scholarly journals Assessing the Risk of Exotic Mosquito Incursion through an International Seaport, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Cameron E. Webb ◽  
Philippe G. Porigneaux ◽  
David N. Durrheim
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Economic Costs ◽  
Considerable Effort ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Residential Properties ◽  
Surveillance Programs ◽  
Water Holding ◽  
Pot Plant

Exotic mosquitoes, especially container-inhabiting species such as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, pose a risk to Australia as they bring with them potentially significant pest and public health concerns. Notwithstanding the threat to public health and wellbeing, significant economic costs associated with the burden of mosquito control would fall to local authorities. Detection of these mosquitoes at airports and seaports has highlighted pathways of introduction but surveillance programs outside these first ports of entry are not routinely conducted in the majority of Australian cities. To assist local authorities to better prepare response plans for exotic mosquito incursions, an investigation was undertaken to determine the extent of habitats suitable for container-inhabiting mosquitoes in over 300 residential properties adjacent to the Port of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW. More than 1500 water-holding containers were recorded, most commonly pot plant saucers, roof gutters, and water-holding plants (e.g., bromeliads). There were significantly more containers identified for properties classified as untidy but there was no evidence visible that property characteristics could be used to prioritise property surveys in a strategic eradication response. The results demonstrate that there is potential for local establishment of exotic mosquitoes and that considerable effort would be required to adequately survey these environments for the purpose of surveillance and eradication programs.

Strictly come partnering: are health and wellbeing boards the answer?

2020 ◽  
pp. 67-82
Author(s):  
David J. Hunter
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
National Health Service ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Ageing Society ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
System Leaders ◽  
Local Levels

This chapter highlights the need for partnership working, which has been a long-standing objective of health and social policy. For many years, the National Health Service (NHS) and local authorities have been attempting to deal with 'wicked issues'. Issues such as homelessness, disaffection of young people, and the ageing society that have complex multiple causes require joined-up approaches by the statutory and third sectors at national and local levels. In 2012, at the time when Public Health responsibilities were transferred from the NHS to local authorities, health and wellbeing boards (HWBs) were established in England. With few exceptions, HWBs punch below their weight and are not the powerful system leaders that were hoped for. Evidence of their value and impact is negligible, with poor-performance indicators, and the difficulties in overcoming deep-seated departmentalism and a silo approach prevalent in government and public services, leaving 'wicked issues' as deep-seated as ever.

scholarly journals Identifying Environmental Determinants Relevant to Health and Wellbeing in Remote Australian Indigenous Communities: A Scoping Review of Grey Literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4167
Author(s):  
Amal Chakraborty ◽  
Mark Daniel ◽  
Natasha J. Howard ◽  
Alwin Chong ◽  
Nicola Slavin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Classification System ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Environmental Determinants ◽  
Health And Wellbeing

The high prevalence of preventable infectious and chronic diseases in Australian Indigenous populations is a major public health concern. Existing research has rarely examined the role of built and socio-political environmental factors relating to remote Indigenous health and wellbeing. This research identified built and socio-political environmental indicators from publicly available grey literature documents locally-relevant to remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia. Existing planning documents with evidence of community input were used to reduce the response burden on Indigenous communities. A scoping review of community-focused planning documents resulted in the identification of 1120 built and 2215 socio-political environmental indicators. Indicators were systematically classified using an Indigenous indicator classification system (IICS). Applying the IICS yielded indicators prominently featuring the “community infrastructure” domain within the built environment, and the “community capacity” domain within the socio-political environment. This research demonstrates the utility of utilizing existing planning documents and a culturally appropriate systematic classification system to consolidate environmental determinants that influence health and disease occurrence. The findings also support understanding of which features of community-level built and socio-political environments amenable to public health and social policy actions might be targeted to help reduce the prevalence of infectious and chronic diseases in Indigenous communities.

scholarly journals The Evolution of Gambling-Related Harm Measurement: Lessons from the Last Decade

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4395
Author(s):  
Matthew Browne ◽  
Vijay Rawat ◽  
Catherine Tulloch ◽  
Cailem Murray-Boyle ◽  
Matthew Rockloff
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Health Utility ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Psychometric Evidence ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Utility Metrics ◽  
Gambling Harms ◽  
Related Harm

