Heme Oxygenase-1 Induction by Blood-Feeding Arthropods Controls Skin Inflammation and Promotes Disease Tolerance.

Hematophagous vectors lacerate host skin and capillaries to acquire a blood meal, resulting in leakage of red blood cells (RBCs) and inflammation. Here, we show that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a pleiotropic cytoprotective isoenzyme that mitigates heme-mediated tissue damage, is induced after bites of sand flies, mosquitoes, and ticks. Further, we demonstrate that erythrophagocytosis by macrophages, including a skin-residing CD163+CD91+ professional iron-recycling subpopulation, produces HO-1 after bites. Importantly, we establish that global deletion or transient inhibition of HO-1 in mice increases inflammation and pathology following Leishmania-infected sand fly bites without affecting parasite number, whereas CO, an end product of the HO-1 enzymatic reaction, suppresses skin inflammation. This indicates that HO-1 induction by blood-feeding sand flies promotes tolerance to Leishmania infection. Collectively, our data demonstrate that HO-1 induction through erythrophagocytosis is a universal mechanism that regulates skin inflammation following blood feeding by arthropods, thus promoting early-stage disease tolerance to vector-borne pathogens.

AeDES: a next-generation monitoring and forecasting system for environmental suitability of Aedes-borne disease transmission.

Aedes-borne diseases, such as dengue and chikungunya, are responsible for more than 50 million infections worldwide every year, with an overall increase of 30-fold in the last 50 years, mainly due to city population growth, more frequent travels and ecological changes. In the United States of America, the vast majority of Aedes-borne infections are imported from endemic regions by travelers, who can become new sources of mosquito infection upon their return home if the exposed population is susceptible to the disease, and if suitable environmental conditions for the mosquitoes and the virus are present. Since the susceptibility of the human population can be determined via periodic monitoring campaigns, the environmental suitability for the presence of mosquitoes and viruses becomes one of the most important pieces of information for decision makers in the health sector. We present a next-generation monitoring and forecasting system for [Formula: see text]-borne diseases' environmental suitability (AeDES) of transmission in the conterminous United States and transboundary regions, using calibrated ento-epidemiological models, climate models and temperature observations. After analyzing the seasonal predictive skill of AeDES, we briefly consider the recent Zika epidemic, and the compound effects of the current Central American dengue outbreak happening during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, to illustrate how a combination of tailored deterministic and probabilistic forecasts can inform key prevention and control strategies .

A comparative analysis of the 2007 and 2017 Italian chikungunya outbreaks and implication for public health response.

KEY RESULTS: Both outbreaks started in small towns, but cases were also detected in nearby larger cities where transmission was limited to small clusters. The time spans between the first and the last symptom onsets were similar between the 2 outbreaks, and the delay from the symptom onset of the index case and the first case notified was considerable. Comparable infection and transmission rates were observed in laboratory. The basic reproductive number (R0) was estimated in the range of 1.8-6 (2007) and 1.5-2.6 (2017). Clinical characteristics were similar between outbreaks, and no acute complications were reported, though a higher frequency of ocular symptoms, myalgia, and rash was observed in 2017. Very little is known about the immune mediator profile of CHIKV-infected patients during the 2 outbreaks. Regarding public health responses, after the 2007 outbreak, the Italian Ministry of Health developed national guidelines to implement surveillance and good practices to prevent and control autochthonous transmission. However, only a few regional authorities implemented it, and the perception of outbreak risk and knowledge of clinical symptoms and transmission dynamics by general practitioners remained low. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: Efforts should be devoted to developing suitable procedures for early detection of virus circulation in the population, possibly through the analysis of medical records in near real time. Increasing the awareness of CHIKV of general practitioners and public health officials through tailored education may be effective, especially in small coastal towns where the outbreak risk may be higher. A key element is also the shift of citizen awareness from considering Aedes mosquitoes not only as a nuisance problem but also as a public health one. We advocate the need of strengthening the surveillance and of promoting the active participation of the communities to prevent and contain future outbreaks.

Vigilancia entomológica de culícidos en la provincia de Matanzas durante el año 2015 / Entomological surveillance of culicids in the province of Matanzas during 2015

