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BMC Infectious Diseases Oct 2023Aedes (Stegomyia)-borne diseases are an expanding global threat, but gaps in surveillance make comprehensive and comparable risk assessments challenging. Geostatistical...
BACKGROUND
Aedes (Stegomyia)-borne diseases are an expanding global threat, but gaps in surveillance make comprehensive and comparable risk assessments challenging. Geostatistical models combine data from multiple locations and use links with environmental and socioeconomic factors to make predictive risk maps. Here we systematically review past approaches to map risk for different Aedes-borne arboviruses from local to global scales, identifying differences and similarities in the data types, covariates, and modelling approaches used.
METHODS
We searched on-line databases for predictive risk mapping studies for dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever with no geographical or date restrictions. We included studies that needed to parameterise or fit their model to real-world epidemiological data and make predictions to new spatial locations of some measure of population-level risk of viral transmission (e.g. incidence, occurrence, suitability, etc.).
RESULTS
We found a growing number of arbovirus risk mapping studies across all endemic regions and arboviral diseases, with a total of 176 papers published 2002-2022 with the largest increases shortly following major epidemics. Three dominant use cases emerged: (i) global maps to identify limits of transmission, estimate burden and assess impacts of future global change, (ii) regional models used to predict the spread of major epidemics between countries and (iii) national and sub-national models that use local datasets to better understand transmission dynamics to improve outbreak detection and response. Temperature and rainfall were the most popular choice of covariates (included in 50% and 40% of studies respectively) but variables such as human mobility are increasingly being included. Surprisingly, few studies (22%, 31/144) robustly tested combinations of covariates from different domains (e.g. climatic, sociodemographic, ecological, etc.) and only 49% of studies assessed predictive performance via out-of-sample validation procedures.
CONCLUSIONS
Here we show that approaches to map risk for different arboviruses have diversified in response to changing use cases, epidemiology and data availability. We identify key differences in mapping approaches between different arboviral diseases, discuss future research needs and outline specific recommendations for future arbovirus mapping.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Arboviruses; Aedes; Arbovirus Infections; Yellow Fever; Zika Virus Infection; Chikungunya Fever; Zika Virus; Mosquito Vectors; Dengue
PubMed: 37864153
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08717-8 -
Current Research in Parasitology &... 2023Mosquito-borne viruses are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in many parts of the world. In recent years, modelling studies have shown that climate change... (Review)
Review
Mosquito-borne viruses are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in many parts of the world. In recent years, modelling studies have shown that climate change strongly influences vector-borne disease transmission, particularly rising temperatures. As a result, the risk of epidemics has increased, posing a significant public health risk. This review aims to summarize all published laboratory experimental studies carried out over the years to determine the impact of temperature on the transmission of arboviruses by the mosquito vector. Given their high public health importance, we focus on dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, which are transmitted by the mosquitoes and . Following PRISMA guidelines, 34 papers were included in this systematic review. Most studies found that increasing temperatures result in higher rates of infection, dissemination, and transmission of these viruses in mosquitoes, although several studies had differing findings. Overall, the studies reviewed here suggest that rising temperatures due to climate change would alter the vector competence of mosquitoes to increase epidemic risk, but that some critical research gaps remain.
PubMed: 37719233
DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2023.100139 -
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease Nov 2023Powassan virus is an emerging neurotropic arbovirus transmitted by the tick This systematic review was conducted to aggregate data on its clinical manifestations,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Powassan virus is an emerging neurotropic arbovirus transmitted by the tick This systematic review was conducted to aggregate data on its clinical manifestations, diagnostic findings, and complications.
METHODS
PubMed was searched until August 2023 using the term "Powassan", to identify all published cases of Powassan virus infections, as per PRISMA guidelines.
