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Pan Afr Med J 2019 21;32(Suppl 1). Epub 2019 Jan 21.

Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, Abuja, Nigeria.

Introduction: The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) epidemic devastated West Africa, with Sierra Leone recording over 50% of the 28,610 cases across the three most affected countries. Enhanced surveillance system was developed for improved identification of cases and response in Sierra Leone. Here, we evaluated the surveillance system to determine its strengths and challenges in meeting the set objectives. Read More

Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 2019 4;61:e18. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are exotic species in the Americas with high epidemiological relevance as they are vectors of many pathogens. This study aimed at understanding the population dynamics of A. aegypti and A. Read More

Pan Afr Med J 2018 11;31:22. Epub 2018 Sep 11.

Demography And Population Studies Program, Schools of Public Health and Social Sciences, University of The Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Introduction: The threat of devastating disease outbreaks is on the rise with several outbreaks recorded across the world in the last five years. The intractable Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in West Africa which spread to Nigeria was a reawakening point. This study aims to review the status and adequacy of the legal framework for disease surveillance in Nigeria. Read More

Front Immunol 2019 13;10:372. Epub 2019 Mar 13.

Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States.

Hemorrhagic fevers (HF) resulting from pathogenic arenaviral infections have traditionally been neglected as tropical diseases primarily affecting African and South American regions. There are currently no FDA-approved vaccines for arenaviruses, and treatments have been limited to supportive therapy and use of non-specific nucleoside analogs, such as Ribavirin. Outbreaks of arenaviral infections have been limited to certain geographic areas that are endemic but known cases of exportation of arenaviruses from endemic regions and socioeconomic challenges for local control of rodent reservoirs raise serious concerns about the potential for larger outbreaks in the future. Read More

BMJ Glob Health 2019 13;4(1):e001272. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases), Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Trust is an essential component of successful cooperative endeavours. The global health response to the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak confronted historically tenuous regional relationships of trust. Challenging sociopolitical contexts and initially inappropriate communication strategies impeded trustworthy relationships between communities and responders during the epidemic. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2019 Mar 21;19(1):272. Epub 2019 Mar 21.

National Institute of Informatics, Tokyo, Japan.

Background: The goal of this research is to create a system that can use the available relevant information about the factors responsible for the spread of dengue and; use it to predict the occurrence of dengue within a geographical region, so that public health experts can prepare for, manage and control the epidemic. Our study presents new geospatial insights into our understanding and management of health, disease and health-care systems.

Methods: We present a machine learning-based methodology capable of providing forecast estimates of dengue prediction in each of the fifty districts of Thailand by leveraging data from multiple data sources. Read More

Lancet 2019 03 14;393(10176):1100. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

School of Health Studies, Western University, London, ON, Canada.

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019 03 20;13(3):e0007258. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States of America.

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a zoonotic phlebovirus that can be transmitted to humans or livestock by mosquitoes or through direct contact with contaminated bodily fluids and tissues. Exposure to bodily fluids and tissues varies by types of behaviors engaged for occupational tasks, homestead responsibilities, or use in dietary or therapeutic capacities. While previous studies have included milk exposures in their analyses, their primary focus on livestock exposures has been on animal handling, breeding, and slaughter. Read More

Nat Commun 2019 03 18;10(1):1246. Epub 2019 Mar 18.

Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.

The understanding of immunological interactions among the four dengue virus (DENV) serotypes and their epidemiological implications is often hampered by the lack of individual-level infection history. Using a statistical framework that infers full infection history, we analyze a prospective pediatric cohort in Nicaragua to characterize how infection history modulates the risks of DENV infection and subsequent clinical disease. After controlling for age, one prior infection is associated with 54% lower, while two or more are associated with 91% higher, risk of a new infection, compared to DENV-naive children. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019 03 18;13(3):e0007257. Epub 2019 Mar 18.

Department of Arbovirology, Emerging and Re-emerging Infections, Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), Entebbe Uganda.