Jurisdictions around the world have a self-declared mandate to reduce gambling-related harm. However, historically, this concept has suffered from poor conceptualisation and operationalisation. However, recent years have seen swift advances in measuring gambling harm, based on the principle of it being a quantifiable decrement to the health and wellbeing of the gambler and those connected to them. This review takes stock of the background and recent developments in harm assessment and summarises recent research that has validated and applied the Short Gambling Harms Screen and related instruments. We recommend that future work builds upon the considerable psychometric evidence accumulated for the feasibility of direct elicitation of harmful consequences. We also advocate for grounding harms measures with respect to scalar changes to public health utility metrics. Such an approach will avoid misleading pseudo-clinical categorisations, provide accurate population-level summaries of where the burden of harm is carried, and serve to integrate gambling research with the broader field of public health.

scholarly journals Mosquito Control Priorities in Florida—Survey Results from Florida Mosquito Control Districts

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 947
Author(s):  
Rishi Kondapaneni ◽  
Ashley N. Malcolm ◽  
Brian M. Vazquez ◽  
Eric Zeng ◽  
Tse-Yu Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
State Government ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Current Control ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Common Control ◽  
Surveillance Programs ◽  
Research Questions

Florida lies within a subtropical region where the climate allows diverse mosquito species including invasive species to thrive year-round. As of 2021, there are currently 66 state-approved Florida Mosquito Control Districts, which are major stakeholders for Florida public universities engaged in mosquito research. Florida is one of the few states with extensive organized mosquito control programs. The Florida State Government and Florida Mosquito Control Districts have long histories of collaboration with research institutions. During fall 2020, we carried out a survey to collect baseline data on the current control priorities from Florida Mosquito Control Districts relating to (1) priority control species, (2) common adult and larval control methods, and (3) major research questions to address that will improve their control and surveillance programs. The survey data showed that a total of 17 distinct mosquito species were considered to be priority control targets, with many of these species being understudied. The most common control approaches included truck-mounted ultra-low-volume adulticiding and biopesticide-based larviciding. The districts held interest in diverse research questions, with many prioritizing studies on basic science questions to help develop evidence-based control strategies. Our data highlight the fact that mosquito control approaches and priorities differ greatly between districts and provide an important point of comparison for other regions investing in mosquito control, particularly those with similar ecological settings, and great diversity of potential mosquito vectors, such as in Florida. Our findings highlight a need for greater alignment of research priorities between mosquito control and mosquito research. In particular, we note a need to prioritize filling knowledge gaps relating to understudied mosquito species that have been implicated in arbovirus transmission.

scholarly journals Microcredit as a public health initiative? Exploring mechanisms and pathways to health and wellbeing

2021 ◽  
Vol 270 ◽  
pp. 113633
Author(s):  
Fatma Ibrahim ◽  
Neil McHugh ◽  
Olga Biosca ◽  
Rachel Baker ◽  
Tim Laxton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Health Initiative ◽  
Public Health Initiative

scholarly journals Regulations concerning natural swimming ponds in Europe: considerations on public health issues

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 564-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saverio Giampaoli ◽  
Nathalie Garrec ◽  
Gérard Donzé ◽  
Federica Valeriani ◽  
Lothar Erdinger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Water Management ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Microbiological Analysis ◽  
Recreational Water ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
European Directive ◽  
New Type

Natural swimming ponds (NSPs) are a new type of recreational water facility characterized by the substitution of traditional disinfection with biodepuration. While this feature meets esthetic desires of users, specific concerns on public health issues have been raised by the scientific community and local authorities. The absence of a European directive applicable to these environments leaves each country without specific and harmonized indications. The present work describes the local/national policy situation, describing adopted parameters and monitoring activities. All documents underline the need for appropriate microbiological analysis and correct water management.

scholarly journals Epidemiology of Lyme Disease

1991 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-60
Author(s):  
Dennis J White
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Vector Species ◽  
Potential Vector ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Laboratory Services ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
Surveillance Programs ◽  
Risk Of Exposure

Investigation of the epidemiology of Lyme disease depends upon information generated from several sources. Human disease surveillance can be conducted by both passive and active means involving physicians, public health agencies and laboratories. Passive and active tick surveillance programs can document the extent of tick-borne activity, identify the geographic range of potential vector species, and determine the relative risk of exposure to Lyme disease in specific areas. Standardized laboratory services can play an important role in providing data. Epidemiologists can gain a better understanding of Lyme disease through the collection of data from such programs. The interpretation of data and provision of information to the medical and general communities are important functions of public health agencies.

