Community-serving research addressing climate change impacts on vector-borne diseases.

The impacts of climate change on vector-borne diseases are uneven across human populations. This pattern reflects the effect of changing environments on the biology of transmission, which is also modulated by social and other inequities. These disparities are also linked to research outcomes that could be translated into tools for transmission reduction, but are not necessarily actionable in the communities where transmission occurs. The transmission of vector-borne diseases could be averted by developing research that is both hypothesis-driven and community-serving for populations affected by climate change, where local communities interact as equal partners with scientists, developing and implementing research projects with the aim of improving community health. In this Personal View, we share five principles that have guided our research practice to serve the needs of communities affected by vector-borne diseases.

Innate immune response against vector-borne bunyavirus infection and viral countermeasures.

Bunyaviruses are a large group of important viral pathogens that cause significant diseases in humans and animals worldwide. Bunyaviruses are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses that infect a wide range of hosts. Upon entry into host cells, the components of viruses are recognized by host innate immune system, leading to the activation of downstream signaling cascades to induce interferons (IFNs) and other proinflammatory cytokines. IFNs bind to their receptors and upregulate the expression of hundreds of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). Many ISGs have antiviral activities and confer an antiviral state to host cells. For efficient replication and spread, viruses have evolved different strategies to antagonize IFN-mediated restriction. Here, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the interactions between bunyaviruses and host innate immune response.

An update and review of arthropod vector sensory systems: Potential targets for behavioural manipulation by parasites and other disease agents.

For over a century, vector ecology has been a mainstay of vector-borne disease control. Much of this research has focused on the sensory ecology of blood-feeding arthropods (black flies, mosquitoes, ticks, etc.) with terrestrial vertebrate hosts. Of particular interest are the cues and sensory systems that drive host seeking and host feeding behaviours as they are critical for a vector to locate and feed from a host. An important yet overlooked component of arthropod vector ecology are the phenotypic changes observed in infected vectors that increase disease transmission. While our fundamental understanding of sensory mechanisms in disease vectors has drastically increased due to recent advances in genome engineering, for example, the advent of CRISPR-Cas9, and high-throughput "big data" approaches (genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, etc.), we still do not know if and how parasites manipulate vector behaviour. Here, we review the latest research on arthropod vector sensory systems and propose key mechanisms that disease agents may alter to increase transmission.

Smelly interactions: host-borne volatile organic compounds triggering behavioural responses in mosquitoes, sand flies, and ticks.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemicals emitted as products of cell metabolism, which reflects the physiological and pathological conditions of any living organisms. These compounds play a key role as olfactory cues for arthropod vectors such as mosquitoes, sand flies, and ticks, which act in the transmission of pathogens to many animal species, including humans. Some VOCs may influence arthropod behaviour, e.g., host preference and oviposition site selection for gravid females. Furthermore, deadly vector-borne pathogens such as Plasmodium falciparum and Leishmania infantum are suggested to manipulate the VOCs profile of the host to make them more attractive to mosquitoes and sand fly vectors, respectively. Under the above circumstances, studies on these compounds have demonstrated their potential usefulness for investigating the behavioural response of mosquitoes, sand flies, and ticks toward their vertebrate hosts, as well as potential tools for diagnosis of vector-borne diseases (VBDs). Herein, we provide an account for scientific data available on VOCs to study the host seeking behaviour of arthropod vectors, and their usefulness as attractants, repellents, or tools for an early diagnosis of VBDs.

Exploring community participation in vectorborne disease control in Southeast Asia: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Vector borne diseases (VBDs) present significant public health challenges in Southeast Asia (SEA), and the increasing number of cases threatens vulnerable communities. Inadequate vector control and management have been linked to the spread of VBDs. To address these issues, community participation has been proposed as a promising approach to enhance health programmes and control of VBDs. This article outlines a protocol for a scoping review of the published literature on community-participation approaches to control VBDs in the SEA region. The primary research question is 'How does community participation complement the control of VBDs in SEA?' This review aims to provide an overview of various approaches and identify barriers and facilitators to effective implementation. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The research questions will guide the scoping review. In stage 1, peer-reviewed publications from PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus will be searched using predefined search terms related to community-based approaches and VBDs in the SEA region, English, Indonesian and Malay published between 2012 and 2022. In stage 2, the references from relevant articles will be screened for eligibility. In stage 3, eligible articles will be charted in Microsoft Excel to facilitate the review process, and studies will be characterised based on the investigated diseases; this review will also highlight the methodological context of these studies. In stage 4, a thematic analysis will be conducted to derive meaningful findings from the dataset relevant to the research inquiry, followed by writing the results in stage 5. This scoping review aims to be the first to explore community participation in VBD control in the SEA population, providing valuable insights for future research and stakeholders involved in disease control. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This scoping review does not require ethical approval because the methodology synthesises information from available articles. This review is planned for dissemination in academic journals, conference presentations and shared with stakeholders as part of knowledge sharing among those involved in VBD control.