Introduction: In October 2017, a blood sample from a resident of Kween District, Eastern Uganda, tested positive for Marburg virus. Within 24 hour of confirmation, a rapid outbreak response was initiated. Here, we present results of epidemiological and laboratory investigations. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2019 Mar 13;12(1):103. Epub 2019 Mar 13.

GHTM-Global Health and Tropical Medicine, 1349-008, Lisbon, Portugal.

Background: In 2012, the first dengue virus outbreak was reported on the Portuguese island of Madeira with 1080 confirmed cases. Dengue virus of serotype 1 (DENV-1), probably imported from Venezuela, caused this outbreak with autochthonous transmission by invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Results: We investigated the seroprevalence among the population on Madeira Island four years after the outbreak. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019 03 11;13(3):e0007246. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.

Laboratory confirmation of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy is challenging due to cross-reactivity with dengue virus (DENV) and limited knowledge about the kinetics of anti-Zika antibody responses during pregnancy. We described ZIKV and DENV serological markers and the maternal-fetal transfer of antibodies among mothers and neonates after the ZIKV microcephaly outbreak in Northeast Brazil (2016). We included 89 microcephaly cases and 173 neonate controls at time of birth and their mothers. Read More

N Engl J Med 2019 03;380(10):924-934

The affiliations of the members of the writing committee are as follows: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda (M.C.S., R.J.B., L.E.H., E.S.H., A.N., K.T., J.V., K.S.J., B.D.-K., H.C.L.), and Johns Hopkins University, Ophthalmology, Baltimore (A.O.E.) - both in Maryland; Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (C.R., J.D.N.); and Liberian Ministry of Health (M.B., M.P.F.) and John F. Kennedy Medical Center (S.J.M.), Monrovia, the Duport Road Clinic, Paynesville (D.G.-D.), and C.H. Rennie Hospital, Kakata (K.L.J.) - all in Liberia.

Background: Multiple health problems have been reported in survivors of Ebola virus disease (EVD). Attribution of these problems to the disease without a control group for analysis is difficult.

Methods: We enrolled a cohort of EVD survivors and their close contacts and prospectively collected data on symptoms, physical examination findings, and laboratory results. Read More

Nat Commun 2019 03 8;10(1):1148. Epub 2019 Mar 8.

School of Public Health, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, China.

Vector-borne diseases display wide inter-annual variation in seasonal epidemic size due to their complex dependence on temporally variable environmental conditions and other factors. In 2014, Guangzhou, China experienced its worst dengue epidemic on record, with incidence exceeding the historical average by two orders of magnitude. To disentangle contributions from multiple factors to inter-annual variation in epidemic size, we fitted a semi-mechanistic model to time series data from 2005-2015 and performed a series of factorial simulation experiments in which seasonal epidemics were simulated under all combinations of year-specific patterns of four time-varying factors: imported cases, mosquito density, temperature, and residual variation in local conditions not explicitly represented in the model. Read More

PLoS Pathog 2019 03 8;15(3):e1007500. Epub 2019 Mar 8.

Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Thrombocytopenia and platelet dysfunction are commonly observed in patients with dengue virus (DENV) infection and may contribute to complications such as bleeding and plasma leakage. The etiology of dengue-associated thrombocytopenia is multifactorial and includes increased platelet clearance. The binding of the coagulation protein von Willebrand factor (VWF) to the platelet membrane and removal of sialic acid (desialylation) are two well-known mechanisms of platelet clearance, but whether these conditions also contribute to thrombocytopenia in dengue infection is unknown. Read More

Iran J Public Health 2019 Jan;48(1):20-31

Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Background: Zika virus infection has recently attracted the attention of medical community. While clinical manifestations of the infection in adult cases are not severe and disease is not associated with high mortality rates, Zika virus infection can have an impact on fetal development and lead to severe neurodevelopmental abnormalities.

