Arbovirus Vectors of Epidemiological Concern in the Americas: A Scoping Review of Entomological Studies on Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya Virus Vectors

AbstractBackgroundThree arthorpod-borne viruses (arboviruses) causing human disease have been the focus of a large number of studies in the Americas since 2013 due to their global spread and epidemiological impacts: Zika, dengue, and chikungunya viruses. A large proportion of infections by these viruses are asymptomatic. However, all three viruses are associated with moderate to severe health consequences in a small proportion of cases. Two mosquito species, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, are among the world’s most prominent arboviral vectors, and are known primary vectors for all three viruses in the Americas.ObjectivesThis review summarizes the state of the entomological literature surrounding the biology and ecology of vectors of Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses and factors affecting virus transmission. The rationale of the review was to elucidate consensus and discord between studies, and guide future research based on identified knowledge gaps.ResultsA total of 196 studies were included in the scoping review after initial screening and subsequent exclusion of out-of-scope studies, secondary data publications, duplicate records, and studies unavailable in English language.Key findingsTemperature and humidity have the strongest impact on mosquito distribution and dynamics, development of immatures and arborviral infection rates. Low socioeconomic status and related factors, including poor infrastructure, inconsistent access to water, and high household resident density, have been consistently associated with arbovirus vector occurrence. Effects of interspecific competition on arboviral vector species is currently poorly understood. Vector competence for Zika virus is well established for Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Information on Zika virus vector transmission dynamics is sparse in contrast to the wealth of research available for dengue and chikungunya viruses.ConclusionsBased on the internationally recognized urgency of Zika virus infection as a public health concern, further research on arbovirus vectors and transmission dynamics is of pressing need.

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Barriers to Help Seeking among Victims of Elder Abuse: A Scoping Review and Implications for Public Health Policy in Canada

Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement ◽

10.1017/s0714980821000295 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-16

Author(s):

Jessica K. Gill

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Elder Abuse ◽

Health Concern ◽

Future Research ◽

Informal Networks ◽

Canadian Context ◽

Effective Assessment

Abstract Elder abuse is a serious public health concern requiring immediate intervention; however, the under-reporting of elder abuse by victims to formal and informal networks remains a major obstacle. This scoping review aims to identify barriers to help seeking that older adults experiencing abuse confront. The goal is to inform public policies and practices in the Canadian context and identify research gaps in the extant literature. Seven scholarly databases were searched from which 12 articles met the inclusion criteria and were extracted for analysis. The findings from this scoping review revealed three levels at which barriers exist: individual focused, abuser/family focused, and community/culture focused barriers. The results suggest that there are several complex obstacles that older adults face when contemplating disclosure of abuse. Future research into help seeking in the Canadian context should more readily incorporate the voices of elder abuse victim-survivors to develop effective assessment strategies and responsive service provisions.

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A Survey of Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes in Tunisia and the Potential Role of Aedes detritus and Aedes caspius in the Transmission of Zika Virus

Journal of Medical Entomology ◽

10.1093/jme/tjz067 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 56 (5) ◽

pp. 1377-1383

Author(s):

Wiem Ben Ayed ◽

Fadila Amraoui ◽

Youmna M’ghirbi ◽

Francis Schaffner ◽

Adel Rhaim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Zika Virus ◽

New Caledonia ◽

Vector Competence ◽

Mosquito Species ◽

Breeding Site ◽

Widespread Species ◽

Larval Habitats ◽

Aedes Caspius ◽

Aedes Detritus

Abstract The present study aimed to update the list of Aedes mosquito species occurring in Tunisia and to test the vector competence of Aedes (Ochlerotatus) caspius (Pallas) and Ae. (Ochlerotatus) detritus (Haliday), the locally most abundant and widespread species, to transmit Zika virus (ZIKV). In 2017–2018, mosquito larvae were collected from 39 different larval habitats in seven bioclimatic zones of Tunisia. The salinity and pH of each breeding site were measured. The survey revealed the presence of 10 Aedes species in Tunisia: Ae. (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse), Ae. (Ochlerotatus) berlandi (Séguy), Ae. caspius, Ae. detritus, Ae. (Finlaya) echinus (Edwards), Ae. (Finlaya) geniculatus (Olivier), Ae. (Acartomyia) mariae (Sergent and Sergent), Ae. (Ochlerotatus) pulcritarsis (Rondani), Ae. (Aedimorphus) vexans (Meigen), and Ae. (Fredwardsius) vittatus (Bigot). Of these 10 species, Ae. caspius and Ae. detritus were the most abundant in Tunisia. Aedes detritus and Ae. caspius larvae were reared until the imago stage under insectary conditions to test autogeny. The study showed that Ae. detritus is autogenous and stenogamous and Ae. caspius, anautogenous and eurygamous. Finally, the collected strains of these two species were experimentally infected with the Asian genotype of ZIKV, originally isolated from a patient in April 2014 in New Caledonia, to test their vector competence. Neither of these species was able to transmit ZIKV at 7 and 14 d postexposure. Further investigations are needed to test the competence of other Tunisian mosquito species that may be associated with ZIKV transmission.

