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Bouyer F, Thiongane O, Hobeika A, Arsevska E, Binot A, Corrèges D, Dub T, Mäkelä H, van Kleef E, Jori F, Lancelot R, Mercier A, Fagandini F, Valentin S, Van Bortel W, Ruault C. Epidemic intelligence in Europe: a user needs perspective to foster innovation in digital health surveillance. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:973. [PMID: 38582850 PMCID: PMC10999084 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18466-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND European epidemic intelligence (EI) systems receive vast amounts of information and data on disease outbreaks and potential health threats. The quantity and variety of available data sources for EI, as well as the available methods to manage and analyse these data sources, are constantly increasing. Our aim was to identify the difficulties encountered in this context and which innovations, according to EI practitioners, could improve the detection, monitoring and analysis of disease outbreaks and the emergence of new pathogens. METHODS We conducted a qualitative study to identify the need for innovation expressed by 33 EI practitioners of national public health and animal health agencies in five European countries and at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). We adopted a stepwise approach to identify the EI stakeholders, to understand the problems they faced concerning their EI activities, and to validate and further define with practitioners the problems to address and the most adapted solutions to their work conditions. We characterized their EI activities, professional logics, and desired changes in their activities using NvivoⓇ software. RESULTS Our analysis highlights that EI practitioners wished to collectively review their EI strategy to enhance their preparedness for emerging infectious diseases, adapt their routines to manage an increasing amount of data and have methodological support for cross-sectoral analysis. Practitioners were in demand of timely, validated and standardized data acquisition processes by text mining of various sources; better validated dataflows respecting the data protection rules; and more interoperable data with homogeneous quality levels and standardized covariate sets for epidemiological assessments of national EI. The set of solutions identified to facilitate risk detection and risk assessment included visualization, text mining, and predefined analytical tools combined with methodological guidance. Practitioners also highlighted their preference for partial rather than full automation of analyses to maintain control over the data and inputs and to adapt parameters to versatile objectives and characteristics. CONCLUSIONS The study showed that the set of solutions needed by practitioners had to be based on holistic and integrated approaches for monitoring zoonosis and antimicrobial resistance and on harmonization between agencies and sectors while maintaining flexibility in the choice of tools and methods. The technical requirements should be defined in detail by iterative exchanges with EI practitioners and decision-makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Bouyer
- Groupe d'Expérimentation et de Recherche: Développement et Actions Locales (GERDAL), Angers, France.
| | - Oumy Thiongane
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Alexandre Hobeika
- UMR MOISA, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), 34398, Montpellier, France
- MOISA, University Montpellier, CIHEAM-IAMM, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Elena Arsevska
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Aurélie Binot
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Déborah Corrèges
- Joint Research Unit EPIdemiological On Animal and Zoonotic Diseases (UMR EPIA), National School of Veterinary Services (VetAgro Sup), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Marcy L'Etoile, France
| | - Timothée Dub
- Department of Health Security, Finish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Henna Mäkelä
- Department of Health Security, Finish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Esther van Kleef
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Outbreak Research Team, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ferran Jori
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Renaud Lancelot
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Alize Mercier
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Francesca Fagandini
- Joint Research Unit Land, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information (UMR TETIS), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), Montpellier, France
| | - Sarah Valentin
- Joint Research Unit Land, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information (UMR TETIS), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), Montpellier, France
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Outbreak Research Team, Antwerp, Belgium
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Entomology, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Claire Ruault
- Groupe d'Expérimentation et de Recherche: Développement et Actions Locales (GERDAL), Angers, France
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Erazo D, Grant L, Ghisbain G, Marini G, Colón-González FJ, Wint W, Rizzoli A, Van Bortel W, Vogels CBF, Grubaugh ND, Mengel M, Frieler K, Thiery W, Dellicour S. Contribution of climate change to the spatial expansion of West Nile virus in Europe. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1196. [PMID: 38331945 PMCID: PMC10853512 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45290-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging mosquito-borne pathogen in Europe where it represents a new public health threat. While climate change has been cited as a potential driver of its spatial expansion on the continent, a formal evaluation of this causal relationship is lacking. Here, we investigate the extent to which WNV spatial expansion in Europe can be attributed to climate change while accounting for other direct human influences such as land-use and human population changes. To this end, we trained ecological niche models to predict the risk of local WNV circulation leading to human cases to then unravel the isolated effect of climate change by comparing factual simulations to a counterfactual based on the same environmental changes but a counterfactual climate where long-term trends have been removed. Our findings demonstrate a notable increase in the area ecologically suitable for WNV circulation during the period 1901-2019, whereas this area remains largely unchanged in a no-climate-change counterfactual. We show that the drastic increase in the human population at risk of exposure is partly due to historical changes in population density, but that climate change has also been a critical driver behind the heightened risk of WNV circulation in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Erazo
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Luke Grant
- Department of Water and Climate, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Guillaume Ghisbain
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Giovanni Marini
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy
| | | | - William Wint
- Environmental Research Group Oxford Ltd, Department of Biology, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Annapaola Rizzoli
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Unit Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Outbreak Research team, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Chantal B F Vogels
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nathan D Grubaugh
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Matthias Mengel
- Department Transformation Pathways, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Katja Frieler
- Department Transformation Pathways, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Wim Thiery
- Department of Water and Climate, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Simon Dellicour
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory for Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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Zortman I, de Garine-Wichatitsky M, Arsevska E, Dub T, Van Bortel W, Lefrançois E, Vial L, Pollet T, Binot A. A social-ecological systems approach to tick bite and tick-borne disease risk management: Exploring collective action in the Occitanie region in southern France. One Health 2023; 17:100630. [PMID: 38024266 PMCID: PMC10665146 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks are amongst the most important zoonotic disease vectors affecting human and animal health worldwide. Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are rapidly expanding geographically and in incidence, most notably in temperate regions of Europe where ticks are considered the principal zoonotic vector of Public Health relevance, as well as a major health and economic preoccupation in agriculture and equine industries. Tick-borne pathogen (TBP) transmission is contingent on complex, interlinked vector-pathogen-host dynamics, environmental and ecological conditions and human behavior. Tackling TBD therefore requires a better understanding of the interconnected social and ecological variables (i.e., the social-ecological system) that favor disease (re)-emergence. The One Health paradigm recognizes the interdependence of human, animal and environmental health and proposes an integrated approach to manage TBD. However, One Health interventions are limited by significant gaps in our understanding of the complex, systemic nature of TBD risk, in addition to a lack of effective, universally accepted and environmentally conscious tick control measures. Today individual prevention gestures are the most effective strategy to manage TBDs in humans and animals, making local communities important actors in TBD detection, prevention and management. Yet, how they engage and collaborate within a multi-actor TBD network has not yet been explored. Here, we argue that transdisciplinary collaborations that go beyond research, political and medical stakeholders, and extend to local community actors can aid in identifying relevant social-ecological risk indicators key for informing multi-level TBD detection, prevention and management measures. This article proposes a transdisciplinary social-ecological systems framework, based on participatory research approaches, to better understand the necessary conditions for local actor engagement to improve TBD risk. We conclude with perspectives for implementing this methodological framework in a case study in the south of France (Occitanie region), where multi-actor collaborations are mobilized to stimulate multi-actor collective action and identify relevant social-ecological indicators of TBD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iyonna Zortman
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Michel de Garine-Wichatitsky
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
- Kasetsart University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Elena Arsevska
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Timothée Dub
- Infectious Disease Control and Vaccination Unit, Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Unit Po Box 30. FI-00271 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Unit Entomology and Outbreak Research Team, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat, 155, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Estelle Lefrançois
- LIRDEF, Université de Montpellier and Université Paul Valéry Montpellier, France
| | - Laurence Vial
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Thomas Pollet
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Aurélie Binot
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
- Maison des Sciences de l'Homme Sud, Montpellier, France
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Roy L, Cloots K, Uranw S, Rai K, Bhattarai NR, Smekens T, Hendrickx R, Caljon G, Hasker E, Das ML, Van Bortel W. The ongoing risk of Leishmania donovani transmission in eastern Nepal: an entomological investigation during the elimination era. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:404. [PMID: 37932813 PMCID: PMC10629032 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05986-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a life-threatening neglected tropical disease, is targeted for elimination from Nepal by the year 2026. The national VL elimination program is still confronted with many challenges including the increasingly widespread distribution of the disease over the country, local resurgence and the questionable efficacy of the key vector control activities. In this study, we assessed the status and risk of Leishmania donovani transmission based on entomological indicators including seasonality, natural Leishmania infection rate and feeding behavior of vector sand flies, Phlebotomus argentipes, in three districts that had received disease control interventions in the past several years in the context of the disease elimination effort. METHODS We selected two epidemiologically contrasting settings in each survey district, one village with and one without reported VL cases in recent years. Adult sand flies were collected using CDC light traps and mouth aspirators in each village for 12 consecutive months from July 2017 to June 2018. Leishmania infection was assessed in gravid sand flies targeting the small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene of the parasite (SSU-rRNA) and further sequenced for species identification. A segment (~ 350 bp) of the vertebrate cytochrome b (cytb) gene was amplified from blood-fed P. argentipes from dwellings shared by both humans and cattle and sequenced to identify the preferred host. RESULTS Vector abundance varied among districts and village types and peaks were observed in June, July and September to November. The estimated Leishmania infection rate in vector sand flies was 2.2% (1.1%-3.7% at 95% credible interval) and 0.6% (0.2%-1.3% at 95% credible interval) in VL and non-VL villages respectively. The common source of blood meal was humans in both VL (52.7%) and non-VL (74.2%) villages followed by cattle. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the risk of ongoing L. donovani transmission not only in villages with VL cases but also in villages not reporting the presence of the disease over the past several years within the districts having disease elimination efforts, emphasize the remaining threats of VL re-emergence and inform the national program for critical evaluation of disease elimination strategies in Nepal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lalita Roy
- Tropical and Infectious Disease Centre, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal.
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Kristien Cloots
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Surendra Uranw
- Department of Internal Medicine, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
| | - Keshav Rai
- Department of Microbiology, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
| | - Narayan R Bhattarai
- Department of Microbiology, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
| | - Tom Smekens
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Rik Hendrickx
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Guy Caljon
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Epco Hasker
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Murari L Das
- Department of Microbiology, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
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Dub T, Mäkelä H, Van Kleef E, Leblond A, Mercier A, Hénaux V, Bouyer F, Binot A, Thiongane O, Lancelot R, Delconte V, Zamuner L, Van Bortel W, Arsevska E. Epidemic intelligence activities among national public and animal health agencies: a European cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1488. [PMID: 37542208 PMCID: PMC10401758 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16396-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epidemic Intelligence (EI) encompasses all activities related to early identification, verification, analysis, assessment, and investigation of health threats. It integrates an indicator-based (IBS) component using systematically collected surveillance data, and an event-based component (EBS), using non-official, non-verified, non-structured data from multiple sources. We described current EI practices in Europe by conducting a survey of national Public Health (PH) and Animal Health (AH) agencies. We included generic questions on the structure, mandate and scope of the institute, on the existence and coordination of EI activities, followed by a section where respondents provided a description of EI activities for three diseases out of seven disease models. Out of 81 gatekeeper agencies from 41 countries contacted, 34 agencies (42%) from 26 (63%) different countries responded, out of which, 32 conducted EI activities. Less than half (15/32; 47%) had teams dedicated to EI activities and 56% (18/34) had Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in place. On a national level, a combination of IBS and EBS was the most common data source. Most respondents monitored the epidemiological situation in bordering countries, the rest of Europe and the world. EI systems were heterogeneous across countries and diseases. National IBS activities strongly relied on mandatory laboratory-based surveillance systems. The collection, analysis and interpretation of IBS information was performed manually for most disease models. Depending on the disease, some respondents did not have any EBS activity. Most respondents conducted signal assessment manually through expert review. Cross-sectoral collaboration was heterogeneous. More than half of the responding institutes collaborated on various levels (data sharing, communication, etc.) with neighbouring countries and/or international structures, across most disease models. Our findings emphasise a notable engagement in EI activities across PH and AH institutes of Europe, but opportunities exist for better integration, standardisation, and automatization of these efforts. A strong reliance on traditional IBS and laboratory-based surveillance systems, emphasises the key role of in-country laboratories networks. EI activities may benefit particularly from investments in cross-border collaboration, the development of methods that can automatise signal assessment in both IBS and EBS data, as well as further investments in the collection of EBS data beyond scientific literature and mainstream media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothee Dub
- Department of Health security, Finish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Henna Mäkelä
- Department of Health security, Finish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Esther Van Kleef
- Department of Public Health, Institute of tropical medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Agnes Leblond
- UMR EPIA, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, University of Lyon, Marcy l'Etoile, F-69280, France
| | - Alizé Mercier
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Viviane Hénaux
- Unité Epidémiologie et appui à la surveillance, Université de Lyon-Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail (Anses), Lyon, France
| | - Fanny Bouyer
- Groupe d'Expérimentation et de Recherche: Développement et Actions Locales (GERDAL), Angers, France
| | - Aurelie Binot
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Oumy Thiongane
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Renaud Lancelot
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Valentina Delconte
- OpenGeoHub foundation, Agro Business Park 10, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lea Zamuner
- OpenGeoHub foundation, Agro Business Park 10, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Outbreak Research Team, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of tropical medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of tropical medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Elena Arsevska
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
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Wint GRW, Balenghien T, Berriatua E, Braks M, Marsboom C, Medlock J, Schaffner F, Van Bortel W, Alexander N, Alten B, Czwienczek E, Dhollander S, Ducheyne E, Gossner CM, Hansford K, Hendrickx G, Honrubia H, Matheussen T, Mihalca AD, Petric D, Richardson J, Sprong H, Versteirt V, Briet O. VectorNet: collaborative mapping of arthropod disease vectors in Europe and surrounding areas since 2010. Euro Surveill 2023; 28:2200666. [PMID: 37382886 PMCID: PMC10311950 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2023.28.26.2200666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundArthropod vectors such as ticks, mosquitoes, sandflies and biting midges are of public and veterinary health significance because of the pathogens they can transmit. Understanding their distributions is a key means of assessing risk. VectorNet maps their distribution in the EU and surrounding areas.AimWe aim to describe the methodology underlying VectorNet maps, encourage standardisation and evaluate output.Methods: Vector distribution and surveillance activity data have been collected since 2010 from a combination of literature searches, field-survey data by entomologist volunteers via a network facilitated for each participating country and expert validation. Data were collated by VectorNet members and extensively validated during data entry and mapping processes.ResultsAs of 2021, the VectorNet archive consisted of ca 475,000 records relating to > 330 species. Maps for 42 species are routinely produced online at subnational administrative unit resolution. On VectorNet maps, there are relatively few areas where surveillance has been recorded but there are no distribution data. Comparison with other continental databases, namely the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and VectorBase show that VectorNet has 5-10 times as many records overall, although three species are better represented in the other databases. In addition, VectorNet maps show where species are absent. VectorNet's impact as assessed by citations (ca 60 per year) and web statistics (58,000 views) is substantial and its maps are widely used as reference material by professionals and the public.ConclusionVectorNet maps are the pre-eminent source of rigorously validated arthropod vector maps for Europe and its surrounding areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- G R William Wint