Methods: To gain insight into different aspects of Zika virus infection, a comprehensive literature review was performed. Read More

Onderstepoort J Vet Res 2019 Jan 31;86(1):e1-e8. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Microbiology, Parasitology and Biotechnology, Sokoine University of Agriculture.

Vaccination of domestic ruminants is considered to be an effective strategy for protecting these animals against Rift Valley fever (RVF), but available vaccines have limitations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the safety and immunogenicity of RVF virus (RVFV) mutagenesis passage 12 (MP-12) and arMP-12ΔNSm21/384 vaccine candidates in goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) in Tanzania. Goats were vaccinated intramuscularly with RVFV MP-12 or arMP-12ΔNSm21/384, and then on Day 87 post-vaccination (PV) all animals were revaccinated using the RVFV MP-12 vaccine candidate. Read More

N Engl J Med 2019 Apr 6;380(14):1298-1299. Epub 2019 Mar 6.

From Médecins sans Frontières, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lancet 2019 02 14;393(10172):627-628. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Viruses 2019 Mar 1;11(3). Epub 2019 Mar 1.

Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada.

Filoviruses, such as Ebola virus (EBOV) and Marburg virus, are causative agents of unpredictable outbreaks of severe hemorrhagic fevers in humans and non-human primates. For infection, filoviral particles need to be internalized and delivered to intracellular vesicles containing cathepsin proteases and the viral receptor Niemann-Pick C1. Previous studies have shown that EBOV triggers macropinocytosis of the viral particles in a glycoprotein (GP)-dependent manner, but the molecular events required for filovirus internalization remain mostly unknown. Read More

Vet Microbiol 2019 Mar 29;230:110-116. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA. Electronic address:

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is the causative agent of Rift Valley fever (RVF) that affects both livestock and humans. There are neither fully licensed RVF vaccines available for human or animal use, nor effective antiviral drugs approved for human use in the U.S. Read More

Infect Dis Poverty 2019 Mar 4;8(1):15. Epub 2019 Mar 4.

NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention(China CDC), Beijing, 102206, China.

Background: The 2014-2016 Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa was the largest outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in history. Clarifying the influence of other prevalent diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) will help improve treatment and supportive care of patients with EVD.

Case Presentation: We examined HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody prevalence among suspected EVD cases from the Sierra Leone-China Friendship Biological Safety Laboratory during the epidemic in Sierra Leone. Read More

Trop Med Infect Dis 2019 Mar 1;4(1). Epub 2019 Mar 1.

Health Emergencies and Epidemics Control Directorate, Sudan Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum 11111, Sudan.

Dengue virus (DENV) is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) transmitted by the mosquitoes, mainly . Dengue fever is a rapidly growing disease with expanding geographical distribution worldwide. We investigated a high number of non-malaria febrile cases reported to health clinics in refugee camps in the five states of Darfur between August 2015 and March 2016. Read More

PLoS Pathog 2019 02 28;15(2):e1007564. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

There are a number of vaccine candidates under development against a small number of the most common outbreak filoviruses all employing the virus glycoprotein (GP) as the vaccine immunogen. However, antibodies induced by such GP vaccines are typically autologous and limited to the other members of the same species. In contrast, T-cell vaccines offer a possibility to design a single pan-filovirus vaccine protecting against all known and even likely existing, but as yet unencountered members of the family. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019 02 28;13(2):e0007164. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

International Vaccine Institute, Seoul, South Korea.

Background: Dengue fever is a rapidly growing public health problem in many parts of the tropics and sub-tropics in the world. While there are existing studies on the economic burden of dengue fever in some of dengue-endemic countries, cost components are often not standardized, making cross-country comparisons challenging. Furthermore, no such studies have been available in Africa. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Mar;98(9):e14640

Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Jilin University.

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a rodent-borne disease caused by hantaviruses (HVs). Climate factors have a significant impact on the transmission of HFRS. Here, we characterized the dynamic temporal trend of HFRS and identified the roles of climate factors in its transmission in Changchun, China. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019 02 27;13(2):e0007185. Epub 2019 Feb 27.