Cross-contamination in molecular laboratories: A challenge to COVID-19 testing in Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Jahidur Rahman Khan ◽  
◽  
Selim Reza ◽  
Farzana Mim ◽  
Md Abdullah Rumman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
Diagnostic Errors ◽  
Laboratory Diagnosis ◽  
Cross Contamination ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Surveillance Programs ◽  
The Government

Rapid and accurate laboratory diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is crucial for the management of COVID-19 patients and control of the spread of the virus. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangladesh had only one government molecular laboratory where real-time RT-PCR will be performed to diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infection. With the increasing number of suspected cases requiring confirmation diagnostic testing, there was a requirement to quickly expand capacity for large-scale testing. The government of Bangladesh established over 100 molecular laboratories within one year to test COVID-19. To fulfil the requirement for expanded testing, the government was compelled to recruit laboratory employees with inadequate experience, technical knowledge, and skills in molecular assays, particularly in processing specimens, interpreting results, recognizing errors, and troubleshooting. As a result, the risk of diagnostic errors, such as cross-contamination, is increased, as is that the risk of false-positive results, which might risk the patient’s health and undermine the efficacy of public health policies, public health response, surveillance programs, and restrictive measures aimed toward containing the outbreak. This review article aims to explain different sources of crosscontamination in the COVID-19 RT-PCR laboratories and the way to forestall them in efficient and practical ways.

Dispersal of the Mosquito Aedes vigilax (Diptera: Culicidae) From Urban Estuarine Wetlands in Sydney, Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 1290-1295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cameron E Webb ◽  
Richard C Russell
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Coastal Wetlands ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Buffer Zones ◽  
Release Point ◽  
Estuarine Wetlands ◽  
Aedes Vigilax ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Sydney Australia

Abstract Aedes vigilax (Skuse) is a pest and vector species associated with coastal wetlands and the abundance of this mosquito has been identified as contributing to increased risk of mosquito-borne disease outbreaks. As urban development continues to encroach on these coastal wetlands, pest and public health impacts are becoming of increasing concern and in the absence of broadscale mosquito control. Urban planners are looking to buffer zones and other land use planning options to minimize contact between mosquitoes and humans but gaps in the understanding of dispersal ranges of mosquitoes hamper the adoption of these strategies. A mark-release-recapture experiment was conducted to measure the dispersal of this mosquito from an urban estuarine wetland in Sydney, Australia. An estimated total of over 150,000 wild caught female mosquitoes were marked with fluorescent dust and then released. A network of 38 traps was then operated for 5 d within an area of 28 km2. A total of 280 marked mosquitoes was recaptured, representing less than 1% of the estimate 250,000 marked mosquitoes released. Marked mosquitoes were recaptured up to 3 km from the release point, providing an insight into the dispersal range of these mosquitoes. The mean distance traveled by marked mosquitoes was 0.83 km, a result reflecting the greater proportion of marked mosquitoes recaptured near release point. The findings of this study indicate that effective buffer zones between estuarine wetlands and high-density urban developments would be an impractical approach to minimizing pest and public health impacts associated with this mosquito.

scholarly journals Houston Health Department’s response to the threat of Zika virus

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Bakota ◽  
Kirsten Short ◽  
Amanda Eckert
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Public Health Authority ◽  
The Public ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
The City

ObjectiveThis session will explore the role of the Houston Health Department(HHD) in the City of Houston’s response to the threat of Zika. Thepanelists will provide perspective from the roles of Bureau Chief,informatician, and epidemiologist and provide insight into lessonslearned and strategic successes.IntroductionZika virus spread quickly through South and Central America in2015. The City of Houston saw its first travel-related Zika cases inDecember of 2015. On January 29th, the City held the first planningmeeting with regional partners from healthcare, blood banks,petrochemical companies, mosquito control, and others. Additionallythe City activated Incident Command Structure (ICS) and designatedthe Public Health Authority as the Incident Commander.Initial steps taken by HHD included expanding the capabilityand capacity of the public health laboratory to test for Zika virus;expand surveillance efforts; created an educational campaign aroundthe “3Ds” of Zika defense (Drain, Dress, DEET) which were thendisseminated through several means, including a mass mailing withwater bills; and provided DEET to mothers through the WIC program.The Houston Health Department took the lead in authoringthe City’s Zika Action Plan. In this 3 goals and 6 strategies wereidentified. Goals included 1) Keep Houstonians and visitors aware ofthe threat of Zika; 2) minimize the spread of the virus; and 3) protectpregnant women from the virus. The 6 strategies employed were toA) develop preparedness plans; B) implement ICS within the City;C) ensure situational awareness through surveillance; D) Increasecommunity awareness; E) reduce opportunities for Zika mosquitobreeding grounds; and F) provide direct intervention to reduce thethreat of Zika.HHD was responsible for many of the action items within theplan. We conducted several community outreach events, where wedisseminated educational materials, t-shirts, DEET, and other give-aways. These events allowed frequent engagement with the public forbidrectional communication on how to approach the threat.

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