In metropolitan areas people travel frequently and extensively but often in highly structured commuting patterns. We investigate the role of this type of human movement in the epidemiology of vector-borne pathogens such as dengue. Analysis is based on a metapopulation model where mobile humans connect static mosquito subpopulations. We find that, due to frequency dependent biting, infection inc...

BACKGROUND Prompt care seeking and appropriate use of anti-malarial drugs are critical components of malaria prevention and control. This study assessed malaria related perceptions, care seeking behavior and anti-malarial drug use in malaria endemic settings of Ethiopia. METHODS Data were generated from a community based cross-sectional study conducted among 798 households during January 2014...

The objective of this study was to identify demographic characteristics and correlates of the uptake of HIV testing, willingness to be tested and perceived HIV-related stigma of Malaysian lay public. A cross-sectional computer-assisted telephone interview survey of a representative sample of multiracial Malaysians aged 18 years and above was conducted between December and July 2011. The survey ...

An experimental hut study was conducted on the biting and house resting behavior of Anopheles darlingi in the rainforest of Suriname. Of all anophelines collected on human bait at indoor and peridomestic sites, An. darlingi comprised 100% and 98%, respectively. A single peak in biting activity occurred around 2300 h. With hourly exit trap collections, a peak of exit from the hut was observed at...

BACKGROUND In Ethiopia, despite the increasing availability of long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs), the LLINs use among LLINs owning households has not been satisfactory. Identifying the circumstances and the associated factors is necessary to achieve the Millennium Development Goal targets. We aimed to assess barriers related with LLIN use at the household level. METHODS A cross se...

In 2007, the first chikungunya outbreak ever occurring in a temperate area of the Northern Hemisphere was reported in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. The present study aims to evaluate knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding chikungunya infection. Information was collected by standardised telephone questionnaire, administered to 325 people during a seroprevalence survey performed in the outbreak ar...

The occurrence of malaria epidemics in Thailand was reviewed from the malaria surveillance report of the National Malaria Control Program. The literature review revealed that the four epidemic periods recorded during 1980-2000 almost always occurred in the provinces and districts located along international borders. Malaria epidemics are caused by various factors such as: extensive population m...

Surveillance of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) was implemented in 2016 in response to the large outbreak reported in the Americas in 2015 associated with an increased number of infants born with microcephaly. Between June 2015 and January 2017, 21 EU/EEA countries reported 2,133 confirmed cases of ZIKV infection, of whom 106 were pregnant women...

In the modern world, with regards to the improvements in human life style and breakthroughs in medical sciences, vectorborne diseases such as malaria are still as public health challenge worldwide [1]. The most important reason is related to the movement capability of the vectors. Therefore, pathogens can be transported throughout the world [2]. Malaria is caused by protozoan parasites of the g...

Very little is known about how vector-borne pathogens interact within their vector and how this impacts transmission. Here we show that mosquitoes can accumulate mixed strain malaria infections after feeding on multiple hosts. We found that parasites have a greater chance of establishing and reach higher densities if another strain is already present in a mosquito. Mixed infections contained mo...