U.S. Partnership for Research on Ebola Virus in Liberia (PREVAIL), Monrovia, Liberia.

Background: While qualitative assessments of Ebola virus disease (EVD)-related stigma have been undertaken among survivors and the general public, quantitative tools and assessment targeting survivors have been lacking.

Methods And Findings: Beginning in June 2015, EVD survivors from seven Liberian counties, where most of the country's EVD cases occurred, were eligible to enroll in a longitudinal cohort. Seven stigma questions were adapted from the People Living with HIV Stigma Index and asked to EVD survivors over the age of 12 at initial visit (median 358 days post-EVD) and 18 months later. Read More

Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2019 Feb 21;52:e20180429. Epub 2019 Feb 21.

Departamento de Saúde ambiental, Faculdade de Saúde Pública da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

Introduction: This study aimed to examine the impact of climate variability on the incidence of dengue fever in the city of Rio Branco, Brazil.

Methods: The association between the monthly incidence of dengue fever and climate variables such as precipitation, temperature, humidity, and the Acre River level was evaluated, using generalized autoregressive moving average models with negative binomial distribution. Multiple no-lag, 1-month lag, and 2-month lag models were tested. Read More

Nat Commun 2019 02 26;10(1):938. Epub 2019 Feb 26.

Division of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3370, USA.

Little is known about enduring memory B cell (MBC) responses to Zika virus (ZIKV) and their relationship with circulating antibodies. Here we comprehensively assess MBC frequency and specificity alongside serum binding and neutralizing antibody responses to ZIKV ~2 weeks and ~8 months postinfection in 31 pediatric subjects with 0, 1 or >1 prior infections with the related dengue virus (DENV). ZIKV infection elicits a robust type-specific MBC response, and the majority of late convalescent anti-ZIKV serum neutralizing activity is attributable to ZIKV-specific antibodies. Read More

Arch Virol 2019 Apr 21;164(4):1095-1110. Epub 2019 Feb 21.

Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS), DRDO, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, New Delhi, Delhi, 110054, India.

Dengue disease is characterized by a marked decrease in platelet count, which is life threatening. In the present study, we investigated the antiviral activity of an aqueous extract of Carica papaya leaves (PLE) against dengue virus (DENV) and its effect on platelet augmentation. The anti-dengue activity of PLE in DENV-infected THP-1 cells was examined by immunoblotting and flow cytometry. Read More

Med Microbiol Immunol 2019 Apr 21;208(2):227-238. Epub 2019 Feb 21.

Department of Biotechnology, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, Punjab, 147004, India.

Immunoinformatics has come by leaps and bounds to finding potent vaccine candidates against various pathogens. In the current study, a combination of different T (CD4 and CD8) and B cell epitope prediction tools was applied to find peptides containing multiple epitopes against Ebola nucleoprotein (NP) and the presentation of peptides to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules was analyzed by prediction, docking and population coverage tools. Further, potential peptides were analyzed by ELISA for peptide induced IFN-γ secretion in peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from healthy volunteers. Read More

SAR QSAR Environ Res 2019 Mar 20;30(3):161-180. Epub 2019 Feb 20.

a Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology , Institute of Chemical Technology , Mumbai , India.

The pathogenic Ebola virus (EBOV) causes a potential health risk and global spread. To date, few drugs are available for the treatment of Ebola virus disease (EVD) that allow researchers to use computational methods for designing potential drugs. The developed PHASE-based common six-point pharmacophore hypothesis (AADHPR_1) showed the necessity of two hydrogen bond acceptor features, one hydrogen bond donor feature, one hydrophobic group feature, one positively ionizable and one aromatic ring feature for further designing. Read More

Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 2019 Feb 14;61:e9. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Laboratorio de Arbovirología, Mérida, Yucatán, México.