Microplanning Manual for Malaria Elimination in the Region of the Americas. Version for field personnel

The purpose of this manual is to provide guidance on how to implement Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recommendations for malaria elimination at the local level. It is a streamlined, more operational version of the Manual for Stratifying Malaria Risk and Elimination of Foci, aimed primarily at operational teams working in the field. The content has been prioritized and the steps of the process organized to facilitate greater understanding by local teams. Adjustments have also been made to underscore its versatility for all malaria transmission scenarios in the Region of the Americas. The adopted approach (which can be adapted to any transmission scenario) is based on microplanning to achieve malaria elimination. In countries with very few cases, microplanning addresses active foci, which are usually small, while ensuring adequate surveillance across the rest of the territory. In countries where transmission is still widespread (endemic areas of South America, certain countries in Central America, and Haiti) the approach is to divide territories into operational units: in these ‘microterritories’, foci, or ‘microareas’, interventions can then be tailored to interrupt transmission. Malaria elimination is a field operation in which the geographical scope must be clearly defined. This handbook calls for recognition of the importance of establishing operational units for interventions aimed at malaria elimination. All malaria-endemic countries in the Region of the Americas have taken on the challenge of eliminating the disease and taking actions to steer their health programs and strategies in that direction. This document is based on the need to identify and define operational areas (foci or microareas) where specific diagnosis, treatment, investigation, and response (DTI-R) interventions should be implemented. However, while these interventions may be standardized at the national level, they must be guided above all by a clear understanding of the transmission dynamics at local levels. A fundamental concept in the shift from a malaria control to a malaria elimination strategy is the need to constantly reformulate and adjust local operations in response to changes in transmission dynamics. Operations to combat malaria should not be viewed as a task to be performed, but as a problem to be solved. It is essential to have local information and a team with the necessary interest and training to clearly understand the problems and adapt the solutions accordingly.

Pranchas para o Diagnóstico Microscópico da Doença de Chagas

As pranchas para o diagnósbco parasitológico da doença de Chagas (DC) servem como guia para laboratoristas e técnicos de campo responsáveis pelo diagnósbco parasitológico da malária que, de forma integrada, sejam capazes de idenbficar os parasitas responsáveis pela doença de Chagas, através de imagens observadas no microscópio ópbco. Este material também pode ser útil a professores e alunos de disciplinas correlatas. As pranchas mostram imagens de fotos coloridas capturadas na observação de lâminas de sangue coradas e preparadas pelos métodos de esfregaço, gota espessa e “esfregota”. Inclui texto explicabvo sobre o Trypanosoma cruzi, agente ebológico da doença, incluindo descrições e instruções sobre o preparo e procedimentos para o exame de lâminas nos diferentes métodos de coloração (Giemsa e panóbco), bem como do uso de soluções tampão; inclui ainda imagens de outros parasitos que podem ser observados no exame da lâmina e outros elementos celulares observados no sangue, como contaminantes comuns em esfregaços de sangue periférico; e também boas prábcas de biossegurança para o manuseio de amostras de sangue. Para facilitar a consulta, as pranchas e o texto que as acompanham estão organizados seguindo a robna usual de um laboratório. São incluídas imagens de Trypanosoma cruzi, T. rangeli, Wuchereria bancrofti, Mansonella sp, Plasmodium spp. e de elementos figurados, que podem estar presentes na amostra coletada. As imagens de T. cruzi e T. rangeli, foram adquiridas a parbr de lâminas confeccionadas com material de sangue de paciente com DC e de material semeado e manbdo em cultura oriundo de sangue humano e conteúdo intesbnal de triatomíneos.

Risk perception about communicable and vector borne diseases among international travellers to Pakistan: A cross sectional study.

