by the alien mosquitoes Ae. albopictus that caused 2 large outbreaks in Italy in 2007 and 2017. It is important to compare the main epidemiological, clinical, virological, and immunological features, as well as the public health responses, to increase preparedness to face future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beniamino Caputo
- Dipartimento di Sanitá Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Gianluca Russo
- Dipartimento di Sanitá Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Mattia Manica
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige (TN), Italy
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Trento, Italy
| | - Francesco Vairo
- Regional Service for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases (SERESMI)—Lazio Region, National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Piero Poletti
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Trento, Italy
- Center for Information Technology, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Giorgio Guzzetta
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Trento, Italy
- Center for Information Technology, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Stefano Merler
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Trento, Italy
- Center for Information Technology, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Carolina Scagnolari
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Virology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Angelo Solimini
- Dipartimento di Sanitá Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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18
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Caputo B, Manica M, Russo G, Solimini A. Knowledge, Attitude and Practices towards the Tiger Mosquito Aedes Albopictus. A Questionnaire Based Survey in Lazio Region (Italy) before the 2017 Chikungunya Outbreak. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17113960. [PMID: 32503246 PMCID: PMC7312532 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17113960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The invasion of Aedes albopictus has played a major role in the resurgence of mosquito-borne diseases in Italy, generating the two largest chikungunya outbreaks in Europe (2007, 2017). Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) are important in order to prevent Aedes-borne disease transmission, yet so far they have not been assessed. To this scope we used multivariate logistic regression to investigate KAP of citizen-to-Aedes ecology and transmitted diseases. Data were collated by a structured questionnaire (18 questions) in 2016. Participants were selected in the Lazio region from members of native populations and two resident communities (RC) originating from the Indian subcontinent where Aedes-transmitted diseases are endemic. Results showed that compared to Italians, RC respondents had a higher knowledge and concern of Aedes-transmitted diseases (Odds Ratio = 2.61 (95%CI: 1.03–6.05); OR = 3.13 (2.15–4.65)) as well as their life cycles (OR = 2.49 (1.75–3.56); OR = 9.04 (6.22–13.66)). In contrast, they perceived a lower nuisance due to the presence of Ae. albopictus (OR = 0.2 (0.13–0.32); OR = 0.55 (0.38–0.78). These findings suggest that citizens in the Lazio region are not prepared to face a potential outbreak of arboviruses and further efforts should be made to increase knowledge, awareness and best practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beniamino Caputo
- Department of Public Health & Infectious Diseases, University of Roma “La Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy; (B.C.); (G.R.)
| | - Mattia Manica
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy;
| | - Gianluca Russo
- Department of Public Health & Infectious Diseases, University of Roma “La Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy; (B.C.); (G.R.)
| | - Angelo Solimini
- Department of Public Health & Infectious Diseases, University of Roma “La Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy; (B.C.); (G.R.)
- Correspondence:
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Gossner CM, Fournet N, Dias JG, Martínez BF, Del Manso M, Young JJ, Zeller H, Coulombier D. Risks Related to Chikungunya Infections among European Union Travelers, 2012-2018. Emerg Infect Dis 2020; 26:1067-1076. [PMID: 32441244 PMCID: PMC7258487 DOI: 10.3201/eid2606.190490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autochthonous outbreaks of chikungunya have occurred in the European Union (EU) after virus introduction by infected travelers. We reviewed the surveillance data of travel-related cases reported in the EU during 2012–2018 to document factors associated with increased infection rates among travelers and to assess how surveillance data could support preparedness against secondary transmission and timely control of outbreaks. Thirteen EU countries reported 2,616 travel-related chikungunya cases. We observed 3 successive epidemiologic periods; the highest number of cases (75%) occurred during 2014–2015, when most cases were associated with the Caribbean and South America. The highest infection rates among travelers were observed during the same phase. Although surveillance of travel-related cases is relevant for estimating the infection risk for travelers, we could not identify a relationship between the number of infected travelers and a higher likelihood of secondary transmission in the EU.
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Riccardo F, Venturi G, Di Luca M, Del Manso M, Severini F, Andrianou X, Fortuna C, Remoli ME, Benedetti E, Caporali MG, Fratto F, Mignuoli AD, Rizzo L, De Vito G, De Giorgio V, Surace L, Vairo F, Angelini P, Re MC, Amendola A, Fiorentini C, Marsili G, Toma L, Boccolini D, Romi R, Pezzotti P, Rezza G, Rizzo C. Secondary Autochthonous Outbreak of Chikungunya, Southern Italy, 2017. Emerg Infect Dis 2020; 25:2093-2095. [PMID: 31625839 PMCID: PMC6810187 DOI: 10.3201/eid2511.180949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2017, a chikungunya outbreak in central Italy later evolved into a secondary cluster in southern Italy, providing evidence of disease emergence in new areas. Officials have taken action to raise awareness among clinicians and the general population, increase timely case detection, reduce mosquito breeding sites, and promote mosquito bite prevention.
