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Challenges of Global Healthcare Disasters
Published in Adarsh Garg, D. P. Goyal, Global Healthcare Disasters, 2023
Deepika Sherawat, Sonia, Priyanka Shukla
An epidemic is a disease that affects a large number of people within a community, population, or region, and a pandemic is an epidemic that is spread over multiple countries and continents. Pandemics and large-scale epidemics that can claim loss of lives of masses, disrupt civilizations, and shatter economies. WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) is working with member states to help countries to prepare for large-scale outbreaks and pandemics. Countries are also encouraged to involve the whole of society for effective pandemic preparedness and response. The pandemics are new and highly infectious airborne viruses that have an impact on the population that lack immunity. Some of the most infectious viruses that have infected masses are influenza. Some of the diseases are spread by blood-feeding anthropoids like mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks. Such diseases are called vector-borne diseases. The vector-borne diseases are Nile virus, dengue fever, malaria, Zika, and chikungunya to name a few. Most of these diseases are fanned by climate change.
The Challenge of Parasite Control
Published in Eric S. Loker, Bruce V. Hofkin, Parasitology, 2023
Eric S. Loker, Bruce V. Hofkin
Other vector-borne diseases may be amenable to a similar control strategy. For example, strains of Wolbachia infecting Anopheles mosquitoes in Africa have been identified. In some cases, these Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes were less likely to harbor Plasmodium falciparum. For mosquitoes that were infected, there were fewer Plasmodium oocysts, and there was a large reduction in the number of sporozoites found in the mosquitoes’ salivary glands (Figure 9.12). In other words, the bacterial symbionts either prevented infection with P. falciparum or greatly reduced the vector capacity (see Chapter 3 p. 103). Anopheles mosquitoes may also be rendered resistant to Plasmodium infection by infecting them with a microsporidian symbiont called Microsporidia MB. Like Wolbachia, these intracellular fungi are vertically transmitted, and they do not reduce mosquito survival or fecundity. And like Wolbachia, they may represent a novel new strategy to limit malaria transmission.
Environment and health
Published in Sally Robinson, Priorities for Health Promotion and Public Health, 2021
Tristi Brownett, Joanne Cairns
Climate change also affects the local ecology. It affects the delicate balance of ecosystems, where the local habitat supports living plants and animals, including the smallest organisms. Vectors are organisms that carry pathogens which cause disease in humans and/or animals (e.g. mosquitoes, ticks, flies and lice). Vector-borne diseases include zika, malaria, dengue, haemorrhagic fever and plague. Climate change is altering habitats in ways that better support vectors and therefore the spread of diseases (Campbell-Lendrum et al., 2015). About 17% of infectious diseases across the world are attributable to vector-borne diseases causing 700,000 annual deaths (WHO, 2017).
Highly sensitive droplet digital PCR-based diagnostics for the surveillance of malaria vector populations in low transmission and incipient resistance settings
Published in Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics, 2021
Konstantinos Mavridis, Kleita Michaelidou, John Vontas
Prevention of vector-borne diseases, like malaria, is best realized by vector control, which is largely based on the application of insecticides. The recent decrease (~50%) in malaria cases has largely (~80%) been attributed to the use of insecticides in the forms of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) [6,7]. Indeed, very low malaria transmission settings are the new norm in many African countries, like Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia [8]. However, the intense use of insecticides places an enormous selection pressure on insect vector populations, resulting in the development of insecticide resistance that poses a serious threat for malaria vector control [9,10]. New, or repurposed from crop protection, active ingredients expected to be launched recently (e.g. clothianidin [11], pyriproxyfen [12], chlorfenapyr [13]) alone or in mixtures with traditional insecticides can help overcome this issue. It is important that this effort is supported by highly sensitive diagnostics that can detect emerging insecticide resistance early enough, before it spreads [6,11,14,15].
Larval and gut enzyme toxicity of n-hexane extract Epaltes pygmaea DC. against the arthropod vectors and its non-toxicity against aquatic predator
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2021
Kesavan Amala, Raja Ganesan, Sengodan Karthi, Sengottayan Senthil-Nathan, Muthiah Chellappandian, Patcharin Krutmunag, Narayanaswamy Radhakrishnan, Faruq Mohammad, Athirstam Ponsankar, Prabhakaran Vasantha-Srinivasan
At present, the global scientists are widely focusing on their research in botanical origins (plant extracts, essential oils, and plant metabolites) with diversified developmental and behavioral changes including antifeedant, larvicidal, pupicidal, repellent, and adulticidal activities in different insect pests (Senthil-Nathan et al.2006a, 2006b, 2008a, 2008b, Edwin et al.2016). The reducing potential of plant derivatives can be widely blended into different herbal formulations to deliver outstanding mosquitocidal properties (Benelli 2015a, 2015b). Botanicals were blended with natural chemicals chiefly terpenoids, steroids, phenolics, alkaloids, and essential oils (EOs) that are considered to be economically viable replacement of commercial pesticides (Bakkali et al.2008, Gleiser et al.2011, Bedini et al.2016). Complex active chemicals with different mechanistic actions and more importantly harmless to mammals and other non-target species sharing the same ecological niche of pests are the major attraction of green insecticides compared with chemical toxins (Vasantha-Srinivasan et al.2018a, Chellappandian et al.2019). Globally, vector-borne diseases are endemic and the economic burden of chemical pesticide-based vector control strategies is also expensive to extensive use. Eco-friendly alternatives have been explored to help reduce the selection pressure for insecticide resistance (Benelli et al.2016). Remarkably, green-derived compounds are often active at a minimal dosage of parts per million (ppm) against different mosquito vectors (Benelli et al.2016).
Community engagement to control dengue and other vector-borne diseases in Alappuzha municipality, Kerala, India
Published in Pathogens and Global Health, 2021
Retheesh Babu Gopalan, Bontha Veerraju Babu, Attayoor Purushothaman Sugunan, Anju Murali, Mohammed Shafi Ma, Rathinam Balasubramanian, Sairu Philip
Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are among the fastest spreading infectious diseases of the twenty-first century[1]. VBDs are endemic in more than 100 of the 193 member states of the WHO[1]. The epidemiological profile of VBDs is changing, owing to global climate change leading to warmer temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns. About 700,000 deaths, accounting for 17% of all deaths due to infectious diseases, annually are attributable to VBDs[1]. VBDs are emerging as a challenge to the public health systems, particularly in the Southeast Asia region, including India[2]. In 2006–2007, India experienced a large chikungunya outbreak. The state of Kerala was the most affected in the country and contributed 55.8% of chikungunya cases[3]. Kerala reported a considerable prevalence of six VBDs, namely, malaria, dengue, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile virus and lymphatic filariasis[4]. Alappuzha district is endemic to these VBDs, particularly dengue and Japanese encephalitis [5].