scholarly journals Biting rhythm, fecundity and longevity rate of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) females from different urbanized settings in Penang Island, Malaysia under uncontrolled laboratory conditions

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nor Atikah Farhah Muhammad ◽  
Nur Faeza Abu Kassim ◽  
Abdul Hafiz Ab Majid ◽  
Hamady Dieng ◽  
Silas Wintuma Avicor
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Albopictus ◽  
Standard Error ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Laboratory Strain ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Fecundity Rate

AbstractUrbanization could potentially modify Aedes albopictus’ ecology by changing the dynamics of the species, and increasing the abundance of their breeding sites due to environmental changes, and thus contribute to dengue outbreaks. An efficient control of the vector requires a deeper understanding on the biological components of this vector. Thus, this study was conducted to evaluate the biting rhythm, fecundity and longevity rate of Ae. albopictus in relation to urbanization strata; urban, suburban and rural areas in Penang Island, Malaysia. The experiments were done in comparison to a laboratory strain. Twenty-four hours biting activity of all the mosquito strains showed a clear bimodal biting activity, with morning and evening twilight peaks. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) found that there was statistically no significant interaction (F(69,192) = 1.337, P > 0.05) between the effects of biting time and mosquito strains. Meanwhile, fecundity rates were shown to be statistically significantly different between mosquito strains (F(3,442) = 10.559, P < 0.05) with urban areas having higher mean number of eggs (mean = 107.69, standard error = 3.98) than suburban (mean = 94.48, standard error = 5.18), and rural areas (mean = 72.52, standard error = 3.87). Longevity rates were significantly higher (F(3,441) = 31.259, P < 0.05) for mosquito strains from urban areas compared to the other strains. These findings would provide crucial and relevant fundamental information to the planning of control program in Malaysia, particularly Penang.Author SummaryAedes mosquito populations associated with human habitation in urban area do not only have the potential to cause biting nuisance, but also cause significant public health risks through the transmission of dengue virus. The socioeconomic effects of urbanization have been comprehensively studied by socio-ecologists, but the ecological effects and their impact on this vector biology was not known. The authors found that in Penang Island, the mean number of eggs laid per female of Aedes albopictus is high in the urban areas than those in suburban and rural areas. The survivorship is high for urban populations parallel to the fecundity rate and apparent biting pattern which is peak at dawn and dusk was noted for all Ae. albopictus strains. The changed environment in the urbanized area where more kinds of breeding containers and more blood sources produced by condensed human population supported by warm climate may facilitate larval development, enhance the vector survivorship and its reproductive fitness. These might be the reasons for quick adaptation and susceptibility of Ae. albopictus in urban areas. As higher fecundity rate and longer adult survival may enhance disease transmission, this species studied is indeed need high attention in terms of vector control.

scholarly journals Biting rhythm and demographic attributes of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) females from different urbanized settings in Penang Island, Malaysia under uncontrolled laboratory conditions

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0241688
Author(s):  
Nor Atikah Farhah Muhammad ◽  
Nur Faeza Abu Kassim ◽  
Abdul Hafiz Ab Majid ◽  
Azimah Abd Rahman ◽  
Hamady Dieng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Albopictus ◽  
Standard Error ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Laboratory Strain ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Dengue Outbreaks ◽  
Demographic Attributes

Urbanization could potentially modify Aedes albopictus’ ecology by changing the dynamics of the species, and affecting their breeding sites due to environmental changes, and thus contribute to dengue outbreaks. Thus, this study was conducted to evaluate the biting rhythm, fecundity and longevity of adult female Ae. albopictus in relation to urbanization strata; urban, suburban and rural areas in Penang Island, Malaysia. The experiments were done in comparison to a laboratory strain. Twenty-four hours biting activity of all the mosquito strains showed a clear bimodal biting activity, with morning and evening twilight peaks. The interaction effect between biting time and mosquito strains was not significant. Meanwhile, differences in fecundity among mosquito strains were statistically significant (F(3,442) = 10.559, P < 0.05) with urban areas having higher mean number of eggs (mean = 107.69, standard error = 3.98) than suburban (mean = 94.48, standard error = 5.18), and rural areas (mean = 72.52, standard error = 3.87). Longevity of adult females were significantly higher (F(3,441) = 31.259, P < 0.05) for mosquito strains from urban areas compared to the other strains. These findings would provide crucial information for the planning of control programs in Malaysia, particularly Penang.

scholarly journals Virome in adult Aedes albopictus captured during different seasons in Guangzhou City, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenqiao He ◽  
Yanxia Chen ◽  
Xiru Zhang ◽  
Mingji Peng ◽  
Da Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Albopictus ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Health System Strengthening ◽  
Female Mosquito ◽  
Hbv Genotype ◽  
Guangzhou City ◽  
Different Seasons