This study was designed to assess whether churches in endemic dengue districts in Merida, Mexico provide suitable breeding habitats for mosquitoes and are potential sites for dengue virus (DENV) transmission. Churches were inspected for immature and adult mosquitoes once every week from November 2015 to October 2016. A total of 10,997 immatures of five species were collected. Read More

Arch Virol 2019 Apr 19;164(4):1069-1083. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong, BE1410, Brunei Darussalam.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a physical barrier that restricts the passage of cells and molecules as well as pathogens into the central nervous system (CNS). Some viruses enter the CNS by disrupting the BBB, while others can reach the CNS without altering the integrity of the BBB. Even though dengue virus (DENV) is not a distinctive neurotropic virus, the virus is considered to be one of the leading causes of neurological manifestations. Read More

Health Secur 2019 Jan/Feb;17(1):54-61

Christopher J. Kratochvil, MD, is Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical Research, University of Nebraska Medical Center; Vice President for Research, Nebraska Medicine; and Chief Medical Officer, UNeHealth, National Ebola Training and Education Center, Omaha, Nebraska.

The use of investigational therapeutics in the care of patients with Ebola virus disease was documented in the literature following the 2013-2016 outbreak. In order to access these types of therapeutics, facilities must have processes in place to quickly and efficiently activate study protocols, obtain the medications, and administer them in a timely manner. Testing these procedures in advance of a real-world event is crucial to ensuring successful implementation and execution. Read More

Health Secur 2019 Jan/Feb;17(1):69-73

Brian T. Garibaldi, MD, MEHP, is Director, Johns Hopkins Biocontainment Unit, and Associate Professor, Medicine and Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.

In response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) funded the creation of 10 Regional Ebola and Other Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (RESPTCs) across the United States. These high-level isolation units are designed to provide care for patients infected with high-consequence pathogens, such as viral hemorrhagic fevers, in an environment that is safe for patients, staff, the hospital, and surrounding communities. This commentary describes the impact on infection prevention and preparedness that the Johns Hopkins biocontainment unit has on the hospital and health system beyond the unit itself. Read More

Lancet 2019 03 15;393(10174):936-948. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.

Ebolaviruses are pathogenic agents associated with a severe, potentially fatal, systemic disease in man and great apes. Four species of ebolaviruses have been identified in west or equatorial Africa. Once the more virulent forms enter the human population, transmission occurs primarily through contact with infected body fluids and can result in major epidemics in under-resourced settings. Read More

Acta Trop 2019 Apr 11;192:104-111. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of North Bengal, Raja Rammohunpur, P.O. North Bengal University, Siliguri, 734013, District - Darjeeling, West Bengal, India. Electronic address:

Dengue is one of the most rapidly spreading infectious diseases prevalent throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. In absence of specific medications and vaccines, the sole method of disease prevention relies on vector control mainly using insecticides. But with the advent of Insecticide resistance, worldwide vector control programs are facing failure. Read More

Acta Trop 2019 Apr 11;192:129-137. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States. Electronic address:

The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, has facilitated the re-emergence of dengue virus (DENV) and emergence of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) in the Americas and the Caribbean. The recent transmission of these arboviruses in the continental United States has been limited, to date, to South Florida and South Texas despite Ae. aegypti occurring over a much larger geographical region within the country. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019 02 12;13(2):e0007116. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America.

Background: Transmission of dengue virus (DENV) from humans to mosquitoes represents a critical component of dengue epidemiology. Examinations of this process have generally been hampered by a lack of methods that adequately represent natural acquisition of DENV by mosquitoes from humans. In this study, we assessed artificial and natural blood feeding methods based on rates of DENV infection and dissemination within mosquitoes for use in a field-based epidemiological cohort study in Iquitos, Peru. Read More

BMC Complement Altern Med 2019 Feb 11;19(1):44. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Herbal Medicine Research Center, Institute for Medical Research, Ministry of Health Malaysia, 50588, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Background: Carica papaya leaves have been used for traditional treatment of dengue fever and have been reported to exhibit an immunomodulatory activity by affecting the level of cytokine production in vitro and in vivo. Due to the lack of adequate in vivo evidence in dengue disease model, the present study was initiated to screen and identify the cytokines affected by freeze-dried C. papaya leaf juice (FCPLJ) treatment in AG129 mice infected with DEN-2 dengue virus. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2018 Dec 13;644:1304-1311. Epub 2018 Jul 13.

