1,721,044 research outputs found
Spatio-Temporal distribution of mosquito species Aedes albopictus: the associated health risk and an assessment of the effectiveness of control interventions in Italy
Full text linkIn their tiny sizes, arthropod crawl or fly in huge numbers and diversity often unnoticed around us. How many of these little terrestrial companions have been splattered without us hearing a single desperate scream of agony would be forever unknown. However, not all of them go unnoticed, their lives being put under the microscope of science and curiosity. Unravelled by scientists, the connections between humans and some of this species could be deep and unfortunately at human disadvantage. Sometimes the discovery of an ecological or epidemiological link happens almost by chance and surrounded by incredulity. Take as an example the mosquito, at present known to be responsible for the transmission of deadly diseases such as Malaria or Yellow Fever, but initially few would have thought or investigate it as the vector of these dreadful health problems. Indeed, several species of mosquitoes feed on human and as unpleasant as it already is, it is even worse. These itchy bites are often the entry point for numerous pathogens and viruses as discovered by the remarkable work of pioneers such as Ross and many others. Their research and sacrifices ought to be never forgotten and are still strikingly relevant nowadays.
The study of arthropod that are competent in transmitting zoonotic disease or that impacts human health is the research field of Medical Entomology, a fascinating discipline that unravels the darkest secrets and beautiful complexity of nature. This thesis aims to contribute in this field by advancing the current knowledge about the mosquito species Aedes albopictus, its distribution and its impact on public health also providing an assessment of the commonest control strategies employed against
Population monitoring of Aedes albopictus to assess of the effectiveness of insecticide-based control strategies and the risk of arbovirus transmission
Full text linkMetodi statistico-matematici per il controllo integrato di zanzare vettrici di patogeni
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A pilot exercise to assess population vulnerability to diseases transmitted by the tiger mosquito in Rome
No full textNot in my backyard: effectiveness of outdoor residual spraying from hand-held sprayers against the mosquito Aedes albopictus in Rome, Italy
No full textWHO guidelines state that adulticide interventions are recommended only in case of disease outbreak. However, peridomestic sprayings are carried out routinely to reduce Aedes albopictus (Skuse) nuisance, at least in Italy. Failing in keeping low adult abundance overtime triggers the need for further applications. The aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of a common control strategy routinely performed by citizens in highly infested urban sites inside the metropolitan city of Rome using a freely purchasable pyrethroid and a hand-held sprayer. Moreover, the effectiveness evaluated in three field experiments was compared to the one achieved by blending the pyrethroid with a new carbon-based liquid additive
Assessment of the efficacy of insecticide-based mosquito control strategies in Rome (Italy) using novel monitoring and statistical approaches
No full textExclusion and spatial segregation in the apparent competition between two hosts sharing macroparasites
No full textIn this paper we investigate the spatial dynamics of a deterministic model describing two host species that partially share a common spatial domain, experiencing apparent competition mediated by macroparasites. The aim of this work is to understand the mechanisms underlying apparent competition processes in a spatially structured environment, which have been generally overlooked up to now. First, we analyse the behaviour of a single-host macroparasite partial differential equation (PDE) model, both in the cases of uniform or spatially-dependent vital rates of the host, focusing on the role of spatial diffusion on parasite persistence and host abundance. We obtained the threshold condition for parasite persistence, and (in contrast to what occurs in reaction–diffusion models for an isolated
population) we found that, in the case of spatially-dependent vital rates, increasing the host diffusion coefficient results in an increase of the overall host population. Then, a PDE model featuring spatial diffusion and apparent competition mediated via shared macroparasites between two species is analysed in order to understand the role of spatial heterogeneity in host coexistence. We assumed a partial overlap among the habitats of the two species and found that the shared parasites could cause, depending on the values of the diffusion coefficients and differences in induced mortality among host species, a decrease of the realized habitat and, eventually, the extinction of the species less tolerant to parasite infection. This shows that the presence of regulating parasites complicates the effect of dispersal on population dynamics and that the dynamics of apparent competition cannot be adequately understood from spatially-independent models
Susceptibility of Italian Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens populations to insecticides most widely used in interventions against adult mosquitoes.
No full textA PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF THE INSECTICIDE RESISTANCE STATUS OF AEDES ALBOPICTUS AND CULEX PIPIENS POPULATIONS FROM ROME
No full textTracking Seasonal Influenza Trends in South Tyrol During 2022/2023 Using Genomic Surveillance Data
No full textBackground: Influenza seasons are characterized by a complex interplay of co-circulating strains with high spatial and temporal heterogeneities. Surveillance is crucial for monitoring the spread and evolution of the virus and design effective public health response strategies. Aim: We combined epidemiological, virological, and genomic surveillance data to provide a comprehensive analysis of influenza subtypes circulating in the South Tyrol region (Italy) during season 2022/2023, leveraging phylogenetic and phylodynamic approaches. Methods: Clinical samples were collected from patients exhibiting influenza-like symptoms and evaluated by molecular diagnostics. Whole genome sequencing was conducted, and the hemagglutinin (HA) gene sequences were used for phylogenetic analysis. A birth-death skyline model was applied to estimate strain-specific effective reproduction numbers (Re) and attack rates. Results: Out of 4891 samples tested, 862 tested positive for influenza, of which 224 genomes were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of HA gene revealed A(H3N2) strains predominantly clustering in clade 3C.2a1b.2a.2b, followed by 3C.2a1b.2a.1b. A(H1N1pdm09) strains predominantly clustered in clade 6B.1A.5a.2a. Exclusive circulation of B (Victoria) subtype strains aligned with the global trend, all falling within clade V1A.3a.2. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the strains isolated in the South Tyrol region closely resembled those circulating in the rest of Italy and Austria. Re peaked at 1.16-1.35 (95%CI) for A(H3N2), 1.06-1.34 for A(H1N1pdm09) and 1.02-1.29 for B (Victoria). 95%CI of attack rates were 6.3%-33.5% for A(H3N2), 0.6%-5.0% for A(H1N1pdm09), and 0.8%-6.5% for B (Victoria). Conclusion: Epidemiological estimates from traditional surveillance data can be corroborated by those derived from genomic sequencing, providing more robust assessments of viral transmissibility and attack rates with limited additional effort
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