A Community-Ecology Framework for Understanding Vector and Vector-Borne Disease Dynamics

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 251-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leon Blaustein ◽  
Richard S. Ostfeld ◽  
Robert D. Holt

The integration of community ecology into the understanding and management of vectors and vector-borne diseases has largely occurred only recently. This compendium examines a variety of community interactions that can affect vector or vector-borne disease dynamics. They include: the importance of risk of predation, risk of ectoparasatism, competition, interactions of competition with transgenic control, apparent competition mediated through vectors, indirect effects of pesticides, vector diversity, and parasite diversity within a vector. In this paper, we summarize these studies and introduce several additional important questions in need of further exploration.

Author(s):  
Marta S. Shocket ◽  
Christopher B. Anderson ◽  
Jamie M. Caldwell ◽  
Marissa L. Childs ◽  
Lisa I. Couper ◽  
...  

The transmission of vector-borne diseases is sensitive to environmental conditions, including temperature, humidity, rainfall, and land use/habitat quality. Understanding these causal relationships is especially important as increasing anthropogenic changes drive shifts in vector-borne disease dynamics. In this chapter, we first briefly describe the biology of vectors and pathogens that underlies environmental influences on transmission of vector-borne diseases. Next, we review the impacts of each of the major environmental drivers (as previously mentioned), synthesizing and comparing mechanisms across different vector-borne disease systems. Then, we discuss key challenges and standard approaches to research in the discipline. Finally, we highlight areas where research is advancing in promising new directions and suggest areas where new approaches are needed.


Author(s):  
Roselin V. ◽  
Srisanthanakrishnan V.

Background: Vector-borne diseases (VBD) remain a major public health challenge, in India. Knowledge about VBD, social, demographic and environmental factors strongly influence the vector transmission and results in major outbreaks. Hence this study was conducted to assess knowledge and practice along with environmental conditions prevailing in both rural and urban areas.Methods: Cross sectional study was conducted in rural and urban field practice area of Sri Muthukumaran Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai, during June 2018 to December 2018. A total of 472 participants with 236 participants from each urban and rural area were included. Data was collected using proforma and analysis was done using SPSS 16.Results: Knowledge about VBD like dengue was 63.6% and 76.7% among rural and urban population, respectively. Similarly malaria was known by knows 59.3% and 68.2% of rural and urban participants. Japanese Encephalitis was the least known mosquito borne disease in both the groups. (p=0.0136). Common breeding sites addressed by the rural population were artificial collected water (36.9%) and urban population was dirty water (42.8%).Conclusions: Knowledge and practice of preventing vector borne disease is still lacking among both rural and urban participants. Spreading knowledge about VBD is a part in effective vector borne disease control which can be achieved by community education alone rather than insecticides and sprays.


Vaccines ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica E. Manning ◽  
Tineke Cantaert

The current increase in vector-borne disease worldwide necessitates novel approaches to vaccine development targeted to pathogens delivered by blood-feeding arthropod vectors into the host skin. A concept that is gaining traction in recent years is the contribution of the vector or vector-derived components, like salivary proteins, to host-pathogen interactions. Indeed, the triad of vector-host-pathogen interactions in the skin microenvironment can influence host innate and adaptive responses alike, providing an advantage to the pathogen to establish infection. A better understanding of this “bite site” microenvironment, along with how host and vector local microbiomes immunomodulate responses to pathogens, is required for future vaccines for vector-borne diseases. Microneedle administration of such vaccines may more closely mimic vector deposition of pathogen and saliva into the skin with the added benefit of near painless vaccine delivery. Focusing on the ‘micro’–from microenvironments to microbiomes to microneedles–may yield an improved generation of vector-borne disease vaccines in today’s increasingly complex world.


Author(s):  
Puneet Kumar Arali ◽  
Deepthi N. Shanbhag

ABSTRACTBackground:National vector borne disease control programme(NVBDCP) was launched to control the prevalence of vector borne diseases like malaria, filaria, Japanese encephalitis (JE), Dengue/DHF, chikungunya, lymphatic filariasis and Kala Azar. The present study was done to assess the activities of NVBDCP in state of Karnatakaand to analyze selective qualitative and quantitative indicators related to the activities.Methods:Quantitatively retrospective data was collected from Directorate office Department of Health and Family Welfare, NVBDCP section from April 2016 to March 2017. Qualitatively questionnaire based protocol was made and interviews were conducted with District programme officer, PHC medical officer and  grass root level health workers like ANM, ASHA with reference to one each of selected least performing districts and good performing districts in the state. The collected data was analysed by using Microsoft Excel 2010 version.Results:The highest prevalent districts in Karnataka areDakshina Kannada for malaria, Udupi for dengue, Tumakurufor chikungunya andBidar for lymphatic filariasis. Major factors related to poor outcome in some districts were rigid attitude of the community, poor support of local panchayats and less human resources.Conclusion:The result of this investigation revealed that Dakshina Kannada has got highest number of cases with greater proposition and high prevalence rate of vector borne diseases due to lack of sufficient human resources and geographical factors. Strengthening the surveillance activities along with integrated vector control programmes will improves the outcome of the programme.