RESULTS
Among the 380 abstracts identified, 45 studies describing 84 cases (70 adult, 14 pediatric) were included. Cases were reported from the USA and Canada. Complications included paralysis in 44.1% of adult and 42.6% of pediatric cases, cognitive deficits in 33.3% of adult and 25% of pediatric cases, while the mortality rate was 19.1% and 7.1% in the adult and pediatric populations, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed an association between mortality and age (r = 0.264, = 0.029), development of paralysis (r = 0.252, = 0.041), or respiratory distress or failure (r = 0.328, = 0.006). Factors associated with persistent neurological deficits were development of ataxia (r = 0.383, = 0.006), paralysis (r = 0.278, = 0.048), speech disorder (r = 0.319, = 0.022), and cranial nerve involvement (r = 0.322, = 0.017). Other significant correlations included those between speech disorders and ataxia (r = 0.526, < 0.001), and between paralysis and respiratory distress or failure (r = 0.349, = 0.003).
CONCLUSION
Powassan virus infections have significant morbidity and mortality and should be suspected in cases of encephalitis and possible tick exposure. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023395991.
PubMed: 38133440
DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8120508 -
Microorganisms Dec 2023Arboviruses represent a real public health problem globally and in the Central African subregion in particular, which represents a high-risk zone for the emergence and... (Review)
Review
Arboviruses represent a real public health problem globally and in the Central African subregion in particular, which represents a high-risk zone for the emergence and re-emergence of arbovirus outbreaks. Furthermore, an updated review on the current arbovirus burden and associated mosquito vectors is lacking for this region. To contribute to filling this knowledge gap, the current study was designed with the following objectives: (i) to systematically review data on the occurrence and distribution of arboviruses and mosquito fauna; and (ii) to identify potential spillover mosquito species in the Central African region in the last 30 years. A web search enabled the documentation of 2454 articles from different online databases. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) and the quality of reporting of meta-analyses (QUORUM) steps for a systematic review enabled the selection of 164 articles that fulfilled our selection criteria. Of the six arboviruses (dengue virus (DENV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), yellow fever virus (YFV), Zika virus (ZIKV), Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), and West Nile virus (WNV)) of public health concern studied, the most frequently reported were chikungunya and dengue. The entomological records showed >248 species of mosquitoes regrouped under 15 genera, with ( = 100 species), ( = 56 species), and ( = 52 species) having high species diversity. Three genera were rarely represented, with only one species included, namely, , , and , but individuals of the genera and were not identified at the species level. We found that two species ( and ) colonised the same microhabitat and were involved in major epidemics of the six medically important arboviruses, and other less-frequently identified mosquito genera consisted of competent species and were associated with outbreaks of medical and zoonotic arboviruses. The present study reveals a high species richness of competent mosquito vectors that could lead to the spillover of medically important arboviruses in the region. Although epidemiological studies were found, they were not regularly documented, and this also applies to vector competence and transmission studies. Future studies will consider unpublished information in dissertations and technical reports from different countries to allow their information to be more consistent. A regional project, entitled "Ecology of Arboviruses" (EcoVir), is underway in three countries (Gabon, Benin, and Cote d'Ivoire) to generate a more comprehensive epidemiological and entomological data on this topic.
PubMed: 38276174
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010004 -
Children (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2023Dengue and chikungunya viruses are frequent causes of malarial-like febrile illness in children. The rapid increase in virus transmission by mosquitoes is a global... (Review)
Review
Dengue and chikungunya viruses are frequent causes of malarial-like febrile illness in children. The rapid increase in virus transmission by mosquitoes is a global health concern. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the childhood prevalence of dengue and chikungunya in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). A comprehensive search of the MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), and Cochrane Library (Wiley) databases was conducted on 28 June 2019, and updated on 12 February 2022. The search strategy was designed to retrieve all articles pertaining to arboviruses in SSA children using both controlled vocabulary and keywords. The pooled (weighted) proportion of dengue and chikungunya was estimated using a random effect model. The overall pooled prevalence of dengue and chikungunya in SSA children was estimated to be 16% and 7%, respectively. Prevalence was slightly lower during the period 2010-2020 compared to 2000-2009. The study design varied depending on the healthcare facility reporting the disease outbreak. Importantly, laboratory methods used to detect arbovirus infections differed. The present review documents the prevalence of dengue and chikungunya in pediatric patients throughout SSA. The results provide unprecedented insight into the transmission of dengue and chikungunya viruses among these children and highlight the need for enhanced surveillance and controlled methodology.
