Arboviruses and Sexually Transmitted Infections in the Bioceanic Route: Health Indicators in a Municipality

Background: the physical integration of South America through a Bioceanic Corridor has been idealized for a long time by the countries that make up Mercosur. This integration will have impacts on the population residing in the cities where the route will be built. Among them, Porto Murtinho, southern Mato Grosso on the border with Paraguay, stands out, where a bridge will be built over the Paraguay River that will link these two countries. Methods: a retrospective, quantitative and cross-sectional study of a descriptive type of documentary approach that sought to analyze the prevalence of arboviruses, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and Diseases Related to Inadequate Environmental Sanitation (DRIES) notified and stored in the National System of Notifiable Diseases (SINAN). The sample consisted of new cases of these pathologies in the municipality of Porto Murtinho registered between January 2017 and December 2020. Results: there was an increase of 10% in the total number of diseases within this period. The number of dengue cases increased 36 times;the incidence of Syphilis, HIV and HPV decreased;and, finally, maintenance of cases of Gonorrhea, Leptospirosis, Yellow Fever, Zika, Chikungunya, Hepatitis A and B. Conclusions: actions are needed to prevent the increase of these pathologies together with the construction of the Bioceanic Route, thus avoiding damage population health and increased consumption of government resources.

Detection of arboviruses in Culicoides(Diptera:Ceratopogonidae)collected from animal farms in the border areas of Yunnan Province,China

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides(order Diptera,family Ceratopogonidae)are potential biological vectors for the transmission of certain arboviruses among humans,livestock,and wild animals.This study collected a total of 405 Culicoides individuals from seven animal farms located in five counties in the border areas of Yunnan Province,China,and examined the Culicoides species composition and the major arboviruses carried by the Culicoides species.The collected Culicoides were classified into seven species with variable abundances:Culicoides arakawae(5.43%,22/405),Culicoides homotomus(1.23%,5/405),Culicoides obsoletus(19.75%,80/405),Culicoides orientalis(17.28%,70/405),Culicoides oxystoma(29.38%,119/405),Culicoides peregrinus(5.68%,23/405),and Culicoides nipponensis(21.23%,86/405).Among the seven species,C.oxystoma and C.nipponensis were distributed in all the five counties with abundances of 13.33–44.87%and 10.00–46.83%,respectively,suggesting that these were the dominant species of Culicoides widespread on animal farms in the border areas.PCR was used to detect major arboviruses in the collected Culicoides specimens,including bluetongue virus(BTV),Japanese encephalitis virus,Dengue virus,Zika virus,African swine fever virus,and African horse sickness virus.Among the tested viruses,only BTV serotype 1 was tested positive in C.oxystoma specimens collected from a buffalo farm.Culicoides oxystoma was the dominant species on animal farms in the sampled areas,but it has not previously been documented as positive for BTV in China.The current results thus suggest that C.oxystoma could be an important vector for BTV transmission in these border areas,which,however,needs to be confirmed by further comprehensive experiments.Overall,the present study provides the first profile of Culicoides species on animal farms in the China,Vietnam,and Myanmar border areas,establishes the prevalence of arboviruses carried by these Culicoides species,and suggests the vector potential of C.oxystoma species for the transmission of BTV.

Complex interactions among insect viruses-insect vector-arboviruses

Insects are the host or vector of diverse viruses including those that infect vertebrates,plants,and fungi.Insect viruses reside inside their insect hosts and are vertically transmitted from parent to offspring.The insect virus-host relationship is intricate,as these viruses can impact various aspects of insect biology,such as development,reproduction,sex ratios,and immunity.Arthropod-borne viruses(arboviruses)that cause substantial global health or agricultural problems can also be vertically transmitted to insect vector progeny.Multiple infections with insect viruses and arboviruses are common in nature.Such coinfections involve complex interactions,including synergism,dependence,and antagonism.Recent studies have shed light on the influence of insect viruses on the competence of insect vectors for arboviruses.In this review,we focus on the biological effects of insect viruses on the transmission of arboviruses by insects.We also discuss the potential mechanisms by which insect viruses affect the ability of hosts to transmit arboviruses,as well as potential strategies for disease control through manipulation of insect viruses.Analyses of the interactions among insect vectors,insect viruses and arboviruses will provide new opportunities for development of innovative strategies to control arbovirus transmission.