- Environmental Research Group Oxford Ltd, c/o Department of Biology, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Balenghien
- Unité Microbiologie, immunologie et maladies contagieuses, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco
- ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Eduardo Berriatua
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Marieta Braks
- Centre for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Cedric Marsboom
- Avia-GIS, Agro-Veterinary Information and Analysis, Zoersel, Belgium
| | - Jolyon Medlock
- Medical Entomology & Zoonoses Ecology, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, United Kingdom
| | | | - Wim Van Bortel
- Unit Entomology and the Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Neil Alexander
- Environmental Research Group Oxford Ltd, c/o Department of Biology, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Bulent Alten
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Ecology Division, VERG Laboratories, Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | | | - Els Ducheyne
- Johnson and Johnson, Beerse, Belgium
- Avia-GIS, Agro-Veterinary Information and Analysis, Zoersel, Belgium
| | - Celine M Gossner
- Disease Programme Unit, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kayleigh Hansford
- Medical Entomology & Zoonoses Ecology, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, United Kingdom
| | - Guy Hendrickx
- Avia-GIS, Agro-Veterinary Information and Analysis, Zoersel, Belgium
| | - Hector Honrubia
- Public Health Functions Unit, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tom Matheussen
- Avia-GIS, Agro-Veterinary Information and Analysis, Zoersel, Belgium
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- Parasitology Consultancy Group, Corușu, Romania
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dusan Petric
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
| | | | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Veerle Versteirt
- Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos, Havenlaan 88, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Avia-GIS, Agro-Veterinary Information and Analysis, Zoersel, Belgium
| | - Olivier Briet
- Disease Programme Unit, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
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Manzambi EZ, Mbuka GB, Ilombe G, Takasongo RM, Tezzo FW, Del Carmen Marquetti M, Metelo E, Vanlerberghe V, Bortel WV. Behavior of Adult Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in Kinshasa, DRC, and the Implications for Control. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:tropicalmed8040207. [PMID: 37104333 PMCID: PMC10143671 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8040207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Yellow fever and chikungunya outbreaks-and a few dengue cases-have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in recent years. However, little is known about the ecology and behavior of the adult disease vector species, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, in DRC. Preliminary studies showed important differences in Aedes behavior in DRC and Latin-American sites. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the host-seeking and resting behaviors of female Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus, and their densities in four communes of Kinshasa (Kalamu, Lingwala, Mont Ngafula and Ndjili). Two cross-sectional surveys were carried out, one in the dry season (July 2019) and one in the rainy season (February 2020). We used three different adult vector collection methods: BG-Sentinel 2, BG-GAT, and prokopack. Both Aedes species were clearly exophagic, exophilic, and sought breeding sites outdoors. The adult house index for Ae. aegypti exceeded 55% in all communes except Lingwala, where it was only 27%. The Adult Breteau Index (ABI) for Ae. aegypti was 190.77 mosquitoes per 100 houses inspected in the rainy season and 6.03 in the dry season. For Ae. albopictus, the ABI was 11.79 and 3.52 in the rainy and dry seasons, respectively. Aedes aegypti showed unimodal host-seeking activity between 6 h and 21 h. The exophagic and exophilic behaviors of both species point to the need to target adult mosquitoes outdoors when implementing vector control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emile Zola Manzambi
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Guillaume Binene Mbuka
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Gillon Ilombe
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Global Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Richard Mundeke Takasongo
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Francis Wat'senga Tezzo
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Emery Metelo
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Veerle Vanlerberghe
- Tropical Infectious Disease Group, Public Health Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
- Unit of Entomology, Biomedical Science Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
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8
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Ilombe G, Matangila JR, Lulebo A, Mutombo P, Linsuke S, Maketa V, Mabanzila B, Wat’senga F, Van Bortel W, Fiacre A, Irish SR, Lutumba P, Van Geertruyden JP. Malaria among children under 10 years in 4 endemic health areas in Kisantu Health Zone: epidemiology and transmission. Malar J 2023; 22:3. [PMID: 36604663 PMCID: PMC9814333 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04415-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the second most malaria-affected country in the world with 21,608,681 cases reported in 2019. The Kongo Central (KC) Province has a malaria annual incidence of 163 cases/per 1000 inhabitants which are close to the national average of 153.4/1000. However, the malaria prevalence varies both between and within health zones in this province. The main objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology and transmission of malaria among children aged 0 to 10 years in the 4 highest endemic health areas in Kisantu Health Zone (HZ) of KC in DRC. METHODS A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from October to November 2017 using multi-stage sampling. A total of 30 villages in 4 health areas in Kisantu HZ were randomly selected. The prevalence of malaria was measured using a thick blood smear (TBS) and known predictors and associated outcomes were assessed. Data are described and association determinants of malaria infection were analysed. RESULTS A total of 1790 children between 0 and 10 years were included in 30 villages in 4 health areas of Kisantu HZ. The overall prevalence in the study area according to the TBS was 14.8% (95% CI: 13.8-16.6; range: 0-53). The mean sporozoite rate in the study area was 4.3% (95% CI: 2.6-6.6). The determination of kdr-west resistance alleles showed the presence of both L1014S and L1014F with 14.6% heterozygous L1014S/L1014F, 84.4% homozygous 1014F, and 1% homozygous 1014S. The risk factors associated with malaria infection were ground or wooden floors aOR: 15.8 (95% CI: 8.6-29.2), a moderate or severe underweight: 1.5 (1.1-2.3) and to be overweight: 1.9 (95% CI: 1.3-2.7). CONCLUSION Malaria prevalence differed between villages and health areas within the same health zone. The control strategy activities must be oriented by the variety in the prevalence and transmission of malaria in different areas. The policy against malaria regarding long-lasting insecticidal nets should be based on the evidence of metabolic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillon Ilombe
- grid.452637.10000 0004 0580 7727Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo ,grid.9783.50000 0000 9927 0991Unit of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacovigilance, Department of Base Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo ,grid.5284.b0000 0001 0790 3681Global Health Institute, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Junior Rika Matangila
- grid.9783.50000 0000 9927 0991Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Aimee Lulebo
- grid.9783.50000 0000 9927 0991Faculty of Medicine, Public Health School, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Paulin Mutombo
- grid.9783.50000 0000 9927 0991Faculty of Medicine, Public Health School, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Sylvie Linsuke
- grid.5284.b0000 0001 0790 3681Global Health Institute, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium ,grid.452637.10000 0004 0580 7727Department of Epidemiology Kinshasa, National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Vivi Maketa
- grid.9783.50000 0000 9927 0991Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Baby Mabanzila
- grid.9783.50000 0000 9927 0991Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Francis Wat’senga
- grid.452637.10000 0004 0580 7727Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- grid.11505.300000 0001 2153 5088Unit of Entomology and Outbreak Research Team, Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Agossa Fiacre
- PMI VectorLink Project, Abt Associates, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Seth R. Irish
- grid.467642.50000 0004 0540 3132Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, President’s Malaria Initiative and Entomology Branch, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Pascal Lutumba
- grid.9783.50000 0000 9927 0991Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
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9
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Arınık N, Van Bortel W, Boudoua B, Busani L, Decoupes R, Interdonato R, Kafando R, van Kleef E, Roche M, Alam Syed M, Teisseire M. An annotated dataset for event-based surveillance of antimicrobial resistance. Data Brief 2023; 46:108870. [PMID: 36687146 PMCID: PMC9849856 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2022.108870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper presents an annotated dataset used in the MOOD Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) hackathon, hosted in Montpellier, June 2022. The collected data concerns unstructured data from news items, scientific publications and national or international reports, collected from four event-based surveillance (EBS) Systems, i.e. ProMED, PADI-web, HealthMap and MedISys. Data was annotated by relevance for epidemic intelligence (EI) purposes with the help of AMR experts and an annotation guideline. Extracted data were intended to include relevant events on the emergence and spread of AMR such as reports on AMR trends, discovery of new drug-bug resistances, or new AMR genes in human, animal or environmental reservoirs. This dataset can be used to train or evaluate classification approaches to automatically identify written text on AMR events across the different reservoirs and sectors of One Health (i.e. human, animal, food, environmental sources, such as soil and waste water) in unstructured data (e.g. news, tweets) and classify these events by relevance for EI purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nejat Arınık
- INRAE, Montpellier F-34398, France
- TETIS, Univ. Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier 34090, France
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- ITM, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Bahdja Boudoua
- INRAE, Montpellier F-34398, France
- TETIS, Univ. Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier 34090, France
| | - Luca Busani
- Center for Gender-Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanitá Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Rémy Decoupes
- INRAE, Montpellier F-34398, France
- TETIS, Univ. Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier 34090, France
| | - Roberto Interdonato
- CIRAD, Montpellier F-34398, France
- TETIS, Univ. Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier 34090, France
| | - Rodrique Kafando
- INRAE, Montpellier F-34398, France
- TETIS, Univ. Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier 34090, France
| | - Esther van Kleef
- ITM, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Department of Public Health, Outbreak Research Team, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Roche
- CIRAD, Montpellier F-34398, France
- TETIS, Univ. Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier 34090, France
| | - Mehtab Alam Syed
- CIRAD, Montpellier F-34398, France
- TETIS, Univ. Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier 34090, France
| | - Maguelonne Teisseire
- INRAE, Montpellier F-34398, France
- TETIS, Univ. Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier 34090, France
- Corresponding author at: TETIS, Univ. Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier 34090, France.
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10
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Van Bortel W, Mariën J, Jacobs BKM, Sinzinkayo D, Sinarinzi P, Lampaert E, D’hondt R, Mafuko JM, De Weggheleire A, Vogt F, Alexander N, Wint W, Maes P, Vanlerberghe V, Leclair C. Long-lasting insecticidal nets provide protection against malaria for only a single year in Burundi, an African highland setting with marked malaria seasonality. BMJ Glob Health 2022; 7:bmjgh-2022-009674. [PMID: 36455989 PMCID: PMC9772646 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-009674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are one of the key interventions in the global fight against malaria. Since 2014, mass distribution campaigns of LLINs aim for universal access by all citizens of Burundi. In this context, we assess the impact of LLINs mass distribution campaigns on malaria incidence, focusing on the endemic highland health districts. We also explored the possible correlation between observed trends in malaria incidence with any variations in climate conditions. METHODS Malaria cases for 2011-2019 were obtained from the National Health Information System. We developed a generalised additive model based on a time series of routinely collected data with malaria incidence as the response variable and timing of LLIN distribution as an explanatory variable to investigate the duration and magnitude of the LLIN effect on malaria incidence. We added a seasonal and continuous-time component as further explanatory variables, and health district as a random effect to account for random natural variation in malaria cases between districts. RESULTS Malaria transmission in Burundian highlands was clearly seasonal and increased non-linearly over the study period. Further, a fast and steep decline of malaria incidence was noted during the first year after mass LLIN distribution (p<0.0001). In years 2 and 3 after distribution, malaria cases started to rise again to levels higher than before the control intervention. CONCLUSION This study highlights that LLINs did reduce the incidence in the first year after a mass distribution campaign, but in the context of Burundi, LLINs lost their impact after only 1 year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wim Van Bortel
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerpen, Belgium,Unit Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Joachim Mariën
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerpen, Belgium,Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Bart K M Jacobs
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Denis Sinzinkayo
- National Malaria Control Programme, Bujumbura, Burundi,Doctoral School, University of Burundi, Bujumbura, Burundi
| | | | - Emmanuel Lampaert
- Department of Operations – Central African Regional Support Team, Médecins Sans Frontières, Kinshasa, Congo (the Democratic Republic of the)
| | - Rob D’hondt
- Medical Department, Environmental Health Unit, Médecins Sans Frontières, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jean-Marie Mafuko
- Department of Operations, Médecins Sans Frontières, Bujumbura, Burundi
| | - Anja De Weggheleire
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerpen, Belgium,Unit of Mycobacterial Diseases and Neglected Tropical Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Florian Vogt
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerpen, Belgium,The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia,National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Neil Alexander
- Environmental Research Group Oxford Ltd, c/o Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - William Wint
- Environmental Research Group Oxford Ltd, c/o Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Peter Maes
- Chief of WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), UNICEF, Kinshasa, Congo (the Democratic Republic of the)
| | - Veerle Vanlerberghe
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Group, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Corey Leclair
- Medical Department, Environmental Health Unit, Médecins Sans Frontières, Brussels, Belgium
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11
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Da Re D, Van Bortel W, Reuss F, Müller R, Boyer S, Montarsi F, Ciocchetta S, Arnoldi D, Marini G, Rizzoli A, L'Ambert G, Lacour G, Koenraadt CJM, Vanwambeke SO, Marcantonio M. dynamAedes: a unified modelling framework for invasive Aedes mosquitoes. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:414. [PMID: 36348368 PMCID: PMC9641901 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05414-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosquito species belonging to the genus Aedes have attracted the interest of scientists and public health officers because of their capacity to transmit viruses that affect humans. Some of these species were brought outside their native range by means of trade and tourism and then colonised new regions thanks to a unique combination of eco-physiological traits. Considering mosquito physiological and behavioural traits to understand and predict their population dynamics is thus a crucial step in developing strategies to mitigate the local densities of invasive Aedes populations. Here, we synthesised the life cycle of four invasive Aedes species (Ae. aegypti, Ae. albopictus, Ae. japonicus and Ae. koreicus) in a single multi-scale stochastic modelling framework which we coded in the R package dynamAedes. We designed a stage-based and time-discrete stochastic model driven by temperature, photo-period and inter-specific larval competition that can be applied to three different spatial scales: punctual, local and regional. These spatial scales consider different degrees of spatial complexity and data availability by accounting for both active and passive dispersal of mosquito species as well as for the heterogeneity of the input temperature data. Our overarching aim was to provide a flexible, open-source and user-friendly tool rooted in the most updated knowledge on the species' biology which could be applied to the management of invasive Aedes populations as well as to more theoretical ecological inquiries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Da Re
- Georges Lemaître Center for Earth and Climate Research, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Unit Entomology and the Outbreak Research Team, Tropical Medicine Institute, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Friederike Reuss
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ruth Müller
- Unit Entomology and the Outbreak Research Team, Tropical Medicine Institute, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sebastien Boyer
- Medical and Veterinary Entomology Unit, Institute Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Fabrizio Montarsi
- Laboratory of Parasitology, National reference centre/OIE collaborating centre for diseases at the animal-human interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Silvia Ciocchetta
- The University of Queensland, School of Veterinary Science, Gatton, Australia
| | - Daniele Arnoldi
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Giovanni Marini
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Annapaola Rizzoli
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | | | | | - Constantianus J M Koenraadt
- Wageningen University & Research, Department of Plant Sciences, Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sophie O Vanwambeke
- Georges Lemaître Center for Earth and Climate Research, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Matteo Marcantonio
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Earth and Life Institute, UC Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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12
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Kurucz K, Zeghbib S, Arnoldi D, Marini G, Manica M, Michelutti A, Montarsi F, Deblauwe I, Van Bortel W, Smitz N, Pfitzner WP, Czajka C, Jöst A, Kalan K, Šušnjar J, Ivović V, Kuczmog A, Lanszki Z, Tóth GE, Somogyi BA, Herczeg R, Urbán P, Bueno-Marí R, Soltész Z, Kemenesi G. Aedes koreicus, a vector on the rise: Pan-European genetic patterns, mitochondrial and draft genome sequencing. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269880. [PMID: 35913994 PMCID: PMC9342712 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
The mosquito Aedes koreicus (Edwards, 1917) is a recent invader on the European continent that was introduced to several new places since its first detection in 2008. Compared to other exotic Aedes mosquitoes with public health significance that invaded Europe during the last decades, this species’ biology, behavior, and dispersal patterns were poorly investigated to date.