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21
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6'-β-Fluoro-Homoaristeromycin and 6'-Fluoro-Homoneplanocin A Are Potent Inhibitors of Chikungunya Virus Replication through Their Direct Effect on Viral Nonstructural Protein 1. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2020; 64:AAC.02532-19. [PMID: 31964798 PMCID: PMC7179274 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02532-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Alphaviruses are arthropod-borne, positive-stranded RNA viruses capable of causing severe disease with high morbidity. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an alphavirus that causes a febrile illness which can progress into chronic arthralgia. The current lack of vaccines and specific treatment for CHIKV infection underscores the need to develop new therapeutic interventions. To discover new antiviral agents, we performed a compound screen in cell culture-based infection models and identified two carbocyclic adenosine analogues, 6′-β-fluoro-homoaristeromycin (FHA) and 6′-fluoro-homoneplanocin A (FHNA), that displayed potent activity against CHIKV and Semliki Forest virus (SFV) with 50% effective concentrations in the nanomolar range at nontoxic concentrations. Alphaviruses are arthropod-borne, positive-stranded RNA viruses capable of causing severe disease with high morbidity. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an alphavirus that causes a febrile illness which can progress into chronic arthralgia. The current lack of vaccines and specific treatment for CHIKV infection underscores the need to develop new therapeutic interventions. To discover new antiviral agents, we performed a compound screen in cell culture-based infection models and identified two carbocyclic adenosine analogues, 6′-β-fluoro-homoaristeromycin (FHA) and 6′-fluoro-homoneplanocin A (FHNA), that displayed potent activity against CHIKV and Semliki Forest virus (SFV) with 50% effective concentrations in the nanomolar range at nontoxic concentrations. The compounds, designed as inhibitors of the host enzyme S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) hydrolase, impeded postentry steps in CHIKV and SFV replication. Selection of FHNA-resistant mutants and reverse genetics studies demonstrated that the combination of mutations G230R and K299E in CHIKV nonstructural protein 1 (nsP1) conferred resistance to the compounds. Enzymatic assays with purified wild-type (wt) SFV nsP1 suggested that an oxidized (3′-keto) form, rather than FHNA itself, directly inhibited the MTase activity, while a mutant protein with the K231R and K299E substitutions was insensitive to the compound. Both wt nsP1 and the resistant mutant were equally sensitive to the inhibitory effect of SAH. Our combined data suggest that FHA and FHNA inhibit CHIKV and SFV replication by directly targeting the MTase activity of nsP1, rather than through an indirect effect on host SAH hydrolase. The high potency and selectivity of these novel alphavirus mRNA capping inhibitors warrant further preclinical investigation of these compounds.
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Liu Y, Lillepold K, Semenza JC, Tozan Y, Quam MBM, Rocklöv J. Reviewing estimates of the basic reproduction number for dengue, Zika and chikungunya across global climate zones. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 182:109114. [PMID: 31927301 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Revised: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Globally, dengue, Zika virus, and chikungunya are important viral mosquito-borne diseases that infect millions of people annually. Their geographic range includes not only tropical areas but also sub-tropical and temperate zones such as Japan and Italy. The relative severity of these arboviral disease outbreaks can vary depending on the setting. In this study we explore variation in the epidemiologic potential of outbreaks amongst these climatic zones and arboviruses in order to elucidate potential reasons behind such differences. METHODOLOGY We reviewed the peer-reviewed literature (PubMed) to obtain basic reproduction number (R0) estimates for dengue, Zika virus, and chikungunya from tropical, sub-tropical and temperate regions. We also computed R0 estimates for temperate and sub-tropical climate zones, based on the outbreak curves in the initial outbreak phase. Lastly we compared these estimates across climate zones, defined by latitude. RESULTS Of 2115 studies, we reviewed the full text of 128 studies and included 65 studies in our analysis. Our results suggest that the R0 of an arboviral outbreak depends on climate zone, with lower R0 estimates, on average, in temperate zones (R0 = 2.03) compared to tropical (R0 = 3.44) and sub-tropical zones (R0 = 10.29). The variation in R0 was considerable, ranging from 0.16 to 65. The largest R0 was for dengue (65) and was estimated by the Ross-Macdonald model in the tropical zone, whereas the smallest R0 (0.16) was for Zika virus and was estimated statistically from an outbreak curve in the sub-tropical zone. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate climate zone to be an important determinant of the basic reproduction number, R0, for dengue, Zika virus, and chikungunya. The role of other factors as determinants of R0, such as methods, environmental and social conditions, and disease control, should be further investigated. The results suggest that R0 may increase in temperate regions in response to global warming, and highlight the increasing need for strengthening preparedness and control activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- School of International Business, Xiamen University Tan Kah Kee College, Zhangzhou, 363105, China.
| | - Kate Lillepold
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jan C Semenza
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yesim Tozan
- New York University, College of Global Public Health, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Mikkel B M Quam
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Section of Sustainable Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Joacim Rocklöv
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Section of Sustainable Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
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Pasquali S, Mariani L, Calvitti M, Moretti R, Ponti L, Chiari M, Sperandio G, Gilioli G. Development and calibration of a model for the potential establishment and impact of Aedes albopictus in Europe. Acta Trop 2020; 202:105228. [PMID: 31678121 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.105228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is one of the most invasive disease vectors worldwide. The species is a competent vector of dengue, chikungunya, Zika viruses and other severe parasites and pathogens threatening human health. The capacity of this mosquito to colonize and establish in new areas (including temperate regions) is enhanced by its ability of producing diapausing eggs that survive relatively cold winters. The main drivers of population dynamics for this mosquito are water and air temperature and photoperiod. In this paper, we present a mechanistic model that predicts the potential distribution, abundance and activity of Asian tiger mosquito in Europe. The model includes a comprehensive description of: i) the individual life-history strategies, including diapause, ii) the influence of weather-driven individual physiological responses on population dynamics and iii) the density-dependent regulation of larval mortality rate. The model is calibrated using field data from several locations along an altitudinal gradient in the Italian Alps, which enabled accurate prediction of cold temperature effects on population abundance, including identification of conditions that prevent overwintering of the species. Model predictions are consistent with the most updated information on species' presence and absence. Predicted population abundance shows a clear south-north decreasing gradient. A similar yet less evident pattern in the activity of the species is also predicted. The model represents a valuable tool for the development of strategies aimed at the management of Ae. albopictus and for the implementation of effective control measures against vector-borne diseases in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Pasquali
- CNR-IMATI "Enrico Magenes", Via A. Corti 12, 20133 Milano, Italy.
