scholarly journals Fighting the Bite during a Crisis: Capabilities of Florida Mosquito Control Districts during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imelda K Moise ◽  
Lola R. Ortiz-Whittingham ◽  
Vincent Omachonu ◽  
Marah Clark ◽  
Rui-De Xue
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
First Line ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Culex Nigripalpus ◽  
County Commissioners ◽  
Arbovirus Surveillance

Abstract Background: The national wide lockdown order imposed in early April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic complicated mosquito control activities across the United States (US), and Florida is no exception. Mosquito control programs are the first line of defense against mosquitoes-borne pathogens in the state of Florida. The purpose of this study was to examine the capabilities of Florida mosquito programs to implement key mosquito measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: In a self-administered online survey, we examined capabilities of all Florida mosquito control programs during the COVID-19 pandemic (both state-approved mosquito districts (N=63) and open programs (N=27). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize information about the characteristics of responding programs, as well as the implemented mosquito control and surveillance activities. We used bivariate analysis to compare the characteristics of these responding programs and the self-reported mosquito measures.Results: Of the recruited mosquito control programs, 77 completed the survey (85.6% response rate; 77/90). Of these, 57.5% (n=42) were Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) mosquito control programs, 21.9% (n=16) were independent tax district programs, 13.7% (n=10) were municipal mosquito control programs, and only 6.8% (n=5) were either health or emergency department mosquito control programs. Except for arbovirus surveillance, most programs either fully or partially performed larval (61.8%) and adult (78.9%) surveillance; and for Aedes aegypti (85.2%, n=54), Aedes albopictus (87.3%, n=55), Culex quinquefasciatus (92.1%, n=58), and Culex nigripalpus (91.9%, n=57).Conclusions: Findings underscore the importance of ongoing mosquito control activities and suggests that Florida mosquito control programs are vigilant and have significant capability to handle potential mosquito-borne disease threats, but arbovirus surveillance systems; laboratory testing of mosquito pools and testing of human and nonhuman specimens for arboviruses are needed during pandemics as well.

scholarly journals Fighting mosquito bite during a crisis: capabilities of Florida mosquito control districts during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Imelda K. Moise ◽  
Lola R. Ortiz-Whittingham ◽  
Vincent Omachonu ◽  
Marah Clark ◽  
Rui-De Xue
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
County Commissioners ◽  
Arbovirus Surveillance ◽  
At Home

Abstract Background The stay-at-home orders imposed in early April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in various states complicated mosquito control activities across the United States (US), and Florida was no exception. Mosquito control programs are the first line of defense against mosquito-borne pathogens. The purpose of this study was to examine the capabilities of Florida mosquito programs to implement key mosquito measures during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Methods Using a self-administered online survey, we examined the capabilities of all Florida mosquito control programs (both state-approved mosquito districts, N = 63; and open programs, N = 27) at a time when the state of Florida was still under heightened awareness of, stay-at-home orders and planning a phase 1 reopening over the COVID-19 pandemic (June to July 2020). The final sample included mosquito control programs structured as the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) (n = 42), independent tax district (n = 16), municipal (n = 10), and health or emergency department (n = 5). We used descriptive statistics to summarize information about the characteristics of responding programs, their implemented mosquito control and surveillance activities.  wWe used bivariate analysis to compare the characteristics of responding programs and the self-reported mosquito measures. Results Of the recruited mosquito control programs, 73 completed the survey (81.1% response rate; 73/90). Of these, 57.5% (n = 42) were Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) mosquito control programs, 21.9% (n = 16) were independent tax district programs, 13.7% (n = 10) were municipal mosquito control programs, and only 6.8% (n = 5) were either health or emergency department mosquito control programs. Except for arbovirus surveillance, most programs either fully or partially performed larval (61.8%) and adult (78.9%) surveillance; most programs conducted species-specific control for Aedes aegypti (85.2%, n = 54), Aedes albopictus (87.3%, n = 55), Culex quinquefasciatus (92.1%, n = 58), and Culex nigripalpus (91.9%, n = 57). Conclusions Findings underscore the importance of ongoing mosquito control activities, and suggest that Florida mosquito control programs are vigilant and have significant capability to handle potential mosquito-borne disease threats, but arbovirus surveillance systems (laboratory testing of mosquito pools and testing of human and nonhuman specimens for arboviruses) are needed during pandemics as well.

scholarly journals Fighting the Bite during Pandemics: Florida Mosquito Control District Capabilities during the COVID-19 crisis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imelda K Moise ◽  
Lola R. Whittingham ◽  
Marah Clark ◽  
Vincent Omachonu ◽  
Rui-De Xue
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Programs ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Public Health Programs ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Arbovirus Surveillance