Methodology/Principal findings
To understand the species’ population relationships and dispersal patterns within Europe, a fragment of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI or COX1) gene was sequenced from 130 mosquitoes, collected from five countries where the species has been introduced and/or established. Oxford Nanopore and Illumina sequencing techniques were combined to generate the first complete nuclear and mitochondrial genomic sequences of Ae. koreicus from the European region. The complete genome of Ae. koreicus is 879 Mb. COI haplotype analyses identified five major groups (altogether 31 different haplotypes) and revealed a large-scale dispersal pattern between European Ae. koreicus populations. Continuous admixture of populations from Belgium, Italy, and Hungary was highlighted, additionally, haplotype diversity and clustering indicate a separation of German sequences from other populations, pointing to an independent introduction of Ae. koreicus to Europe. Finally, a genetic expansion signal was identified, suggesting the species might be present in more locations than currently detected.
Conclusions/Significance
Our results highlight the importance of genetic research of invasive mosquitoes to understand general dispersal patterns, reveal main dispersal routes and form the baseline of future mitigation actions. The first complete genomic sequence also provides a significant leap in the general understanding of this species, opening the possibility for future genome-related studies, such as the detection of ‘Single Nucleotide Polymorphism’ markers. Considering its public health importance, it is crucial to further investigate the species’ population genetic dynamic, including a larger sampling and additional genomic markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kornélia Kurucz
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- * E-mail:
| | - Safia Zeghbib
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Daniele Arnoldi
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Giovanni Marini
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Mattia Manica
- Center for Health Emergencies, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy
| | - Alice Michelutti
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Micology and Medical Entomology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Montarsi
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Micology and Medical Entomology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Isra Deblauwe
- Entomology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Entomology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Outbreak Research team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Department of Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo), Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Wolf Peter Pfitzner
- Kommunale Aktionsgemeinschaft zur Bekämpfung der Schnakenplage e.V. (KABS e.V.), Speyer, Germany
| | - Christina Czajka
- Kommunale Aktionsgemeinschaft zur Bekämpfung der Schnakenplage e.V. (KABS e.V.), Speyer, Germany
| | - Artur Jöst
- Kommunale Aktionsgemeinschaft zur Bekämpfung der Schnakenplage e.V. (KABS e.V.), Speyer, Germany
| | - Katja Kalan
- Department of Biodiversity, University of Primorska, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Jana Šušnjar
- Department of Biodiversity, University of Primorska, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Vladimir Ivović
- Department of Biodiversity, University of Primorska, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Anett Kuczmog
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Lanszki
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gábor Endre Tóth
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs A. Somogyi
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Róbert Herczeg
- Bioinformatics Research Group, Genomics and Bioinformatics Core Facility, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Péter Urbán
- Bioinformatics Research Group, Genomics and Bioinformatics Core Facility, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Rubén Bueno-Marí
- Department of Research and Development, Laboratorios Lokímica, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
- Parasite & Health Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - Zoltán Soltész
- Centre for Ecological Research, Eötvös Lóránd Research Network, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Gábor Kemenesi
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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Van Bortel W, Versteirt V, Dekoninck W, Hance T, Brosens D, Hendrickx G. MODIRISK: Mosquito vectors of disease, collection, monitoring and longitudinal data from Belgium. GigaByte 2022; 2022:gigabyte58. [PMID: 36824515 PMCID: PMC9930536 DOI: 10.46471/gigabyte.58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The MODIRISK project studied mosquito biodiversity and monitored and predicted biodiversity changes, to actively prepare to address issues of biodiversity change, especially invasive species and new pathogen risks. This work is essential given continuing global changes that may create suitable conditions for invasive species spread and the (re-)emergence of vector-borne diseases in Europe. Key strengths of MODIRISK, in the context of sustainable development, were the links between biodiversity and health and the environment, and its contribution to the development of tools for describing the spatial distribution of mosquito biodiversity. MODIRISK addressed key topics of the global Diversitas initiative, which was a main driver of the Belspo 'Science for a Sustainable Development' research program. Three different MODIRISK datasets were published in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF): the Collection dataset (the Culicidae collection of the Museum of Natural History in Brussels); the Inventory dataset (data from the MODIRISK inventory effort); and the Longitudinal dataset (experiment data used for risk assessments).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wim Van Bortel
- Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITG), Nationalestraat, 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Veerle Versteirt
- Agency for Nature and Forests, (ANB), Havenlaan 88 b75, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Wouter Dekoninck
- Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences (RBINS), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thierry Hance
- Université Catholique de Louvain, Croix du sud 4-5, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Dimitri Brosens
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Havenlaan 88 b73, 1000, Brussels, Belgium, Corresponding author. E-mail:
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14
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Deblauwe I, Brosens D, De Wolf K, Smitz N, Vanslembrouck A, Schneider A, De Witte J, Verlé I, Dekoninck W, De Meyer M, Backeljau T, Gombeer S, Meganck K, Vanderheyden A, Müller R, Van Bortel W. MEMO: Monitoring of exotic mosquitoes in Belgium. GigaByte 2022; 2022:gigabyte59. [PMID: 36824526 PMCID: PMC9930500 DOI: 10.46471/gigabyte.59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
'MEMO Monitoring of Exotic MOsquitoes in Belgium' is a sampling event dataset published by the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp, Belgium. It forms part of the early detection of exotic mosquito species (EMS) along high-risk introduction routes in Belgium, where data are collected at defined points of entry (PoEs) using a standardised protocol. The MEMO dataset contains mosquito sampling counts performed between 2017 and 2020. MEMO+2020, an extension of the MEMO dataset, contains only Aedes albopictus mosquito trap counts performed in 2020. Here, we present these data published as a standardised Darwin Core archive, which includes, for each sampling event, an eventID, date, location and sampling protocol (in the event core); and an occurrenceID for each occurrence (tube), the number of collected individuals per tube, species status (present/absent), information on the identification and scientific name (in the occurrence extension).
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Affiliation(s)
- Isra Deblauwe
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Dimitri Brosens
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Havenlaan 88 b73, 1000, Brussels, Belgium, Corresponding author. E-mail:
| | - Katrien De Wolf
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium,Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Dept. of Biology,
Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA - BopCo), Leuvensesteenweg 17, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Adwine Vanslembrouck
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Anna Schneider
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Jacobus De Witte
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Ingrid Verlé
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Wouter Dekoninck
- Royal Belgian Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences (RBINS - BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marc De Meyer
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA - BopCo), Leuvensesteenweg 17, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Thierry Backeljau
- Royal Belgian Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences (RBINS - BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium,Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sophie Gombeer
- Royal Belgian Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences (RBINS - BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kenny Meganck
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA - BopCo), Leuvensesteenweg 17, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Ann Vanderheyden
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA - BopCo), Leuvensesteenweg 17, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Ruth Müller
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium,Outbreak Research team, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
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15
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Van Bortel W, Van den Poel B, Hermans G, Vanden Driessche M, Molzahn H, Deblauwe I, De Wolf K, Schneider A, Van Hul N, Müller R, Wilmaerts L, Gombeer S, Smitz N, Kattenberg JH, Monsieurs P, Rosanas-Urgell A, Van Esbroeck M, Bottieau E, Maniewski-Kelner U, Rebolledo J. Two fatal autochthonous cases of airport malaria, Belgium, 2020. Euro Surveill 2022; 27. [PMID: 35451360 PMCID: PMC9027149 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2022.27.16.2100724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We report an outbreak investigation of two fatal cases of autochthonous Plasmodium falciparum malaria that occurred in Belgium in September 2020. Various hypotheses of the potential source of infection were investigated. The most likely route of transmission was through an infectious exotic Anopheles mosquito that was imported via the international airport of Brussels or the military airport Melsbroek and infected the cases who lived at 5 km from the airports. Based on genomic analysis of the parasites collected from the two cases, the most likely origin of the Plasmodium was Gabon or Cameroon. Further, the parasites collected from the two Belgian patients were identical by descent, which supports the assumption that the two infections originated from the bite of the same mosquito, during interrupted feeding. Although airport malaria remains a rare event, it has significant implications, particularly for the patient, as delayed or missed diagnosis of the cause of illness often results in complications and mortality. Therefore, to prevent such severe or fatal outcomes, we suggest a number of public health actions including increased awareness among health practitioners, especially those working in the vicinity of airports, and increased surveillance of exotic mosquito species at airports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wim Van Bortel
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.,Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Bea Van den Poel
- Clinical Laboratory, Jan Portaels General Hospital, Vilvoorde, Belgium
| | - Greet Hermans
- Medical Intensive Care Unit, Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Helmut Molzahn
- Intensive Care Unit, Jan Portaels General Hospital, Vilvoorde, Belgium
| | - Isra Deblauwe
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Katrien De Wolf
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Anna Schneider
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nick Van Hul
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ruth Müller
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Leen Wilmaerts
- Veterinary Service, Military Hospital Queen Astrid, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sophie Gombeer
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Barcoding Facility for Organisms and Tissues of Policy Concern (BopCo), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Royal Museum for Central Africa, Barcoding Facility for Organisms and Tissues of Policy Concern (BopCo), Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Johanna Helena Kattenberg
- Unit of Malariology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Pieter Monsieurs
- Unit of Malariology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Anna Rosanas-Urgell
- Unit of Malariology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marjan Van Esbroeck
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Emmanuel Bottieau
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ula Maniewski-Kelner
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Javiera Rebolledo
- Department of epidemiology and infectious diseases, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
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16
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Braks M, Schaffner F, Medlock JM, Berriatua E, Balenghien T, Mihalca AD, Hendrickx G, Marsboom C, Van Bortel W, Smallegange RC, Sprong H, Gossner CM, Czwienczek E, Dhollander S, Briët O, Wint W. VectorNet: Putting Vectors on the Map. Front Public Health 2022; 10:809763. [PMID: 35444989 PMCID: PMC9013813 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.809763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Public and animal health authorities face many challenges in surveillance and control of vector-borne diseases. Those challenges are principally due to the multitude of interactions between vertebrate hosts, pathogens, and vectors in continuously changing environments. VectorNet, a joint project of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) facilitates risk assessments of VBD threats through the collection, mapping and sharing of distribution data for ticks, mosquitoes, sand flies, and biting midges that are vectors of pathogens of importance to animal and/or human health in Europe. We describe the development and maintenance of this One Health network that celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2020 and the value of its most tangible outputs, the vector distribution maps, that are freely available online and its raw data on request. VectorNet encourages usage of these maps by health professionals and participation, sharing and usage of the raw data by the network and other experts in the science community. For the latter, a more complete technical description of the mapping procedure will be submitted elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieta Braks
- National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Utrecht, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Marieta Braks
| | | | | | | | | | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | | | | | | | | | - Hein Sprong
- National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Olivier Briët
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Solna, Sweden
| | - William Wint
- Environmental Research Group Oxford Ltd, c/o Dept Zoology, Oxford, United Kingdom
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17
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Deblauwe I, Ibáñez-Justicia A, De Wolf K, Smitz N, Schneider A, Stroo A, Jacobs F, Vanslembrouck A, Gombeer S, Dekoninck W, Müller R, Van Bortel W. First Detections of Culiseta longiareolata (Diptera: Culicidae) in Belgium and the Netherlands. J Med Entomol 2021; 58:2524-2532. [PMID: 34313772 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Culiseta (Allotheobaldia) longiareolata (Macquart) (Diptera: Culicidae) is an ornithophilic mosquito species that occurs in the southern Palaearctic Region from the Azores to Central Asia, the Ethiopian Region, India, and Pakistan. Although it has a widespread distribution range, the species was only recently reported in Western and Central Europe. Between 2017 and 2020, larvae, pupae, and adults of Cs. longiareolata (n = 161) were found at 13 distinct locations in Belgium (n = 4) and The Netherlands (n = 9). Collected mosquitoes were morphologically identified and the identification was then validated by COI DNA barcoding. These are the first records of the species in the above-mentioned countries. The present results suggest that Cs. longiareolata could be increasing its distribution range in temperate regions, indicating a warming climate. As the species might be a potential vector of bird pathogens (e.g., West Nile virus), its spread in Western Europe is noteworthy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isra Deblauwe
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Adolfo Ibáñez-Justicia
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors (CMV), Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), Geertjesweg, EA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Katrien De Wolf
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo), Leuvensesteenweg, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Anna Schneider
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Arjan Stroo
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors (CMV), Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), Geertjesweg, EA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Frans Jacobs
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors (CMV), Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), Geertjesweg, EA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Adwine Vanslembrouck
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat, Antwerp, Belgium
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Scientific Heritage Service & BopCo), Vautierstraat, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sophie Gombeer
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Scientific Heritage Service & BopCo), Vautierstraat, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Wouter Dekoninck
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Scientific Heritage Service & BopCo), Vautierstraat, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ruth Müller
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat, Antwerp, Belgium
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat, Antwerp, Belgium
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18
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De Weggheleire A, Nkuba-Ndaye A, Mbala-Kingebeni P, Mariën J, Kindombe-Luzolo E, Ilombe G, Mangala-Sonzi D, Binene-Mbuka G, De Smet B, Vogt F, Selhorst P, Matungala-Pafubel M, Nkawa F, Vulu F, Mossoko M, Pukuta-Simbu E, Kinganda-Lusamaki E, Van Bortel W, Wat’senga-Tezzo F, Makiala-Mandanda S, Ahuka-Mundeke S. A Multidisciplinary Investigation of the First Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in Matadi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Viruses 2021; 13:v13101988. [PMID: 34696418 PMCID: PMC8541179 DOI: 10.3390/v13101988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Early March 2019, health authorities of Matadi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo alerted a sudden increase in acute fever/arthralgia cases, prompting an outbreak investigation. We collected surveillance data, clinical data, and laboratory specimens from clinical suspects (for CHIKV-PCR/ELISA, malaria RDT), semi-structured interviews with patients/caregivers about perceptions and health seeking behavior, and mosquito sampling (adult/larvae) for CHIKV-PCR and estimation of infestation levels. The investigations confirmed a large CHIKV outbreak that lasted February–June 2019. The total caseload remained unknown due to a lack of systematic surveillance, but one of the two health zones of Matadi notified 2686 suspects. Of the clinical suspects we investigated (n = 220), 83.2% were CHIKV-PCR or IgM positive (acute infection). One patient had an isolated IgG-positive result (while PCR/IgM negative), suggestive of past infection. In total, 15% had acute CHIKV and malaria. Most adult mosquitoes and larvae (>95%) were Aedes albopictus. High infestation levels were noted. CHIKV was detected in 6/11 adult mosquito pools, and in 2/15 of the larvae pools. This latter and the fact that 2/6 of the CHIKV-positive adult pools contained only males suggests transovarial transmission. Interviews revealed that healthcare seeking shifted quickly toward the informal sector and self-medication. Caregivers reported difficulties to differentiate CHIKV, malaria, and other infectious diseases resulting in polypharmacy and high out-of-pocket expenditure. We confirmed a first major CHIKV outbreak in Matadi, with main vector Aedes albopictus. The health sector was ill-prepared for the information, surveillance, and treatment needs for such an explosive outbreak in a CHIKV-naïve population. Better surveillance systems (national level/sentinel sites) and point-of-care diagnostics for arboviruses are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja De Weggheleire
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; (J.M.); (B.D.S.); (F.V.); (P.S.); (W.V.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +32-494-368-535
| | - Antoine Nkuba-Ndaye
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, B.P. 1197 Kinshasa I, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (A.N.-N.); (P.M.-K.); (E.K.-L.); (F.N.); (E.P.-S.); (E.K.-L.); (S.M.-M.); (S.A.-M.)