| | - L Mariani
- Lombard Museum of Agricultural History, Via Celoria, 2, 20133 Milano, Italy; DiSAA, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - M Calvitti
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
| | - R Moretti
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
| | - L Ponti
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy; Center for the Analysis of Sustainable Agricultural Systems (www.casasglobal.org), Kensington CA 94707, USA
| | - M Chiari
- UO Veterinaria, DG Welfare, Regione Lombardia, P.zza Città di Lombardia 1, 20124 Milano, Italy
| | - G Sperandio
- DMMT, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy; Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Amendola 2, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - G Gilioli
- DMMT, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
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Marini G, Arnoldi D, Baldacchino F, Capelli G, Guzzetta G, Merler S, Montarsi F, Rizzoli A, Rosà R. First report of the influence of temperature on the bionomics and population dynamics of Aedes koreicus, a new invasive alien species in Europe. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:524. [PMID: 31694685 PMCID: PMC6833271 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3772-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aedes koreicus was detected in northern Italy for the first time in 2011, and it is now well established in several areas as a new invasive mosquito species. Data regarding the influence of temperature on mosquito survival and development are not available yet for this species. METHODS We experimentally investigated the influence of different constant rearing temperatures (between 4 and 33 °C) on the survival rates and developmental times of different life stages of Ae. koreicus under laboratory conditions. The resulting data were subsequently used to inform a mathematical model reproducing the Ae. koreicus life-cycle calibrated to counts of adult females captured in the field in the autonomous province of Trento (northern Italy) between 2016 and 2018. RESULTS We found that temperatures above 28 °C are not optimal for the survival of pupae and adults, whereas temperate conditions of 23-28 °C seem to be very favorable, explaining the recent success of Ae. koreicus at establishing into new specific areas. Our results indicate that Ae. koreicus is less adapted to local climatic conditions compared to Ae. albopictus, another invasive species which has been invading the area for the last three decades. Warmer seasons, which are more likely to occur in the future because of climate change, might extend the breeding time and therefore increase the abundance of Ae. koreicus in the study region. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence on how temperature influences the bionomics and dynamics of Ae. koreicus and highlight the need for further studies on the phenology of this species in temperate areas of Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Marini
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Province of Trento, Italy
| | - Daniele Arnoldi
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Frederic Baldacchino
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
- Direction départementale de la protection des population du Nord, Lille, France
| | - Gioia Capelli
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, PD Italy
| | - Giorgio Guzzetta
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Province of Trento, Italy
- Center for Information Technology, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy
| | - Stefano Merler
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Province of Trento, Italy
- Center for Information Technology, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Montarsi
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, PD Italy
| | - Annapaola Rizzoli
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Roberto Rosà
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Province of Trento, Italy
- Center Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, San Michele all’Adige, Trento Italy
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Abstract
In view of globalization and the associated transport of goods as well as rising travel activity, imported infections with subtropical and tropical pathogens are increasing in Germany. In returning travelers presenting with fever, general symptoms and skin rash, a number of diseases need to be considered. The clinical appearance of the skin rash, accurate travel history and epidemiological information on country-specific risks are helpful in making the correct diagnosis. In this article we provide an overview of the most common exanthemas in travelers who have returned, associated symptoms, diagnostic methods, therapies, as well as prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Hellmich
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie und Venerologie, Universität zu Köln, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937, Köln, Deutschland.
| | - Robert Rongisch
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie und Venerologie, Universität zu Köln, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937, Köln, Deutschland
| | - Heinrich Rasokat
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie und Venerologie, Universität zu Köln, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937, Köln, Deutschland
| | - Esther von Stebut
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie und Venerologie, Universität zu Köln, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937, Köln, Deutschland
| | - Mario Fabri
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie und Venerologie, Universität zu Köln, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937, Köln, Deutschland
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Pichler V, Kotsakiozi P, Caputo B, Serini P, Caccone A, della Torre A. Complex interplay of evolutionary forces shaping population genomic structure of invasive Aedes albopictus in southern Europe. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007554. [PMID: 31437154 PMCID: PMC6705758 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the last four decades, the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, vector of several human arboviruses, has spread from its native range in South-East Asia to all over the world, largely through the transportation of its eggs via the international trade in used tires. Albania was the first country invaded in Europe in 1979, followed by Italy in 1990 and other Mediterranean countries after 2000. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We here inferred the invasion history and migration patterns of Ae. albopictus in Italy (today the most heavily-infested country in Europe), Greece and Albania, by analyzing a panel of >100,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) obtained by sequencing of double-digest Restriction site-Associated DNA (ddRADseq). The obtained dataset was combined with samples previously analyzed from both the native and invasive range worldwide to interpret the results using a broader spatial and historical context. The emerging evolutionary scenario complements the results of other studies in showing that the extraordinary worldwide expansion of Ae. albopictus has occurred thanks to multiple independent invasions by large numbers of colonists from multiple geographic locations in both native and previously invaded areas, consistently with the role of used tires shipments to move large numbers of eggs worldwide. By analyzing mosquitoes from nine sites across ~1,000-km transect in Italy, we were able to detect a complex interplay of drift, isolation by distance mediated divergence, and gene flow in shaping the species very recent invasion and range expansion, suggesting overall high connectivity, likely due to passive transportation of adults via ground transportation, as well as specific adaptations to local conditions. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Results contribute to characterize one of the most successful histories of animal invasion, and could be used as a baseline for future studies to track epidemiologically relevant characters (e.g. insecticide resistance).