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Low Aedes aegypti Vector Competence for Zika Virus from Viremic Rhesus Macaques

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v12121345 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 1345

Author(s):

Rosilainy Surubi Fernandes ◽

Mariana Rocha David ◽

Filipe Vieira Santos De Abreu ◽

Anielly Ferreira-de-Brito ◽

Noemi R. Gardinali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Viral Load ◽

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Short Duration ◽

Zika Virus ◽

Rhesus Macaques ◽

Vector Competence ◽

Transmission Dynamics ◽

Zikv Infection ◽

Transmission Rates ◽

Time Points

Despite worldwide efforts to understand the transmission dynamics of Zika virus (ZIKV), scanty evaluation has been made on the vector competence of Aedes aegypti fed directly on viremic human and non-human primates (NHPs). We blood-fed Ae. aegypti from two districts in Rio de Janeiro on six ZIKV infected pregnant rhesus macaques at several time points, half of which were treated with Sofosbuvir (SOF). Mosquitoes were analyzed for vector competence after 3, 7 and 14 days of incubation. Although viremia extended up to eight days post monkey inoculation, only mosquitoes fed on the day of the peak of viremia, recorded on day two, became infected. The influence of SOF treatment could not be assessed because the drug was administered just after mosquito feeding on day two. The global infection, dissemination and transmission rates were quite low (4.09%, 1.91% and 0.54%, respectively); no mosquito was infected when viremia was below 1.26 × 105 RNA copies/mL. In conclusion, Ae. aegypti vector competence for ZIKV from macaques is low, likely to be due to low viral load and the short duration of ZIKV viremia in primates suitable for infecting susceptible mosquitoes. If ZIKV infection in human and macaques behaves similarly, transmission of the Zika virus in nature is most strongly affected by vector density.

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Colonized Sabethes cyaneus, a Sylvatic New World Mosquito Species, Shows a Low Vector Competence for Zika Virus Relative to Aedes aegypti

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v10080434 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 434 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Ajit K. Karna ◽

Sasha R. Azar ◽

Jessica A. Plante ◽

Rumei Yun ◽

Nikos Vasilakis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Yellow Fever ◽

Zika Virus ◽

New World ◽

Yellow Fever Virus ◽

Vector Competence ◽

Mosquito Species ◽

Sylvatic Cycle ◽

Post Feeding ◽

Body Compartments

The introduction of Zika virus (ZIKV) to the Americas raised concern that the virus would spill back from human transmission, perpetuated by Aedes aegypti, into a sylvatic cycle maintained in wildlife and forest-living mosquitoes. In the Americas, Sabethes species are vectors of sylvatic yellow fever virus (YFV) and are therefore candidate vectors of a sylvatic ZIKV cycle. To test the potential of Sabethes cyaneus to transmit ZIKV, Sa. cyaneus and Ae. aegypti were fed on A129 mice one or two days post-infection (dpi) with a ZIKV isolate from Mexico. Sa. cyaneus were sampled at 3, 4, 5, 7, 14, and 21 days post-feeding (dpf) and Ae. aegypti were sampled at 14 and 21 dpf. ZIKV was quantified in mosquito bodies, legs, and saliva to measure infection, dissemination, and potential transmission, respectively. Of 69 Sa. cyaneus that fed, ZIKV was detected in only one, in all body compartments, at 21 dpf. In contrast, at 14 dpf 100% of 20 Ae. aegypti that fed on mice at 2 dpi were infected and 70% had virus in saliva. These data demonstrate that Sa. cyaneus is a competent vector for ZIKV, albeit much less competent than Ae. aegypti.

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Data-driven identification of potential Zika virus vectors

10.1101/077966 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michelle V. Evans ◽

Tad A. Dallas ◽

Barbara A. Han ◽

Courtney C. Murdock ◽

John M. Drake

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Zika Virus ◽

Vector Competence ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

The United States ◽

Data Driven ◽

Health Concern ◽

Correct Identification ◽

Populations At Risk ◽

Emerging Virus

AbstractZika is an emerging virus whose rapid spread is of great public health concern. Knowledge about transmission remains incomplete, especially concerning potential transmission in geographic areas in which it has not yet been introduced. To identify unknown vectors of Zika, we developed a data-driven model linking vector species and the Zika virus via vector-virus trait combinations that confer a propensity toward associations in an ecological network connecting flaviviruses and their mosquito vectors. Our model predicts that thirty-five species may be able to transmit the virus, seven of which are found in the continental United States, including Culex quinquefasciatus and Cx. pipiens. We suggest that empirical studies prioritize these species to confirm predictions of vector competence, enabling the correct identification of populations at risk for transmission within the United States.