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Kinshasa, B.P. 127 Kinshasa IX, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (D.M.-S.); (M.M.-P.); (F.V.)
- TransVIHMI, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Montpellier University, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Placide Mbala-Kingebeni
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, B.P. 1197 Kinshasa I, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (A.N.-N.); (P.M.-K.); (E.K.-L.); (F.N.); (E.P.-S.); (E.K.-L.); (S.M.-M.); (S.A.-M.)
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Kinshasa, B.P. 127 Kinshasa IX, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (D.M.-S.); (M.M.-P.); (F.V.)
| | - Joachim Mariën
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; (J.M.); (B.D.S.); (F.V.); (P.S.); (W.V.B.)
| | - Esaie Kindombe-Luzolo
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, B.P. 1197 Kinshasa I, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (A.N.-N.); (P.M.-K.); (E.K.-L.); (F.N.); (E.P.-S.); (E.K.-L.); (S.M.-M.); (S.A.-M.)
| | - Gillon Ilombe
- Department of Entomology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, B.P. 1197 Kinshasa I, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (G.I.); (G.B.-M.); (F.W.-T.)
- Global Health Institute, Antwerp University, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Donatien Mangala-Sonzi
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Kinshasa, B.P. 127 Kinshasa IX, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (D.M.-S.); (M.M.-P.); (F.V.)
| | - Guillaume Binene-Mbuka
- Department of Entomology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, B.P. 1197 Kinshasa I, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (G.I.); (G.B.-M.); (F.W.-T.)
| | - Birgit De Smet
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; (J.M.); (B.D.S.); (F.V.); (P.S.); (W.V.B.)
| | - Florian Vogt
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; (J.M.); (B.D.S.); (F.V.); (P.S.); (W.V.B.)
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Philippe Selhorst
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; (J.M.); (B.D.S.); (F.V.); (P.S.); (W.V.B.)
| | - Mathy Matungala-Pafubel
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Kinshasa, B.P. 127 Kinshasa IX, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (D.M.-S.); (M.M.-P.); (F.V.)
| | - Frida Nkawa
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, B.P. 1197 Kinshasa I, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (A.N.-N.); (P.M.-K.); (E.K.-L.); (F.N.); (E.P.-S.); (E.K.-L.); (S.M.-M.); (S.A.-M.)
| | - Fabien Vulu
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Kinshasa, B.P. 127 Kinshasa IX, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (D.M.-S.); (M.M.-P.); (F.V.)
| | - Mathias Mossoko
- Direction de Lutte contre la Maladie, Ministry of Health, B.P. 3040 Kinshasa I, Democratic Republic of the Congo;
| | - Elisabeth Pukuta-Simbu
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, B.P. 1197 Kinshasa I, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (A.N.-N.); (P.M.-K.); (E.K.-L.); (F.N.); (E.P.-S.); (E.K.-L.); (S.M.-M.); (S.A.-M.)
| | - Eddy Kinganda-Lusamaki
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, B.P. 1197 Kinshasa I, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (A.N.-N.); (P.M.-K.); (E.K.-L.); (F.N.); (E.P.-S.); (E.K.-L.); (S.M.-M.); (S.A.-M.)
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; (J.M.); (B.D.S.); (F.V.); (P.S.); (W.V.B.)
| | - Francis Wat’senga-Tezzo
- Department of Entomology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, B.P. 1197 Kinshasa I, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (G.I.); (G.B.-M.); (F.W.-T.)
| | - Sheila Makiala-Mandanda
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, B.P. 1197 Kinshasa I, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (A.N.-N.); (P.M.-K.); (E.K.-L.); (F.N.); (E.P.-S.); (E.K.-L.); (S.M.-M.); (S.A.-M.)
| | - Steve Ahuka-Mundeke
- Department of Virology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, B.P. 1197 Kinshasa I, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (A.N.-N.); (P.M.-K.); (E.K.-L.); (F.N.); (E.P.-S.); (E.K.-L.); (S.M.-M.); (S.A.-M.)
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Kinshasa, B.P. 127 Kinshasa IX, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (D.M.-S.); (M.M.-P.); (F.V.)
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19
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Selhorst P, Makiala-Mandanda S, De Smet B, Mariën J, Anthony C, Binene-Mbuka G, De Weggheleire A, Ilombe G, Kinganda-Lusamaki E, Pukuta-Simbu E, Lubula L, Mbala-Kingebeni P, Nkuba-Ndaye A, Vogt F, Watsenga F, Van Bortel W, Vanlerberghe V, Ariën KK, Ahuka-Mundeke S. Molecular characterization of chikungunya virus during the 2019 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Emerg Microbes Infect 2021; 9:1912-1918. [PMID: 32787529 PMCID: PMC8284967 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1810135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Early 2019, a chikungunya virus (CHIKV) outbreak hit the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Though seldomly deadly, this mosquito-borne disease presents as an acute febrile (poly)arthralgia often followed by long-term sequelae. Although Aedes aegypti is the primary vector, an amino acid substitution in the viral envelope gene E1 (A226V) is causing concern as it results in increased transmission by Aedes albopictus, a mosquito with a much wider geographical distribution. Between January and March 2019, we collected human and mosquito samples in Kinshasa and Kongo Central province (Kasangulu and Matadi). Of the patients that were tested within 7 days of symptom onset, 49.7% (87/175) were RT–qPCR positive, while in the mosquito samples CHIKV was found in 1/2 pools in Kinshasa, 5/6 pools in Kasangulu, and 8/26 pools in Matadi. Phylogenetic analysis on whole-genome sequences showed that the circulating strain formed a monophyletic group within the ECSA2 lineage and harboured the A226V mutation. Our sequences did not cluster with sequences from previously reported outbreaks in the DRC nor with other known A226V-containing ECSA2 strains. This indicates a scenario of convergent evolution where A226V was acquired independently in response to a similar selection pressure for transmission by Ae. albopictus. This is in line with our entomological data where we detected Ae. albopictus more frequently than Ae. aegypti in two out of three affected areas. In conclusion, our findings suggest that CHIKV is adapting to the increased presence of Aedes albopictus in DRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Selhorst
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.,The Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sheila Makiala-Mandanda
- Department of Virology, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.,University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Birgit De Smet
- The Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Joachim Mariën
- The Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Colin Anthony
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Guillaume Binene-Mbuka
- Department of Entomology, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Anja De Weggheleire
- The Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Gillon Ilombe
- Department of Entomology, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.,University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Eddy Kinganda-Lusamaki
- Department of Virology, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.,University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Elisabeth Pukuta-Simbu
- Department of Virology, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Leopold Lubula
- Direction Generale de Lutte contre la Maladie (DGLM), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Placide Mbala-Kingebeni
- Department of Virology, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.,University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Antoine Nkuba-Ndaye
- Department of Virology, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.,University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Florian Vogt
- The Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Francis Watsenga
- Department of Entomology, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.,The Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Veerle Vanlerberghe
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Kevin K Ariën
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.,University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Steve Ahuka-Mundeke
- Department of Virology, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.,University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
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20
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Smitz N, De Wolf K, Deblauwe I, Kampen H, Schaffner F, De Witte J, Schneider A, Verlé I, Vanslembrouck A, Dekoninck W, Meganck K, Gombeer S, Vanderheyden A, De Meyer M, Backeljau T, Werner D, Müller R, Van Bortel W. Population genetic structure of the Asian bush mosquito, Aedes japonicus (Diptera, Culicidae), in Belgium suggests multiple introductions. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:179. [PMID: 33766104 PMCID: PMC7995749 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04676-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aedes japonicus japonicus has expanded beyond its native range and has established in multiple European countries, including Belgium. In addition to the population located at Natoye, Belgium, locally established since 2002, specimens were recently collected along the Belgian border. The first objective of this study was therefore to investigate the origin of these new introductions, which were assumed to be related to the expansion of the nearby population in western Germany. Also, an intensive elimination campaign was undertaken at Natoye between 2012 and 2015, after which the species was declared to be eradicated. This species was re-detected in 2017, and thus the second objective was to investigate if these specimens resulted from a new introduction event and/or from a few undetected specimens that escaped the elimination campaign. METHODS Population genetic variation at nad4 and seven microsatellite loci was surveyed in 224 and 68 specimens collected in Belgium and Germany, respectively. German samples were included as reference to investigate putative introduction source(s). At Natoye, 52 and 135 specimens were collected before and after the elimination campaign, respectively, to investigate temporal changes in the genetic composition and diversity. RESULTS At Natoye, the genotypic microsatellite make-up showed a clear difference before and after the elimination campaign. Also, the population after 2017 displayed an increased allelic richness and number of private alleles, indicative of new introduction(s). However, the Natoye population present before the elimination programme is believed to have survived at low density. At the Belgian border, clustering results suggest a relation with the western German population. Whether the introduction(s) occur via passive human-mediated ground transport or, alternatively, by natural spread cannot be determined yet from the dataset. CONCLUSION Further introductions within Belgium are expected to occur in the near future, especially along the eastern Belgian border, which is at the front of the invasion of Ae. japonicus towards the west. Our results also point to the complexity of controlling invasive species, since 4 years of intense control measures were found to be not completely successful at eliminating this exotic at Natoye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Smitz
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo & Biology Department), Leuvensesteenweg 17, 3080, Tervuren, Belgium.
| | - Katrien De Wolf
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Isra Deblauwe
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Helge Kampen
- Friedrich Loeffler Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | | | - Jacobus De Witte
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Anna Schneider
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ingrid Verlé
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Adwine Vanslembrouck
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium.,Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Wouter Dekoninck
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kenny Meganck
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo & Biology Department), Leuvensesteenweg 17, 3080, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Sophie Gombeer
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ann Vanderheyden
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marc De Meyer
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo & Biology Department), Leuvensesteenweg 17, 3080, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Thierry Backeljau
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium.,Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Doreen Werner
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Ruth Müller
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium.,Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
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21
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Wat'senga Tezzo F, Fasine S, Manzambi Zola E, Marquetti MDC, Binene Mbuka G, Ilombe G, Mundeke Takasongo R, Smitz N, Bisset JA, Van Bortel W, Vanlerberghe V. High Aedes spp. larval indices in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:92. [PMID: 33522947 PMCID: PMC7852359 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04588-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika are among the most important emerging infectious vector-borne diseases worldwide. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), increases in cases of dengue and outbreaks of yellow fever and chikungunya have been reported since 2010. The main vectors of these arboviruses, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, have been reported in DRC, but there is a lack of detailed information on their presence and spread to guide disease control efforts. METHODS In 2018, two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in Kinshasa province (DRC), one in the rainy (January/February) and one in the dry season (July). Four hundred houses were visited in each of the four selected communes (N'Djili, Mont Ngafula, Lingwala and Kalamu). Within the peri-domestic area of each household, searches were conducted for larval habitats, which were then surveyed for the presence of Aedes larvae and pupae. A subset of the immature specimens were reared to adults for morphological identification followed by DNA barcoding of the specimens to validate identifications. RESULTS The most rural commune (Mont Ngafula) had the highest pupal index (number of Aedes spp. pupae per 100 inspected houses) at 246 (20) pupae/100 houses, and Breteau index (BI; number of containers positive for immature stages of Aedes spp. per 100 households) at 82.2 (19.5) positive containers/100 houses for the rainy (and dry) season, respectively. The BI was 21.5 (4.7), 36.7 (9.8) and 41.7 (7.5) in Kalamu, Lingwala and N'Djili in the rainy (and dry) season, respectively. The house index (number of houses positive for at least one container with immature stages of Aedes spp. per 100 inspected houses) was, on average, across all communes, 27.5% (7.6%); and the container index (number of containers positive for immature stages of Aedes spp. per 100 inspected containers) was 15.0% (10.0%) for the rainy (and dry) season, respectively. The vast majority of Aedes-positive containers were found outside the houses [adjusted odds ratio 27.4 (95% confidence interval 14.9-50.1)]. During the dry season, the most productive containers were the ones used for water storage, whereas in the rainy season rubbish and tires constituted key habitats. Both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus were found. Anopheles larvae were found in different types of Aedes larval habitats, especially during the rainy season. CONCLUSIONS In both surveys and in all communes, the larval indices (BI) were higher than the arbovirus transmission threshold values established by the World Health Organization. Management strategies for controlling Aedes in Kinshasa need to target the key types of containers for Aedes larvae, which are mainly located in outdoor spaces, for larval habitat destruction or reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis Wat'senga Tezzo
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, 5345 Avenue De la Démocratie, Gombe, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Sylvie Fasine
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, 5345 Avenue De la Démocratie, Gombe, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Emile Manzambi Zola
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, 5345 Avenue De la Démocratie, Gombe, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Maria Del Carmen Marquetti
- Department of Vector Control, Instituto Medicina Tropical Pedro Kourí (IPK), Avenida Novia del Mediodía, KM 6 1/2, La Lisa, Havana, Cuba
| | - Guillaume Binene Mbuka
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, 5345 Avenue De la Démocratie, Gombe, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Gillon Ilombe
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, 5345 Avenue De la Démocratie, Gombe, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Richard Mundeke Takasongo
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, 5345 Avenue De la Démocratie, Gombe, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Department of Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo), Leuvensesteenweg 13-17, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Juan Andre Bisset
- Department of Vector Control, Instituto Medicina Tropical Pedro Kourí (IPK), Avenida Novia del Mediodía, KM 6 1/2, La Lisa, Havana, Cuba
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, Antwerp, Belgium
- Unit of Entomology, Biomedical Science Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Veerle Vanlerberghe
- Tropical Infectious Disease Group, Public Health Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, Antwerp, Belgium.
