A combined school survey and reactive case detection reveals minimal local transmission of malaria in the Highlands Region of Papua New Guinea.

Background: The Highlands of Papua New Guinea are non-endemic for malaria compared to the rest of the country. This study aimed to explore the local transmission of malaria in the Highlands through a cross-sectional school survey coupled with reactive case detection.

Methods: Between July and November 2019, 5575 schoolchildren and 1048 household members were screened for malaria using Rapid Diagnostic Tests, subsequently validated by light microscopy.

Stratification of malaria incidence in Papua New Guinea (2011-2019): Contribution towards a sub-national control policy.

Malaria risk in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is highly heterogeneous, between and within geographical regions, which is operationally challenging for control. To enhance targeting of malaria interventions in PNG, we investigated risk factors and stratified malaria incidence at the level of health facility catchment areas. Catchment areas and populations of 808 health facilities were delineated using a travel-time accessibility approach and linked to reported malaria cases (2011-2019).

Statistical modeling of the effect of rainfall flushing on dengue transmission in Singapore.

Background: Rainfall patterns are one of the main drivers of dengue transmission as mosquitoes require standing water to reproduce. However, excess rainfall can be disruptive to the Aedes reproductive cycle by "flushing out" aquatic stages from breeding sites. We developed models to predict the occurrence of such "flushing" events from rainfall data and to evaluate the effect of flushing on dengue outbreak risk in Singapore between 2000 and 2016.

Patterns of Urban Housing Shape Dengue Distribution in Singapore at Neighborhood and Country Scales.

Dengue is the most important human arboviral disease in Singapore. We classified residential areas into low-rise and high-rise housing and investigated the influence of urban drainage on the distribution of dengue incidence and outdoor breeding at neighborhood and country scales. In Geylang area (August 2014 to August 2015), dengue incidence was higher in a subarea of low-rise housing compared to high-rise one, averaging 26.

A Sequence of Flushing and Drying of Breeding Habitats of Aedes aegypti (L.) Prior to the Low Dengue Season in Singapore.

In dengue-endemic areas, transmission shows both a seasonal and interannual variability. To investigate how rainfall impacts dengue seasonality in Singapore, we carried out a longitudinal survey in the Geylang neighborhood from August 2014 to August 2015. The survey comprised of twice-weekly random inspections to outdoor breeding habitats and continuous monitoring for positive ones.

Low Seroprevalence Indicates Vulnerability of Eastern and Central Sudan to Infection with Chikungunya Virus.

Outbreaks of infections with chikungunya virus (CHIKV) have previously been reported from Sudan but the prevalence in the general population is unknown. We investigated the seroprevalence of CHIKV infection in 379 serum samples from patients with fever in the outpatient clinics of three hospitals in eastern and central Sudan. The seroprevalence was 1.

Cross-sectional community-based study of the socio-demographic factors associated with the prevalence of dengue in the eastern part of Sudan in 2011.

Background: Dengue is caused by an arthropod-borne flavivirus. Infection can be either primary or secondary based on serology, with each stage of the disease characterized by specific serological conversion and antibody formation. Further study is needed to fully identify the factors associated with and predisposing to dengue infection.

Sero-prevalence of dengue infections in the Kassala state in the eastern part of the Sudan in 2011.

Dengue fever is a vector-borne disease that is transmitted to humans by infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The eastern part of the Sudan is one of the regions that is affected by dengue virus circulation. In this study, we estimated the prevalence of dengue infections in the Kassala state in the eastern part of the Sudan.

Impacts of agricultural practices on insecticide resistance in the malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis in Khartoum State, Sudan.

Background: Agricultural pesticides may play a profound role in selection of resistance in field populations of mosquito vectors. The objective of this study is to investigate possible links between agricultural pesticide use and development of resistance to insecticides by the major malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis in northern Sudan.

Methodology/principal Findings: Entomological surveys were conducted during two agricultural seasons in six urban and peri-urban sites in Khartoum state.

Spatial and temporal patterns of dengue transmission along a Red Sea coastline: a longitudinal entomological and serological survey in Port Sudan city.

Background: Dengue is an emerging health problem in several coastlines along the Red Sea. The objective of the present work is to elucidate spatial and temporal patterns of dengue transmission in Port Sudan.

Methods/findings: A longitudinal study with three cross-sectional surveys was carried out in upper, middle and lower class neighborhoods, from November 2008 to October 2009.

End-user errors in applying two malaria rapid diagnostic tests in a remote area of Sudan.

We assessed end-user practice for numerous procedural steps of two types of RDTs: Core Malaria Pf (the cassette format) and OptiMAL IT (the dipstick format). Two types of errors occurred: generic errors common to both types of test and specific errors caused by the test design and manufacturer's instructions. End-user errors were more frequent with OptiMAL IT than Core Pf tests.