Background: The French overseas Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands has been affected by several dengue epidemics. Aedes polynesiensis is the main mosquito vector described in this territory. Other Aedes species have been reported, but recent entomological data are missing to infer the presence of other potential arbovirus vectors and to assess the entomological risk factors for transmission of arboviral diseases.
Methodology/ Principal Findings: An entomological prospective study was conducted on the three main islands of the territory to determine the presence and distribution of Aedes spp. Larvae, pupae and adult mosquitoes were collected from 54 sampling points in different environments, with a final sampling of 3747 immature stages and 606 adults. The main identified breeding sites were described. Ae. polynesiensis was found in every sampled site in peridomestic and wild habitats. Ae. aegypti was only found on the island of Wallis in peridomestic environments with a limited distribution. Two other Aedes species endemic to the Pacific were recorded, Aedes oceanicus and Aedes futunae. To evaluate the ability of local Ae. polynesiensis to transmit the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), two field populations were analyzed for vector competence using experimental oral exposure of females to CHIKV and infection, dissemination and transmission assays. Results showed that both populations of Ae. polynesiensis were competent for CHIKV (30% at 7 days post-infection).
Conclusions/significance: This study showed the ubiquitous distribution and abundance of Ae. polynesiensis on the three islands and demonstrated that local populations were able to transmit CHIKV. Combined with the presence and expansion of Ae. aegypti on the main island of Wallis, these data highlight the risk of transmission of arboviral diseases in the territory of Wallis and Futuna and provide relevant information for entomological surveillance and vector control programs.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7219742 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008250 | DOI Listing |
PLoS One
January 2025
Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
To validate Palestine's previously derived emergency department quality standards (EDQS) using an e-Delphi survey. A two-round e-Delphi survey validated the EDQS, developed in an earlier study through a literature review and consensus-building among Palestinian emergency medicine and healthcare quality experts. The study purposively sampled 53 emergency department and healthcare quality experts with over 5 years of experience.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHeliyon
November 2024
Department of Veterinary Management of Animal Resources, FARAH Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, Belgium.
This study aimed to understand feeding strategies used by small ruminant farmers to cope with climatic change in the five contrasting agroecological zones (AEZ) of the Benin Republic and to identify the determinants of adopting these strategies. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to conduct interviews with 400 smallholder farmers in the rural areas of Benin. Data was collected on production system characteristics, farmers' perception of climatic changes' impacts on livestock production, and their coping strategies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain Behav
November 2024
Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
Background: Meta-analyses (MAs) provide up-to-date, quantified evidence on treatment effects, which may be useful for clinical and policy decision-making. However, the quality of MAs varies, and methodological flaws can limit their reliability.
Aims: This review evaluated the methodological quality of MAs on sleep disorder treatments.
Am J Biol Anthropol
November 2024
Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Objectives: Facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) has been widely investigated in the context of its role in visual communication, though there is a lack of consensus about how fWHR serves as a social signal. To better understand fWHR variation in a comparative context, we investigate the associations between fWHR and canine crown height (CCH) and body mass, respectively, among two chimpanzee subspecies (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii, Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus).
Materials And Methods: We collected landmark data from 3D surface models of 86 Pan cranial specimens to quantify fWHR and upper CCH, and to estimate body mass.
Ann Ig
October 2024
Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Italy.
Introduction: At the end of 2019 a new virus, called SARS-CoV-2, emerged in Wuhan, China. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health system of the Tuscany Region and the response implemented by the South-Eastern Local Health Unit, also in view of the new reform of territorial healthcare established by Ministerial Decree No. 77 of 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!