scholarly journals Dengue Outbreak Management - Field Experience in Managing Dengue Involving an Urban Residential Area in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Narindeerjeet Kaur ◽  
Mohd Azimullah Abdullah Zakaria ◽  
Syed Sharizman Syed Abdul Rahim ◽  
Mohd Yusof Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Residential Area ◽  
Outbreak Response ◽  
Source Reduction ◽  
Outbreak Management ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Dengue Outbreak ◽  
First Case ◽  
Public Health Challenge ◽  
Positive Results

  Introduction: Dengue fever is endemic in Malaysia. It is a major public health challenge that has caused significant morbidity and mortality. A dengue outbreak is contributed by entomological factors, epidemiological and environmental factors. Outbreak response is crucial to reduce cases and death. This study is a descriptive dengue outbreak report in an urban residential area in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Malaysia. Methods: This is a report of a dengue outbreak that started in middle of November 2019 and ended early December 2019. A dengue outbreak in Malaysia is defined when more than one dengue cases is reported in the same locality within 14 days from the date of notification of the first case. Cases were analysed descriptively looking at epidemiology and vector control database. Results: This outbreak involved 6 cases. The source reduction activities by elimination of breeding sites were conducted 3 times covering an area of 200 meter radius. A total of 110 premises were checked with coverage of 86%. The number of containers inspected was 923, with 454 outside the premises and 469 inside the premises with no positive results for dengue larvae. Insecticide space spraying via thermal fogging was conducted with added ultra-low volume (ULV) spraying done within the 400 meter radius with coverage of 100%. Conclusion: Effective preventive measures have to be paired with responsible communities, as both play very vital roles in the control of dengue.

scholarly journals Seven plus initiative: the way forward to stem Dengue

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 751-753
Author(s):  
Santosh Kumar ◽  
Sheen Job
Keyword(s):  
Community Participation ◽  
Multidisciplinary Team ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Source Reduction ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Public Health Challenge ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Dengue Prevention ◽  
Active Implementation ◽  
Insecticide Spray

The vector-borne disease has been a public health challenge in the country since long. The menace of dengue, every rainy season only draws attention towards the need for community participation to combat this problem. Dengue has come out to be a social problem which mostly depends upon the environment and habitation of humans. The overwhelming concern over the increasing burden and its dire consequences, a multidisciplinary team was constituted which comprised of local leaders, ASHA, ANM and NGOs, destined to encourage community participation for dengue prevention. A seven-plus initiative was started by this multidisciplinary team which aims to mitigate the larva life cycle of dengue from the breeding site in seven days. This initiative was completely based on active surveillance of breeding sites, tracking fever cases and active implementation of source reduction measures coupled with insecticide spray.

Preventive Measures for COVID - 19

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 1902-1904
Author(s):  
Lavi Arya
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Health Economy ◽  
Wuhan City ◽  
First Case ◽  
Spread Pattern ◽  
Sudden Outburst ◽  
Mode Of Transmission ◽  
Day By Day

COVID-19 sudden outburst is declared as a serious public medical health issue worldwide by WHO, in March 2020. The first case of COVID-19 was seen officially in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019. It’s a pandemic to which all the countries has to take action in the detection of the infection and prevention of it’s spread. Despite global efforts to contain the disease spread, the outbreak is still on the rise because of the community spread pattern of this infection. Earlier the mode of transmission of the virus was seen in animal to person but now the transmission is from person to person through respiratory droplet infection the confirmed case is seen in many countries and are increasing day by day Fever, cough and cold, difficulty in breathing, tiredness can be seen in the patients suffering. The virus is affecting our health, economy, social life. Till the time we don’t have any medication at least we should try to prevent the spread of the virus. The points which can help in the prevention of the spread of the virus in the community are maintaining of hand sanitation, social distancing, Avoiding person to person contact and Quarantine. Increase in a number of testing, detecting COVID-19 positive patients will also help to reduce the spread of virus and secondary cases with strict quarantine rules.