Abstract Background The national wide lockdown order imposed in early April 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak has complicated mosquito control activities across the United States (US), and Florida is no exception. Mosquito control districts and public health programs are the first line of defense against mosquitoes-borne pathogens in the state of Florida. The purpose of study is to understand how the COVID-19 outbreak has impact the capabilities of mosquito programs to implement key mosquito measures to mitigate emergence and/or re-emergence of arthropod-borne arboviral diseases. Methods In a self-administered online survey, we examined capabilities of all Florida mosquito control programs during the COVID-19 outbreak (both state-approved mosquito districts (N = 63) and public health programs (N = 27). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize information about characteristics of responding mosquito control districts and programs, implemented mosquito control and surveillance activities. We used Bivariate analysis to compare the characteristics of responding mosquito control districts and programs and the self-reported mosquito measures. Results Of the recruited programs, 77 completed the survey (85.6% response rate; 77/90). Of the responding programs, 57.5% (n = 42) were Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) programs, 21.9% (n = 16) were independent tax districts, 13.7% (n = 10) were municipal programs, and only 6.8% (n = 5) were either health or emergency departments. Except for arbovirus surveillance, most programs either fully or partially performed larval (61.8%) and adult (78.9%) surveillance; and for Aedes aegypti (71.9%, n = 46), Aedes albopictus (85.9%, n = 55), Culex quinquefasciatus (88.2%, n = 60), and Culex nigripalpus (90.5%, n = 57). Conclusions Findings underscore the importance of ongoing mosquito control activities and suggests that Florida mosquito control programs are vigilant and have significant capability to handle potential mosquito-borne disease threats, but arbovirus surveillance systems -- laboratory testing of mosquito pools and testing of human and nonhuman specimens for arboviruses are needed during pandemics as well.

Imams’ Experience With and Response to Mosque-Goers With OCD Scrupulosity

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-40
Author(s):  
Mairwen K. Jones ◽  
Lynne M. Harris ◽  
Rajezi Sepideh Esfahani
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Exposure And Response Prevention ◽  
First Line ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Seeking Help ◽  
Thought Action Fusion

AbstractThe experience of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms that have a religious theme is common. Recent research has found that religious participants with religious OCD symptoms frequently turn to religious advisors, such as imams or clergy, for help to understand and alleviate their symptoms. As such, the advice provided by imams or clergy may have an important impact on the response of the person seeking help. This study examined the attitudes, beliefs and experiences of 64 Muslim imams with mosque-goers who had religious OCD symptoms, particularly scrupulosity. This study also examined imams’ familiarity with first-line psychological treatments for OCD such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Sunni imams from Australia and Shia imams from Iran completed an online survey based on the research of Deacon, Vincent, and Zhang (2012), which was conducted with Christian clergy in the United States. Results showed that the majority of imams were unfamiliar with scrupulosity as a possible symptom of a mental health problem, such as OCD, and with ERP as a recognised treatment for OCD. While 37% of participants reported having been approached by mosque-goers for help with scrupulosity, only 9% referred mosque-goers to mental health professionals, and only one imam reported having referred a mosque-goer for ERP. Sunni imams located in Australia were more likely to provide advice inconsistent with the ERP approach and were also significantly less likely than Shia imams located in Iran to recommend referral to a mental health professional who was not affiliated with their own religious denomination. Finally, Sunni imams had significantly higher scores than Shia imams on Thought Action Fusion (TAF) subscales. Results of multiple regression analysis revealed that TAF explained a considerable amount of the variance related to ERP-inconsistent advice. Research implications and limitations are discussed.

New Challenges for Public Health Care: Biological and Chemical Weapons Awareness, Surveillance, and Response

2003 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 244-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph P. Dudley
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
First Line ◽  
Nursing Professionals

Recent events in the United States have demonstrated a critical need for recognizing nurses and emergency health care providers as important elements of the nation’s first line of defense and response against terrorist attacks involving biological, chemical, or radiological weapons. The anthrax letter attacks of September/October 2001 demonstrate the importance of vigilance and attention to detail while interviewing and attending patients and when entering, reviewing, and cataloging patient records. Nursing professionals, emergency care responders, and physicians can perform a crucial role in our first-line defense against terrorism by detecting and reporting unusual or anomalous illness(es) consistent with possible exposure to biological or chemical agents. Nursing professionals should become more familiar with the etiology and clinical symptoms of biological agents of greatest current concern (smallpox, anthrax, tularemia, plague) and be alert for potentially anomalous or unfamiliar combinations of symptoms that could point to unwitting exposure to biological toxins, toxic chemicals, or cryptic radiological agents. Public health surveillance systems must be developed that encourage and facilitate the rapid reporting and follow-up investigation of suspect illnesses and potential disease outbreaks that will ensure early identification and response for covert attacks involving biological, chemical, or radiological weapons.