Applications and advancements in animal models for antiviral research on mosquito-borne arboviruses

Vector-borne diseases caused by arthropod-borne viruses(arboviruses) are a considerable challenge to public health globally. Mosquito-borne arboviruses, such as Chikungunya, Dengue, and Zika viruses, cause a range of human illnesses and may be fatal. Currently, efforts to control these diseases still face challenges due to growing vector resistance towards insecticides, urbanization, and limited effective antiviral treatments and vaccines. Animal models are crucial in antiviral research on mosquito-borne arboviruses, playing a role in understanding disease mechanisms,vaccine development, and toxicity testing, but the application of animal models still faces the challenges of ethical considerations and animal-to-human translational success. Genetically engineered mouse models, hamster models and non-human primate(NHP) are currently used in arbovirus research, but new models such as tree shrews and novel humanized mice are emerging. In the context of Malaysian research, the use of long-tailed macaques as potential NHP models for arbovirus research is possible;however, it faces the ethical dilemma of using an endangered species for scientific purposes. Overall, animal models play a crucial role in advancing infectious disease research, but a balance between medical research and species conservation must be upheld.

Geographical Distribution of Arboviruses, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus Vectors and Their Resistance to Insecticides in Africa: A Systematic Review

Background & Objectives: Epidemics of arboviruses such as Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika have been recorded in recent years indicating that Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are both important and very active vectors in Africa. For vector control, insecticides are on the front line, unfortunately, reported resistance jeopardizes the effectiveness of this strategy. The objective of this review was to determine the geographical distribution and insecticide resistance mechanisms of Ae. aegypti and Ae. Albopictus in Africa. Methods: A systematic review of the literature in scientific databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Hinari) allowed us to identify relevant articles on the geographical distribution of Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and arboviral diseases. On the other hand, studies related to insecticides used in vector control against Aedes, associated resistances and their molecular and metabolic mechanisms. Results: A total of 94 studies met the inclusion criteria for this search. Aedes aegypti is reported in most of Africa, and Aedes albopictus in part. There is a re-emergence and outbreak of Arbovirus epidemics in West and Central Africa. The insecticides used were organochlorines, carbamates, organophosphates and pyrethroids. In Aedes, target site insensitivity and metabolic resistance would be the 2 main mechanisms of resistance to these insecticides. Interpretation & Conclusion: Resistance has been recorded in all four major classes of insecticides recommended by WHO for vector control and eradication. New vector control methods such as the use of plant extracts with larvicidal and adulticidal activities, advanced modern biotechnology techniques, and nanobiotechnology need to be developed.

Zika Virus during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Epidemiological Parameters and Advances in Understanding the Infection

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the focus of authorities and health organizations with respect to other infectious diseases. This review aims to examine the changes in global epidemiological parameters related to Zika virus during the COVID-19 pandemic and the progress made since 2020 in various aspects of infection. A narrative review was conducted, focusing on articles published between January 2020 and June 2023, covering epidemiology, pathogenicity, transmission, diagnosis, and treatment of Zika virus. The findings of this survey reveal that there has been a significant decrease in reported cases of Zika virus infection during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, advancements have been made in understanding the pathogenicity of the virus and the development of new diagnostic methods, vaccines, and treatments. The lessons learned from the response to COVID-19 have played a pivotal role in guiding efforts that have resulted in progress regarding various aspects related to Zika virus infection.

Dengue and falciparum malaria co-infection in travelers returning from Burkina Faso:Report of two cases in Northeastern Italy

Rationale: Malaria and dengue are the most prevalent vector-borne diseases in tropical countries. Plasmodium parasite and dengue virus(DENV) concurrent infection is possible and often under-recognized in geographical areas where these infections are both endemic.Patients concern and diagnosis: We describe the first two cases of Plasmodium falciparum and DENV-3 co-infection in travelers returning to northeastern Italy from Burkina Faso during 2013-2014.Interventions: Malaria infection in both patients was treated with mefloquine. Due to the persistence of symptoms despite of the antimalaria treatment, dengue was also investigated;the treatment of dengue was symptomatic.Outcomes: The patients were discharged in good general condition.Lessons: The need for surveillance of potential malaria and dengue co-infection in travelers returning to Europe from endemic areas is highlighted, as infection with Plasmodium does not exclude arboviral co-infection.

Surveillance of arthropod-borne viruses in Benin,West Africa 2020–2021:detection of dengue virus 3 in Aedes aegypti(Diptera:Culicidae)

Dear Editor,Dengue virus(DENV,family Flaviviridae,genus Flavivirus)serotypes 1 to 4(DENV-1,-2,-3,and-4)are responsible for more than 100 million infections per year worldwide.Symptoms of DENV infection can be diverse,reaching from an acute febrile illness to the more severe,sometimes fatal dengue haemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome.

