Long-term co-circulation of multiple arboviruses in southeast Australia revealed by xeno-monitoring and viral whole-genome sequencing.

Arbovirus surveillance of wild-caught mosquitoes is an affordable and sensitive means of monitoring virus transmission dynamics at various spatial-temporal scales, and emergence and re-emergence during epidemic and interepidemic periods. A variety of molecular diagnostics for arbovirus screening of mosquitoes (known as xeno-monitoring) are available, but most provide limited information about virus diversity. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based screening coupled with RNA sequencing is an increasingly affordable and sensitive pipeline for integrating complete viral genome sequencing into surveillance programs.

Ascertainment of community exposure sites to Ross River virus during the 2020 outbreak in Brisbane, Australia.

This study investigated potential Ross River virus (RRV) exposure sites in Greater Brisbane during the Queensland COVID-19 lockdown (January-July 2020). Using RRV notifications, cluster identification techniques, and mobile phone data for movement network analysis, the study examined 993 RRV cases and 9 million movement trajectories from residential RRV cluster areas (hot-spots). The findings revealed that population movement was a key risk factor to RRV incidence within hotspots whereby highly interconnected areas had more RRV cases during lockdown.

Generating prophylactic immunity against arboviruses in vertebrates and invertebrates.

The World Health Organization recently declared a global initiative to control arboviral diseases. These are mainly caused by pathogenic flaviviruses (such as dengue, yellow fever and Zika viruses) and alphaviruses (such as chikungunya and Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses). Vaccines represent key interventions for these viruses, with licensed human and/or veterinary vaccines being available for several members of both genera.

Modafinil Therapy and Mental Status Following Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Comprehensive Stroke Center Analysis.

Background: Disorders of consciousness impair early recovery after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Modafinil, a wakefulness-promoting agent, is efficacious for treating fatigue in stroke survivors, but data pertaining to its use in the acute setting are scarce. This study sought to assess the effects of modafinil use on mental status after aSAH.

Automated differentiation of mixed populations of free-flying female mosquitoes under semi-field conditions.

Great advances in automated identification systems, or 'smart traps', that differentiate insect species have been made in recent years, yet demonstrations of field-ready devices under free-flight conditions remain rare. Here, we describe the results of mixed-species identification of female mosquitoes using an advanced optoacoustic smart trap design under free-flying conditions. Point-of-capture classification was assessed using mixed populations of congeneric (Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti) and non-congeneric (Ae.

Insecticide resistance compromises the control of Aedes aegypti in Bangladesh.

Background: With no effective drugs or widely available vaccines, dengue control in Bangladesh is dependent on targeting the primary vector Aedes aegypti with insecticides and larval source management. Despite these interventions, the dengue burden is increasing in Bangladesh, and the country experienced its worst outbreak in 2019 with 101 354 hospitalized cases. This may be partially facilitated by the presence of intense insecticide resistance in vector populations.

A Volunteer Crossover Feasibility Study to Compare Standard Oxygen Cannula Used at High-Flow to Proprietary High-Flow Humidified Nasal Oxygen Systems.

Background And Aim: Supplemental oxygen is routinely administered to patients prior to and during induction of general anesthesia and sedation. This increases the fraction of oxygen in the lungs, increases oxygen delivery, and increases the time to oxygen desaturation. Proprietary Transnasal Humidified Rapid-Insufflation Ventilatory Exchange (THRIVE) systems, which deliver warmed and humidified oxygen, have been extensively researched in the perioperative and critical care setting and have been shown to significantly prolong time to desaturation and as a means of ventilatory support.

Immunogenicity of a single fractional intradermal dose of Japanese encephalitis live attenuated chimeric vaccine.

Background: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is endemic in Asia and the western Pacific. Vaccination is recommended for travellers to endemic regions, but the high cost of the vaccine is a major barrier to uptake.

Methods: A quasi-experimental, pre-post intervention clinical trial without a control group was conducted to assess the immunogenicity and safety of intradermal (ID) JE vaccine.

Japanese Encephalitis Emergence in Australia: The Potential Population at Risk.

In Australia, Japanese encephalitis virus circulated in tropical north Queensland between 1995 and 2005. In 2022, a dramatic range expansion across the southern states has resulted in 30 confirmed human cases and 6 deaths. We discuss the outbreak drivers and estimate the potential size of the human population at risk.

Species-specific climate Suitable Conditions Index and dengue transmission in Guangdong, China.

Background: Optimal climatic conditions for dengue vector mosquito species may play a significant role in dengue transmission. We previously developed a species-specific Suitable Conditions Index (SCI) for Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, respectively. These SCIs rank geographic locations based on their climatic suitability for each of these two dengue vector species and theoretically define parameters for transmission probability.