scholarly journals Modeling American Migration Aspirations: How Capital, Race, and National Identity Shape Americans’ Ideas about Living Abroad

2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen B. Marrow ◽  
Amanda Klekowski von Koppenfels
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Migration Behavior ◽  
Recent Scholarship ◽  
Global North ◽  
Migration Flows ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
National Attachment ◽  
The One

Recent scholarship proposes a “two-step” approach for better understanding mechanisms underlying the migration process, suggesting we study migration aspirations separately from migration behavior and that the one does not always translate directly into the other. Research on aspirations, however, concentrates on the Global South, despite growing migration flows originating in the Global North. Here, we fill this gap, drawing on a nationally representative online survey we commissioned in 2014 in the United States. Bivariate analysis shows that fully one-third of Americans surveyed reveal some aspiration to live abroad, a plurality of those primarily for the purpose of exploration. Multivariate analysis suggests that certain elements of cultural and social capital, including the networks Americans have with prior and current US citizen migrants, structure these aspirations, in tandem with strength of national attachment. Further, both cultural and economic aspects of class, alongside race and national attachment, shape where American aspirants envision going and why. While the existing literature addresses the motivations and profile of American migrants already living abroad, ours is the first study to examine Americans’ aspirations prospectively from the point of origin, thereby connecting the literature on Global North migration flows to that on migration aspirations.

scholarly journals The Mosquitoes of Illinois (Diptera, Culicidae)

1947 ◽  
Vol 24 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 1-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herbert H. Ross
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
The United States ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Common

Mosquitoes are midgelike insects of various sizes, some of them minute, some of them nearly a half inch long. They belong to the family Culicidae, which belongs to the order Diptera, embracing the common housefly and other two-winged flies. Mosquitoes have aquatic larvae called wiggle-tails, wigglers, or wrigglers, which transform to aquatic pupae called tumblers. The adults, which emerge from the pupae, are aerial. About 150 species of mosquitoes are known to occur in the United States and Canada, and 52 of these have been taken in Illinois. The Illinois mosquito fauna represents a combination of the northern and the southern mosquito faunas, a combination not yet treated in the various reports giving keys to the faunas of limited regions. The object of this paper is to provide means for making mosquito control programs more effective, first by furnishing illustrated keys and descriptions for the identification of mosquito species that occur in Illinois and states similar in climate, and second by summarizing information regarding the distribution, biology, and habitat preferences of the species.

scholarly journals An online survey of personal mosquito-repellent strategies

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Lucille Moore ◽  
Mary Alice Scott ◽  
Stacy Deadra Rodriguez ◽  
Soumi Mitra ◽  
Julia Vulcan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Home Remedies ◽  
Mosquito Repellents ◽  
University Degree ◽  
Unconventional Methods

BackgroundMosquito repellents can be an effective method for personal protection against mosquito bites that are a nuisance and carry the risk of transmission of mosquito-borne pathogens likeplasmodia, dengue virus, chikungunya virus, and Zika virus. A multitude of commercially available products are currently on the market, some of them highly effective while others have low or no efficacy. Many home remedies of unknown efficacy are also widely used.MethodsWe conducted a survey study to determine what kind of mosquito repellents and other mosquito control strategies people use. Our online survey was focused on unconventional methods and was answered by 5,209 participants.ResultsThe majority of participants resided in the United States, were female (67%), had higher education (81% had a university degree), and were 18 to 37 years old (50%). The most commonly used repellent was DEET spray (48%), followed closely by citronella candles (43%) and ‘natural’ repellent sprays (36%). We collected a plethora of home remedies and other strategies people use that warrant further research into their effectiveness.DiscussionOur study lays the foundation for future research in alternative, unconventional methods to repel mosquitoes that may be culturally acceptable and accessible for people.

scholarly journals Estimating the Treatment of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Infections in the United States Using Antibiotic Prescription Data

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cornelius J Clancy ◽  
Brian A Potoski ◽  
Deanna Buehrle ◽  
M Hong Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
The United States ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Prescription Data ◽  
First Line ◽  
Carbapenem Resistant ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae

Abstract Background Polymyxins (colistin, polymyxin B) have been first-line antibiotics against carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections. New anti-CRE antibiotics (ceftazidime-avibactam, meropenem-vaborbactam, plazomicin) improve outcomes in CRE-infected patients and reduce toxicity compared with polymyxins. It is unclear how widely polymyxins and newer agents are used to treat CRE infections. Methods We conducted an online survey of US hospital-based pharmacists to determine antibiotic positioning against CRE infections. Numbers of all infections and CRE infections treated with different antibiotics in the United States were determined using IQVIA prescription data and Driving Re-investment in Research and Development and Responsible Antibiotic Use (DRIVE-AB) estimates of CRE infections. Results Ceftazidime-avibactam, meropenem-vaborbactam, or plazomicin were positioned as first-line agents against CRE pneumonia, bacteremia, intra-abdominal infections, and urinary tract infections at 87%, 90%, 83%, and 56% of surveyed US hospitals, respectively. From February 2018 to January 2019, an estimated 9437 and 7941 CRE infections were treated with an intravenous polymyxin or new agent, respectively; these figures represented ~28% (range, 19%–50%) and ~23% (range, 16%–42%) of CRE infections in the United States. Use of ceftazidime-avibactam, meropenem-vaborbactam, or plazomicin exceeded that of intravenous polymyxins against CRE infections as of December 2018. Currently, the new drugs are estimated to treat 35% (23% to 62%) of CRE infections in which they were expected to be first-line agents. Conclusions New anti-CRE agents recently surpassed intravenous polymyxins as treatment for CRE infections, but use is less than expected from their positioning at US hospitals. Research on behavioral and economic factors that impact use of new antibiotics is needed, as are financial “pull” incentives that promote an economically viable marketplace.

scholarly journals A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Three Risk Tolerance Measures: Turkey and the United States Case

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Ruiz-Menjivar ◽  
Amanda Blanco ◽  
Zeynep Copur ◽  
Michael S. Gutter ◽  
Martie Gillen
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Financial Risk ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Risk Tolerance ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Financial Risk Tolerance

An individual’s attitude toward financial risk tolerance (FRT) is an important preference that influences financial decision-making under uncertainty. FRT involves inter-temporal resource allocation. Accurate and reliable measures of FRT are essential for professionals advising consumers as well as researchers who are trying to predict, and understand consumer behavior. This study explores cross-cultural risk tolerance by comparing random samples from Turkey, and the United States. Similar and distinctive attitudes and patterns regarding FRT are identified. Three subjective measures of FRT are employed in this study: Grable and Lytton (1999), Hanna, Gutter and Fan’s (2001) improved version of Barsky, Juster, Kimball and Shapiro (1997), and the Survey of Consumer Finance’s item on risk tolerance. Data was collected via an online survey that used the above-mentioned FRT measures. There were two versions: the original American English version, and a culturally translated Turkish version. To explore the correlation of FRT among measures, we use bivariate analysis by individually employing Pearson Chi-square test of independence, and cross tabulations analysis to each sample. In addition, by pooling both samples, we conduct cumulative logistic regression. We delineate FRT differences and consistencies between countries across subjective financial risk tolerance measures.

scholarly journals A Review of Studies Evaluating Insecticide Barrier Treatments for Mosquito Control From 1944 to 2018

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 117863021985900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig A Stoops ◽  
Whitney A Qualls ◽  
Thuy-Vi T Nguyen ◽  
Stephanie L Richards
Keyword(s):  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
The United States ◽  
Pathogen Transmission ◽  
Control Efficacy ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Potential Development ◽  
Lambda Cyhalothrin ◽  
Vector Borne

Background and Purpose: Barrier insecticide treatments have a long history in mosquito control programs but have been used more frequently in the United States in recent years for control of invasive “backyard” species (eg, Aedes albopictus) and increases in incidence of vector-borne diseases (eg, Zika). Methods: We reviewed the published literature for studies investigating barrier treatments for mosquito control during the last 74 years (1944-2018). We searched databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to retrieve worldwide literature on barrier treatments. Results: Forty-four studies that evaluated 20 active ingredients (AIs) and 21 formulated products against multiple mosquito species are included. Insecticides investigated for efficacy included organochlorines (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane [DDT], β-hexachlorocyclohexane [BHC]), organophosphates (malathion), and pyrethroids (bifenthrin, deltamethrin, permethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin) as AIs. Study design varied with multiple methods used to evaluate effectiveness of barrier treatments. Barrier treatments were effective at lowering mosquito populations although there was variation between studies and for different mosquito species. Factors other than AI, such as exposure to rainfall and application equipment used, also influenced control efficacy. Conclusions: Many of the basic questions on the effectiveness of barrier insecticide applications have been answered, but several important details still must be investigated to improve precision and impact on vector-borne pathogen transmission. Recommendations are made to assist future evaluations of barrier treatments for mosquito control and to limit the potential development of insecticide resistance.

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