PubMed: 37892325
DOI: 10.3390/children10101662 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Sep 2023Diagnosis of arbovirus infection or exposure by antibody testing is becoming increasingly difficult due to global expansion of arboviruses, which induce antibodies that...
Diagnosis of arbovirus infection or exposure by antibody testing is becoming increasingly difficult due to global expansion of arboviruses, which induce antibodies that may (cross-)react in serological assays. We provide a systematic review of the current knowledge and knowledge gaps in differential arbovirus serology. The search included Medline, Embase and Web of Science databases and identified 911 publications which were reduced to 102 after exclusion of studies not providing data on possible cross-reactivity or studies that did not meet the inclusion criteria regarding confirmation of virus exposure of reference population sets. Using a scoring system to further assess quality of studies, we show that the majority of the selected papers (N = 102) provides insufficient detail to support conclusions on specificity of serological outcomes with regards to elucidating antibody cross-reactivity. Along with the lack of standardization of assays, metadata such as time of illness onset, vaccination, infection and travel history, age and specificity of serological methods were most frequently missing. Given the critical role of serology for diagnosis and surveillance of arbovirus infections, better standards for reporting, as well as the development of more (standardized) specific serological assays that allow discrimination between exposures to multiple different arboviruses, are a large global unmet need.
Topics: Humans; Arboviruses; Arbovirus Infections; Hematologic Tests
PubMed: 37738270
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011651 -
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease Sep 2023mosquitoes are the vectors of , the etiological agent of malaria. In addition, and are the main vectors of the O'nyong-nyong virus. However, research on the viruses... (Review)
Review
mosquitoes are the vectors of , the etiological agent of malaria. In addition, and are the main vectors of the O'nyong-nyong virus. However, research on the viruses carried by is scarce; thus, the possible transmission of viruses by is still unexplored. This systematic review was carried out to identify studies that report viruses in natural populations of or virus infection and transmission in laboratory-reared mosquitoes. The databases reviewed were EBSCO-Host, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Scopus and PubMed. After the identification and screening of candidate articles, a total of 203 original studies were included that reported on a variety of viruses detected in natural populations. In total, 161 viruses in 54 species from 41 countries worldwide were registered. In laboratory studies, 28 viruses in 15 species were evaluated for mosquito viral transmission capacity or viral infection. The viruses reported in encompassed 25 viral families and included arboviruses, probable arboviruses and Insect-Specific Viruses (ISVs). Insights after performing this review include the need for (1) a better understanding of -viral interactions, (2) characterizing the virome-considering the public health importance of the viruses potentially transmitted by and the significance of finding viruses with biological control activity-and (3) performing virological surveillance in natural populations of , especially in the current context of environmental modifications that may potentiate the expansion of the species distribution.
PubMed: 37888587
DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8100459 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Aug 2023Transmission models have a long history in the study of mosquito-borne disease dynamics. The mosquito biting rate (MBR) is an important parameter in these models,...
BACKGROUND
Transmission models have a long history in the study of mosquito-borne disease dynamics. The mosquito biting rate (MBR) is an important parameter in these models, however, estimating its value empirically is complex. Modeling studies obtain biting rate values from various types of studies, each of them having its strengths and limitations. Thus, understanding these study designs and the factors that contribute to MBR estimates and their variability is an important step towards standardizing these estimates. We do this for an important arbovirus vector Aedes aegypti.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
We perform a systematic review using search terms such as 'biting rate' and 'biting frequency' combined with 'Aedes aegypti' ('Ae. aegypti' or 'A. aegypti'). We screened 3,201 articles from PubMed and ProQuest databases, of which 21 met our inclusion criteria. Two broader types of studies are identified: human landing catch (HLC) studies and multiple feeding studies. We analyze the biting rate data provided as well as the methodologies used in these studies to characterize the variability of these estimates across temporal, spatial, and environmental factors and to identify the strengths and limitations of existing methodologies. Based on these analyses, we present two approaches to estimate population mean per mosquito biting rate: one that combines studies estimating the number of bites taken per gonotrophic cycle and the gonotrophic cycle duration, and a second that uses data from histological studies. Based on one histological study dataset, we estimate biting rates of Ae. aegypti (0.41 and 0.35 bite/mosquito-day in Thailand and Puerto Rico, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE
Our review reinforces the importance of engaging with vector biology when using mosquito biting rate data in transmission modeling studies. For Ae. aegypti, this includes understanding the variation of the gonotrophic cycle duration and the number of bites per gonotrophic cycle, as well as recognizing the potential for spatial and temporal variability. To address these variabilities, we advocate for site-specific data and the development of a standardized approach to estimate the biting rate.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Mosquito Vectors; Aedes; Insect Bites and Stings; Thailand; Feeding Behavior
PubMed: 37552669
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010831 -
Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology 2024To identify and understand the evidence regarding hearing changes related to acquired Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika virus infection in adult individuals. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
To identify and understand the evidence regarding hearing changes related to acquired Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika virus infection in adult individuals.