Risk of infection with arboviruses in a healthy population in Pakistan based on seroprevalence

Infectious diseases caused by arboviruses are a public health concern in Pakistan.However,studies on data prevalence and threats posed by arboviruses are limited.This study investigated the seroprevalence of arboviruses in a healthy population in Pakistan,including severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus(SFTSV),Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus(CCHFV),Tamdy virus(TAMV),and Karshi virus(KSIV)based on a newly established luciferase immunoprecipitation system(LIPS)assays,and Zika virus(ZIKV)by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays(ELISA).Neutralizing activities against these arboviruses were further examined from the antibody positive samples.The results showed that the seroprevalence of SFTSV,CCHFV,TAMV,KSIV,and ZIKV was 17.37%,7.58%,4.41%,1.10%,and 6.48%,respectively,and neutralizing to SFTSV(1.79%),CCHFV(2.62%),and ZIKV(0.69%)were identified,as well as to the SFTSV-related Guertu virus(GTV,0.83%).Risk factors associated with the incidence of exposure and levels of antibody response were analyzed.Moreover,co-exposure to different arboviruses was demonstrated,as thirty-seven individuals were having antibodies against multiple viruses and thirteen showed neutralizing activity.Males,individuals aged
40 years,and outdoor workers had a high risk of exposure to arboviruses.All these results reveal the substantial risks of infection with arboviruses in Pakistan,and indicate the threat from co-exposure to multiple arboviruses.The findings raise the need for further epidemiologic investigation in expanded regions and populations and the necessity to improve health surveillance in Pakistan.

Epidemiology, clinical features and transmission of re-emerging arboviral infection chikungunya

A number of re-emerging and emerging infectious diseases including chikungunya, West Nile, yellow fever, Zika, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and others have increased in recent years, which threaten the public health across the globe. Chikungunya is a neglected re-emerging arboviral infection caused by chikungunya virus. Arboviral infections such as chikungunya, Zika and dengue have similar epidemiology, transmission cycles and clinical symptoms, which makes it difficult to diagnose these three infections. Moreover, there is no commercial vaccine or licensed therapy available for chikungunya infection, thus causing severe burden worldwide. Vector control may reduce the disease risk; however, this remains a challenge due to many factors including, but not limited to, evolution of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes, gaps in vector control tools, urbanization, environmental and demographic changes. Effective integrated vector control strategies and surveillance measures along with affordable vaccine development or anti-viral therapy are essential to control the infection. In this review, we discuss the epidemiology of mosquito-borne infection chikungunya which has re-emerged as an international concern in recent decades.

Epidemiological, prevention and control updates of yellow fever outbreak in Brazil

Yellow fever is an acute viral disease endemic to tropical countries, like Brazil, where, since the 1940 s, has no significant documented outbreaks similar to that observed between 2016/2018(2 045 confirmed cases and 677 deaths; caused by the sylvatic form).The principal manipulating factors inciting this change were absence of appropriate vaccination campaigns and increased urbanization & population growth in forest areas, with prevalence of the virus in the species inhabiting of these areas.The 2016/2018 outbreaks exhibited incidence in areas with historically low or no yellow fever virus activity, triggering a surge in recorded deaths-mainly in the Southeastern states of Brazil.The Brazilian government aggressively responded, reforming the countries' prophylactic measures, including vaccine implementation-as of March, 2018, switching from the former double dose regimen of the vaccine, to a single dose protocol, deemed as adequate.Moreover, some states appropriated the fractionated dosage(1/5 of the standard dose), in foresight of potential vaccine shortages.To prevent the uprising of new sylvatic yellow fever cases in Brazil, it's obligatory the development of effective combative plans, including adaptation of prophylactic measures individually(use of repellents, protective clothing etc.), applicable vaccination campaigns in every endemic region, to raise awareness to locals and visitors alike.Notwithstanding these preventative strategies, the persistence of cases and the recent outbreaks in Brazil, highlight the possible ineffectiveness of combative measures.Based on these considerations, the objective of this review was to raise more awareness of the epidemiological impact of the disease in Brazil.

Emerging mosquito-borne arboviral infection Zika-An epidemiological review

The unprecedented resurgence and geographical expansion of arboviral infections such as dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika have a significant impact on human health and pose a serious threat to public health globally in recent years. Zika virus is a Flavivirus and is transmitted to humans through an infected mosquito bite. The Zika virus has been identified in many countries in Africa, Asia, and Pacific islands and sporadic human cases have been reported since 1947. The non-specific clinical symptoms of Zika fever are often misdiagnosed with other arboviral infections, especially dengue and chikungunya. Till now, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for Zika infection. The recent emergence of Zika is alarming and highlights the need for arboviral research to develop an effective treatment. Here in this review, we discussed the epidemiology of Zika, which has re-emerged in the recent decade and caused international concern.