scholarly journals Prevalence of paratuberculosis infection in sheep

2014 ◽  
Vol 68 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 165-174
Author(s):  
Branka Vidic ◽  
Zivoslav Grgic ◽  
Milovan Jovicin ◽  
Zoran Rasic ◽  
Sara Savic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Elisa Test ◽  
Positive Finding ◽  
Clinical Form ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Progressive Weight Loss ◽  
Mycobacterium Avium Subsp Paratuberculosis ◽  
Positive Results

Paratuberculosis is an incurable chronic disease of ruminants, which is manifested with clinical signs of diarrhea and progressive weight loss. Causative agent is Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, and the disiase occurs in cattle, sheep and goats. The outspread of paratuberculosis is huge in the whole world, especially in the countries where animal breeding is a developed branch of economy. Animals get infected with food and water contaminated with feces of infected animals. The infection spreads within infected pastures and also when trading animals with latent infection. Clinical manifestation of the disease can firstly be noticed in young categories of sheep, which is different than in cattle. Primary clinical symptom is chronic weight loss. It is rather hard to determine the level of prevalence of the disease, in a certain region, because the diagnostic procedure is complex and not always reliable enough. Detection of antibodies with ELISA test is considered a method of choice for diagnostic of paratuberculosis, because of fast gaining of the results and relatively low price of the test. By applying the ELISA test, we have analysed 2000 sheep blood samples. Positive results for paratuberculosis were found in 66 ( 3,30%) animals in total. In sheep samples from southern Backa region, positive findings were gained from 42 (3,89%) samples, and in Srem region, positive finding were found in samples from 24 sheep (2,60%). Control programs are based on the removal of all infected animals, application of general preventive measures and vaccination. Application of vaccination aims for elimination of clinical form of the disease. An effective treatment has not been determined so far.

scholarly journals Under-reported COVID-19 cases in South Asian countries

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Soban Qadir Khan ◽  
Imran Alam Moheet ◽  
Faraz Ahmed Farooqi ◽  
Muhanad Alhareky ◽  
Faisal Alonaizan
Keyword(s):  
South Asian ◽  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Western Countries ◽  
Exponential Increase ◽  
The People ◽  
First Case

Background: The purpose of the study was to compare  trends in the progression of COVID-19 among South Asian countries with more developed Western countries. Methods: COVID-19 data from South Asian countries were used for this observational study. Data were taken up to April 21, 2020 from the outbreak of the COVID-19. Four of the seven countries met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Results: An exponential increase in the average number of weekly cases was reported after the fifth week following the first case. The correlation between reported cases and tests was found to be strong and significant (r=0.90, p=0.037). However, on average, 315.25 tests per million population were performed, which was at least 12 times lower than the number of tests performed in countries with a large number of COVID-19 cases. Conclusions: At present, the number of confirmed cases from South Asia was found to be significantly lower than in Western countries. Hence, an increase in the strength of performing diagnostic tests is highly recommended. Strict measures are required to make the people of these countries follow the instructions of social distancing and comply with preventive measures.

scholarly journals Larvicidal effect of some natural products on mosquito and some aquatic predators in Gezira State, Sudan: Field assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 078-082
Author(s):  
Abdelmonem Eltiyab Houmida Ali ◽  
Mutaman Ali A. Kehail
Keyword(s):  
Natural Products ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Mosquito Larvae ◽  
Biological Control Agents ◽  
Stagnant Water ◽  
Source Reduction ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Field Assessment ◽  
Neem Leaves ◽  
Aquatic Predators

There are many methods used for mosquito control. Depending on the situation, source reduction (removing stagnant water), bio-control (importing natural predators), trapping, and insecticides to kill larvae or adults may be used. Some aquatic predators were reputed as biological control agents for mosquito larvae. Hence they have to be considered when experimenting on the lethal effects of any material on mosquito larvae. The objectives of this study were to study the effects of neem leaves and usher latex against Anopheles and Culex larvae and some of their aquatic predators (hemipteran boatman (HB), tadpole (T), swimming beetle larvae (SBL) and adult (SBA) and mayfly naiad (MF)) in some breeding sites around Wad Medani Town. Gezira State, Sudan. Two villages were selected for conducting this study. The count of the mosquito larvae and the aquatic predators continued for four days from applying natural products. The results showed that, mosquito’s larvae were affected more than the aquatic by Neem leaves and Ushar latex. The study of the microclimates in the breeding sites will help to correlate toxicity to any level of any environmental factor.