Introducción: la vigilancia entomológica es la recolección de información sobre los vectores de enfermedades y su entorno. Es un componente de la vigilancia epidemiológica, que consiste en una actividad del control de los vectores que se realiza durante todo el año, para conocer la presencia de estos en un área geográfica, la densidad de sus poblaciones, así como identificar los principales criaderos y los más productivos. Objetivo: identificación de las especies de culícidos que circularon en la provincia de Matanzas, durante el año 2015, así como la definición de la especie que predominó y tipificación de los depósitos más colonizados por estos en su fase de vida inmadura. Materiales y Métodos: se realizó un análisis de las estadísticas de la vigilancia entomológica durante el año 2015. Según la metodología descrita en el Programa Nacional de Vigilancia y Lucha Antivectorial se clasificó los depósitos, se colectaron y diagnosticaron las muestras. Resultados: las muestras larvarias aportaron la mayor cantidad de datos. Los depósitos de agua situados en el exterior de las viviendas, y dentro de estos las larvitrampas fueron los más utilizados por los mosquitos. La especie predominante en fase inmadura fue Aedes albopictus, mientras que en fase adulta Culex quinquefasciatus. Conclusiones: se identificaron 5 géneros con 25 especies de culícidos, el 36,8 % de la fauna cubana. Como especie predominante se define al A. albopictus. Los depósitos más explotados por estos organismos según su ubicación, fueron los del exterior, y según su tipo, fueron las larvitrampas (grupo E) (AU).

Introduction: the entomological surveillance is the recollection of information on diseases´ vectors and their environment. It is part of the epidemiologic surveillance, and it is an activity of vectors controlling carried out around the year to determine their presence in a geographical area, the density of their populations, and to identify their main breeding places and the most productive ones. Objectives: to identify the culicids species living in the province of Matanzas during 2015, and also to define the predominating specie and to typify the deposits more colonized by them in the in-mature life stage. Materials and Methods: it was carried out an analysis of the entomological surveillance statistics during 2015. The reservoirs were classified, and the samples were collected and diagnosed according to the methodology described in the National Program of Antivectorial Surveillance and Struggle. Results: the larval samples gave the biggest quantity of data. The water reservoirs located outside the living accommodations, and among them the larval traps were the most used by mosquitoes. The predominant specie found in in-mature stage was Aedes albopictus, while Culex quinquefasciatus predominated in adult stage. Conclusions: 5 genus with 25 species of culicids were found, 36.8 of them part of the Cuban fauna. The Aedes albopictus was defined as the predominant specie. The reservoirs most used by these organisms were, according to their location, those located outside, and according to their type, the larval traps (group E) (AU).

Vigilancia entomológica de culícidos en la provincia de Matanzas durante el año 2015 / Entomological surveillance of culicids in the province of Matanzas during 2015

Introducción: la vigilancia entomológica es la recolección de información sobre los vectores de enfermedades y su entorno. Es un componente de la vigilancia epidemiológica, que consiste en una actividad del control de los vectores que se realiza durante todo el año, para conocer la presencia de estos en un área geográfica, la densidad de sus poblaciones, así como identificar los principales criaderos y los más productivos. Objetivo: identificación de las especies de culícidos que circularon en la provincia de Matanzas, durante el año 2015, así como la definición de la especie que predominó y tipificación de los depósitos más colonizados por estos en su fase de vida inmadura. Materiales y Métodos: se realizó un análisis de las estadísticas de la vigilancia entomológica durante el año 2015. Según la metodología descrita en el Programa Nacional de Vigilancia y Lucha Antivectorial se clasificó los depósitos, se colectaron y diagnosticaron las muestras. Resultados: las muestras larvarias aportaron la mayor cantidad de datos. Los depósitos de agua situados en el exterior de las viviendas, y dentro de estos las larvitrampas fueron los más utilizados por los mosquitos. La especie predominante en fase inmadura fue Aedes albopictus, mientras que en fase adulta Culex quinquefasciatus. Conclusiones: se identificaron 5 géneros con 25 especies de culícidos, el 36,8 % de la fauna cubana. Como especie predominante se define al A. albopictus. Los depósitos más explotados por estos organismos según su ubicación, fueron los del exterior, y según su tipo, fueron las larvitrampas (grupo E) (AU).

Introduction: the entomological surveillance is the recollection of information on diseases´ vectors and their environment. It is part of the epidemiologic surveillance, and it is an activity of vectors controlling carried out around the year to determine their presence in a geographical area, the density of their populations, and to identify their main breeding places and the most productive ones. Objectives: to identify the culicids species living in the province of Matanzas during 2015, and also to define the predominating specie and to typify the deposits more colonized by them in the in-mature life stage. Materials and Methods: it was carried out an analysis of the entomological surveillance statistics during 2015. The reservoirs were classified, and the samples were collected and diagnosed according to the methodology described in the National Program of Antivectorial Surveillance and Struggle. Results: the larval samples gave the biggest quantity of data. The water reservoirs located outside the living accommodations, and among them the larval traps were the most used by mosquitoes. The predominant specie found in in-mature stage was Aedes albopictus, while Culex quinquefasciatus predominated in adult stage. Conclusions: 5 genus with 25 species of culicids were found, 36.8 of them part of the Cuban fauna. The Aedes albopictus was defined as the predominant specie. The reservoirs most used by these organisms were, according to their location, those located outside, and according to their type, the larval traps (group E) (AU).