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Global Scope of Hospital Pharmacy Practice: A Scoping Review

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare8020143 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 143

Author(s):

Aya Ahmed Abousheishaa ◽

Ahmad Hatim Sulaiman ◽

Hasniza Zaman Huri ◽

Syahrir Zaini ◽

Nurul Adha Othman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Clinical Pharmacy ◽

Hospital Pharmacy ◽

English Language ◽

Health Care Systems ◽

Pharmacy Practice ◽

Care Practice ◽

Pharmacy Services ◽

Public Health Services ◽

Related Factors

The pharmacy profession has undergone tremendous changes over the past few decades. Pharmacists’ roles have expanded their boundaries to encompass more patient-centered services. However, the degree to which these roles are practised may vary. This scoping review is aimed at describing the extent and range of the professional pharmacy services offered in hospital pharmacies across different countries and the barriers underlying inappropriate or incomplete implementation of these services. Studies published in the English language between 2015 and 2019 were retrieved from the following databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, EBSCO Discovery Service, and Web of Science. A thematic analysis across the included studies produced two main themes. “Scope of practice” comprised three subthemes: pharmaceutical care practice, clinical pharmacy practice, and public health services and “Multiple levels of influence” comprised five subthemes: individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and public policy-related factors. The hospital pharmacy services across countries ranged from traditional drug-centered pharmacy practice to a more progressive, clinically oriented practice. In some countries, there is an apparent inadequacy in the clinical pharmacy services provided compared to other clinical settings. Understanding the current pharmacy practice culture across different health care systems is an essential step towards improving the profession.

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Who is Tweeting? A Scoping Review of Methods to Establish Race and Ethnicity from Twitter Datasets (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.35788 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Su Golder ◽

Robin Stevens ◽

Karen O'Conor ◽

Richard James ◽

Graciela Gonzalez-Hernandez

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Race And Ethnicity ◽

Best Practice ◽

English Language ◽

Census Data ◽

Future Research ◽

Social Media Data ◽

Lower Accuracy ◽

Media Data

BACKGROUND Background: A growing amount of health research uses social media data. Those critical of social media research often cite that it may be unrepresentative of the population, but the suitability of social media data in digital epidemiology is more nuanced. Identifying the demographics of social media users can help establish representativeness. OBJECTIVE Objectives: We sought to identify the different approaches or combination of approaches to extract race or ethnicity from social media and report on the challenges of using these methods. METHODS Methods: We present a scoping review to identify the methods used to extract race or ethnicity from Twitter datasets. We searched 17 electronic databases and carried out reference checking and handsearching in order to identify relevant articles. Sifting of each record was undertaken independently by at least two researchers with any disagreement discussed. The included studies could be categorized by the methods the authors applied to extract race or ethnicity. RESULTS Results: From 1249 records we identified 67 that met our inclusion criteria. The majority focus on US based users and English language tweets. A range of types of data were used including Twitter profile -pictures or information from bios (such as names or self-declarations), or location and/or content in the tweets themselves. A range of methodologies were used including using manual inference, linkage to census data, commercial software, language/dialect recognition and machine learning. Not all studies evaluated their methods. Those that did found accuracy to vary from 45% to 93% with significantly lower accuracy identifying non-white race categories. The inference of race/ethnicity raises important ethical questions which can be exacerbated by the data and methods used. The comparative accuracy of different methods is also largely unknown. CONCLUSIONS Conclusion: There is no standard accepted approach or current guidelines for extracting or inferring race or ethnicity of Twitter users. Social media researchers must use careful interpretation of race or ethnicity and not over-promise what can be achieved, as even manual screening is a subjective, imperfect method. Future research should establish the accuracy of methods to inform evidence-based best practice guidelines for social media researchers, and be guided by concerns of equity and social justice.

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Exploring Intimate Partner Violence in Polynesia: A Scoping Review

Trauma Violence & Abuse ◽

10.1177/1524838018795504 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 769-778 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Emma Heard ◽