With the rise in air travel, the risk of diseases travelling from one geographical area to another has also increased. Relatively little is known about how travellers know and perceive the health risks associated with travel and how they adopt preventive measures before and while travelling abroad. The objective of this study is to determine the risk perception about communicable and vector-borne diseases among international travellers arriving from different countries and to find any association between the level of risk perception and independent variables. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 426 participants enrolled through convenient sampling technique. An already validated questionnaire was used to collect information. Chi square test was applied to ascertain any significant association between dependent and independent variables. Out of 426 respondents, only 226 (53%) had a high risk perception, whereas 220 (47%) had a low risk perception. A significant association was noted between the level of risk perception and gender (x2=20.9, p=0.000), level of education (x2=42.9, p=0.000), nationality (x2=7.5, p= 0.006) and region of arrival of the passengers (x2=26.2, p= 0.000). The results of the study revealed that 220 (47%) of the travellers had a low risk perception that may lead to an increase in the burden on healthcare system in Pakistan as well as exporting any new disease from Pakistan to other parts of the world where it does not already exist.

Climate change: A driver of increasing vector-borne disease transmission in non-endemic areas.

In this Perspective, Shlomit Paz discusses the link between climate change and transmission of vector-borne diseases in non-endemic areas.

The prevalence of selected vector-borne diseases in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) in the United Arab Emirates.

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) affecting dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) have considerable importance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) because of the consequences associated with production decline and economic losses. Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of selected VBDs in camels in the UAE and identify risk factors. This research is currently affected by the low number of epidemiological molecular surveys addressing this issue. Blood samples were obtained from 425 dromedary camels from different locations across the UAE. Whole genomic DNA was isolated, and PCR screening was done to detect piroplasmids (Babesia/Theileria spp.), Trypanosoma spp., and Anaplasmataceae spp. (Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Neorickettsia and Wolbachia spp.). Amplicons were sequenced, and phylogenetic trees were constructed. Trypanosoma sequences were identified as T. brucei evansi, whereas Anaplasmataceae sequences were identified as A. platys-like. All camels were negative for Babesia/Theileria spp. (0%); however, 18 camels were positive for T. b. evansi (4%) and 52 were positive for A. platys-like (12%). Mixed infection with T. b. evansi and A. platys-like was found in one camel. Statistical analyses revealed that camels with a brown coat colour were significantly more prone to acquire the A. platys-like strain compared with those having a clearer coat. A similar finding was observed when comparing urban moving camels with desert indoor and urban indoor camels. Continuous disease surveillance is required to ensure and maintain the good health status of the camels in the UAE. Nonetheless, the risk of disease outbreak remains if the misuse of drugs continues.

MBORS: Mosquito vector Biocontrol Ontology and Recommendation System.

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: Mosquito vectors are disease-causing insects, responsible for various life-threatening vector-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika, malaria, chikungunya, and lymphatic filariasis. In practice, synthetic insecticides are used to control the mosquito vector, but, the continuous usage of synthetic insecticides is toxic to human health resulting in communicable diseases. Non-toxic biocontrol agents such as bacteria, fungus, plants, and mosquito densoviruses play a vital role in controlling mosquitoes. Community awareness of mosquito biocontrol agents is required to control vector-borne diseases. Mosquito vector-based ontology facilitates mosquito biocontrol by providing information such as species names, pathogen-associated diseases, and biological controlling agents. It helps to explore the associations among the mosquitoes and their biocontrol agents in the form of rules. The Mosquito vector-based Biocontrol Ontology Recommendation System (MBORS) provides the knowledge on mosquito-associated biocontrol agents to control the vector at the early stage of the mosquitoes such as eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults. This paper proposes MBORS for the prevention and effective control of vector-borne diseases. The Mosquito Vector Association ontology (MVAont) suggests the appropriate mosquito vector biocontrol agents (MosqVecRS) for related diseases. METHODS: Natural Language Processing and Data mining are employed to develop the MBORS. While Tokenization, Part-of-speech Tagging (POS), Named Entity Recognition (NER), and rule-based text mining techniques are used to identify the mosquito ontology concepts, the data mining apriori algorithm is used to predict the associations among them. RESULTS: The outcome of the MBORS results in MVAont as Web Ontology Language (OWL) representation and MosqVecRS as an Android application. The developed ontology and recommendation system are freely available on the web portal. INTERPRETATION CONCLUSION: The MVAont predicts harmless biocontrol agents which help to diminish the rate of vector-borne diseases. On the other hand, the MosqVecRS system raises awareness of vectors and vector-borne diseases by recommending suitable biocontrol agents to the vector control community and researchers.