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22
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Bannister-Tyrrell M, Krit M, Sluydts V, Tho S, Sokny M, Mean V, Kim S, Menard D, Grietens KP, Abrams S, Hens N, Coosemans M, Bassat Q, van Hensbroek MB, Durnez L, Van Bortel W. Households or Hotspots? Defining Intervention Targets for Malaria Elimination in Ratanakiri Province, Eastern Cambodia. J Infect Dis 2020; 220:1034-1043. [PMID: 31028393 PMCID: PMC6688056 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria "hotspots" have been proposed as potential intervention units for targeted malaria elimination. Little is known about hotspot formation and stability in settings outside sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS Clustering of Plasmodium infections at the household and hotspot level was assessed over 2 years in 3 villages in eastern Cambodia. Social and spatial autocorrelation statistics were calculated to assess clustering of malaria risk, and logistic regression was used to assess the effect of living in a malaria hotspot compared to living in a malaria-positive household in the first year of the study on risk of malaria infection in the second year. RESULTS The crude prevalence of Plasmodium infection was 8.4% in 2016 and 3.6% in 2017. Living in a hotspot in 2016 did not predict Plasmodium risk at the individual or household level in 2017 overall, but living in a Plasmodium-positive household in 2016 strongly predicted living in a Plasmodium-positive household in 2017 (Risk Ratio, 5.00 [95% confidence interval, 2.09-11.96], P < .0001). There was no consistent evidence that malaria risk clustered in groups of socially connected individuals from different households. CONCLUSIONS Malaria risk clustered more clearly in households than in hotspots over 2 years. Household-based strategies should be prioritized in malaria elimination programs in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Vincent Sluydts
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp.,University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sochantha Tho
- National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, Phnom Penh
| | - Mao Sokny
- National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, Phnom Penh
| | - Vanna Mean
- Ratanakiri Provincial Health Department, Banlung
| | | | | | | | - Steven Abrams
- University of Antwerp, Belgium.,University of Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Niel Hens
- University of Antwerp, Belgium.,University of Hasselt, Belgium
| | | | - Quique Bassat
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique.,Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Lies Durnez
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp.,University of Antwerp, Belgium
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23
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Ibáñez-Justicia A, Smitz N, den Hartog W, van de Vossenberg B, De Wolf K, Deblauwe I, Van Bortel W, Jacobs F, Vaux AGC, Medlock JM, Stroo A. Detection of Exotic Mosquito Species (Diptera: Culicidae) at International Airports in Europe. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17:ijerph17103450. [PMID: 32429218 PMCID: PMC7277938 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17103450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In Europe, the air-borne accidental introduction of exotic mosquito species (EMS) has been demonstrated using mosquito surveillance schemes at Schiphol International Airport (Amsterdam, The Netherlands). Based upon these findings and given the increasing volume of air transport movements per year, the establishment of EMS after introduction via aircraft is being considered a potential risk. Here we present the airport surveillance results performed by the Centre for Monitoring of Vectors of the Netherlands, by the Monitoring of Exotic Mosquitoes (MEMO) project in Belgium, and by the Public Health England project on invasive mosquito surveillance. The findings of our study demonstrate the aircraft mediated transport of EMS into Europe from a wide range of possible areas in the world. Results show accidental introductions of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus, as well as exotic Anopheles and Mansonia specimens. The findings of Ae. albopictus at Schiphol airport are the first evidence of accidental introduction of the species using this pathway in Europe. Furthermore, our results stress the importance of the use of molecular tools to validate the morphology-based species identifications. We recommend monitoring of EMS at airports with special attention to locations with a high movement of cargo and passengers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adolfo Ibáñez-Justicia
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Geertjesweg 15, 6706 EA Wageningen, The Netherlands; (W.d.H.); (F.J.); (A.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo), Leuvensesteenweg 13–17, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium;
| | - Wietse den Hartog
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Geertjesweg 15, 6706 EA Wageningen, The Netherlands; (W.d.H.); (F.J.); (A.S.)
| | - Bart van de Vossenberg
- Molecular Biology Group, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Geertjesweg 15, 6706 EA Wageningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Katrien De Wolf
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; (K.D.W.); (I.D.); (W.V.B.)
| | - Isra Deblauwe
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; (K.D.W.); (I.D.); (W.V.B.)
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; (K.D.W.); (I.D.); (W.V.B.)
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Frans Jacobs
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Geertjesweg 15, 6706 EA Wageningen, The Netherlands; (W.d.H.); (F.J.); (A.S.)
| | - Alexander G. C. Vaux
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Group, Public Health England (PHE), Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK; (A.G.C.V.); (J.M.M.)
| | - Jolyon M. Medlock
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Group, Public Health England (PHE), Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK; (A.G.C.V.); (J.M.M.)
| | - Arjan Stroo
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Geertjesweg 15, 6706 EA Wageningen, The Netherlands; (W.d.H.); (F.J.); (A.S.)
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24
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Van Bortel W, Petric D, Ibáñez Justicia A, Wint W, Krit M, Mariën J, Vanslembrouck A, Braks M. Assessment of the probability of entry of Rift Valley fever virus into the EU through active or passive movement of vectors. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.2903/sp.efsa.2020.en-1801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Adolfo Ibáñez Justicia
- Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority National Reference Centre Centre for Monitoring of Vectors the Netherlands
| | - Willy Wint
- Ergo – Environmental Research Group Oxford United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Marieta Braks
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment the Netherlands
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25
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Kraemer MUG, Reiner RC, Brady OJ, Messina JP, Gilbert M, Pigott DM, Yi D, Johnson K, Earl L, Marczak LB, Shirude S, Weaver ND, Bisanzio D, Perkins TA, Lai S, Lu X, Jones P, Coelho GE, Carvalho RG, Van Bortel W, Marsboom C, Hendrickx G, Schaffner F, Moore CG, Nax HH, Bengtsson L, Wetter E, Tatem AJ, Brownstein JS, Smith DL, Lambrechts L, Cauchemez S, Linard C, Faria NR, Pybus OG, Scott TW, Liu Q, Yu H, Wint GRW, Hay SI, Golding N. Publisher Correction: Past and future spread of the arbovirus vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Nat Microbiol 2019; 4:900. [PMID: 30903094 PMCID: PMC7608402 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-019-0429-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In the version of this Article originally published, the affiliation for author Catherine Linard was incorrectly stated as '6Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK'. The correct affiliation is '9Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium'. The affiliation for author Hongjie Yu was also incorrectly stated as '11Department of Statistics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA'. The correct affiliation is '15School of Health, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China'. This has now been amended in all versions of the Article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz U G Kraemer
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. .,Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA. .,Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Robert C Reiner
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Oliver J Brady
- Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.,Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jane P Messina
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Marius Gilbert
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.,Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, Brussels, Belgium
| | - David M Pigott
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Dingdong Yi
- Department of Statistics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kimberly Johnson
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lucas Earl
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Laurie B Marczak
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Shreya Shirude
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nicole Davis Weaver
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Donal Bisanzio
- RTI International, Washington, DC, USA.,Epidemiology and Public Health Division, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - T Alex Perkins
- Department of Biological Sciences and Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Shengjie Lai
- School of Health, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.,Department of Geography and Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.,Flowminder Foundation, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xin Lu
- School of Business, Central South University, Changsha, China.,College of Systems Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, China.,School of Business Administration, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, China
| | - Peter Jones
- Waen Associates Ltd, Y Waen, Islaw'r Dref, Dolgellau, Gwynedd, UK
| | | | | | - Wim Van Bortel
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden.,Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Chester G Moore
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Heinrich H Nax
- Computational Social Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Linus Bengtsson
- Flowminder Foundation, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Erik Wetter
- Flowminder Foundation, Stockholm, Sweden.,Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andrew J Tatem
- Department of Geography and Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.,Flowminder Foundation, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John S Brownstein
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.,Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David L Smith
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Louis Lambrechts
- Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS, UMR2000, Paris, France
| | - Simon Cauchemez
- Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS, UMR2000, Paris, France
| | - Catherine Linard
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Geography, Universite de Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Nuno R Faria
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Thomas W Scott
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Qiyong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changping, Beijing, China.,Shandong University Climate Change and Health Center, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,WHO Collaborating Centre for Vector Surveillance and Management, Beijing, China.,Chongqing Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing, China
| | - Hongjie Yu
- School of Health, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - G R William Wint
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Environmental Research Group Oxford (ERGO), Department of Zoology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Simon I Hay
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Nick Golding
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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26
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Spanakos G, Snounou G, Pervanidou D, Alifrangis M, Rosanas-Urgell A, Baka A, Tseroni M, Vakali A, Vassalou E, Patsoula E, Zeller H, Van Bortel W, Hadjichristodoulou C. Genetic Spatiotemporal Anatomy of Plasmodium vivax Malaria Episodes in Greece, 2009-2013. Emerg Infect Dis 2019; 24:541-548. [PMID: 29460743 PMCID: PMC5823331 DOI: 10.3201/eid2403.170605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
An influx of immigrants is contributing to the reemergence of Plasmodium vivax malaria in Greece; 1 persistent focus of transmission is in Laconia, Pelopónnese. We genotyped archived blood samples from a substantial proportion of malaria cases recorded in Greece in 2009–2013 using 8 microsatellite markers and a PvMSP-3α gene fragment and plotted their spatiotemporal distribution. High parasite genetic diversity with low multiplicity of infection was observed. A subset of genetically identical/related parasites was restricted to 3 areas in migrants and Greek residents, with some persisting over 2 consecutive transmission periods. We identified 2 hitherto unsuspected additional foci of local transmission: Kardhítsa and Attica. Furthermore, this analysis indicates that several cases in migrants initially classified as imported malaria were actually locally acquired. This study shows the potential for P. vivax to reestablish transmission and counsels public health authorities about the need for vigilance to achieve or maintain sustainable malaria elimination.