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Pichler
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Laboratorio affiliato Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Università di Roma ‘Sapienza’, Roma, Italia
| | - Panayiota Kotsakiozi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Beniamino Caputo
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Laboratorio affiliato Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Università di Roma ‘Sapienza’, Roma, Italia
| | - Paola Serini
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Laboratorio affiliato Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Università di Roma ‘Sapienza’, Roma, Italia
| | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Alessandra della Torre
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Laboratorio affiliato Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Università di Roma ‘Sapienza’, Roma, Italia
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Manica M, Caputo B, Screti A, Filipponi F, Rosà R, Solimini A, della Torre A, Blangiardo M. Applying the N‐mixture model approach to estimate mosquito population absolute abundance from monitoring data. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Manica
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre Fondazione Edmund Mach San Michele all'Adige Italy
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia – Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Beniamino Caputo
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia – Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Alessia Screti
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia – Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Federico Filipponi
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia – Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Roberto Rosà
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre Fondazione Edmund Mach San Michele all'Adige Italy
- Center Agriculture Food Environment University of Trento San Michele all'Adige Italy
| | - Angelo Solimini
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia – Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Alessandra della Torre
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia – Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Marta Blangiardo
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine Imperial College London London UK
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Guzzetta G, Minosse C, Pisapia R, Giombini E, Mammone A, Vairo F, Garbuglia AR, Scognamiglio P, Capobianchi MR, Merler S, Ippolito G, Lanini S. Household transmission and disease transmissibility of a large HAV outbreak in Lazio, Italy, 2016-2017. Epidemics 2019; 29:100351. [PMID: 31326355 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2019.100351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A major outbreak of Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) has swept through Europe between mid-2016 and 2017, mainly within the community of men who have sex with men (MSM). Over the same period, about 1000 outbreak-related cases of acute Hepatitis A (AHA) were recorded in Lazio region, Italy. We calibrated a Bayesian model to reconstruct likely transmission events within all 44 households where multiple infections were recorded, representing a total of 103 cases from the HAV outbreak in Lazio. Based on information on the observed times of symptom onset, we estimated the probability distribution function of the HAV generation time and used it to compute the effective and instantaneous reproduction numbers for the considered outbreak from the overall epidemic curve (N = 998 cases). We estimated a mean generation time of 30.2 days (95%CI: 25.2-33.0) and an effective reproduction number of about 1.63 (95% CI: 1.35-1.94). Transmissibility peaked in January 2017, shortly before targeted awareness and vaccination campaigns were put in place by health authorities; however, transmission remained above the epidemic threshold until June 2017. Within households, children (0-15) and young adults (16-30) infected preferentially individuals of the same age class, whereas transmission within older age groups was substantially homogeneous. These results suggest that the implemented interventions were able to slow down HAV transmission, but not to bring it rapidly to a halt. According to our estimates of the HAV transmissibility, about 50% of the at-risk persons should be immunized to prevent similar outbreaks in the future. Our results also indicate spillover from community transmission to household members, suggesting the opportunity of vaccinating household contacts of cases to prevent further spread of the epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Guzzetta
- Fondazione Bruno Kessler, via Sommarive 18, Povo (Trento) 38123, Italy.
| | - Claudia Minosse
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani - IRCSS, via Portuense 292, Rome 00149, Italy
| | - Raffaella Pisapia
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani - IRCSS, via Portuense 292, Rome 00149, Italy
| | - Emanuela Giombini
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani - IRCSS, via Portuense 292, Rome 00149, Italy
| | - Alessia Mammone
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani - IRCSS, via Portuense 292, Rome 00149, Italy
| | - Francesco Vairo
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani - IRCSS, via Portuense 292, Rome 00149, Italy
| | - Anna Rosa Garbuglia
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani - IRCSS, via Portuense 292, Rome 00149, Italy
| | - Paola Scognamiglio
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani - IRCSS, via Portuense 292, Rome 00149, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Capobianchi
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani - IRCSS, via Portuense 292, Rome 00149, Italy
| | - Stefano Merler
- Fondazione Bruno Kessler, via Sommarive 18, Povo (Trento) 38123, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ippolito
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani - IRCSS, via Portuense 292, Rome 00149, Italy
| | - Simone Lanini
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani - IRCSS, via Portuense 292, Rome 00149, Italy
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Levi LI, Vignuzzi M. Arthritogenic Alphaviruses: A Worldwide Emerging Threat? Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7050133. [PMID: 31091828 PMCID: PMC6560413 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7050133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Arthritogenic alphaviruses are responsible for a dengue-like syndrome associated with severe debilitating polyarthralgia that can persist for months or years and impact life quality. Chikungunya virus is the most well-known member of this family since it was responsible for two worldwide epidemics with millions of cases in the last 15 years. However, other arthritogenic alphaviruses that are as of yet restrained to specific territories are the cause of neglected tropical diseases: O'nyong'nyong virus in Sub-Saharan Africa, Mayaro virus in Latin America, and Ross River virus in Australia and the Pacific island countries and territories. This review evaluates their emerging potential in light of the current knowledge for each of them and in comparison to chikungunya virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura I Levi
- Populations Virales et Pathogenèse, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3569, 75015 Paris, France.
- Ecole doctorale BioSPC, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75013 Paris, France.
| | - Marco Vignuzzi
- Populations Virales et Pathogenèse, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3569, 75015 Paris, France.