Climate change and its impact on infectious diseases in Asia.

ABSTRACT: Climate change, particularly increasing temperature, changes in rainfall, extreme weather events and changes in vector ecology, impacts the transmission of many climate-sensitive infectious diseases. Asia is the world's most populous, rapidly evolving and diverse continent, and it is already experiencing the effects of climate change. Climate change intersects with population, sociodemographic and geographical factors, amplifying the public health impact of infectious diseases and potentially widening existing disparities. In this narrative review, we outline the evidence of the impact of climate change on infectious diseases of importance in Asia, including vector-borne diseases, food- and water-borne diseases, antimicrobial resistance and other infectious diseases. We also highlight the imperative need for strategic intersectoral collaboration at the national and global levels and for the health sector to implement adaptation and mitigation measures, including responsibility for its own greenhouse gas emissions.

Revisiting the antigen markers of vector-borne parasitic diseases identified by immunomics: identification and application to disease control.

INTRODUCTION: Protein microarray is a promising immunomic approach for identifying biomarkers. Based on our previous study that reviewed parasite antigens and recent parasitic omics research, this article expands to include information on vector-borne parasitic diseases (VBPDs), namely, malaria, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, babesiosis, trypanosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, and onchocerciasis. AREAS COVERED: We revisit and systematically summarize antigen markers of vector-borne parasites identified by the immunomic approach and discuss the latest advances in identifying antigens for the rational development of diagnostics and vaccines. The applications and challenges of this approach for VBPD control are also discussed. EXPERT OPINION: The immunomic approach has enabled the identification and/or validation of antigen markers for vaccine development, diagnosis, disease surveillance, and treatment. However, this approach presents several challenges, including limited sample size, variability in antigen expression, false-positive results, complexity of omics data, validation and reproducibility, and heterogeneity of diseases. In addition, antigen involvement in host immune evasion and antigen sensitivity/specificity are major issues in its application. Despite these limitations, this approach remains promising for controlling VBPD. Advances in technology and data analysis methods should continue to improve candidate antigen identification, as well as the use of a multiantigen approach in diagnostic and vaccine development for VBPD control.

Perceived needs of disease vector control programs: A review and synthesis of (sub)national assessments from South Asia and the Middle East.

Systems for disease vector control should be effective, efficient, and flexible to be able to tackle contemporary challenges and threats in the control and elimination of vector-borne diseases. As a priority activity towards the strengthening of vector control systems, it has been advocated that countries conduct a vector-control needs assessment. A review was carried out of the perceived needs for disease vector control programs among eleven countries and subnational states in South Asia and the Middle East. In each country or state, independent teams conducted vector control needs assessment with engagement of stakeholders. Important weaknesses were described for malaria, dengue and leishmaniases regarding vector surveillance, insecticide susceptibility testing, monitoring and evaluation of operations, entomological capacity and laboratory infrastructure. In addition, community mobilization and intersectoral collaboration showed important gaps. Countries and states expressed concern about insecticide resistance that could reduce the continued effectiveness of interventions, which demands improved monitoring. Moreover, attainment of disease elimination necessitates enhanced vector surveillance. Vector control needs assessment provided a useful planning tool for systematic strengthening of vector control systems. A limitation in conducting the vector control needs assessment was that it is time- and resource-intensive. To increase the feasibility and utility of national assessments, an abridged version of the guidance should focus on operationally relevant topics of the assessment. Similar reviews are needed in other regions with different contextual conditions.

Servicio Autónomo Centro Amazónico de Investigación y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales Simón Bolívar (CAICET)

Ente adscrito al Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Salud cuya misión es desarrollar investigaciones en las diversas ramas de las ciencias biomédicas, ambientales y socioantropológicas de las enfermedades tropicales y sus consecuencias, para la producción de conocimientos, desarrollo de tecnologías y prácticas culturalmente aceptadas, prevención y control de enfermedades endémicas, así como la formación de recursos humanos bajo los principios de universalidad, equidad, solidaridad y respeto a la biodiversidad cultural y ambiental, con capacidad de elevar la calidad de vida de la población de la región sur del país, especialmente de las poblaciones indígenas

Assessing Environmental Risks during the Drug Development Process for Parasitic Vector-Borne Diseases: A Critical Reflection.