Digital transformation of legionella-safe cooling towers: an ecosystem design approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Ângelo ◽  
João Barata
Keyword(s):  
Cooling Tower ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Cooling Towers ◽  
Goal Modeling ◽  
Outbreak Response ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Outbreak Management ◽  
Digital Architecture

Purpose Legionnaires’ disease is a major threat to public health. Solutions to deal with this problem are usually siloed and not entirely effective. This paper aims to model the information requirements of legionella-safe cooling towers in the era of Industry 4.0. Design/methodology/approach A year-long design science research was conducted in a cooling tower producer for heavy industries. The project started with a bibliometric analysis and literature review of legionella in cooling towers. Goal modeling techniques are then used to identify the requirements for digital transformation. Findings The improvement of legionella prevention, detection and outbreak response in digitally enabled cooling tower should involve different stakeholders. Digital twins and blockchain are disruptive technologies that can transform the cooling tower industry. Originality/value For theory, this study revises the most recent advances in legionella protection. Legionella-safe systems must be prepared to anticipate, monitor and immediate alert in case of an outbreak. For practice, this paper presents a distributed and digital architecture for cooling tower safety. However, technology is only a part of outbreak management solutions, requiring trustworthy conditions and real-time communication among stakeholders.

scholarly journals Malaria Outbreak Facilitated by Appearance of Vector-Breeding Sites after Heavy Rainfall and Inadequate Preventive Measures: Nwoya District, Northern Uganda, February–May 2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Godfrey Nsereko ◽  
Daniel Kadobera ◽  
Denis Okethwangu ◽  
Joyce Nguna ◽  
Damian Rutazaana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Rainfall ◽  
Case Control Study ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Northern Uganda ◽  
Entire Study ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Control Study

Background. Malaria is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Uganda. In April 2018, malaria cases surged in Nwoya District, Northern Uganda, exceeding expected limits and thereby requiring epidemic response. We investigated this outbreak to estimate its magnitude, identify exposure factors for transmission, and recommend evidence-based control measures. Methods. We defined a malaria case as onset of fever in a resident of Anaka subcounty, Koch Goma subcounty, and Nwoya Town Council, Nwoya District, with a positive rapid diagnostic test or microscopy for malaria from 1 February to 25 May 2018. We reviewed medical records in all health facilities of affected subcounties to find cases. In a case-control study, we compared exposure factors between case-persons and asymptomatic controls matched by age and village. We also conducted entomological assessments on vector density and behavior. Results. We identified 3,879 case-persons (attack rate [AR] = 6.5%) and two deaths (case-fatality rate = 5.2/10,000). Females (AR = 8.1%) were more affected than males (AR = 4.7%) (p<0.0001). Of all age groups, 5–18 years (AR = 8.4%) were most affected. Heavy rain started in early March 2018, and a propagated outbreak followed in the first week of April 2018. In the case-control study, 55% (59/107) of case-persons and 18% (19/107) of controls had stagnant water around households for several days following rainfall (ORM-H = 5.6, 95% CI = 3.0–11); 25% (27/107) of case-persons and 51% (55/107) of controls wore full extremity covering clothes during evening hours (ORM-H = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.20–0.60); 71% (76/107) of case-persons and 85% (91/107) of controls slept under a long-lasting insecticide-treated net (LLIN) 14 days before symptom onset (ORM-H = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.22–0.85); 37% (40/107) of case-persons and 52% (56/107) of controls had access to at least one LLIN per 2 household members (ORM-H = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.30–0.97). Entomological assessment indicated active breeding sites in the entire study area; Anopheles gambiae sensu lato species were the predominant vector. Conclusion. Increased vector-breeding sites after heavy rainfall and inadequate malaria preventive measures were found to have contributed to this outbreak. We recommended increasing coverage for LLINs and larviciding breeding sites in the area.

