Mosquitoes are an interesting topic due to their medical importance, as they play an active role in the transmission of many pathogens and parasites, acting as vectors for various pathologies that are deadly to humans...Mosquitoes are an interesting topic due to their medical importance, as they play an active role in the transmission of many pathogens and parasites, acting as vectors for various pathologies that are deadly to humans, such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, West Nile virus, encephalitis and malaria, among many others that are less common. In terms of morbidity and mortality caused by vector-borne diseases, mosquitoes are the most dangerous animals for humanity and, although they also play a role in the ecosystem as a food source for other organisms, their importance for public health cannot be overlooked. As highly efficient vectors, they put more than three billion people at risk, mainly in tropical and subtropical regions as well as in Europe, since heat waves and flooding are becoming more frequent and severe, and summers are getting longer and warmer, accelerating mosquito development, biting rates, and the incubation of the pathogens within their bodies. Female mosquitoes bite to acquire proteins for the development of their ovaries and eggs and, in the process, acquire pathogens and/or parasites from one vertebrate host and transmit them to another, usually after a short period of replication. Three of their four life stages are lived in still freshwater, so it is crucial to understand their range of action when they reach adulthood and leave the water, in order to plan and implement local prevention measures. A set of georeferenced abundance data collected in mainland Portugal over seven years was linked to cartographed water bodies in a geographic information system to estimate the distances at which Culex pipiens s.l. had a significant presence, with criteria based on the size of the catches. The result allows for an estimate of the fly range of those mosquitoes, which can be used to focus countermeasures.展开更多
Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is an emerging, mosquito-borne disease with serious economical and negative implications on human and animal health. This study was conducted to verify the factors which influenced the spatial ...Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is an emerging, mosquito-borne disease with serious economical and negative implications on human and animal health. This study was conducted to verify the factors which influenced the spatial pattern of Rift Valley Fever occurrence and identified the high risk areas for the occurrence of the disease at Sinner State, Sudan. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite and rainfall data in addition to the point data of RVF clinical cases in humans were used in this study. In order to identify the RVF high risk areas, remote sensing data and rainfall data were integrated in a GIS with other information including, soil type, water body, DEM (Digital Elevation Model), and animal routes and analyzed using Spatial Analysis tools. The information on clinical cases was used for verification. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used to describe vegetation patterns of the study area by calculating the mean NDVI. The results of the study showed that, RVF risk increased with the increase in vegetation cover (high NDVI values), and increase in rainfall, which both provided suitable conditions for disease vectors breeding and a good indicator for RVF epizootics. The study concluded that, identification of high risk area for RVF disease improved the understanding of the spatial distribution of the disease and helped in locating the areas where disease was likely to be endemic and therefore preparedness measures should be taken. The identification represents the first step of prospective predictions of RVF outbreaks and provides a baseline for improved early warning, control, response planning, and mitigation. Further detailed studies are recommended in this domain.展开更多
基金UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases(A30298A70530)+1 种基金国家传染病重大专项项目(2008ZX10004-011)国家"十一五"科技支撑计划(2007BAC03A02)
文摘Mosquitoes are an interesting topic due to their medical importance, as they play an active role in the transmission of many pathogens and parasites, acting as vectors for various pathologies that are deadly to humans, such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, West Nile virus, encephalitis and malaria, among many others that are less common. In terms of morbidity and mortality caused by vector-borne diseases, mosquitoes are the most dangerous animals for humanity and, although they also play a role in the ecosystem as a food source for other organisms, their importance for public health cannot be overlooked. As highly efficient vectors, they put more than three billion people at risk, mainly in tropical and subtropical regions as well as in Europe, since heat waves and flooding are becoming more frequent and severe, and summers are getting longer and warmer, accelerating mosquito development, biting rates, and the incubation of the pathogens within their bodies. Female mosquitoes bite to acquire proteins for the development of their ovaries and eggs and, in the process, acquire pathogens and/or parasites from one vertebrate host and transmit them to another, usually after a short period of replication. Three of their four life stages are lived in still freshwater, so it is crucial to understand their range of action when they reach adulthood and leave the water, in order to plan and implement local prevention measures. A set of georeferenced abundance data collected in mainland Portugal over seven years was linked to cartographed water bodies in a geographic information system to estimate the distances at which Culex pipiens s.l. had a significant presence, with criteria based on the size of the catches. The result allows for an estimate of the fly range of those mosquitoes, which can be used to focus countermeasures.
文摘Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is an emerging, mosquito-borne disease with serious economical and negative implications on human and animal health. This study was conducted to verify the factors which influenced the spatial pattern of Rift Valley Fever occurrence and identified the high risk areas for the occurrence of the disease at Sinner State, Sudan. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite and rainfall data in addition to the point data of RVF clinical cases in humans were used in this study. In order to identify the RVF high risk areas, remote sensing data and rainfall data were integrated in a GIS with other information including, soil type, water body, DEM (Digital Elevation Model), and animal routes and analyzed using Spatial Analysis tools. The information on clinical cases was used for verification. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used to describe vegetation patterns of the study area by calculating the mean NDVI. The results of the study showed that, RVF risk increased with the increase in vegetation cover (high NDVI values), and increase in rainfall, which both provided suitable conditions for disease vectors breeding and a good indicator for RVF epizootics. The study concluded that, identification of high risk area for RVF disease improved the understanding of the spatial distribution of the disease and helped in locating the areas where disease was likely to be endemic and therefore preparedness measures should be taken. The identification represents the first step of prospective predictions of RVF outbreaks and provides a baseline for improved early warning, control, response planning, and mitigation. Further detailed studies are recommended in this domain.