Epidemiological trends of mosquito-borne viral diseases in Pakistan

Globally,arboviruses are public health problems.Pakistan has seen a fast-paced increase in mosquito-borne Flavivirus diseases such as dengue because of deforestation,climate change,urbanization,poor sanitation and natural disasters.The magnitude and distribution of these diseases are poorly understood due to the lack of a competitive nationwide surveillance system.In dengue-endemic countries,the recent epidemics of chikungunya(CHIKV)and human West Nile virus(WNV)have created panic among the public and are thought to provoke an outbreak of Zika virus(ZIKV)in Pakistan.Recently,hospital-based surveillance has indicated the presence of Japanese encephalitis virus(JEV),which is deeply concerned by developing countries such as Pakistan.The situation could become more devastating because of poorly developed diagnostic infrastructure.To date,no licensed vaccine has been used in Pakistan,and preventive measures are mainly based on vector control.This review provides comprehensive information concerning the association of risk factors with disease occurrence,epidemiological trends,and prediction of the spread of mosquito-borne diseases,attention to new threats of ZIKV,and future perspectives by benchmarking global health policies.

First Evidence of Hantavirus in Central Iran as an Emerging Viral Disease

Hantavirus is a zoonosis transmitted from rodents to humans. Asymptomatic infected rodents can secrete hantaviruses in the urine, feces, and saliva. The main route of infection transmission to human is aerosols contaminated with the virus. This study was designed to evaluate the serological and molecular prevalence of hantavirus as an emerging zoonoses disease among street sweepers in Isfahan province, central Iran. Serum samples from 200 street sweepers in healthy condition and those with recent renal failure were tested by ELISA (IgM and IgG). Molecular analysis was subsequently applied for IgM positive cases. From these samples, 9 (4.5%) were positive, of which 2 (22.22%) were positive for both IgM and RT-PCR, while 7 (77.77%) were positive for IgG. The mean age and work experience of the positive cases were 39.7 and 11.5 respectively. According to our observations, all positive cases reported prevalence of rodents in their work place. The logistic regression test showed that the age and work experience were not risk factors for being positive, but prevalence of rodents in work place was a risk factor for being positive, when compared with negative cases. This is the first comprehensive study on the prevalence of hantavirus with positive results coming from Iranian population, which can raise the public awareness for the hantavirus infections as a public health threat.

Plant-mediated synthesis of nanoparticles:A newer and safer tool against mosquito-borne diseases?

Prevention and control of mosquito-borne diseases is a key challenge of huge public health importance.Plant-mediated synthesis of nanoparticles has recently gained attention as a cheap,rapid and eco-friendly method to control mosquito vector populations,with special reference to young instars.Furthermore,plant-fabricated nanoparticles have been successfully employed as dengue virus growth inhibitors.In this Editorial,parasitologists,entomologists and researchers in drug nanosynthesis are encouraged to deal with a number of crucial challenges of public health importance.

Diagnostic performance of C-reactive protein level and its role as a potential biomarker of severe dengue in adults

Objective: To determine the relationship between C-reactive protein(CRP) level and the severity of dengue and the potential use of CRP in predicting acute dengue infection.Methods: A prospective observational study was performed on dengue patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital in southern India. All patients of age above 18 years, diagnosed with dengue were included in the study. The detailed laboratory parameters pertaining to dengue were recorded. CRP levels were estimated and compared between groups i.e. severe and non-severe dengue. CRP cut-off value was detected using the receiver-operator curve.Results: Totally 98 patients with a mean age of 40 years were included. Among them, 11.2% of the patients suffered from severe dengue, 54.1% of the cases had non-severe dengue without warning signs, and 34.7% had non-severe dengue with warning signs. The median CRP was significantly higher in patients with severe dengue compared to patients with non-severe dengue(96.2 mg/d L vs. 5.3 mg/d L). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that the odd’s ratio(OR) of CRP was 1.053(P≤0.001, 95% CI=1.029-1.078). CRP at a cutoff value of 21.6 mg/L(0.929 AUC) had excellent sensitivity(100%) and specificity(81.6%) in predicting severe dengue infection. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that CRP(OR=1.089, P=0.013) and ALT(OR=1.010, P=0.034) were statistically significant independent predictors of dengue severity.Conclusions: CRP level could be used as a potential biomarker to predict severity of dengue in adults.