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27
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Estrada-Peña A, Cutler S, Potkonjak A, Vassier-Tussaut M, Van Bortel W, Zeller H, Fernández-Ruiz N, Mihalca AD. An updated meta-analysis of the distribution and prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in ticks in Europe. Int J Health Geogr 2018; 17:41. [PMID: 30514310 PMCID: PMC6319795 DOI: 10.1186/s12942-018-0163-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The bacteria of the group Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. are the etiological agents of Lyme borreliosis in humans, transmitted by bites of ticks. Improvement of control measures requires a solid framework of the environmental traits driving its prevalence in ticks. Methods We updated a previous meta-analysis of the reported prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in questing nymphs of Ixodes ricinus with a literature search from January 2010–June 2017. This resulted in 195 new papers providing the prevalence of Bb for 926 geo-referenced records. Previously obtained data (878 records, years 2000–2010) were appended for modelling. The complete dataset contains data from 82,004 questing nymphs, resulting in 558 records of B. afzelii, 404 of B. burgdorferi s.s. (only 80 after the year 2010), 552 of B. garinii, 78 of B. lusitaniae, 61 of B. spielmanii, and 373 of B. valaisiana. We associated the records with explicit coordinates to environmental conditions and to a categorical definition of European landscapes (LANMAP2) looking for a precise definition of the environmental niche of the most reported species of the pathogen, using models based on different classification methods. Results The most commonly reported species are B. afzelii, B. garinii and B. valaisiana largely overlapping across Europe. Prevalence in ticks is associated with portions of the environmental niche. Highest prevalence occurs in areas of 280°–290° (Kelvin) of mean annual temperature experiencing a small amplitude, steady spring slope, together with high mean values and a moderate spring rise of vegetation vigor. Low prevalence occurs in sites with low and a noteworthy annual amplitude of temperature and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (colder areas with abrupt annual changes of vegetation). Models based on support vector machines provided a correct classification rate of the habitat and prevalence of 89.5%. These results confirm the association of prevalence of the three most commonly reported species of B. burgdorferi s.l. in Europe to parts of the environmental niche and provide a statistically tractable framework for analyzing trends under scenarios of climate change. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12942-018-0163-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustín Estrada-Peña
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Miguel Servet 177, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Sally Cutler
- School of Health, Sport and Bioscience, University of East London, London, UK
| | - Aleksandar Potkonjak
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | | | - Wim Van Bortel
- Surveillance and Response Support Unit, Solna, Sweden.,Institute of Tropical Medicine, Unite of Medical Entomology, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Hervé Zeller
- Office of the Chief Scientist Unit, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Solna, Sweden
| | - Natalia Fernández-Ruiz
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Miguel Servet 177, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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28
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Bannister-Tyrrell M, Srun S, Sluydts V, Gryseels C, Mean V, Kim S, Sokny M, Peeters Grietens K, Coosemans M, Menard D, Tho S, Van Bortel W, Durnez L. Importance of household-level risk factors in explaining micro-epidemiology of asymptomatic malaria infections in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11643. [PMID: 30076361 PMCID: PMC6076298 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30193-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneity in malaria risk is considered a challenge for malaria elimination. A cross-sectional study was conducted to describe and explain micro-epidemiological variation in Plasmodium infection prevalence at household and village level in three villages in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. A two-level logistic regression model with a random intercept fitted for each household was used to model the odds of Plasmodium infection, with sequential adjustment for individual-level then household-level risk factors. Individual-level risk factors for Plasmodium infection included hammock net use and frequency of evening outdoor farm gatherings in adults, and older age in children. Household-level risk factors included house wall material, crop types, and satellite dish and farm machine ownership. Individual-level risk factors did not explain differences in odds of Plasmodium infection between households or between villages. In contrast, once household-level risk factors were taken into account, there was no significant difference in odds of Plasmodium infection between households and between villages. This study shows the importance of ongoing indoor and peridomestic transmission in a region where forest workers and mobile populations have previously been the focus of attention. Interventions targeting malaria risk at household level should be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Set Srun
- National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Vincent Sluydts
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, Antwerp, Belgium
- University of Antwerp, Antwerpm, Belgium
| | | | - Vanna Mean
- Ratanakiri Provincial Health Department, Banlung, Cambodia
| | - Saorin Kim
- Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Mao Sokny
- National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | | | - Marc Coosemans
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Sochantha Tho
- National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Lies Durnez
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, Antwerp, Belgium
- University of Antwerp, Antwerpm, Belgium
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29
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van den Wijngaard CC, Hofhuis A, Simões M, Rood E, van Pelt W, Zeller H, Van Bortel W. Surveillance perspective on Lyme borreliosis across the European Union and European Economic Area. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 22. [PMID: 28703098 PMCID: PMC5508331 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2017.22.27.30569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in Europe. Erythema migrans (EM), an early, localised skin rash, is its most common presentation. Dissemination of the bacteria can lead to more severe manifestations including skin, neurological, cardiac, musculoskeletal and ocular manifestations. Comparison of LB incidence rates in the European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) and Balkan countries are difficult in the absence of standardised surveillance and reporting procedures. We explored six surveillance scenarios for LB surveillance in the EU/EEA, based on the following key indicators: (i) erythema migrans, (ii) neuroborreliosis, (iii) all human LB manifestations, (iv) seroprevalence, (v) tick bites, and (vi) infected ticks and reservoir hosts. In our opinion, neuroborreliosis seems most feasible and useful as the standard key indicator, being one of the most frequent severe LB manifestations, with the possibility of a specific case definition. Additional surveillance with erythema migrans as key indicator would add value to the surveillance of neuroborreliosis and lead to a more complete picture of LB epidemiology in the EU/EEA. The other scenarios have less value as a basis for EU-level surveillance, but can be considered periodically and locally, as they could supply complementary insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cees C van den Wijngaard
- Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Agnetha Hofhuis
- Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Mariana Simões
- Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Ente Rood
- Epidemiology Unit, KIT (Royal Tropical Institute) Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Wilfrid van Pelt
- Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Herve Zeller
- Office of the Chief Scientist, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Surveillance and Response Support Unit, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden (affiliation when the work was performed).,Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium (current affiliation)
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30
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Gossner CM, Marrama L, Carson M, Allerberger F, Calistri P, Dilaveris D, Lecollinet S, Morgan D, Nowotny N, Paty MC, Pervanidou D, Rizzo C, Roberts H, Schmoll F, Van Bortel W, Gervelmeyer A. West Nile virus surveillance in Europe: moving towards an integrated animal-human-vector approach. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 22:30526. [PMID: 28494844 PMCID: PMC5434877 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2017.22.18.30526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This article uses the experience of five European countries to review the integrated approaches (human, animal and vector) for surveillance and monitoring of West Nile virus (WNV) at national and European levels. The epidemiological situation of West Nile fever in Europe is heterogeneous. No model of surveillance and monitoring fits all, hence this article merely encourages countries to implement the integrated approach that meets their needs. Integration of surveillance and monitoring activities conducted by the public health authorities, the animal health authorities and the authorities in charge of vector surveillance and control should improve efficiency and save resources by implementing targeted measures. The creation of a formal interagency working group is identified as a crucial step towards integration. Blood safety is a key incentive for public health authorities to allocate sufficient resources for WNV surveillance, while the facts that an effective vaccine is available for horses and that most infected animals remain asymptomatic make the disease a lesser priority for animal health authorities. The examples described here can support other European countries wishing to strengthen their WNV surveillance or preparedness, and also serve as a model for surveillance and monitoring of other (vector-borne) zoonotic infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline M Gossner
- Surveillance and Response Support Unit, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laurence Marrama
- Surveillance and Response Support Unit, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marianne Carson
- Animal and Plant Health Unit, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, Italy
| | - Franz Allerberger
- Units for Animal Health and Public Health, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Vienna, Austria
| | - Paolo Calistri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale', Teramo, Italy
| | - Dimitrios Dilaveris
- Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Animal Health Directorate, Athens, Greece
| | - Sylvie Lecollinet
- French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Animal Health Laboratory, EU-RL on equine diseases, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Dilys Morgan
- Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, Public Health England, Colindale, United Kingdom
| | - Norbert Nowotny
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Danai Pervanidou
- Hellenic Center for Disease Control & Prevention, Department of Epidemiological Surveillance and Intervention, Vector-borne Diseases Office, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Helen Roberts
- Veterinary and Science Policy Advice team, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, United Kingdom
| | - Friedrich Schmoll
- Units for Animal Health and Public Health, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Vienna, Austria
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Surveillance and Response Support Unit, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andrea Gervelmeyer
- Animal and Plant Health Unit, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, Italy
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31
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Abstract
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes and causes febrile illness with severe arthralgia in humans. There are 3 circulating CHIKV genotypes, Asia, East/Central/South Africa, and West Africa. CHIKV was first reported in 1953 in Tanzania, and up until the early 2000s, a few outbreaks and sporadic cases of CHIKV were mainly reported in Africa and Asia. However, from 2004 to 2005, a large epidemic spanned from Kenya over to the southwestern Indian Ocean region, India, and Southeast Asia. Identified in 2005, the E1 glycoprotein A226V mutation of the East/Central/South Africa genotype conferred enhanced transmission by the A. albopictus mosquito and has been implicated in CHIKV's further spread in the last decade. In 2013, the Asian CHIKV genotype emerged in the Caribbean and quickly took the Americas by storm. This review will discuss the history of CHIKV as well as its expanding geographic distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herve Zeller
- Emerging and Vector-borne Diseases Programme, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Solna, Sweden
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Emerging and Vector-borne Diseases Programme, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Solna, Sweden
| | - Bertrand Sudre
- Emerging and Vector-borne Diseases Programme, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Solna, Sweden
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32
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Santermans E, Robesyn E, Ganyani T, Sudre B, Faes C, Quinten C, Van Bortel W, Haber T, Kovac T, Van Reeth F, Testa M, Hens N, Plachouras D. Spatiotemporal Evolution of Ebola Virus Disease at Sub-National Level during the 2014 West Africa Epidemic: Model Scrutiny and Data Meagreness. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147172. [PMID: 26771513 PMCID: PMC4714854 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has infected at least 27,443 individuals and killed 11,207, based on data until 24 June, 2015, released by the World Health Organization (WHO). This outbreak has been characterised by extensive geographic spread across the affected countries Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and by localized hotspots within these countries. The rapid recognition and quantitative assessment of localised areas of higher transmission can inform the optimal deployment of public health resources. METHODS A variety of mathematical models have been used to estimate the evolution of this epidemic, and some have pointed out the importance of the spatial heterogeneity apparent from incidence maps. However, little is known about the district-level transmission. Given that many response decisions are taken at sub-national level, the current study aimed to investigate the spatial heterogeneity by using a different modelling framework, built on publicly available data at district level. Furthermore, we assessed whether this model could quantify the effect of intervention measures and provide predictions at a local level to guide public health action. We used a two-stage modelling approach: a) a flexible spatiotemporal growth model across all affected districts and b) a deterministic SEIR compartmental model per district whenever deemed appropriate. FINDINGS Our estimates show substantial differences in the evolution of the outbreak in the various regions of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, illustrating the importance of monitoring the outbreak at district level. We also provide an estimate of the time-dependent district-specific effective reproduction number, as a quantitative measure to compare transmission between different districts and give input for informed decisions on control measures and resource allocation. Prediction and assessing the impact of control measures proved to be difficult without more accurate data. In conclusion, this study provides us a useful tool at district level for public health, and illustrates the importance of collecting and sharing data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Santermans
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Emmanuel Robesyn
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tapiwa Ganyani
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Bertrand Sudre
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christel Faes
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Chantal Quinten
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tom Haber
- Expertise centre for Digital Media, iMinds, tUL, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Thomas Kovac
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Expertise centre for Digital Media, iMinds, tUL, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Frank Van Reeth
- Expertise centre for Digital Media, iMinds, tUL, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Marco Testa
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Public Health, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Niel Hens
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Centre for Health Economics Research and Modelling Infectious Diseases, Vaccine & Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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33
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Kraemer MUG, Sinka ME, Duda KA, Mylne A, Shearer FM, Brady OJ, Messina JP, Barker CM, Moore CG, Carvalho RG, Coelho GE, Van Bortel W, Hendrickx G, Schaffner F, Wint GRW, Elyazar IRF, Teng HJ, Hay SI. The global compendium of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus occurrence. Sci Data 2015; 2:150035. [PMID: 26175912 PMCID: PMC4493829 DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2015.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 211] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus are the main vectors transmitting dengue and chikungunya viruses. Despite being pathogens of global public health importance, knowledge of their vectors’ global distribution remains patchy and sparse. A global geographic database of known occurrences of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus between 1960 and 2014 was compiled. Herein we present the database, which comprises occurrence data linked to point or polygon locations, derived from peer-reviewed literature and unpublished studies including national entomological surveys and expert networks. We describe all data collection processes, as well as geo-positioning methods, database management and quality-control procedures. This is the first comprehensive global database of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus occurrence, consisting of 19,930 and 22,137 geo-positioned occurrence records respectively. Both datasets can be used for a variety of mapping and spatial analyses of the vectors and, by inference, the diseases they transmit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz U G Kraemer
- Spatial Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford , South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Marianne E Sinka
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics,University of Oxford , Oxford, UK ; Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington , Seattle, USA
| | - Kirsten A Duda
- Spatial Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford , South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Adrian Mylne
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics,University of Oxford , Oxford, UK ; Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington , Seattle, USA
| | - Freya M Shearer
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics,University of Oxford , Oxford, UK ; Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington , Seattle, USA
| | - Oliver J Brady
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics,University of Oxford , Oxford, UK ; Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington , Seattle, USA
| | - Jane P Messina
- Spatial Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford , South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Christopher M Barker
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California , Davis, CA, USA ; Center for Vectorborne Diseases, University of California , Davis, CA, USA ; Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Chester G Moore
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University , Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Roberta G Carvalho
- National Dengue Control Program, Ministry of Health , Brasilia, DF, Brazil
| | - Giovanini E Coelho
- National Dengue Control Program, Ministry of Health , Brasilia, DF, Brazil
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control , Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - G R William Wint
- Spatial Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford , South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK ; Environmental Research Group Oxford Ltd, Department of Zoology , South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | | | - Hwa-Jen Teng
- Center for Research, Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control , Taipei, Taiwan (ROC)
| | - Simon I Hay
- Spatial Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford , South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK ; Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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34