scholarly journals Using UPLC–MS/MS to Evaluate the Dissemination of Pyriproxyfen by Aedes Mosquitoes to Combat Cryptic Larval Habitats after Source Reduction in Kaohsiung in Southern Taiwan

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying-An Chen ◽  
Yi-Ting Lai ◽  
Kuo-Chih Wu ◽  
Tsai-Ying Yen ◽  
Chia-Yang Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography ◽  
Insect Growth Regulator ◽  
Source Reduction ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Complementary Approach ◽  
Cryptic Habitats ◽  
Southern Taiwan

The policy regarding mosquito control strategies in Taiwan is based on integrated vector management (IVM). The major approach is source reduction via collaboration by both residents and governments. However, small and cryptic habitats of dengue vectors are hard to find and eliminate in urban communities. Therefore, this study evaluated a complementary approach that targeted cryptic habitats by utilizing mosquitoes themselves as vehicles to transfer an insect growth regulator, pyriproxyfen (PPF), to their breeding sites; the amount of PPF in breeding water was determined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS). A bioassay conducted by introducing ten late-instar larvae into PPF solution was performed to assess emergence inhibition (EI). PPF was found at 0.56 ± 0.04 ng in 25 mL of water by dissemination via ten Aedes aegypti mosquitoes exposed to 0.01% PPF, leading to 100% EI. After the community-level source reduction, a field trial in Kaohsiung in Southern Taiwan showed that 30.8–31.5% of cryptic ovitraps reached EI ≥ 50% one month after spraying 0.01% PPF in microhabitats favored by mosquitoes. IVM in parallel with residual spraying of PPF on resting surfaces of mosquitoes could serve as a simple and complementary approach to reduce cryptic larval sources in urban communities in Southern Taiwan.

scholarly journals Validation of the Early Warning and Response System (EWARS) for dengue outbreaks: Evidence from the national vector control program in Mexico

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Benitez-Valladares ◽  
Axel Kroeger ◽  
Gustavo Sánchez Tejeda ◽  
Laith Hussain-Alkhateeb
Keyword(s):  
Vector Control ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
National Level ◽  
Indoor Residual Spraying ◽  
False Alarms ◽  
Outbreak Response ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Dengue Outbreak ◽  
Response System ◽  
Dengue Outbreaks

AbstractBackgroundDuring 2017, twenty health districts (locations) in Mexico implemented a dengue outbreak early warning and response system (EWARS) that uses epidemiological, meteorological and entomological variables (alarm indicators) to predict dengue outbreaks and triggers early response activities.Eleven of these districts were analyzed as they presented reliable information. Nine districts presented outbreak alarms but without subsequent outbreaks (“non-outbreak districts”) and two presented after the alarms dengue outbreaks (“outbreak districts”). This study is concerned with i) if the alarms without outbreaks were false alarms or if the control services had established effective response activities averting an outbreak and ii) if vector control activities can mitigate or even avert dengue outbreaks.MethodsFive components of dengue outbreak response (larval control, entomological studies with water container interventions, focal spraying, indoor residual spraying, space spraying) were quantitatively analyzed across two groups (”outbreak districts” and “non-outbreak districts”).ResultsThe average coverage of vector control and responses were higher in non-outbreak districts and across all five components. In the “outbreak districts” the response activities started late and were of much lower intensity compared to “non-outbreak districts”. District vector control teams demonstrated diverse compliance with local guidlines for ‘initial’, ‘early’ and ‘late’ responses to outbreak alarms which could explain the different outcomes observed following the outbreak alarms.Conclusionfindings from this study plausibly demonstrates important operational scenarios when succeeding or failing alarms signals generated by EWARS at national level. This study presents evidence warranting for further investigation into the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of EWARS using gold-standard designs.

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