Estimating malaria transmission risk through surveillance of human-vector interactions in northern Ghana.

Background: Vector bionomics are important aspects of vector-borne disease control programs. Mosquito-biting risks are affected by environmental, mosquito behavior and human factors, which are important for assessing exposure risk and intervention impacts. This study estimated malaria transmission risk based on vector-human interactions in northern Ghana, where indoor residual spraying (IRS) and insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) have been deployed.

Partial indoor residual spraying with pirimiphos-methyl as an effective and cost-saving measure for the control of Anopheles gambiae s.l. in northern Ghana.

The scale up of indoor residual spraying (IRS) and insecticide treated nets have contributed significantly to global reductions in malaria prevalence over the last two decades. However, widespread pyrethroid resistance has necessitated the use of new and more expensive insecticides for IRS. Partial IRS with pirimiphos-methyl in experimental huts and houses in a village-wide trial was evaluated against Anopheles gambiae s.

Spatio-temporal distribution of mosquitoes and risk of malaria infection in Rwanda.

To date, the Republic of Rwanda has not systematically reported on distribution, diversity and malaria infectivity rate of mosquito species throughout the country. Therefore, we assessed the spatial and temporal variation of mosquitoes in the domestic environment, as well as the nocturnal biting behavior and infection patterns of the main malaria vectors in Rwanda. For this purpose, mosquitoes were collected monthly from 2010 to 2013 by human landing catches (HLC) and pyrethrum spray collections (PSC) in seven sentinel sites.

Contact Tracing Activities during the Ebola Virus Disease Epidemic in Kindia and Faranah, Guinea, 2014.

The largest recorded Ebola virus disease epidemic began in March 2014; as of July 2015, it continued in 3 principally affected countries: Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Control efforts include contact tracing to expedite identification of the virus in suspect case-patients. We examined contact tracing activities during September 20-December 31, 2014, in 2 prefectures of Guinea using national and local data about case-patients and their contacts.

Use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers as a risk factor for norovirus outbreaks in long-term care facilities in northern New England: December 2006 to March 2007.

Background: During December 2006 to March 2007, a substantial increase in norovirus illnesses was noted in northern New England. We sought to identify institutional risk factors for norovirus outbreaks in northern New England long-term care facilities (LTCFs).

Methods: State health departments in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont distributed surveys to infection preventionists at all LTCFs in their respective states.

Injury-prevention practices as depicted in G- and PG-rated movies, 2003-2007.

Objective: Our goal was to determine if the depiction of injury-prevention practices in children's movies is different from what was reported from 2 earlier studies, which showed infrequent depiction of characters practicing recommended safety behaviors.

Methods: The top-grossing 25 domestic G-rated (general audience) and PG-rated (parental guidance suggested) movies per year for 2003-2007 were included in this study. Movies or scenes were excluded if they were animated, not set in the present day, fantasy, documentary, or not in English.

Antibody responses to the merozoite surface protein-1 complex in cerebral malaria patients in India.

Background: Plasmodium falciparum infection causes cerebral malaria (CM) in a subset of patients with anti-malarial treatment protecting only about 70% to 80% of patients. Why a subset of malaria patients develops CM complications, including neurological sequelae or death, is still not well understood. It is believed that host immune factors may modulate CM outcomes and there is substantial evidence that cellular immune factors, such as cytokines, play an important role in this process.

Cerebrospinal fluid and serum biomarkers of cerebral malaria mortality in Ghanaian children.

Background: Plasmodium falciparum can cause a diffuse encephalopathy known as cerebral malaria (CM), a major contributor to malaria associated mortality. Despite treatment, mortality due to CM can be as high as 30% while 10% of survivors of the disease may experience short- and long-term neurological complications. The pathogenesis of CM and other forms of severe malaria is multi-factorial and appear to involve cytokine and chemokine homeostasis, inflammation and vascular injury/repair.

Epitope-specific regulation of immunoglobulin class switching in mice immunized with malarial merozoite surface proteins.

Antibodies that bind to Fc receptors and activate complement are implicated in the efficient control of pathogens, but the processes that regulate their induction are still not well understood. To investigate antigen-dependent factors that regulate class switching, we have developed an in vivo model of class switching to immunoglobulin G2b (IgG2b) using the malaria antigen Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 2 (MSP2). C57BL/6 mice were immunized with recombinant proteins representing discrete domains of MSP2, and a T-cell epitope (C8) was identified within the conserved C terminus of the protein that preferentially induces IgG2b antibodies.

Preliminary observations on the efficacy of a recombinant multistage Plasmodium falciparum vaccine in Aotus nancymai monkeys.

A vaccine trial was conducted to determine the efficacy of a multicomponent candidate vaccine, FALVAC-1, against Plasmodium falciparum in Aotus nancymai monkeys. After two immunizations, animals were challenged intravenously with parasites of the Vietnam Oak Knoll (FVO) strain of P. falciparum.

Upregulation of TGF-beta, FOXP3, and CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells correlates with more rapid parasite growth in human malaria infection.

Understanding the regulation of immune responses is central for control of autoimmune and infectious disease. In murine models of autoimmunity and chronic inflammatory disease, potent regulatory T lymphocytes have recently been characterized. Despite an explosion of interest in these cells, their relevance to human disease has been uncertain.

Malaria vaccines: if at first you don't succeed..

The Roll Back Malaria campaign vowed to halve the global burden of malaria in ten years but, midway into that campaign, few new malaria control tools have been introduced, and many established methods appear to be failing with effective chemotherapy being perhaps the most problematic. It has been repeatedly argued that the discovery and implementation of a safe and effective vaccine against malaria is a major priority in the control of the disease. Indeed, many malaria control experts believe that sustainable reductions in malaria control will be nigh on impossible in the absence of such a vaccine.

Influence of adjuvants in inducing immune responses to different epitopes included in a multiepitope, multivalent, multistage Plasmodium falciparum candidate vaccine (FALVAC-1) in outbred mice.

FALVAC-1, a vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum was developed by joining 21 epitopes from P. falciparum vaccine antigens and an universal T helper epitope from tetanus toxoid. Since adjuvants influence different aspects of immune responses, in this study we investigated the effect of four adjuvants aluminum hydroxide (alum), nonionic copolymer adjuvant P1005 (water-in-oil emulsion), CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN), and QS-21 in eliciting immune responses in outbred mice.