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Kraemer MUG, Sinka ME, Duda KA, Mylne AQN, Shearer FM, Barker CM, Moore CG, Carvalho RG, Coelho GE, Van Bortel W, Hendrickx G, Schaffner F, Elyazar IRF, Teng HJ, Brady OJ, Messina JP, Pigott DM, Scott TW, Smith DL, Wint GRW, Golding N, Hay SI. The global distribution of the arbovirus vectors Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus. eLife 2015; 4:e08347. [PMID: 26126267 PMCID: PMC4493616 DOI: 10.7554/elife.08347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1111] [Impact Index Per Article: 123.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Dengue and chikungunya are increasing global public health concerns due to their rapid geographical spread and increasing disease burden. Knowledge of the contemporary distribution of their shared vectors, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus remains incomplete and is complicated by an ongoing range expansion fuelled by increased global trade and travel. Mapping the global distribution of these vectors and the geographical determinants of their ranges is essential for public health planning. Here we compile the largest contemporary database for both species and pair it with relevant environmental variables predicting their global distribution. We show Aedes distributions to be the widest ever recorded; now extensive in all continents, including North America and Europe. These maps will help define the spatial limits of current autochthonous transmission of dengue and chikungunya viruses. It is only with this kind of rigorous entomological baseline that we can hope to project future health impacts of these viruses. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08347.001 Mosquitoes spread many disease-causing viruses and parasites between people and other animals, including viral infections such as dengue and chikungunya. Both infections cause high fevers often accompanied with excruciating joint pain or other flu-like symptoms. Dengue and chikungunya have become growing public health problems over the last fifty years. Today about half of the world's population is at risk of dengue infection, while chikungunya outbreaks, which were previously limited to Africa and Asia, have recently been reported in the Caribbean, South America and Europe. The dengue and chikungunya viruses are transmitted between people by two species of mosquitoes called Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Therefore it is important to work out where these mosquito species are found around the globe to identify the areas at risk. It is also important to predict where these species could become established if they were introduced, in order to identify areas that could become at risk in the future. Kraemer et al. now provide updated predictions about the distribution of these two mosquito species around the globe. These predictions are based upon the most up-to-date data on the known locations of the species combined with information on environmental conditions across the globe. The updated maps show that these Aedes mosquitoes are now found across all continents, including North America and Europe. Aedes albopictus mosquitoes in particular are rapidly expanding their territory around the globe. Kraemer et al. used their new maps to show that, unlike in the United States, many of the areas in Europe and China that could support this mosquito species do not yet appear to have been colonized. These findings provide a map of the distribution of both species as it stands at the moment. Further work is now needed to better understand which factors are contributing to the rapid expansion of these mosquitoes' range and what might be done to control this spread. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08347.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz U G Kraemer
- Spatial Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Marianne E Sinka
- Spatial Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kirsten A Duda
- Spatial Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian Q N Mylne
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Freya M Shearer
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher M Barker
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, United States
| | - Chester G Moore
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, United States
| | | | | | - Wim Van Bortel
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | | | - Hwa-Jen Teng
- Center for Research, Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Oliver J Brady
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jane P Messina
- Spatial Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David M Pigott
- Spatial Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas W Scott
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - David L Smith
- Spatial Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - G R William Wint
- Environmental Research Group Oxford, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nick Golding
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Simon I Hay
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Semenza JC, Sudre B, Miniota J, Rossi M, Hu W, Kossowsky D, Suk JE, Van Bortel W, Khan K. International dispersal of dengue through air travel: importation risk for Europe. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e3278. [PMID: 25474491 PMCID: PMC4256202 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2014] [Accepted: 09/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The worldwide distribution of dengue is expanding, in part due to globalized traffic and trade. Aedes albopictus is a competent vector for dengue viruses (DENV) and is now established in numerous regions of Europe. Viremic travellers arriving in Europe from dengue-affected areas of the world can become catalysts of local outbreaks in Europe. Local dengue transmission in Europe is extremely rare, and the last outbreak occurred in 1927–28 in Greece. However, autochthonous transmission was reported from France in September 2010, and from Croatia between August and October 2010. Methodology We compiled data on areas affected by dengue in 2010 from web resources and surveillance reports, and collected national dengue importation data. We developed a hierarchical regression model to quantify the relationship between the number of reported dengue cases imported into Europe and the volume of airline travellers arriving from dengue-affected areas internationally. Principal Findings In 2010, over 5.8 million airline travellers entered Europe from dengue-affected areas worldwide, of which 703,396 arrived at 36 airports situated in areas where Ae. albopictus has been recorded. The adjusted incidence rate ratio for imported dengue into European countries was 1.09 (95% CI: 1.01–1.17) for every increase of 10,000 travellers; in August, September, and October the rate ratios were 1.70 (95%CI: 1.23–2.35), 1.46 (95%CI: 1.02–2.10), and 1.35 (95%CI: 1.01–1.81), respectively. Two Italian cities where the vector is present received over 50% of all travellers from dengue-affected areas, yet with the continuing vector expansion more cities will be implicated in the future. In fact, 38% more travellers arrived in 2013 into those parts of Europe where Ae. albopictus has recently been introduced, compared to 2010. Conclusions The highest risk of dengue importation in 2010 was restricted to three months and can be ranked according to arriving traveller volume from dengue-affected areas into cities where the vector is present. The presence of the vector is a necessary, but not sufficient, prerequisite for DENV onward transmission, which depends on a number of additional factors. However, our empirical model can provide spatio-temporal elements to public health interventions. The global disease burden of dengue is staggering. Continuous expansion and vaccine failures illustrate the limitations of current dengue control efforts. Novel approaches and additional tools are required to combat and contain the disease. In Europe, dengue infections are rare and the last outbreak of dengue occurred in the late 1920s, in Greece. In 2010, however, local transmission occurred in France and Croatia. Based on 2010 data, we present a novel quantitative model of the risk of dengue importation for Europe. The 2010 model predicts the risk of dengue importation to be greatest for Milan, Rome and Barcelona in August, September and October, precisely when vector activity is the highest. With the current expansion of the vector in Europe, more cities are projected to be at risk in the future. Thus, the model based on 2010 data quantifies the likelihood and timing of importation. This approach employs global travel data to assess dengue importation risk in the EU and illustrates how quantitative models could tailor infectious disease control to certain regions and time periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan C. Semenza
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Bertrand Sudre
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jennifer Miniota
- Division of Infectious Diseases, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Massimiliano Rossi
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wei Hu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Kossowsky
- Division of Infectious Diseases, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jonathan E. Suk
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kamran Khan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Bellini R, Zeller H, Van Bortel W. A review of the vector management methods to prevent and control outbreaks of West Nile virus infection and the challenge for Europe. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:323. [PMID: 25015004 PMCID: PMC4230500 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus infection is a growing concern in Europe. Vector management is often the primary option to prevent and control outbreaks of the disease. Its implementation is, however, complex and needs to be supported by integrated multidisciplinary surveillance systems and to be organized within the framework of predefined response plans. The impact of the vector control measures depends on multiple factors and the identification of the best combination of vector control methods is therefore not always straightforward. Therefore, this contribution aims at critically reviewing the existing vector control methods to prevent and control outbreaks of West Nile virus infection and to present the challenges for Europe.Most West Nile virus vector control experiences have been recently developed in the US, where ecological conditions are different from the EU and vector control is organized under a different regulatory frame. The extrapolation of information produced in North America to Europe might be limited because of the seemingly different epidemiology in the European region. Therefore, there is an urgent need to analyse the European experiences of the prevention and control of outbreaks of West Nile virus infection and to perform robust cost-benefit analysis that can guide the implementation of the appropriate control measures. Furthermore, to be effective, vector control programs require a strong organisational backbone relying on a previously defined plan, skilled technicians and operators, appropriate equipment, and sufficient financial resources. A decision making guide scheme is proposed which may assist in the process of implementation of vector control measures tailored on specific areas and considering the available information and possible scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romeo Bellini
- Centro Agricoltura Ambiente "G,Nicoli", Via Argini Nord 3351, Crevalcore 40014, Italy.
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Medlock JM, Hansford KM, Van Bortel W, Zeller H, Alten B. A summary of the evidence for the change in European distribution of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) of public health importance. J Vector Ecol 2014; 39:72-7. [PMID: 24820558 DOI: 10.1111/j.1948-7134.2014.12072.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2013] [Accepted: 11/05/2013] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) are vectors of several infectious pathogens. The presence of a sand fly vector is considered to be a risk factor for the emergence of leishmaniasis in temperate Europe. Hence, the occurrence of phlebotomine sand flies and any changes in their distribution is important in determining the potential change in distribution of leishmaniasis in Europe. Therefore, published evidence for a changing distribution of the important phlebotomine sand fly vectors of leishmaniasis and phlebovirus infection in Europe is reviewed. This paper presents evidence of an increasing risk of establishment by sand fly species, especially for the Atlantic Coast and inland parts of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. In addition to detection in potentially appropriate areas, the findings show areas of potential future establishment of the species. The most important and urgent necessity within the community of entomologists working on phlebotomines is the need to record the extremes of distribution of each species and obtain data on their regional presence/absence along with increased sharing of the data throughout European projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolyon M Medlock
- Medical Entomology group, Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom.
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Damiens D, Ayrinhac A, Van Bortel W, Versteirt V, Dekoninck W, Hance T. Invasive process and repeated cross-sectional surveys of the mosquito Aedes japonicus japonicus establishment in Belgium. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89358. [PMID: 24694576 PMCID: PMC3973670 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
When accidentally introduced in a new location, a species does not necessarily readily become invasive, but it usually needs several years to adapt to its new environment. In 2009, a national mosquito survey (MODIRISK) reported the introduction and possible establishment of an invasive mosquito species, Aedes j. japonicus, in Belgium. First collected in 2002 in the village of Natoye from a second-hand tire company, then sampled in 2003 and 2004, the presence of adults and larvae was confirmed in 2007 and 2008. A repeated cross-sectional survey of Ae. j. japonicus was then conducted in 2009 in Natoye to study the phenology of the species on two different sites using three kinds of traps: Mosquito Magnet Liberty Plus traps, BG sentinel traps and CDC Gravid traps. An analysis of the blood meals was done on females to assess the epidemiological risks. Five species of mosquitos were caught using the different kind of traps: Culex pipiens, Cx. torrentium, Anopheles claviger, Aedes geniculatus and Ae. j. japonicus, Cx. pipiens being the most abundant. The CDC gravid traps gave the best results. Surprisingly Ae. j. japonicus was only found on one site although both sites seem similar and are only distant of 2.5 km. Its population peak was reached in July. Most of the engorged mosquitoes tested acquired blood meals from humans (60%). No avian blood meals were unambiguously identified. Larvae were also collected, mostly from tires but also from buckets and from one tree hole. Only one larva was found in a puddle at 100 m of the tire storage. A first local treatment of Ae. j. japonicus larvae population was done in May 2012 using Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) and was followed by preventive actions and public information. A monitoring is also presently implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Damiens
- Université catholique de Louvain, Earth and Life Institute, Biodiversity Research Centre, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria
| | - Audrey Ayrinhac
- Université catholique de Louvain, Earth and Life Institute, Biodiversity Research Centre, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Dept. Parasitology, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Veerle Versteirt
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Dept. Parasitology, Antwerpen, Belgium
- Avia-GIS, Precision Pest Management Unit, Zoersel, Belgium
| | - Wouter Dekoninck
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, KBIN-IRSNB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thierry Hance
- Université catholique de Louvain, Earth and Life Institute, Biodiversity Research Centre, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
During 2009–2012, Greece experienced a resurgence of domestic malaria transmission. To help guide malaria response efforts, we used spatial modeling to characterize environmental signatures of areas suitable for transmission. Nonlinear discriminant analysis indicated that sea-level altitude and land-surface temperature parameters are predictive in this regard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bertrand Sudre
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
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Briët OJT, Penny MA, Hardy D, Awolola TS, Van Bortel W, Corbel V, Dabiré RK, Etang J, Koudou BG, Tungu PK, Chitnis N. Effects of pyrethroid resistance on the cost effectiveness of a mass distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets: a modelling study. Malar J 2013; 12:77. [PMID: 23442575 PMCID: PMC3598792 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-12-77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2013] [Accepted: 02/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The effectiveness of insecticide-treated nets in preventing malaria is threatened by developing resistance against pyrethroids. Little is known about how strongly this affects the effectiveness of vector control programmes. Methods Data from experimental hut studies on the effects of long-lasting, insecticidal nets (LLINs) on nine anopheline mosquito populations, with varying levels of mortality in World Health Organization susceptibility tests, were used to parameterize malaria models. Both simple static models predicting population-level insecticidal effectiveness and protection against blood feeding, and complex dynamic epidemiological models, where LLINs decayed over time, were used. The epidemiological models, implemented in OpenMalaria, were employed to study the impact of a single mass distribution of LLINs on malaria, both in terms of episodes prevented during the effective lifetime of the batch of LLINs, and in terms of net health benefits (NHB) expressed in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted during that period, depending on net type (standard pyrethroid-only LLIN or pyrethroid-piperonyl butoxide combination LLIN), resistance status, coverage and pre-intervention transmission level. Results There were strong positive correlations between insecticide susceptibility status and predicted population level insecticidal effectiveness of and protection against blood feeding by LLIN intervention programmes. With the most resistant mosquito population, the LLIN mass distribution averted up to about 40% fewer episodes and DALYs during the effective lifetime of the batch than with fully susceptible populations. However, cost effectiveness of LLINs was more sensitive to the pre-intervention transmission level and coverage than to susceptibility status. For four out of the six Anopheles gambiae sensu lato populations where direct comparisons between standard LLINs and combination LLINs were possible, combination nets were more cost effective, despite being more expensive. With one resistant population, both net types were equally effective, and with one of the two susceptible populations, standard LLINs were more cost effective. Conclusion Despite being less effective when compared to areas with susceptible mosquito populations, standard and combination LLINs are likely to (still) be cost effective against malaria even in areas with strong pyrethroid resistance. Combination nets are likely to be more cost effective than standard nets in areas with resistant mosquito populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier J T Briët
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.
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Medlock JM, Hansford KM, Bormane A, Derdakova M, Estrada-Peña A, George JC, Golovljova I, Jaenson TGT, Jensen JK, Jensen PM, Kazimirova M, Oteo JA, Papa A, Pfister K, Plantard O, Randolph SE, Rizzoli A, Santos-Silva MM, Sprong H, Vial L, Hendrickx G, Zeller H, Van Bortel W. Driving forces for changes in geographical distribution of Ixodes ricinus ticks in Europe. Parasit Vectors 2013; 6:1. [PMID: 23281838 PMCID: PMC3549795 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 514] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2012] [Accepted: 12/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Many factors are involved in determining the latitudinal and altitudinal spread of the important tick vector Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) in Europe, as well as in changes in the distribution within its prior endemic zones. This paper builds on published literature and unpublished expert opinion from the VBORNET network with the aim of reviewing the evidence for these changes in Europe and discusses the many climatic, ecological, landscape and anthropogenic drivers. These can be divided into those directly related to climatic change, contributing to an expansion in the tick's geographic range at extremes of altitude in central Europe, and at extremes of latitude in Scandinavia; those related to changes in the distribution of tick hosts, particularly roe deer and other cervids; other ecological changes such as habitat connectivity and changes in land management; and finally, anthropogenically induced changes. These factors are strongly interlinked and often not well quantified. Although a change in climate plays an important role in certain geographic regions, for much of Europe it is non-climatic factors that are becoming increasingly important. How we manage habitats on a landscape scale, and the changes in the distribution and abundance of tick hosts are important considerations during our assessment and management of the public health risks associated with ticks and tick-borne disease issues in 21(st) century Europe. Better understanding and mapping of the spread of I. ricinus (and changes in its abundance) is, however, essential to assess the risk of the spread of infections transmitted by this vector species. Enhanced tick surveillance with harmonized approaches for comparison of data enabling the follow-up of trends at EU level will improve the messages on risk related to tick-borne diseases to policy makers, other stake holders and to the general public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolyon M Medlock
- Medical Entomology Group, MRA, Emergency Response Department, Health Protection Agency, Salisbury, UK.
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Medlock JM, Hansford KM, Schaffner F, Versteirt V, Hendrickx G, Zeller H, Van Bortel W. A review of the invasive mosquitoes in Europe: ecology, public health risks, and control options. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2012; 12:435-47. [PMID: 22448724 PMCID: PMC3366101 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2011.0814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 417] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been growing interest in Europe in recent years in the establishment and spread of invasive mosquitoes, notably the incursion of Aedes albopictus through the international trade in used tires and lucky bamboo, with onward spread within Europe through ground transport. More recently, five other non-European aedine mosquito species have been found in Europe, and in some cases populations have established locally and are spreading. Concerns have been raised about the involvement of these mosquito species in transmission cycles of pathogens of public health importance, and these concerns were borne out following the outbreak of chikungunya fever in Italy in 2007, and subsequent autochthonous cases of dengue fever in France and Croatia in 2010. This article reviews current understanding of all exotic (five introduced invasive and one intercepted) aedine species in Europe, highlighting the known import pathways, biotic and abiotic constraints for establishment, control strategies, and public health significance, and encourages Europe-wide surveillance for invasive mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolyon M Medlock
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Group, Microbial Risk Assessment, Emergency Response Division, Health Protection Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom.