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Arévalo MT, Huang Y, Jones CA, Ross TM. Vaccination with a chikungunya virus-like particle vaccine exacerbates disease in aged mice. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007316. [PMID: 31026260 PMCID: PMC6485612 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging pathogen responsible for causing outbreaks of febrile disease accompanied with debilitating joint pain. Symptoms typically persist for two weeks, but more severe and chronic chikungunya illnesses have been reported, especially in the elderly. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines or antivirals against CHIKV available. In this study, we combined a CHIK virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine with different adjuvants to enhance immunogenicity and protection in both, adult and aged mice. METHODS CHIK VLP-based vaccines were tested in 6-8-week-old (adult) and 18-24-month-old (aged) female C57BL/6J mice. Formulations contained CHIK VLP alone or adjuvants: QuilA, R848, or Imject Alum. Mice were vaccinated three times via intramuscular injections. CHIKV-specific antibody responses were characterized by IgG subclass using ELISA, and by microneutralization assays. In addition, CHIKV infections were characterized in vaccinated and non-vaccinated adult mice and compared to aged mice. RESULTS In adult mice, CHIKV infection of the right hind foot induced significant swelling, which peaked by day 7 post-infection at approximately 170% of initial size. Viral titers peaked at 2.53 × 1010 CCID50/ml on day 2 post-infection. Mice vaccinated with CHIK VLP-based vaccines developed robust anti-CHIKV-specific IgG antibody responses that were capable of neutralizing CHIKV in vitro. CHIK VLP alone or CHIK plus QuilA administered by IM injections protected 100% of mice against CHIKV. In contrast, the antibody responses elicited by the VLP-based vaccines were attenuated in aged mice, with negligible neutralizing antibody titers detected. Unvaccinated, aged mice were resistant to CHIKV infection, while vaccination with CHIKV VLPs exacerbated disease. CONCLUSIONS Unadjuvanted CHIK VLP vaccination elicits immune responses that protect 100% of adult mice against CHIKV infection. However, an improved vaccine/adjuvant combination is still necessary to enhance the protective immunity against CHIKV in the aged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria T. Arévalo
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States of America
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States of America
| | - Ying Huang
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States of America
| | - Cheryl A. Jones
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States of America
| | - Ted M. Ross
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States of America
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States of America
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Bustos Carrillo F, Collado D, Sanchez N, Ojeda S, Lopez Mercado B, Burger-Calderon R, Gresh L, Gordon A, Balmaseda A, Kuan G, Harris E. Epidemiological Evidence for Lineage-Specific Differences in the Risk of Inapparent Chikungunya Virus Infection. J Virol 2019; 93:e01622-18. [PMID: 30463967 PMCID: PMC6364014 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01622-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In late 2013, chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was introduced into the Americas, leading to widespread epidemics. A large epidemic caused by the Asian chikungunya virus (CHIKV) lineage occurred in Managua, Nicaragua, in 2015. Literature reviews commonly state that the proportion of inapparent CHIKV infections ranges from 3 to 28%. This study estimates the ratio of symptomatic to asymptomatic CHIKV infections and identifies risk factors of infection. In October to November 2015, 60 symptomatic CHIKV-infected children were enrolled as index cases and prospectively monitored, alongside 236 household contacts, in an index cluster study. Samples were collected upon enrollment and on day 14 or 35 and tested by real-time reverse transcription-PCR (rRT-PCR), IgM capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (IgM-ELISAs), and inhibition ELISAs to detect pre- and postenrollment CHIKV infections. Of 236 household contacts, 55 (23%) had experienced previous or very recent infections, 41 (17%) had active infections at enrollment, and 21 (9%) experienced incident infections. Vehicle ownership (multivariable-adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 1.58) increased the risk of CHIKV infection, whereas ≥4 municipal trash collections/week (aRR, 0.38) and having externally piped water (aRR, 0.52) protected against CHIKV infection. Among 63 active and incident infections, 31 (49% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 36%, 62%]) were asymptomatic, yielding a ratio of symptomatic to asymptomatic infections of 1:0.97 (95% CI, 1:0.56, 1:1.60). Although our estimate is outside the 3% to 28% range reported previously, Bayesian and simulation analyses, informed by a systematic literature search, suggested that the proportion of inapparent CHIKV infections is lineage dependent and that more inapparent infections are associated with the Asian lineage than the East/Central/South African (ECSA) lineage. Overall, these data substantially improve knowledge regarding chikungunya epidemics.IMPORTANCE Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an understudied threat to human health. During the 2015 chikungunya epidemic in Managua, Nicaragua, we estimated the ratio of symptomatic to asymptomatic CHIKV infections, which is important for understanding transmission dynamics and the public health impact of CHIKV. This index cluster study identified and monitored persons at risk of infection, enabling capture of asymptomatic infections. We estimated that 31 (49%) of 63 at-risk participants had asymptomatic CHIKV infections, which is significantly outside the 3% to 28% range reported in literature reviews. However, recent seroprevalence studies, including two large pediatric cohort studies in the same setting, had also found percentages of inapparent infections outside the 3% to 28% range. Bayesian and simulation analyses, informed by a systematic literature search, revealed that the percentage of inapparent infections in epidemic settings varies by CHIKV phylogenetic lineage. Our study quantifies and provides the first epidemiological evidence that chikungunya epidemic characteristics are strongly influenced by CHIKV lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fausto Bustos Carrillo
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | - Nery Sanchez
- Sustainable Sciences Institute, Managua, Nicaragua
| | - Sergio Ojeda
- Sustainable Sciences Institute, Managua, Nicaragua
| | | | - Raquel Burger-Calderon
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- Sustainable Sciences Institute, Managua, Nicaragua
| | - Lionel Gresh
- Sustainable Sciences Institute, Managua, Nicaragua
| | - Aubree Gordon
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Angel Balmaseda
- Laboratorio Nacional de Virología, Centro Nacional de Diagnóstico y Referencia, Ministry of Health, Managua, Nicaragua
| | - Guillermina Kuan
- Centro de Salud Sócrates Flores Vivas, Ministry of Health, Managua, Nicaragua
| | - Eva Harris
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
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Manica M, Guzzetta G, Filipponi F, Solimini A, Caputo B, Della Torre A, Rosà R, Merler S. Assessing the risk of autochthonous yellow fever transmission in Lazio, central Italy. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0006970. [PMID: 30629583 PMCID: PMC6328239 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Manica
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Giorgio Guzzetta
- Center for Information Technology, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Trento, Italy
| | - Federico Filipponi
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Angelo Solimini
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Beniamino Caputo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Della Torre
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Rosà
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Trento, Italy
| | - Stefano Merler
- Center for Information Technology, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Trento, Italy
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Moretti R, Marzo GA, Lampazzi E, Calvitti M. Cytoplasmic incompatibility management to support Incompatible Insect Technique against Aedes albopictus. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:649. [PMID: 30583743 PMCID: PMC6304776 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3208-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The transinfection of the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia provides a method to produce functionally sterile males to be used to suppress mosquito vectors. ARwP is a wPip Wolbachia infected Aedes albopictus which exhibits a bidirectional incompatibility pattern with wild-types. We coupled a modelistic approach with laboratory experiments to test ARwP as a control tool and evaluate the possible occurrence of population replacement following the release of ARwP females in a wild-type (SANG) population. Repeated male-only releases were simulated and tested in the laboratory in comparison with releases contaminated with 1% ARwP females. Model simulations also investigated how migration affects the outcome of contaminated releases. Finally, the mean level of egg fertility and the long-term evolution of populations constituted by two Wolbachia infection types were studied by testing SANG and ARwP Ae. albopictus and performing more general model simulations. Results The model was parametrized with laboratory data and simulations were compared with results of biological trials. Small populations of ARwP males and females were theoretically and experimentally demonstrated to rapidly become extinct when released in larger SANG populations. Male-only releases at a 5:1 ratio with respect to the wild-type males led to a complete suppression of the SANG population in a few generations. Contaminated releases were efficient as well but led to population replacement in the long term, when the wild-type population approached eradication. Migration significantly contrasted this trend as a 5% population turnover was sufficient to avoid any risk of population replacement. At equal frequencies between ARwP and SANG individuals, the mean egg fertility of the overall population was more than halved and suppression was self-sustaining until one of the two infection types extinguished. Conclusions In the case of bidirectional incompatibility patterns, the repeated release of incompatible males with small percentages of contaminant females could lead to population replacement in confined environments while it could be managed to target high efficiency and sustainability in wild-type suppression when systems are open to migration. This possibility is discussed based on various contexts and taking into consideration the possibility of integration with other control methods such as SIT and the use of larvicides. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-3208-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Moretti
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Augusto Marzo
- Technologies and Facilities for Nuclear Fission and Nuclear Material Management, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Lampazzi
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Calvitti
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
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Vairo F, Mammone A, Lanini S, Nicastri E, Castilletti C, Carletti F, Puro V, Di Lallo D, Panella V, Varrenti D, Scaramozzino P, di Caro A, Scognamiglio P, Capobianchi MR, Ippolito G. Local transmission of chikungunya in Rome and the Lazio region, Italy. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0208896. [PMID: 30576334 PMCID: PMC6303016 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
On September 7, 2017, three potentially autochthonous cases of chikungunya were notified in the Lazio region. An Outbreak investigation based on established surveillance system data and molecular analysis of viral variant(s) were conducted. Epidemiological analysis suggested the occurrence of 3 main foci of local transmission. The major focus involved 317 cases with epidemiological link with the area of Anzio. The other two foci occurred in Rome (80 cases) and Latina (8 cases). Cumulative incidence in Anzio and Latina were 331.4 and 7.13 per 100,000 residents, respectively. Cumulative incidences ranged from 1.4 to 14.3/100,000 residents in Rome. This is the first report of a chikungunya outbreak involving a densely populated urban area in a western country. The outbreak probably started in Anzio, spread by continuity to neighbouring villages, and then to the metropolitan area of Rome and to the Latina area favoured by the touristic nature of the Anzio area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Vairo
- Regional Service for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases (SERESMI), National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani” IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia Mammone
- Regional Service for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases (SERESMI), National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani” IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Lanini
- Regional Service for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases (SERESMI), National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani” IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuele Nicastri
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani” IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Concetta Castilletti
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani” IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Carletti
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani” IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Puro
- Regional Service for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases (SERESMI), National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani” IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Domenico Di Lallo
- Direzione Regionale Salute e Politiche Sociali, Regione Lazio, Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Panella
- Direzione Regionale Salute e Politiche Sociali, Regione Lazio, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Paola Scaramozzino
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri”, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonino di Caro
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani” IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Scognamiglio
- Regional Service for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases (SERESMI), National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani” IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Ippolito
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani” IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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Stefopoulou Α, Balatsos G, Petraki A, LaDeau SL, Papachristos D, Michaelakis Α. Reducing Aedes albopictus breeding sites through education: A study in urban area. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202451. [PMID: 30408031 PMCID: PMC6224055 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Aedes albopictus tends to proliferate in small, often man-made bodies of water, largely present in urban private areas. For this reason, education and community participation are considered crucial for source reduction and mosquito control. In the current study, we identify mosquito breeding habitat and evaluate the effectiveness of resident education. Since 2010 several outbreaks of West Nile virus infection occurred in Greece however urban population has no previous experience with mosquito–borne disease related to Aedes species, such as Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya. After the introduction of Ae. albopictus in Greece, urban areas have been considered to be at risk of epidemic arboviral outbreaks and identifying effective control strategies is imperative. Our study examines the relationship between mosquito breeding sources and socioeconomic or demographic characteristics of different households in a Greek municipality and evaluates efficacy of resident education. The results revealed that only a minority of residents knew where mosquitoes breed (18.6%) and only 46% felt that residents had any responsibility for managing breeding habitat. Our findings strongly suggest that only the presence of scientific staff inspecting possible habitats in their properties, could be enough to stimulate practices towards source reduction. However, educational interventions alone with printed education material cannot enhance significant community participation and source reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Αngeliki Stefopoulou
- Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Department of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Kifissia, Greece
| | - George Balatsos
- Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Department of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Kifissia, Greece
| | - Angeliki Petraki
- Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Department of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Kifissia, Greece
| | - Shannon L. LaDeau
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York, United States of America
| | - Dimitrios Papachristos
- Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Department of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Kifissia, Greece
| | - Αntonios Michaelakis
- Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Department of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Kifissia, Greece
- * E-mail:
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Solimini AG, Manica M, Rosà R, Della Torre A, Caputo B. Estimating the risk of Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika outbreaks in a large European city. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16435. [PMID: 30401870 PMCID: PMC6219586 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34664-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Outbreaks of arbovirus infections vectored by invasive Aedes albopictus have already occurred and are predicted to become increasingly frequent in Southern Europe. We present a probabilistic model to assess risk of arbovirus outbreaks based on incident cases worldwide, on the probability of arrival of infected travelers, and on the abundance of the vector species. Our results show a significant risk of Chikungunya outbreak in Rome from mid June to October in simulations with high human biting rates (i.e. when ≥50% of the population is bitten every day). The outbreak risk is predicted to be highest for Chikungunya and null for Zika. Simulated increase of incident cases in selected endemic countries has no major impact on the outbreak risk. The model correctly estimated the number of imported cases and can be easily adapted to other urban areas where Ae. albopictus is the only potential vector present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo G Solimini
