Publications by authors named "Nadia A FernAndez-Santos"

Background: Aedes aegypti presence, human-vector contact rates, and Aedes-borne virus transmission are highly variable through time and space. The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), Texas, is one of the few regions in the U.S.

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  • The study presents the first records of two mosquito species, Aedes tormentor and Culex panocossa, found during vector surveillance in Tamaulipas, Mexico, an area linked to eastern equine encephalitis.
  • Aedes tormentor had previously been noted in Central America and other Mexican states but is now confirmed to have its southernmost range in Tamaulipas.
  • Tamaulipas is reported to have 82 different mosquito species, ranking fourth in species diversity among 11 states that have undergone detailed mosquito distribution studies.
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Background: Mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue, Zika and chikungunya, pose significant public health threats in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. To mitigate the impact of these diseases on human health, effective vector surveillance and control strategies are necessary. Traditional vector control methods, which rely on chemical agents such as insecticides and larvicides, face challenges such as resistance and environmental concerns.

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  • Chagas disease is caused by a parasite and is transmitted by triatomine bugs; it poses a significant risk to humans, especially in countries like Mexico where domestic animals, like dogs, can be a source of infection.
  • A study tested 296 dogs in two Mexican cities for Chagas disease using methods like quantitative PCR and antibody assays, revealing a low prevalence of infection among dogs (3.4% positivity, with only 0.7% found through DNA testing).
  • The findings highlight the importance of dogs in monitoring the disease and the need for better diagnostic tools and surveillance in households to manage Chagas disease effectively.
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  • Aedes albopictus is a disease-carrying mosquito, and researchers are exploring effective ways to attract these mosquitoes using different plant infusions.
  • Four types of grass infusions (Cenchrus purpureus, Cyanodon dactylon, Megathyrus maximus, Pennisetum ciliare) were tested in various settings to see which would effectively attract gravid (egg-laying) females.
  • The study found Cynodon dactylon was attractive in the lab, while both Cynodon dactylon and Megathyrus maximus were attractive in semi-field settings; however, no infusions attracted mosquitoes in field conditions after a 14-week trial, suggesting more research is needed for real-world application.
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Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus are disease vectors distributed throughout much of the world and are responsible for a high burden of vector-borne disease, which has increased during the last 2 decades. Most pathogens vectored by these mosquitoes do not have therapeutic remedies; thus, combating these diseases is dependent upon vector control. Improvements in vector control strategies are urgently needed, but these hinge on understanding the biology and ecology of Ae.

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We found serologic evidence of spotted fever group Rickettsia in humans and dogs and typhus group Rickettsia in dogs in Reynosa, Mexico. Our investigation revealed serologic samples reactive to spotted fever group Rickettsia in 5 community members, which highlights a potential rickettsial transmission scenario in this region.

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In Latin America, Mexico is the country with the second highest annual estimated number of Chagas disease cases, caused by , due to vector-borne transmission. The state of Oaxaca is the location of the first documented human cases of Chagas disease in Mexico and contained the highest seropositive rate (3.5%) from blood donors.

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Few reports exist on the COVID-19 epidemiology of migrant populations. We tested 370 migratory individuals from ten countries arriving at a migrant house along the US-Mexico border based on a rapid assay detecting SARS-CoV-2 antigen. Fifty-six were positive, for a prevalence of 15.

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Introduction: Mexico was the first country in the Americas and the third in the world to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, as validated by the WHO in 2017.

Objective: To describe the critical elements that favored the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Mexico and the public health impact of this success.

Methodology: A revision and compilation of data and information contained in the dossier presented by the country to PAHO/WHO to obtain the validation of trachoma elimination as a public health problem was conducted by a group of delegates from the national and local trachoma prevention and control program.

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Of the documented tick-borne diseases infecting humans in México, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), caused by the Gram-negative bacterium , is responsible for most fatalities. Given recent evidence of brown dog tick, s.l.

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We tested 294 domestic pet dogs in Mexico for neutralizing antibodies for mosquito-borne flaviviruses. We found high (42.6%) exposure to West Nile virus in Reynosa (northern Mexico) and low (1.

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We present a historical review of two neglected tropical diseases (NTD), namely, onchocerciasis and trachoma, both which were successfully eliminated in Mexico. In addition, we present a cost-effectiveness assessment (CEA) demonstrating that these were worthwhile health interventions. Historically, an estimate of $310.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, a certified laboratory of Tamaulipas, Mexico has processed over 100,000 samples of COVID-19 suspected patients, working a minimum of 100 tests daily. Thus, it would be beneficial for such certified laboratories nationwide to reduce the time and cost involved in performing the diagnosis of COVID-19, from sample collection, transportation to local lab, processing of samples, and data acquisition. Here, 30 nasopharyngeal swab and saliva samples from the same COVID-19 individuals were assessed by a standard nucleic acid extraction protocol, including protein lysis with proteinase K followed by binding to column, washing, and elution, and by the SalivaDirect protocol based on protein lysis, skipping the other steps to reduce processing time and costs.

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Background: Aedes aegypti mosquito-borne viruses including Zika (ZIKV), dengue (DENV), yellow fever (YFV), and chikungunya (CHIKV) have emerged and re-emerged globally, resulting in an elevated burden of human disease. Aedes aegypti is found worldwide in tropical, sub-tropical, and temperate areas. The characterization of mosquito blood meals is essential to understand the transmission dynamics of mosquito-vectored pathogens.

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Mosquito-borne viruses are emerging or re-emerging globally, afflicting millions of people around the world. , the yellow fever mosquito, is the principal vector of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses, and has well-established populations across tropical and subtropical urban areas of the Americas, including the southern United States. While intense arboviral epidemics have occurred in Mexico and further south in the Americas, local transmission in the United States has been minimal.

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Background: All formerly endemic communities of the Southern Chiapas focus of onchocerciasis in Mexico were treated with ivermectin until parasite transmission was eliminated by 2015. Transmission of onchocerciasis did not resume during a period of three years (2012-2014) following the final distribution of ivermectin in 2011; it was thus concluded that transmission remained undetectable without intervention. WHO thus declared the elimination of transmission of onchocerciasis from Mexico in 2015.

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Leishmaniasis, a vector-borne disease transmitted to humans through the bite of phlebotomine sand flies, is of public health significance in southeastern Mexico. Active and continuous monitoring of vectors is an important aspect of disease control for the prediction of potential outbreaks. Thus, the correct identification of vectors is paramount in this regard.

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Background: Multiple factors have been associated with the severity of infection by influenza A(H1N1)pdm09. These include H1N1 cases with proven coinfections showing clinical association with bacterial contagions.

Purpose: The objective was to identify H1N1 and copathogens in the Oaxaca (Mexico) population.

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Onchocerciasis is a neglected tropical disease targeted for elimination. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed guidelines for the verification of onchocerciasis elimination that include entomological and epidemiological criteria. The latter require demonstrating with statistical confidence that the infection prevalence in children is less than 0.

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Background: Mexico is one of the six countries formerly endemic for onchocerciasis in Latin America. Transmission has been interrupted in the three endemic foci of that country and mass drug distribution has ceased. Three years after mass drug distribution ended, post-treatment surveillance (PTS) surveys were undertaken which employed entomological indicators to check for transmission recrudescence.

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