Willingness to pay for a mosquito bite prevention 'forest pack' in Cambodia: results of a discrete choice experiment.

Background: Progress towards malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong Subregion has left much of the residual malaria transmission concentrated among forest-exposed populations for whom traditional domicile focused malaria vector control is unlikely to be effective. New tools to protect these populations from vector biting outdoors are needed.

Methods: Alongside implementation research on the deployment of a "forest pack" consisting of a volatile pyrethroid (transfluthrin)-based spatial repellent (VPSR), a picaridin-based topical repellent and etofenprox treatment of clothing, an assessment was made of participant willingness to pay for the forest packs and variants of the packs using a discrete choice experiment.

Impact of nighttime human behavior on exposure to malaria vectors and effectiveness of using long-lasting insecticidal nets in the Ethiopian lowlands and highlands.

Background: Ethiopia continues to grapple with a persistent malaria burden, characterized by ongoing transmission and recurrent outbreaks. Human behavior influences both malaria exposure and the effectiveness of vector interventions, complicating malaria control efforts. Implementing tailored strategies that account for the complex interplay between human activities and vector behavior remains a challenge in both high- and low-transmission areas in Ethiopia, particularly for vulnerable highland populations and temporary labor migrants, due to lack of data.

The effect of novel mosquito bite prevention tools on Anopheles minimus landing and key secondary endpoints: semi-field evaluations in Thailand.

Background: The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) aims to eliminate all human malaria by 2030 and is making substantial progress toward this goal, with malaria increasingly confined to forest foci. These transmission foci are predominantly inhabited by ethnic minorities, local populations, and rural mobile and migrant populations working in mining and agriculture. The recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) on malaria elimination states that small population groups which constitute a large proportion of the malaria transmission reservoir should benefit from targeted strategies to reduce transmission overall.

The AxBioTick study - immune gene expression signatures in human skin bitten by Borrelia-infected versus non-infected ticks.

Background: Borrelia infection is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and transmitted by Ixodes ricinus ticks, a common tick-borne infection in Northern Europe. The establishment of Borrelia infection depends on transmission of the spirochetes, as well as the immune response generated in the skin after a bite. Here we aim to investigate the local immune response in the skin after a tick bite and assess the possible direct effects of Borrelia, by applying gene expression analysis of the immune response in skin exposed to Borrelia-infected and non-infected ticks, respectively.

Recurrent Facial Paralysis in a 14-Year-Old Due to Brazilian Lyme Disease: A Case Report.

Lyme disease is a prevalent infection in the northern hemisphere, affecting approximately 450,000 new cases annually in the United States and 65,000 in Europe. This illness is spread by the bite of ticks harboring spirochetes and develops in three progressive phases. In the second phase, neurological complications are common, including cranial nerve involvement.

Ticked Off: A Case of Disappearing Cell Lines.

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) is transmitted by the black-legged tick and presents with fever, thrombocytopenia, leukocytopenia, and elevated transaminases. If left untreated, HGA can progress to hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), which can be fatal. Here, we discuss a case of a woman diagnosed with anaplasmosis who was treated promptly.

Tick-, flea- and mite-borne pathogens and associated diseases of public health importance in Bangladesh: a review.

Background: This scoping review provides a baseline summary of the current records of the ticks, fleas, and mites of public health importance that are present in Bangladesh. It summarizes their geographic distributions and reports the levels of their infestation of livestock, pets, wildlife, and humans, and the clinical and epidemiological studies pertinent to these vectors and their pathogens.

Methods: Sixty-one articles were identified in a literature search, including 43 published since 2011.

Non-vaccinal prophylaxis of tularemia.

Tularemia is a re-emerging zoonosis in many endemic countries. It is caused by , a gram-negative bacterium and biological threat agent. Humans are infected from the wild animal reservoir, the environmental reservoir or by the bite of arthropod vectors.

Flexor Tendon Rupture After a Cat Bite - A Case Report of An Uncommon Sequela.

Introduction: Cat bites are a remarkably common injury seen in the emergency department setting . Due to the morphology of feline teeth and anatomy of the human hand, seemingly innocuous surface bites can seed infections in deeper structures of the hand that can result in adverse outcomes. We report on a case of a rare complication of a flexor tendon rupture that occurred well after the initial treatment of a superficial infection.

Metatranscriptomic analysis reveals the diversity of RNA viruses in ticks in Inner Mongolia, China.

Background: Ticks are widely distributed throughout China and are the second most prevalent pathogen vectors in the world, following only mosquitoes. Tick bites can lead to Lyme disease, forest encephalitis, and other illnesses that may result in death under severe circumstances. Materials and methods: Ticks collected from March 2021 to May 2023 were pooled and used in metatranscriptomic analyses to gain insight into the diversity and distribution of tick-borne viruses in Inner Mongolia.