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Universita' La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
| | - Mattia Manica
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Universita' La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Roberto Rosà
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Alessandra Della Torre
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Universita' La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Beniamino Caputo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Universita' La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
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Moretti R, Yen PS, Houé V, Lampazzi E, Desiderio A, Failloux AB, Calvitti M. Combining Wolbachia-induced sterility and virus protection to fight Aedes albopictus-borne viruses. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006626. [PMID: 30020933 PMCID: PMC6066253 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the strategies targeting vector control, the exploitation of the endosymbiont Wolbachia to produce sterile males and/or invasive females with reduced vector competence seems to be promising. A new Aedes albopictus transinfection (ARwP-M) was generated by introducing wMel Wolbachia in the ARwP line which had been established previously by replacing wAlbA and wAlbB Wolbachia with the wPip strain. Various infection and fitness parameters were studied by comparing ARwP-M, ARwP and wild-type (SANG population) Ae. albopictus sharing the same genetic background. Moreover, the vector competence of ARwP-M related to chikungunya, dengue and zika viruses was evaluated in comparison with ARwP. ARwP-M showed a 100% rate of maternal inheritance of wMel and wPip Wolbachia. Survival, female fecundity and egg fertility did not show to differ between the three Ae. albopictus lines. Crosses between ARwP-M males and SANG females were fully unfertile regardless of male age while egg hatch in reverse crosses increased from 0 to about 17% with SANG males aging from 3 to 17 days. When competing with SANG males for SANG females, ARwP-M males induced a level of sterility significantly higher than that expected for an equal mating competitiveness (mean Fried index of 1.71 instead of 1). The overall Wolbachia density in ARwP-M females was about 15 fold higher than in ARwP, mostly due to the wMel infection. This feature corresponded to a strongly reduced vector competence for chikungunya and dengue viruses (in both cases, 5 and 0% rates of transmission at 14 and 21 days post infection) with respect to ARwP females. Results regarding Zika virus did not highlight significant differences between ARwP-M and ARwP. However, none of the tested ARwP-M females was capable at transmitting ZIKV. These findings are expected to promote the exploitation of Wolbachia to suppress the wild-type Ae. albopictus populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Moretti
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Pei-Shi Yen
- Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Arboviruses and Insect Vectors Unit, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Houé
- Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Arboviruses and Insect Vectors Unit, Paris, France
| | - Elena Lampazzi
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Angiola Desiderio
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna-Bella Failloux
- Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Arboviruses and Insect Vectors Unit, Paris, France
| | - Maurizio Calvitti
- Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
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The containment of potential outbreaks triggered by imported Chikungunya cases in Italy: a cost utility epidemiological assessment of vector control measures. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9034. [PMID: 29899520 PMCID: PMC5998040 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27443-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The arrival of infected travelers from endemic regions can trigger sustained autochthonous transmission of mosquito-borne pathogens in Europe. In 2007 a Chikungunya outbreak was observed in central Italy, mostly affecting two villages characterised by a high density of Aedes albopictus. The outbreak was mitigated through intervention strategies reducing the mosquito abundance. Ten years later, in 2017, sustained Chikungunya transmission was documented in both central and southern Italy. The proposed analysis identifies suitable reactive measures for the containment and mitigation of future epidemics by combining epidemiological modeling with a health economic approach, considering different arrival times of imported infections and possible delays in the notification of cases. Obtained estimates suggest that, if the first notification will occur in the middle of the mosquito breeding season, the combination of larvicides, adulticides and breeding sites removal represents the optimal strategy. In particular, we found that interventions implemented in 2007 were cost-effective, with about 3200 prevented cases, 1450 DALYs averted and €13.5 M saved. Moreover, larvicides are proven to be more cost beneficial in early summer and warmer seasons, while adulticides should be preferred in autumn and colder seasons. Our results provide useful indications supporting urgent decision-making of public health authorities in response to emerging mosquito-borne epidemics.
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Contopoulos-Ioannidis D, Newman-Lindsay S, Chow C, LaBeaud AD. Mother-to-child transmission of Chikungunya virus: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006510. [PMID: 29897898 PMCID: PMC6075784 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an emerging arboviral infection with a global distribution and may cause fetal and neonatal infections after maternal CHIKV-infections during gestation. METHODOLOGY We performed a systematic review to evaluate the risk for: a) mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), b) antepartum fetal deaths (APFD), c) symptomatic neonatal disease, and d) neonatal deaths from maternal CHIKV-infections during gestation. We also recorded the neonatal clinical manifestations after such maternal infections (qualitative data synthesis). We searched PubMed (last search 3/2017) for articles, of any study design, with any of the above outcomes. We calculated the overall risk of MTCT, APFDs and risk of symptomatic neonatal disease by simple pooling. For endpoints with ≥5 events in more than one study, we also synthesized the data by random-effect-model (REM) meta-analysis. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Among 563 identified articles, 13 articles from 8 cohorts were included in the quantitative data synthesis and 33 articles in the qualitative data synthesis. Most cohorts reported data only on symptomatic rather than on all neonatal infections. By extrapolation also of these data, the overall pooled-MTCT-risk across cohorts was at least 15.5% (206/1331), (12.6% by REMs). The pooled APFD-risk was 1.7% (20/1203); while the risk of CHIKV-confirmed-APFDs was 0.3% (3/1203). Overall, the pooled-risk of symptomatic neonatal disease was 15.3% (203/1331), (11.9% by REMs). The pooled risk of symptomatic disease was 50.0% (23/46) among intrapartum vs 0% (0/712) among antepartum/peripartum maternal infections. Infected newborns, from maternal infections during gestation were either asymptomatic or presented within their first week of life, but not at birth, with fever, irritability, hyperalgesia, diffuse limb edema, rashes and occasionally sepsis-like illness and meningoencephalitis. The pooled-risk of neonatal death was 0.6% (5/832) among maternal infections and 2.8% (5/182) among neonatal infections; long-term neurodevelopmental delays occurred in 50% of symptomatic neonatal infections. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Published cohorts with data on the risk to the fetus and/or newborn from maternal CHIKV-infections during gestation were sparse compared to the number of recently reported CHIKV-infection outbreaks worldwide; however perinatal infections do occur, at high rates during intrapartum period, and can be related to neonatal death and long-term disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Despina Contopoulos-Ioannidis