METHODS
A scoping review was performed according to the recommendations of The Joanna Briggs Institute and guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews in the Embase, PubMed/Medline, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science databases without restriction on language and year of publication. Case studies, observational studies, and clinical trials reporting hearing loss in adult subjects (>18-60 years of age) of both sexes with DENV, CHIKV, or ZIKV diagnosed by positive molecular/serological examination by RT-PCR or IgM/IgG by ELISA method were included.
RESULTS
Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were selected for review. The occurrence of auditory symptoms caused by arboviroses and the presence of permanent or transient sensorineural hearing loss was variable in adults.
CONCLUSIONS
Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika infections in adults are associated with a variety of auditory symptoms. The frequency of permanent or transient sensorineural hearing loss is low but not negligible.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Chikungunya Fever; Chikungunya virus; Dengue; Dengue Virus; Hearing; Hearing Loss; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural; Zika Virus; Zika Virus Infection
PubMed: 37879254
DOI: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2023.101342 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Apr 2024Zika virus (ZIKV) has spread to five of the six World Health Organization (WHO) regions. Given the substantial number of asymptomatic infections and clinical... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Zika virus (ZIKV) has spread to five of the six World Health Organization (WHO) regions. Given the substantial number of asymptomatic infections and clinical presentations resembling those of other arboviruses, estimating the true burden of ZIKV infections is both challenging and essential. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of seroprevalence studies of ZIKV IgG in asymptomatic population to estimate its global impact and distribution.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
We conducted extensive searches and compiled a collection of articles published from Jan/01/2000, to Jul/31/2023, from Embase, Pubmed, SciELO, and Scopus databases. The random effects model was used to pool prevalences, reported with their 95% confidence interval (CI), a tool to assess the risk of study bias in prevalence studies, and the I2 method for heterogeneity (PROSPERO registration No. CRD42023442227). Eighty-four studies from 49 countries/territories, with a diversity of study designs and serological tests were included. The global seroprevalence of ZIKV was 21.0% (95%CI 16.1%-26.4%). Evidence of IgG antibodies was identified in all WHO regions, except for Europe. Seroprevalence correlated with the epidemics in the Americas (39.9%, 95%CI:30.0-49.9), and in some Western Pacific countries (15.6%, 95%CI:8.2-24.9), as well as with recent and past circulation in Southeast Asia (22.8%, 95%CI:16.5-29.7), particularly in Thailand. Additionally, sustained low circulation was observed in Africa (8.4%, 95%CI:4.8-12.9), except for Gabon (43.7%), and Burkina Faso (22.8%). Although no autochthonous transmission was identified in the Eastern Mediterranean, a seroprevalence of 16.0% was recorded.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE
The study highlights the high heterogeneity and gaps in the distribution of seroprevalence. The implementation of standardized protocols and the development of tests with high specificity are essential for ensuring a valid comparison between studies. Equally crucial are vector surveillance and control methods to reduce the risk of emerging and re-emerging ZIKV outbreaks, whether caused by Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus or by the Asian or African ZIKV.
Topics: Humans; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Zika Virus Infection; Zika Virus; Antibodies, Viral; Immunoglobulin G; Global Health; Asymptomatic Infections
PubMed: 38630843
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011842