Abstract Background The mosquito Aedes albopictus is an important vector for many pathogens. Understanding the virome in Ae. albopictus is critical for assessing the risk of disease transmission, implementation of vector control measures, and health system strengthening. Methods In this study, viral metagenomic and PCR methods were used to reveal the virome in adult Ae. albopictus captured in different areas and during different seasons in Guangzhou, China. Results The viral composition of adult Ae. albopictus varied mainly between seasons. Over 50 viral families were found, which were specific to vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, fungi, bacteria, and protozoa. In rural areas, Siphoviridae (6.5%) was the most common viral family harbored by mosquitoes captured during winter and spring, while Luteoviridae (1.1%) was the most common viral family harbored by mosquitoes captured during summer and autumn. Myoviridae (7.0% and 1.3%) was the most common viral family in mosquitoes captured in urban areas during all seasons. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) was detected by PCR in a female mosquito pool. The first near full-length HBV genome from Ae. albopictus was amplified, which showed a high level of similarity with human HBV genotype B sequences. Human parechovirus (HPeV) was detected in male and female mosquito pools, and the sequences were clustered with HPeV 1 and 3 sequences. Conclusions Large numbers of viral species were found in adult Ae. albopictus, including viruses from vertebrates, insects, and plants. The viral composition in Ae. albopictus mainly varied between seasons. Herein, we are the first to report the detection of HPeV and HBV in mosquitoes. This study not only provides valuable information for the control and prevention of mosquito-borne diseases, but it also demonstrates the feasibility of xenosurveillance. Graphical Abstract

scholarly journals Prevalence of tobacco use in urban and rural areas of Pakistan; a sub-study from second National Diabetes Survey of Pakistan (NDSP) 2016 - 2017

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Basit ◽  
Bilal Bin Younus ◽  
Nazish Waris ◽  
Asher Fawwad ◽  
NDSP Members*
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Use ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Ratio Test ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
Diabetes Survey ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

Objective: To assess age standardized prevalence of tobacco use in urban and rural areas of Pakistan. Methods: This is a sub-study of second National Diabetes Survey of Pakistan (NDSP) 2016-2017. Prevalence of tobacco, ex-tobacco and non-tobacco users was determined in urban/rural areas of four provinces (Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Baluchistan) of Pakistan amongst people aged greater than or equal to 20 years. Information regarding tobacco and non-tobacco users were obtained from second NDSP (2016-2017) predesigned questionnaire. Detailed methodology for demographic, anthropometric and biochemical parameters remained same as reported in second NDSP (2016-2017). Results: The age-standardized prevalence of tobacco use in Pakistan was found to be 13.4%. Tobacco use in urban areas was 16.3% and rural areas was 11.7%. Tobacco use in urban and rural males was 26.1% and 24.1%, while in females was 7.7% and 3.1%, respectively. The age-standardized prevalence of ex-tobacco use in Pakistan was found to be 2.3%. Ex-tobacco use in urban areas was 2.6% and rural areas was 2.3%. Similarly, ex-tobacco use in urban and rural males was 4.6% and 4.6%, while in females was 0.7% and 0.5%, respectively. Multinomial logistic regression analysis shows that increasing age does not relate towards addiction of tobacco. Males were found to be 7 times (OR 6.94, 95% CI 5.68-8.49) and urban residents twice (OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.73-2.52) more tobacco users than females and those living in rural areas, respectively. From the likelihood ratio test, all variables were found to be statistically significant except for dysglycemia, dyslipidemia and hypertension. Conclusion: The prevalence of tobacco use is high. As a sub paper of a large national survey, this evidence is expected to serve as an important tool to plan larger studies leading in turn to develop strategies for a successful tobacco control program in the country. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.1705 How to cite this:Basit A, Younus BB, Waris N, Fawwad A, NDSP members. Prevalence of tobacco use in urban and rural areas of Pakistan; a sub-study from second National Diabetes Survey of Pakistan (NDSP) 2016 - 2017. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(4):---------.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.1705 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Does Managed Care Improve Access to Care for Medicaid Beneficiaries with Disabilities? A National Study

2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 395-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa A. Coughlin ◽  
Sharon K. Long ◽  
John A. Graves
Keyword(s):  
Managed Care ◽  
Access To Care ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Control Program ◽  
National Study ◽  
Fee For Service ◽  
Pooled Data ◽  
Medicaid Beneficiaries ◽  
Program Costs

States increasingly are shifting Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities from the fee-for-service (FFS) delivery system to managed care in an effort to control program costs and address long-standing problems with access to care under the program. Using a county-based measure of managed care enrollment and pooled data from the 1997 to 2004 National Health Interview Surveys, we investigate whether Medicaid managed care (MMC), relative to FFS Medicaid, improves access to care. We find some evidence of improved access to care under MMC; however, the gains appear to be largely limited to beneficiaries in urban areas with fully capitated managed care. There is little evidence of improved access under primary care case management or, regardless of MMC type, in rural areas.