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Durnez L, Van Bortel W, Denis L, Roelants P, Veracx A, Trung HD, Sochantha T, Coosemans M. False positive circumsporozoite protein ELISA: a challenge for the estimation of the entomological inoculation rate of malaria and for vector incrimination. Malar J 2011; 10:195. [PMID: 21767376 PMCID: PMC3160429 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-10-195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2011] [Accepted: 07/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The entomological inoculation rate (EIR) is an important indicator in estimating malaria transmission and the impact of vector control. To assess the EIR, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) is increasingly used. However, several studies have reported false positive results in this ELISA. The false positive results could lead to an overestimation of the EIR. The aim of present study was to estimate the level of false positivity among different anopheline species in Cambodia and Vietnam and to check for the presence of other parasites that might interact with the anti-CSP monoclonal antibodies. Methods Mosquitoes collected in Cambodia and Vietnam were identified and tested for the presence of sporozoites in head and thorax by using CSP-ELISA. ELISA positive samples were confirmed by a Plasmodium specific PCR. False positive mosquitoes were checked by PCR for the presence of parasites belonging to the Haemosporidia, Trypanosomatidae, Piroplasmida, and Haemogregarines. The heat-stability and the presence of the cross-reacting antigen in the abdomen of the mosquitoes were also checked. Results Specimens (N = 16,160) of seven anopheline species were tested by CSP-ELISA for Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax (Pv210 and Pv247). Two new vector species were identified for the region: Anopheles pampanai (P. vivax) and Anopheles barbirostris (Plasmodium malariae). In 88% (155/176) of the mosquitoes found positive with the P. falciparum CSP-ELISA, the presence of Plasmodium sporozoites could not be confirmed by PCR. This percentage was much lower (28% or 5/18) for P. vivax CSP-ELISAs. False positive CSP-ELISA results were associated with zoophilic mosquito species. None of the targeted parasites could be detected in these CSP-ELISA false positive mosquitoes. The ELISA reacting antigen of P. falciparum was heat-stable in CSP-ELISA true positive specimens, but not in the false positives. The heat-unstable cross-reacting antigen is mainly present in head and thorax and almost absent in the abdomens (4 out of 147) of the false positive specimens. Conclusion The CSP-ELISA can considerably overestimate the EIR, particularly for P. falciparum and for zoophilic species. The heat-unstable cross-reacting antigen in false positives remains unknown. Therefore it is highly recommended to confirm all positive CSP-ELISA results, either by re-analysing the heated ELISA lysate (100°C, 10 min), or by performing Plasmodium specific PCR followed if possible by sequencing of the amplicons for Plasmodium species determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lies Durnez
- Insitute of Tropical Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Nationalestraat 155, B-2000 Antwerpen, Belgium.
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Yewhalaw D, Wassie F, Steurbaut W, Spanoghe P, Van Bortel W, Denis L, Tessema DA, Getachew Y, Coosemans M, Duchateau L, Speybroeck N. Multiple insecticide resistance: an impediment to insecticide-based malaria vector control program. PLoS One 2011; 6:e16066. [PMID: 21264325 PMCID: PMC3020220 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2010] [Accepted: 12/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS), insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are key components in malaria prevention and control strategy. However, the development of resistance by mosquitoes to insecticides recommended for IRS and/or ITNs/LLINs would affect insecticide-based malaria vector control. We assessed the susceptibility levels of Anopheles arabiensis to insecticides used in malaria control, characterized basic mechanisms underlying resistance, and evaluated the role of public health use of insecticides in resistance selection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Susceptibility status of An. arabiensis was assessed using WHO bioassay tests to DDT, permethrin, deltamethrin, malathion and propoxur in Ethiopia from August to September 2009. Mosquito specimens were screened for knockdown resistance (kdr) and insensitive acetylcholinesterase (ace-1(R)) mutations using AS-PCR and PCR-RFLP, respectively. DDT residues level in soil from human dwellings and the surrounding environment were determined by Gas Chromatography with Electron Capture Detector. An. arabiensis was resistant to DDT, permethrin, deltamethrin and malathion, but susceptible to propoxur. The West African kdr allele was found in 280 specimens out of 284 with a frequency ranged from 95% to 100%. Ace-1(R) mutation was not detected in all specimens scored for the allele. Moreover, DDT residues were found in soil samples from human dwellings but not in the surrounding environment. CONCLUSION The observed multiple-resistance coupled with the occurrence of high kdr frequency in populations of An. arabiensis could profoundly affect the malaria vector control programme in Ethiopia. This needs an urgent call for implementing rational resistance management strategies and integrated vector control intervention.
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Van Bortel W, Trung HD, Hoi LX, Van Ham N, Van Chut N, Luu ND, Roelants P, Denis L, Speybroeck N, D'Alessandro U, Coosemans M. Malaria transmission and vector behaviour in a forested malaria focus in central Vietnam and the implications for vector control. Malar J 2010; 9:373. [PMID: 21182774 PMCID: PMC3224380 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-9-373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2010] [Accepted: 12/23/2010] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In Vietnam, malaria is becoming progressively restricted to specific foci where human and vector characteristics alter the known malaria epidemiology, urging for alternative or adapted control strategies. Long-lasting insecticidal hammocks (LLIH) were designed and introduced in Ninh Thuan province, south-central Vietnam, to control malaria in the specific context of forest malaria. An entomological study in this specific forested environment was conducted to assess the behavioural patterns of forest and village vectors and to assess the spatio-temporal risk factors of malaria transmission in the province. Methods Five entomological surveys were conducted in three villages in Ma Noi commune and in five villages in Phuoc Binh commune in Ninh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam. Collections were made inside the village, at the plot near the slash-and-burn fields in the forest and on the way to the forest. All collected mosquito species were subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect Plasmodium in the head-thoracic portion of individual mosquitoes after morphological identification. Collection data were analysed by use of correspondence and multivariate analyses. Results The mosquito density in the study area was low with on average 3.7 anopheline bites per man-night and 17.4 culicine bites per man-night. Plasmodium-infected mosquitoes were only found in the forest and on the way to the forest. Malaria transmission in the forested malaria foci was spread over the entire night, from dusk to dawn, but was most intense in the early evening as nine of the 13 Plasmodium positive bites occurred before 21H. The annual entomological inoculation rate of Plasmodium falciparum was 2.2 infective bites per person-year to which Anopheles dirus s.s. and Anopheles minimus s.s. contributed. The Plasmodium vivax annual entomological inoculation rate was 2.5 infective bites per person-year with Anopheles sawadwongporni, Anopheles dirus s.s. and Anopheles pampanai as vectors. Conclusion The vector behaviour and spatio-temporal patterns of malaria transmission in Southeast Asia impose new challenges when changing objectives from control to elimination of malaria and make it necessary to focus not only on the known main vector species. Moreover, effective tools to prevent malaria transmission in the early evening and in the early morning, when the treated bed net cannot be used, need to be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wim Van Bortel
- Dept Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Nationalestraat 155, B-2000 Antwerpen, Belgium.
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Yewhalaw D, Bortel WV, Denis L, Coosemans M, Duchateau L, Speybroeck N. First evidence of high knockdown resistance frequency in Anopheles arabiensis (Diptera: Culicidae) from Ethiopia. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2010; 83:122-5. [PMID: 20595490 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2010.09-0738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The status of knockdown resistance (kdr) mutation was investigated in the major malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis Patton (Diptera: Culicidae) from Ethiopia. Among 240 mosquito samples from 15 villages of southwestern Ethiopia that were screened by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction for kdr mutations, the West African kdr mutation (L1014F) was detected in almost all specimens (98.5%), whereas the East African kdr mutation (L1014S) was absent. Moreover, the mortality of An. gambiae s.l. to diagnostic dosages of 4% DDT, 0.75% permethrin, and 0.05% deltamethrin from bioassay results was 1.0%, 18.1%, and 82.2%, respectively. We report here the highest kdr allele frequency ever observed in An. arabiensis and its implications in malaria vector control in Ethiopia are discussed.
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Verhaeghen K, Van Bortel W, Trung HD, Sochantha T, Keokenchanh K, Coosemans M. Knockdown resistance in Anopheles vagus, An. sinensis, An. paraliae and An. peditaeniatus populations of the Mekong region. Parasit Vectors 2010; 3:59. [PMID: 20646327 PMCID: PMC2915968 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-3-59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2010] [Accepted: 07/21/2010] [Indexed: 07/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In the Mekong region (Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos), a large investigation was conducted to assess the susceptibility of Anopheles species against DDT and pyrethroids. In this study, the resistance status of the potential malaria vectors An. vagus, An. sinensis, An. paraliae and An. peditaeniatus was assessed. Methods Bioassays were performed on field collected unfed female mosquitoes using the standard WHO susceptibility tests. In addition, the DIIS6 region of the para-type sodium channel gene was amplified and sequenced and four allele-specific PCR assays were developed to assess the kdr frequencies. Results In Southern Vietnam all species were DDT and pyrethroid resistant, which might suggest the presence of a kdr resistance mechanism. Sequence-analysis of the DIIS6 region of the para-type sodium channel gene revealed the presence of a L1014S kdr mutation in An. vagus, An. sinensis and An. paraliae. In An. peditaeniatus, a low frequency L1014S kdr mutation was found in combination with a high frequency L1014F kdr mutation. For pyrethroids and DDT, no genotypic differentiation was found between survivors and non-survivors for any of these species. In the two widespread species, An. vagus and An. sinensis, kdr was found only in southern Vietnam and in Cambodia near the Vietnamese border. Conclusions Different levels of resistance were measured in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The kdr mutation in different Anopheles species seems to occur in the same geographical area. These species breed in open agricultural lands where malaria endemicity is low or absent and vector control programs less intensive. It is therefore likely that the selection pressure occurred on the larval stages by insecticides used for agricultural purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrijn Verhaeghen
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Nationalestraat 155, B-2000 Antwerpen, Belgium.
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Verhaeghen K, Bortel WV, Roelants P, Okello PE, Talisuna A, Coosemans M. Spatio-temporal patterns in kdr frequency in permethrin and DDT resistant Anopheles gambiae s.s. from Uganda. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2010; 82:566-73. [PMID: 20348500 PMCID: PMC2844549 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2010.08-0668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The planned upscaling of vector control strategies requires insight into the epidemiological consequences of vector resistance. Therefore, the pyrethroid and DDT resistance status of Anopheles gambiae s.l. was assessed in Uganda from 2004 to 2006, and spatial and seasonal variations in knockdown resistance (kdr) frequencies were analyzed in terms of epidemiological significance. Anopheles gambiae s.l. was DDT and pyrethroid resistant in central and eastern Uganda. The L1014S kdr allele frequencies varied from 3% to 48% in An. gambiae s.s. Although the homozygous resistant genotype was the most prevalent genotype among survivors, the genotypes could not entirely explain the bioassay results. In the dry season, the kdr frequency was significantly higher in Plasmodium falciparum-infected mosquitoes, indicating that mosquitoes bearing a kdr mutation have a better adult survival, hence a higher likelihood of becoming infectious. This study showed that kdr might have an epidemiological impact that could jeopardize the vector control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrijn Verhaeghen
- Department of Parasitology, Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, B-2000 Antwerpen, Belgium.
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Yewhalaw D, Kassahun W, Woldemichael K, Tushune K, Sudaker M, Kaba D, Duchateau L, Van Bortel W, Speybroeck N. The influence of the Gilgel-Gibe hydroelectric dam in Ethiopia on caregivers' knowledge, perceptions and health-seeking behaviour towards childhood malaria. Malar J 2010; 9:47. [PMID: 20146830 PMCID: PMC2829593 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-9-47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2009] [Accepted: 02/11/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria remains the most important public health problem in tropical and subtropical areas. Mothers' or caregivers' ability to recognize childhood malaria-related morbidity is crucial as knowledge, attitudes and health seeking behavior of caregivers towards childhood malaria could influence response to signs of the disease. Methods A total of 1,003 caregivers in 'at-risk' villages in close proximity to the Gilgel-Gibe hydroelectric dam in south-western Ethiopia, and 953 caregivers in 'control' villages further away from the dam were surveyed using structured questionnaires to assess their knowledge, perceptions and health seeking behaviour about childhood malaria. Results Malaria (busa) was ranked as the most serious health problem. Caregivers perceived childhood malaria as a preventable ('at-risk' 96%, 'control' 86%) and treatable ('at-risk' 98% and 'control' 96%) disease. Most caregivers correctly associated the typical clinical manifestations with malaria attacks. The use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) was mentioned as a personal protective measure, whereas the role of indoor residual spraying (IRS) in malaria prevention and control was under-recognized. Most of the caregivers would prefer to seek treatment in health-care services in the event of malaria and reported the use of recommended anti-malarials. Conclusion Health education to improve knowledge, perceptions and health-seeking behaviour related to malaria is equally important for caregivers in 'at risk' villages and caregivers in 'control' villages as minimal differences seen between both groups. Concluding, there may be a need of more than one generation after the introduction of the dam before differences can be noticed. Secondly, differences in prevalence between 'control' and 'at-risk' villages may not be sufficient to influence knowledge and behaviour.
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Peeters Grietens K, Xuan XN, Van Bortel W, Duc TN, Ribera JM, Ba Nhat T, Van KP, Le Xuan H, D'Alessandro U, Erhart A. Low perception of malaria risk among the Ra-glai ethnic minority in south-central Vietnam: implications for forest malaria control. Malar J 2010; 9:23. [PMID: 20089152 PMCID: PMC2823606 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-9-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2009] [Accepted: 01/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite Vietnam's success in reducing malaria mortality and morbidity over the last decade, malaria persists in the forested and mountainous areas of the central and southern provinces, where more than 50% of the clinical cases and 90% of severe cases and malaria deaths occur. Methods Between July 2005 and September 2006, a multi-method study, triangulating a malariometric cross-sectional survey and qualitative data from focused ethnography, was carried out among the Ra-glai ethnic minority in the hilly forested areas of south-central Vietnam. Results Despite the relatively high malaria burden among the Ra-glai and their general awareness that mosquitoes can transmit an unspecific kind of fever (84.2%), the use of bed nets, distributed free of charge by the national malaria control programme, remains low at the farmers' forest fields where the malaria risk is the highest. However, to meet work requirements during the labour intensive malaria transmission and rainy season, Ra-glai farmers combine living in government supported villages along the road with a second home or shelter at their slash and burn fields located in the forest. Bed net use was 84.6% in the villages but only 52.9% at the forest fields; 20.6% of the respondents slept unprotected in both places. Such low use may be explained by the low perception of the risk for malaria, decreasing the perceived need to sleep protected. Several reasons may account for this: (1) only 15.6% acknowledged the higher risk of contracting malaria in the forest than in the village; (2) perceived mosquito biting times only partially coincided with Anopheles dirus ss and Anopheles minimus A true biting times; (3) the disease locally identified as 'malaria' was hardly perceived as having an impact on forest farmers' daily lives as they were unaware of the specific kind of fevers from which they had suffered even after being diagnosed with malaria at the health centre (20.9%). Conclusions The progressive confinement of malaria to minority groups and settings in the Greater Mekong sub-region implies that further success in malaria control will be linked to research into these specific socio-cultural contexts. Findings highlight the need for context sensitive malaria control policies; not only to reduce the local malaria burden but also to minimize the risk of malaria spreading to other areas where transmission has virtually ceased.
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