Mass scale screening of common arboviral infections by an affordable,cost effective RT-PCR method

Objective:To develop a rapid,cost effective RT-PCR method for the mass scale diagnosis of such diseases at the vireraia stage to find out the actual disease burden in that area.Methods:For this purpose,cases with the history of only short febrile illness were considered.Thus 157 samples with the history of dengue/chikungunya like illness and only 58 samples with a history of acute encephalitis syndrome(AES)were selected.Results:Out of 157 samples,42 and 74 were detected as dengue and chikungunya,respectively and out of 58 AES cases only 23 could be detected as Japanese encephalitis by this RT-PCR method.Conclusions:This cost effective RT-PCR method can detect the total positive cases that remain undetected by EL1SA method.Moreover,this method is capable to detect the viral RNA from patients'sera even after the appearance of IgM antibody at one fifth costs as compared with the other commercially available kits.

Zika threatens to become a huge worldwide pandemic

The Aedes aegypti mosquito which transmits Zika virus(as well as dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever) represents a high risk for global transmission. This virus comes from Africa, the Zika forest in Uganda, where it was discovered in 1947 in a rhesus monkey. In May 2015, the first local cases were recorded in Brazil, surpassing 1.5 million cases in December of the same year. By March 2016, local transmission of Zika was recognized in 34 countries. Its clinical condition is similar to dengue febrile illness, although milder.The final geographical distribution area is constantly expanding. Recently, it has been associated with cases of Guillain-Barre′ syndrome in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador,Venezuela and Suriname. Microcephaly was documented in Brazil. This article discusses some factors that contributed to the spread of Zika virus in South America. Climate change associated with the events of the phenomenon of "El Ni?o" is also analyzed. The biggest concern is how quickly Zika is spreading around the world and that it could be far more dangerous than previously thought. Zika virus infection, by its explosive potential,has every chance of becoming a global pandemic.

Neem by-products in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases:Biotoxicity of neem cake fractions towards the rural malaria vector Anopheles culicifacies(Diptera:Culicidae)

Objective: To evaluate the ovicidal, larvicidal and adulticidal potential of neem cake fractions of different polarity against the rural malaria vector Anopheles culicifacies(An.culicifacies).Methods: Neem cake fractions' total methanol extract(NTMeOH), total ethyl acetate extract(NTAc OEt), ethyl acetate fraction after repartition with NTMe OH(NRAc OEt),butanol fraction after repartition with NTMeOH(NRBuOH), and aqueous fraction after repartition of NTMeOH(NRH2O) were tested against An. culicifacies eggs, fourth instar larvae and adults.Results: In larvicidal experiments, NTMeOH, NTAcOEt, NRAcOEt, NRBuOH and NRH2O achieved LC50 values of 1.32, 1.50, 1.81, 1.95 and 2.54 mg/L, respectively. All fractions tested at 150 mg/L were able to reduce egg hatchability of more than 50%, with the exception of NTAc OEt and NRAc OEt. In adulticidal assays, NTMeOH, NTAcOEt,NRAcOEt, NRBuOH and NRH2O achieved LC50 values of 3.01, 2.95, 3.23, 3.63 and3.00 mg/L, respectively.Conclusions: Overall, this study suggests that the methanolic fractions of neem cake may be considered as a new and cheap source of highly effective compounds against the rural malaria vector An. culicifacies.

Emerging and re-emerging viruses: A global challenge illustrated by Chikungunya virus outbreaks

In recent decades, the issue of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, especially those related to viruses, has become an increasingly important area of concern in public health. It is of significance to anticipate future epidemics by accumulating knowledge through appropriate research and by monitoring their emergence using indicators from different sources. The objective is to alert and respond effectively in order to reduce the adverse impact on the general populations. Most of the emerging pathogens in humans originate from known zoonosis. These pathogens have been engaged in long-standing and highly successful interactions with their hosts since their origins are exquisitely adapted to host parasitism. They developed strategies aimed at:(1) maximizing invasion rate;(2) selecting host traits that can reduce their impact on host life span and fertility;(3) ensuring timely replication and survival both within host and between hosts; and(4) facilitating reliable transmission to progeny. In this context, Arboviruses(or ARthropod-BOrne viruses), will represent with certainty a threat for the coming century. The unprecedented epidemic of Chikungunya virus which occurred between 2005 and 2006 in the FrenchReunion Island in the Indian Ocean, followed by several outbreaks in other parts of the world, such as India and Southern Europe, has attracted the attention of medical and state authorities about the risks linked to this re-emerging mosquito-borne virus. This is an excellent model to illustrate the issues we are facing today and to improve how to respond tomorrow.