Lisa Fitzgerald ◽

Maxine Whittaker ◽

Sina Va’ai ◽

Allyson Mutch

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Research Policy ◽

Small Body ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Health Concern ◽

Future Research ◽

Global Public Health ◽

Formal Leadership

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major, global public health concern with significant impacts, particularly for women, worldwide. There is an immediate need to develop comprehensive understandings of the complex drivers of this multifaceted issue in diverse cultural and social contexts. This scoping review used a systematic approach to gather a broad scope of peer-reviewed, publisher-controlled, and gray literature investigating IPV in Polynesia, a region of the Pacific experiencing high rates of IPV. A total of 181 articles were identified through a comprehensive search that included five cross-disciplinary databases; government, intergovernmental, and nongovernment websites; and consultation with community organizations. Thirty-three articles met the inclusion criteria related to IPV in a Polynesian country or community abroad and were included in this review. Narrative synthesis, which included summarizing and sorting key findings into common themes, was conducted to provide an overview of what is currently known about IPV in Polynesia and Polynesian communities living aboard. Key themes, which arose from the data analysis included: high prevalence of IPV, attitudes supporting IPV, urbanization and migration, traditional protective factors, and formal leadership and laws. The paucity of rigorous literature highlights an immediate need for IPV prevention research and intervention within Polynesian communities. This review includes a discussion of the limitations of this small body of literature and makes recommendations for future research, policy, and program development to include intersectionality in order to deepen understandings and enhance inclusive and meaningful intervention and policy implementation.

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Vector competence ofAnophelesandCulexmosquitoes for Zika virus

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.3096 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. e3096 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Brittany L. Dodson ◽

Jason L. Rasgon

Keyword(s):

Anopheles Gambiae ◽

Culex Quinquefasciatus ◽

Zika Virus ◽

Anopheles Stephensi ◽

Vector Competence ◽

Mosquito Species ◽

Plaque Assay ◽

Virus Transmission ◽

Serious Disease ◽

Blood Meals

Zika virus is a newly emergent mosquito-borne flavivirus that has caused recent large outbreaks in the new world, leading to dramatic increases in serious disease pathology including Guillain-Barre syndrome, newborn microcephaly, and infant brain damage. AlthoughAedesmosquitoes are thought to be the primary mosquito species driving infection, the virus has been isolated from dozens of mosquito species, includingCulexandAnophelesspecies, and we lack a thorough understanding of which mosquito species to target for vector control. We exposedAnopheles gambiae,Anopheles stephensi, andCulex quinquefasciatusmosquitoes to blood meals supplemented with two Zika virus strains. Mosquito bodies, legs, and saliva were collected five, seven, and 14 days post blood meal and tested for infectious virus by plaque assay. Regardless of titer, virus strain, or timepoint,Anopheles gambiae,Anopheles stephensi, andCulex quinquefasciatusmosquitoes were refractory to Zika virus infection. We conclude thatAnopheles gambiae,Anopheles stephensi, andCulex quinquefasciatusmosquitoes likely do not contribute significantly to Zika virus transmission to humans. However, future studies should continue to explore the potential for other novel potential vectors to transmit the virus.

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Vector competence of Aedes aegypti and screening for differentially expressed microRNAs exposed to Zika virus

Parasites & Vectors ◽

10.1186/s13071-021-05007-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Chunling Zhu ◽

Yuting Jiang ◽

Qianghui Zhang ◽

Jian Gao ◽

Chaojie Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Salivary Gland ◽

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Mirna Expression ◽

Zika Virus ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Transmission Rate ◽

Vector Competence ◽

Expression Profiles ◽

Future Research ◽

Mirna Expression Profiles

Abstract Background Zika virus (ZIKV) is transmitted to humans primarily by Aedes aegypti. Previous studies on Ae. aegypti from Jiegao (JG) and Mengding (MD) in Yunnan province, China have shown that these mosquitoes are able to transmit ZIKV to their offspring through vertical transmission, indicating that these two Ae. aegypti strains pose a potential risk for ZIKV transmission. However, the vector competence of these two Ae. aegypti strains to ZIKV has not been evaluated and the molecular mechanisms influencing vector competence are still unclear. Methods Aedes aegypti mosquitoes from JG and MD were orally infected with ZIKV, and the infection rate (IR), dissemination rate (DR), transmission rate (TR) and transmission efficiency (TE) of these two mosquito strains were explored to evaluate their vector competence to ZIKV. On 2, 4 and 6 days post-infection (dpi), the small RNA profiles between ZIKV-infected and non-infected Ae. aegypti midgut and salivary gland tissues were compared to gain insights into the molecular interactions between ZIKV and Ae. aegypti. Results There were no significant differences in the IR, DR, TR and TE between the two Ae. aegypti strains (P > 0.05). However, ZIKV RNA appeared 2 days earlier in saliva of the JG strain, which indicated a higher competence of the JG strain to transmit ZIKV. Significant differences in the microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles between ZIKV-infected and non-infected Ae. aegypti were found in the 2-dpi libraries of both the midgut and salivary gland tissues from the two strains. In addition, 27 and 74 miRNAs (|log2 fold change| > 2) were selected from the miRNA expression profiles of ZIKV-infected and non-infected midgut and salivary gland tissues from the JG and MD strains, respectively. Conclusions Our results provide novel insights into the ZIKV–mosquito interactions and build a foundation for future research on how miRNAs regulate the vector competence of mosquitoes to this arbovirus. Graphical abstract

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