Rapid detection of kdr mutation F1534C in Aedes aegypti using recombinase polymerase amplification and lateral flow dipsticks.

Insecticide resistance monitoring is essential in assessing the efficacy of vector control measures. However, gold standard PCR-based molecular analyses for insecticide resistance detection are often hindered by time-consuming sample processing, as well as considerable infrastructure and resourcing requirements. In this study, we combined a novel one-step sample preparation reagent with a rapid isothermal molecular test that detects a knock down resistance (kdr) mutation (F1534C) that enables pyrethroid resistance in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Seroprevalence of chikungunya virus among military personnel in Papua New Guinea, 2019.

Objectives: The first outbreak of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was reported in West Sepik, Papua New Guinea (PNG) in June 2012, and spread rapidly throughout PNG. CHIKV imported from PNG to Queensland has been reported occasionally, but transmission of CHIKV in PNG remains unclear due to the lack of testing capability. This study investigated the degree of CHIKV exposure among PNG military personnel (PNGMP) in 2019, 7 years after its first emergence.

The Emergence of Japanese Encephalitis in Australia and the Implications for a Vaccination Strategy.

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in Asia. Until 2022, only six locally transmitted human JE cases had been reported in Australia; five in northern Queensland and one in the Northern Territory. Thus, JE was mainly considered to be a disease of travellers.

Climate variability and Aedes vector indices in the southern Philippines: An empirical analysis.

Background: Vector surveillance is an essential public health tool to aid in the prediction and prevention of mosquito borne diseases. This study compared spatial and temporal trends of vector surveillance indices for Aedes vectors in the southern Philippines, and assessed potential links between vector indices and climate factors.

Methods: We analysed routinely collected larval and pupal surveillance data from residential areas of 14 cities and 51 municipalities during 2013-2018 (House, Container, Breteau and Pupal Indices), and used linear regression to explore potential relationships between vector indices and climate variables (minimum temperature, maximum temperature and precipitation).

A high-quality de novo genome assembly based on nanopore sequencing of a wild-caught coconut rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros).

Background: An optimal starting point for relating genome function to organismal biology is a high-quality nuclear genome assembly, and long-read sequencing is revolutionizing the production of this genomic resource in insects. Despite this, nuclear genome assemblies have been under-represented for agricultural insect pests, particularly from the order Coleoptera. Here we present a de novo genome assembly and structural annotation for the coconut rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes rhinoceros (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), based on Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long-read data generated from a wild-caught female, as well as the assembly process that also led to the recovery of the complete circular genome assemblies of the beetle's mitochondrial genome and that of the biocontrol agent, Oryctes rhinoceros nudivirus (OrNV).

Persistence of antibodies, boostability, and interchangeability of Japanese encephalitis vaccines: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis.

Background: The burden of Japanese encephalitis (JE) is substantial and is arguably one of the most serious viral encephalitic diseases with high case fatality and no specific treatment. JE vaccines are the only available mean to prevent the disease; however, the long-term persistence of antibodies, boostability, and interchangeability between different vaccine classes are not well understood.

Methods: To summarise the evidence, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL were systematically searched from their inception to March 2021.

Global Evolutionary History and Dynamics of Dengue Viruses Inferred from Whole Genome Sequences.

Dengue is an arboviral disease caused by dengue virus (DENV), leading to approximately 25,000 deaths/year and with over 40% of the world's population at risk. Increased international travel and trade, poorly regulated urban expansion, and warming global temperatures have expanded the geographic range and incidence of the virus in recent decades. This study used phylogenetic and selection pressure analyses to investigate trends in DENV evolution, using whole genome coding sequences from publicly available databases alongside newly sequenced isolates collected between 1963-1997 from Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

The Use of Automated Traps to Assess the Efficacy of Insecticide Barrier Treatments Against Abundant Mosquitoes in Remote Environments.

Commercially available 'smart' trap technology has not yet been widely used to evaluate interventions against mosquitoes despite potential benefits. These benefits include the ability to capture data continuously at fine temporal scales without the human resources usually required for conventional trap deployment. Here, we used a commercially available smart trap (BG-Counter, Biogents) to assess the efficacy of an insecticide barrier treatment (BiFlex AquaMax) in reducing mosquito nuisance in a logistically challenging coastal environment in Queensland, Australia.

Sugar prevalence in Aedes albopictus differs by habitat, sex and time of day on Masig Island, Torres Strait, Australia.

Background: Sugar feeding is a fundamental behaviour of many mosquito species. For Aedes albopictus, an important vector of dengue virus and chikungunya virus, little is known about its sugar-feeding behaviour, and no studies have been conducted on this in the southern hemisphere. This knowledge is pivotal for determining the potential of attractive targeted sugar baits (ATSBs) to control this important vector.