scholarly journals Epidemiology of animal bite in Iran during a 20-year period (1993–2013): a meta-analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maliheh Abedi ◽  
Amin Doosti-Irani ◽  
Fatemeh Jahanbakhsh ◽  
Amirhossein Sahebkar
Keyword(s):  
Incidence Rate ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Accurate Data ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Efficient Resource ◽  
Incident Rate

Abstract Background Rabies is a fatal disease that still kills 2–6 people a year in Iran. A meta-analysis was conducted in order to generate accurate data on animal bite exposure, and to estimate the incidence of animal bite across the country. Materials and methods Major national and international electronic databases were searched using the keywords “animal bite,” rabies, prevalence, incidence, and Iran. Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Scopus, Ovid, and ScienceDirect were used as international databases, and the national databases included Science Information Database, MagIran, and IranDoc. Descriptive cross-sectional studies addressing the incidence of animal bite were selected and screened by two authors, and pre-specified data were extracted. The population of provinces or cities of studies was extracted from the Statistical Centre of Iran. The overall incidence of animal bite in Iran was estimated using a random-effects model with 95% confidence interval (CI). Study quality was assessed using the STROBE recommended checklist. Results A total of 34 studies were selected for the meta-analysis out of 1215 retrieved studies. The number of animal bites in the studies during 1993–2013 was 230,019 cases. The overall estimated incidence rate of animal bite in Iran was 13.20/1000 (95%, CI 12.10, 14.30) and the mean age of people was 26.23 (SD = 5.02) year. The incidence rate of animal bite among males (14.90/1000) was much higher than females (4.55/1000), and was higher in rural areas (17.45/1000) compared with urban areas (4.35/1000). The incident rate was highest among students compared with other reported occupations. The incidence rate of dogs was 10.40/1000 followed by cats, cows, wolves, jackals, and foxes. Domestic animals had a higher incidence rate than stray and wild animals. The incidence rate of animal bite during spring was 4.90/1000; however, the incidence rate in other seasons had no significant difference. In the retrieved studies, the highest incidence rate of animal bite was found in the West Azerbaijan Province (146.83/1000). Conclusion The current study is the first comprehensive analysis of the published animal bite studies in Iran. Accurate data on animal bite incidence may lead to more effective policy-decisions towards more efficient resource allocation to primary health care for reducing rabies case. Such information is a primary and major necessity for rabies control program in the country. Animal bite reduction can significantly minimize the risk of rabies infection, thereby reducing public health costs for the expensive post-exposure treatment.

scholarly journals Using Multi-Sensor Satellite Images and Auxiliary Data in Updating and Assessing the Accuracies of Urban Land Products in Different Landscape Patterns

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 2664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fengshuo Yang ◽  
Zhihua Wang ◽  
Xiaomei Yang ◽  
Yueming Liu ◽  
Bin Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Urban Land ◽  
High Accuracy ◽  
Landscape Patterns ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Auxiliary Data

Rapid and accurate updating of urban land areas is of great significance to the study of environmental changes. Although there are many urban land products (ULPs) at present, such as GlobeLand30, Global Urban Footprint (GUF), and Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL), these products are all static data of a certain year, and are not able to provide high-accuracy updating of urban land areas. In addition, the accuracies of these data and their application value in the update of urban land areas need to be urgently proven. Therefore, we proposed an approach to quickly and accurately update urban land areas in the Kuala Lumpur region of Malaysia, and assessed the accuracies of urban land products in different urban landscape patterns. The approach combined the advantages of multi-source data including existing ULPs, OpenStreetMap (OSM) data, Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI), and Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) images. Three main steps make up this approach. First, the urban land training samples were selected in the urban areas consistent with GlobeLand30, GUF, and GHSL, and samples of bare land, vegetation, water bodies, and road auxiliary data were obtained by GlobeLand30 and OSM. Then, the random forest was used to extract urban land areas according to the object’s features in the OLI and PALSAR images. Last, we assessed the accuracies of GlobeLand30, GUF, GHSL, and the results of this study (ULC) by using point and area validation methods. The results showed that the ULC had the highest overall accuracy of 90.18% among the four products and could accurately depict urban land in different urban landscapes. The GHSL was the second most accurate of the four products, and the accuracy in urban areas was much higher than that in rural areas. The GUF had many omission errors in urban land areas and could not delineate a large area of complete spatial information of urban land, but it could effectively extract scattered residential land with small patches. GlobeLand30 had the lowest accuracy and could only express rough, large-scale urban land. The above conclusions provide evidence that ULPs and the approach proposed in this study have a great application potential for high-accuracy updating of urban land areas.

scholarly journals Container Preference of the Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus) in Kathmandu and Lalitpur Districts of Nepal