Combatting rabies outbreaks in Vietnam: High time to enforce restrictions on dog meat farming, a key source of transmission.

In Vietnam, farming dogs for meat is not illegal but is increasingly marginalized as dog meat consumption comes under heightened social scrutiny. This loosely regulated practice likely increases the risk of rabies transmission to humans. At a time when human-wildlife conflict has become a major discussion point for global health, stray dogs escaping or being deliberately released from dog farms is a cause for serious concern.

Characterization of human exposure to Anopheles and Aedes bites using antibody-based biomarkers in rural zone of Cameroon.

Malaria and Aedes-borne diseases remain major causes of mortality, morbidity, and disability in most developing countries. Surveillance of transmission patterns associated with vector control remains strategic for combating these diseases. Due to the limitions of current surveillance tools used to assess human exposure to mosquito bites, human antibody (Ab) responses to salivary peptides from Anopheles (gSG6-P1) and Aedes (Nterm-34kDa) are increasingly being used to measure direct human-Anopheles or Aedes contact.

Persistent human babesiosis with low-grade parasitemia, challenges for clinical diagnosis and management.

Human babesiosis, caused by several parasites and transmitted by tick bites and other blood-associated containments, has emerged as a major public health threat around the world. In the absence of readily discernible clinical manifestations, the diagnosis of human babesiosis has been contingent upon the identification of parasites through the utilization of detection arrays. Nevertheless, cases of persistent and relapsing babesiosis with low-grade parasitemia have been sporadically observed in patients with and without immunosuppression, prompting a challenge to the reliability of routine clinical laboratory tests and efficient anti-babesial therapy.

Reverse Vaccinology Integrated with Biophysics Techniques for Designing a Peptide-Based Subunit Vaccine for Bourbon Virus.

Despite the seriousness of the disease carried by ticks, little is known about the Bourbon virus. Only three US states have recorded human cases of Bourbon virus (BRBV) infection; in all cases, a tick bite was connected with the onset of the illness. The Bourbon virus (BRBV) belongs to the Orthomyxoviridae family and Thogotovirus genus, originating in the states of the US, i.

Dogs as Reservoirs for Leishmania donovani, Bihar, India, 2018-2022.

Visceral leishmaniasis derived from Leishmania donovani is transmitted by sand flies (Phlebotomus argentipes) throughout the Indian subcontinent. Although considered anthroponotic, L. donovani infects other mammals susceptible to sand fly bites, including dogs.

Leishmaniasis in Humans and Animals: A One Health Approach for Surveillance, Prevention and Control in a Changing World.

Leishmaniasis is classified as a neglected tropical disease (NTD), caused by protozoan parasites of the genus , which are transmitted to humans and other animals through the bite of infected female phlebotomine sandflies. There are three forms of the disease: cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) manifested by ulcers and scars; systemic or visceral leishmaniasis (VL), which can lead to life-threatening complications if left untreated; and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL), which can destroy the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth and throat. Human leishmaniasis is endemic in many countries across Africa, Asia, Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Central and South America.

Pathogen isolation and traceability analysis of a fatal case of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) infectious encephalitis in China.

Background: The initial clinical symptoms of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) mainly include high fever, thrombocytopenia and gastrointestinal symptoms, and severe patients may suffer from severe complications such as multiple organ failure, which can lead to death. Studies have shown that central nervous system symptoms are associated with severe adverse outcomes of SFTS, but there are few reports on confirmed cases of SFTS encephalitis. This is a special case in which her initial SFTS symptoms were atypical, while the disease deteriorated rapidly after the appearance of encephalitis.

Historical Summary of Tick and Animal Surveillance Studies for Lyme Disease in Canada, 1975-2023: A Scoping Review.

Introduction: Lyme disease (LD) is caused by infection with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bb) through the bite of an infected Ixodes spp. tick. LD has emerged as a public and animal health issue in Canada, with human incidence increasing in part due to the expansion of Ixodes scapularis ticks and their vertebrate hosts.

Malaria risk factors amongst forest going populations in Mondulkiri Province and Kampong Speu Province, Cambodia: a large cross-sectional survey.

Background: Cambodia strives to eliminate all species of human malaria by 2025, requiring that foci among forest-exposed populations in remote settings be addressed. This study explores malaria risk factors amongst forest-exposed groups in Mondulkiri and Kampong Speu Provinces, Cambodia as part of a multi-stage study on novel bite prevention tools (Project BITE).

Methods: A serial cross-sectional survey explored the demographics, housing structure openness, mosquito bite prevention habits, and gaps in protection amongst three target groups: forest goers who work in the forest, forest dwellers who live in the forest, and forest rangers who patrol forested regions.