Author(s):  
Oluwakemi Ola ◽  
Olha Buchel ◽  
Kamran Sedig

Vector-borne diseases pose a major public health threat. Combined, these diseases contribute significantly to illness and mortality worldwide and have an adverse impact on development and economic growth of nations. Public health stakeholders seeking to control and prevent these diseases are confronted with a myriad of challenges. Some of these difficulties are related to the nature of the data, the uncertainty of disease dynamics, and volatility of human-environment interactions. Visualization tools are capable of ameliorating some of these challenges. In this paper, the authors demonstrate how interactive visualizations can support stakeholders' decision-making tasks. In particular, they present a visualization tool they created that can support control efforts related to the recent Zika outbreak in Brazil.


2015 ◽  
Vol 370 (1665) ◽  
pp. 20140136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Egizi ◽  
Nina H. Fefferman ◽  
Dina M. Fonseca

Projected impacts of climate change on vector-borne disease dynamics must consider many variables relevant to hosts, vectors and pathogens, including how altered environmental characteristics might affect the spatial distributions of vector species. However, many predictive models for vector distributions consider their habitat requirements to be fixed over relevant time-scales, when they may actually be capable of rapid evolutionary change and even adaptation. We examine the genetic signature of a spatial expansion by an invasive vector into locations with novel temperature conditions compared to its native range as a proxy for how existing vector populations may respond to temporally changing habitat. Specifically, we compare invasions into different climate ranges and characterize the importance of selection from the invaded habitat. We demonstrate that vector species can exhibit evolutionary responses (altered allelic frequencies) to a temperature gradient in as little as 7–10 years even in the presence of high gene flow, and further, that this response varies depending on the strength of selection. We interpret these findings in the context of climate change predictions for vector populations and emphasize the importance of incorporating vector evolution into models of future vector-borne disease dynamics.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 424-430
Author(s):  
Vidushi Topno ◽  
Vikas Oraon

The study is aimed to assess the effect of COVID-19 pandemic and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) like banning mass gatherings (Lockdown) etc on vector borne diseases. This study can throw some light on the epidemiology of all vector-borne diseases under surveillance during this COVID-19 pandemic. This study is done in Dumka district, Jharkhand. Method- A cross-sectional study was conducted in 10 Blocks of Dumka District. Sampling technique used in this study was convenience sampling. Study of six month was conducted for vector-borne diseases from January 2021– June 2021.To know the epidemiology of vector-borne disease before and after COVID-19 pandemic, data from the year 2019 and 2020 was used for data analysis. Result – During the six months study period between January 2021-June 2021, maximum number of cases found in Dumka District was Kala-azar followed by Lymphatic Filariasis and then Malaria. There was sharp decrease in number of vector-borne disease cases. After data analysis between the year 2019 and 2020 reduction of cases was seen in Kala-azar (15.3%), Lymphatic Filariasis (8.9%) and maximum reduction of cases was seen Malaria (98.1%). Conclusion – A drastic reduction in reported cases of vector-borne diseases was noticed. To better understand the reason behind the changes in vector-borne disease prevalence a consistent and vigilant surveillance is required. Keywords: COVID-19, Vector-borne diseases, non-pharmaceutical interventions.


Author(s):  
C. M. Aathira ◽  
R. V. Geetha ◽  
T. Lakshmi

Vector borne diseases account for more than 17% of other contagious diseases and can be caused either by parasites, bacteria or viruses. Malaria is a parasitic infection caused by female Anopheles mosquitoes. It causes millions of cases globally and most deaths occur in children. Dengue is another vector disease caused by Aedes mosquito and also affects millions of people, also causing more deaths. Other vector diseases may include yellow fever, zika fever, west nile fever, chikungunya, elephantiasis etc.  The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and awareness about the mode of transmission of vector borne disease among the general public and also to analyse the correlation between gender and the level of awareness about vector borne disease among them. A cross sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among people in the region of Chennai. A set of 15 questions including questions on knowledge and awareness on the mode of transmission of vector borne diseases among the general population. It included questions like examples of vector borne diseases, mode of transmission of disease, preventive measures etc. The people of age group between 25-45 years were involved in the survey. There were 100 responses to the survey. The duration of the study was about 7 days. It is clear that the population was aware about the vector borne diseases but not very clear about the preventive measures to be taken to prevent the spread of vector borne diseases.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document