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Shoshana Newman-Lindsay
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Camille Chow
- Department of Internal Medicine, St. Agnes Medical Center, Fresno, CA, United States of America
| | - A. Desiree LaBeaud
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States of America
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Ciocchetta S, Prow NA, Darbro JM, Frentiu FD, Savino S, Montarsi F, Capelli G, Aaskov JG, Devine GJ. The new European invader Aedes (Finlaya) koreicus: a potential vector of chikungunya virus. Pathog Glob Health 2018; 112:107-114. [PMID: 29737236 PMCID: PMC6056824 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2018.1464780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Arthropod-borne disease outbreaks, facilitated by the introduction of exotic mosquitoes, pose a significant public health threat. Recent chikungunya virus (CHIKV) epidemics in Europe highlight the importance of understanding the vector potential of invading mosquitoes. In this paper we explore the potential of Aedes koreicus, a mosquito new to Europe, to transmit CHIKV. Mosquitoes were challenged with CHIKV and maintained at two temperatures: 23 °C and a fluctuating temperature. Total CHIKV infection rates at 3, 10 and 14 days post-feeding were low for both temperature treatments (13.8% at 23 °C; 6.2% at fluctuating T). A low percentage (6.1%, n = 65) of mosquitoes maintained at a constant 23 °C showed dissemination of the virus to the wings and legs. Infection of mosquito saliva, with live virus, occurred in 2 mosquitoes. No dissemination was noted under the fluctuating temperature regime. Based on these results we conclude that CHIKV transmission by this species is possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Ciocchetta
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
- Institute for Health and Biomedical Innovation, and School of Biomedical Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Natalie A. Prow
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jonathan M. Darbro
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Francesca D. Frentiu
- Institute for Health and Biomedical Innovation, and School of Biomedical Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sandro Savino
- Geographic Information Systems, Department of Information Engineering, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Gioia Capelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Padua, Italy
| | - John G. Aaskov
- Institute for Health and Biomedical Innovation, and School of Biomedical Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Gregor J. Devine
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
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Detection of the Invasive Mosquito Species Aedes ( Stegomyia) albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Portugal. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:ijerph15040820. [PMID: 29690531 PMCID: PMC5923862 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15040820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is an invasive mosquito originating from the Asia-Pacific region. This species is of major concern to public and veterinary health because of its vector role in the transmission of several pathogens, such as chikungunya, dengue, and Zika viruses. In Portugal, a National Vector Surveillance Network (REde de VIgilância de VEctores—REVIVE) is responsible for the surveillance of autochthonous, but also invasive, mosquito species at points of entry, such as airports, ports, storage areas, and specific border regions with Spain. At these locations, networks of mosquito traps are set and maintained under surveillance throughout the year. In September 2017, Ae. albopictus was detected for the first time in a tyre company located in the North of Portugal. Molecular typing was performed, and a preliminary phylogenetic analysis indicated a high similarity with sequences of Ae. albopictus collected in Europe. A prompt surveillance response was locally implemented to determine its dispersal and abundance, and adult mosquitoes were screened for the presence of arboviral RNA. A total of 103 specimens, 52 immatures and 51 adults, were collected. No pathogenic viruses were detected. Despite the obtained results suggest low abundance of the population locally introduced, the risk of dispersal and potential establishment of Ae. albopictus in Portugal has raised concern for autochthonous mosquito-borne disease outbreaks.
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Ravasi D, Guidi V, Flacio E, Lüthy P, Perron K, Lüdin S, Tonolla M. Investigation of temperature conditions in Swiss urban and suburban microhabitats for the overwintering suitability of diapausing Aedes albopictus eggs. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:212. [PMID: 29587850 PMCID: PMC5870348 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2803-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Switzerland, the invasive Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is firmly established in the Canton of Ticino, south of the Alps. According to a large-scale distribution model developed in 2013, suitable climatic conditions for the establishment of Ae. albopictus north of the Alps are found in Basel and Geneva while Zurich appears to be characterized by winters currently being too cold for survival of diapausing eggs. However, the spatial resolution of large-scale distribution models might not be sufficient to detect particular climatic conditions existing in urban settings, such as the presence of microclimatic temperatures, which may positively influence the probability of diapausing eggs to overwinter. In order to investigate this, microclimatic monitoring of potential diapausing sites (i.e. catch basins) and external controls was performed in January 2017 in Ticino and within the cities of Basel, Geneva and Zurich. RESULTS Mean January temperatures in catch basins of Basel, Geneva and Zurich were always higher than the -1 °C temperature threshold previously set for survival probability of diapausing eggs, while mean January temperatures were below -1 °C in several catch basins south of the Alps, where Ae. albopictus eggs currently overwinter. The catch basin absolute January daily minimum temperatures both south and north of the Alps were in general higher than the external control temperatures. Absolute January daily minimum temperatures in catch basins in Basel, Geneva and Zurich were always above -10 °C, indicating that diapausing Ae. albopictus eggs could potentially survive winter nights in urban areas north of the Alps. CONCLUSIONS The findings confirmed previous conclusions that urban catch basins can provide favourable conditions for overwintering of diapausing eggs compared to more cold-exposed sites. The results confirmed the presence of suitable winter conditions for the establishment of Ae. albopictus in the cities of Basel and Geneva. In addition, the microclimate-scale analysis added new information compared to the previous large-scale prevision model by showing that also the city of Zurich could provide winter conditions suitable for the establishment of Ae. albopictus. This illustrates the importance of the resolution of climate data in using models to predict Ae. albopictus distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damiana Ravasi
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, via Mirasole 22A, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Valeria Guidi
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, via Mirasole 22A, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Eleonora Flacio
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, via Mirasole 22A, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Peter Lüthy
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karl Perron
- Microbiology Unit, Plant Biology Department, Sciences III University of Geneva, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Samuel Lüdin
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, via Mirasole 22A, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Microbiology Unit, Plant Biology Department, Sciences III University of Geneva, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Federal Office for Civil Protection, Spiez Laboratory, Biology Division, 3700 Spiez, Switzerland
| | - Mauro Tonolla
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, via Mirasole 22A, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Microbiology Unit, Plant Biology Department, Sciences III University of Geneva, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
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