Parasitic vector-borne diseases (VBDs) represent nearly 20% of the global burden of infectious diseases. Moreover, the spread of VBDs is enhanced by global travel, urbanization, and climate change. Treatment of VBDs faces challenges due to limitations of existing drugs, as the potential for side effects in nontarget species raises significant environmental concerns. Consequently, considering environmental risks early in drug development processes is critically important. Here, we examine the environmental risk assessment process for veterinary medicinal products in the European Union and identify major gaps in the ecotoxicity data of these drugs. By highlighting the scarcity of ecotoxicological data for commonly used antiparasitic drugs, we stress the urgent need for considering the One Health concept. We advocate for employing predictive tools and nonanimal methodologies such as New Approach Methodologies at early stages of antiparasitic drug research and development. Furthermore, adopting progressive approaches to mitigate ecological risks requires the integration of nonstandard tests that account for real-world complexities and use environmentally relevant exposure scenarios. Such a strategy is vital for a sustainable drug development process as it adheres to the principles of One Health, ultimately contributing to a healthier and more sustainable world.

The use of environmental data in descriptive and predictive models of vector-borne disease in North America.

Vector-borne disease incidence and burden are on the rise. Weather events and climate patterns are known to influence vector populations and disease distribution and incidence. Changes in weather trends and climatic factors can shift seasonal vector activity and host behavior, thus altering pathogen distribution and introducing diseases to new geographic regions. With the upward trend in global temperature, changes in the incidence and distribution of disease vectors possibly linked to climate change have been documented. Forecasting and modeling efforts are valuable for incorporating climate into predicting changes in vector and vector-borne disease distribution. These predictions serve to optimize disease outbreak preparedness and response. The purpose of this scoping review was to describe the use of climate data in vector-borne disease prediction in North America between 2000 and 2022. The most investigated diseases were West Nile virus infection, Lyme disease, and dengue. The uneven geographical distribution of publications could suggest regional differences in the availability of surveillance data required for vector-borne disease predictions and forecasts across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Studies incorporated environmental data from ground-based sources, satellite data, previously existing data, and field-collected data. While environmental data such as meteorological and topographic factors were well-represented, further research is warranted to ascertain if relationships with less common variables, such as oceanographic characteristics and drought, hold among various vector populations and throughout wider geographical areas. This review provides a catalogue of recently used climatic data that can inform future assessments of the value of such data in vector-borne disease models.

Evaluating the long-term impact of COVID-19-associated public health interventions on zoonotic and vector-borne diseases in China: an interrupted time series analysis.

BACKGROUND: The long-term impact of COVID-19-associated public health interventions on zoonotic and vector-borne infectious diseases (ZVBs) remains uncertain. This study sought to examine the changes in ZVBs in China during the COVID-19 pandemic and predict their future trends. METHODS: Monthly incidents of seven ZVBs (Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome [HFRS], Rabies, Dengue fever [DF], Human brucellosis [HB], Leptospirosis, Malaria, and Schistosomiasis) were gathered from January 2004 to July 2023. An autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average (ARFIMA) by incorporating the COVID-19-associated public health intervention variables was developed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of interventions and forecast ZVBs epidemics from August 2023 to December 2025. RESULTS: Over the study period, there were 1,599,647 ZVBs incidents. HFRS and rabies exhibited declining trends, HB showed an upward trajectory, while the others remained relatively stable. The ARFIMA, incorporating a pulse pattern, estimated the average monthly number of changes of - 83 (95% confidence interval [CI] - 353-189) cases, - 3 (95% CI - 33-29) cases, - 468 (95% CI - 1531-597) cases, 2191 (95% CI 1056-3326) cases, 7 (95% CI - 24-38) cases, - 84 (95% CI - 222-55) cases, and - 214 (95% CI - 1036-608) cases for HFRS, rabies, DF, HB, leptospirosis, malaria, and schistosomiasis, respectively, although these changes were not statistically significant besides HB. ARFIMA predicted a decrease in HB cases between August 2023 and December 2025, while indicating a relative plateau for the others. CONCLUSIONS: China's dynamic zero COVID-19 strategy may have exerted a lasting influence on HFRS, rabies, DF, malaria, and schistosomiasis, beyond immediate consequences, but not affect HB and leptospirosis. ARFIMA emerges as a potent tool for intervention analysis, providing valuable insights into the sustained effectiveness of interventions. Consequently, the application of ARFIMA contributes to informed decision-making, the design of effective interventions, and advancements across various fields.