School of Business, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan, China. Electronic address:

Climate change and weather variations are strongly associated with the incidence of dengue fever, outbreak risk in Pakistan and other developing countries. Knowledge and adaptation measures can affect the incidence and outbreak risk of dengue fever. The present study attempted to determine the knowledge, perception and adaptation to dengue fever by the respondents in Faisalabad, Pakistan employing cross-sectional data. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2019 May 1;664:203-214. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Department of Veterinary Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of the Provincial Education Department of Heilongjiang for Common Animal Disease Prevention and Treatment, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, People's Republic of China. Electronic address:

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are two important mosquito species which transmit various infectious arbovirus diseases represented mainly by dengue fever. These two species of mosquito have a wide range of distribution and strong transfer capacity. With ongoing global climate change, we are facing an increasing public health threat from the rapid spread of vectors in wider geographical areas. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019 02 11;13(2):e0007090. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America.

As part of a study to investigate drivers of dengue virus (DENV) transmission dynamics, this qualitative study explored whether DENV-infected residents of Iquitos, Peru, considered it acceptable (1) to participate in direct mosquito feeding experiments (lab-reared Aedes aegypti mosquitoes fed directly on human volunteers) and (2) to provide blood meals indirectly (Ae. aegypti fed on blood drawn from participants by venipuncture). Twelve focus group discussions (FGDs; 94 participants: 82 females and 12 males) were conducted in January 2014 to explore six themes: (1) concerns and preferences regarding direct mosquito feeds and blood draws, (2) comprehension of and misconceptions about study procedures, (3) motivating factors for participation, (4) acceptability of children's participation, (5) willingness to provide multiple samples over several days, and (6) preference for direct feedings in homes versus the study laboratory. Read More

PLoS Comput Biol 2019 02 11;15(2):e1006785. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.

Real-time forecasts based on mathematical models can inform critical decision-making during infectious disease outbreaks. Yet, epidemic forecasts are rarely evaluated during or after the event, and there is little guidance on the best metrics for assessment. Here, we propose an evaluation approach that disentangles different components of forecasting ability using metrics that separately assess the calibration, sharpness and bias of forecasts. Read More

Gene 2019 May 8;695:18-25. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India.

Dengue is a severe emerging arthropod borne viral disease occurring globally. Around two fifths of the world's population, or up to 3.9 billion people, are at a risk of dengue infection. Read More

J Vis Exp 2019 Jan 20(143). Epub 2019 Jan 20.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

The guinea pig has played a pivotal role as a relevant small animal model in the development of vaccines for infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza, diphtheria, and viral hemorrhagic fevers. We have demonstrated that plasmid-DNA (pDNA) vaccine delivery into the skin elicits robust humoral responses in the guinea pig. However, the use of this animal to model immune responses was somewhat limited in the past due to the lack of available reagents and protocols to study T cell responses. Read More

Lancet 2019 02 4;393(10172):620-621. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Sunnybrook Health Science Center, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Lancet 2019 02 4;393(10172):617-620. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC 20001, USA.

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019 02 7;13(2):e0007162. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

UMR 1161 Virology, ANSES, INRA, ENVA, ANSES Animal Health Laboratory, EURL for equine diseases, Maisons-Alfort, France.

New Caledonia and French Polynesia are areas in which arboviruses circulate extensively. A large serological survey among horses from New Caledonia and French Polynesia was carried out to investigate the seroprevalence of flaviviruses in the horse population. Here, 293 equine sera samples were screened for flaviviruses using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA). Read More