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 181-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ishan Gautam ◽  
Aradhana KC ◽  
R Tuladhar ◽  
Basu Dev Pandey ◽  
Anand Shova Tamrakar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Albopictus ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Asian Tiger Mosquito ◽  
Post Monsoon ◽  
Asian Tiger ◽  
Artificial Breeding ◽  
Breeding Habitats ◽  
Tiger Mosquito ◽  
Vehicle Movement

In various countries the Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is a known vector of dengue and chikungunya viruses and other pathogens, but its ecology and role in disease transmission in Nepal has not been studied yet. Here, we report on an investigation of the seasonal distribution of potential artificial breeding habitats of A. albopictus in urban areas of the Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts of Nepal. Larval collections were performed from April 2009 to March 2010 simultaneously in all the wet containers present in and around the houses of the study areas. Altogether 1873 water containers in Kathmandu district and 1807 in Lalitpur district were searched in 12 months, out of which 107 (5.7%) and 129 (7.1%), respectively, were found positive for A. albopictus breeding. Within the urban agglomeration of both districts, the breeding was found to vary between localities. Immature stages of A. albopictus were recorded in pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons as 1.9%, 6.7% and 5.6%, respectively, in wet containers in Kathmandu district. In Lalitpur district, A. albopictus larvae were detected in 4.6%, 7.6% and 7.1% of the wet containers in the pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon, respectively. The breeding preference ratio during all seasons was highest for discarded tires lying outdoors in both Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts. Among nine container types searched and examined, 95% of discarded tires were found positive for A. albopictus larvae and pupae, followed by metal drums (2%) and plastic drums (1.25%). Continued and increased urbanization and vehicle movement in Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts have resulted in increased amounts of non-biodegradable containers such as tires around human dwellings, thereby creating ideal breeding habitats for A. albopictus.J. Nat. Hist. Mus. Vol. 26, 2012: 181-193

scholarly journals Urban environment and cancer in wildlife: available evidence and future research avenues

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1894) ◽  
pp. 20182434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuul Sepp ◽  
Beata Ujvari ◽  
Paul W. Ewald ◽  
Frédéric Thomas ◽  
Mathieu Giraudeau
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environment ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Defence Mechanisms ◽  
Cancer Prevalence ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Urban Conditions

While it is generally known that the risk of several cancers in humans is higher in urban areas compared with rural areas, cancer is often deemed a problem of human societies with modern lifestyles. At the same time, more and more wild animals are affected by urbanization processes and are faced with the need to adapt or acclimate to urban conditions. These include, among other things, increased exposure to an assortment of pollutants (e.g. chemicals, light and noise), novel types of food and new infections. According to the abundant literature available for humans, all of these factors are associated with an increased probability of developing cancerous neoplasias; however, the link between the urban environment and cancer in wildlife has not been discussed in the scientific literature. Here, we describe the available evidence linking environmental changes resulting from urbanization to cancer-related physiological changes in wild animals. We identify the knowledge gaps in this field and suggest future research avenues, with the ultimate aim of understanding how our modern lifestyle affects cancer prevalence in urbanizing wild populations. In addition, we consider the possibilities of using urban wild animal populations as models to study the association between environmental factors and cancer epidemics in humans, as well as to understand the evolution of cancer and defence mechanisms against it.

scholarly journals Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2: An age-stratified, population-based, seroepidemiological survey in Islamabad, Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirza Amir Baig ◽  
Jamil Ahmed Ansari ◽  
Aamer Ikram ◽  
Mumtaz Ali Khan ◽  
Muhammad Salman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
Molecular Testing ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Co Morbidity

Introduction: Serological surveys are valuable tools to evaluate the extent of disease transmission, measuring preventive effectiveness and proportion of asymptomatic individuals. This age-stratified, serological survey was aimed to measure the COVID-19 distribution and determinants in district Islamabad of Pakistan. Methodology: Three-stage cluster sampling, using population proportionate to size technique, starting with a random number was used. A structured, pretested questionnaire was used after taking informed written consent, to gather demographic, risk factor information. Results: Seroprevalence was found 16.5% (AR: 16.5%/100,000). The mean age was 35 (sd:16 Years). The majority were male (64%), self-employed (29%), and had primary level education (33%). The highest seroprevalence was found in the 21-30 years age group (24.8%) while the 41-50 years age group showed the highest attack rate (112.9/100,000 population). The proportion of the population tested that were asymptomatic was 69% (n=711) while the most frequently reported sign/symptom was cough (99%) followed by fever (20%). No known co-morbidity was reported in 86% (n=884) of respondents while hypertension remained the most reported condition (8%). High seroprevalence was observed in urban areas (12.3%) compared to rural union councils (6.4%). Visiting a house where COVID-19 case was isolated (OR 2, CI 1.38-2.84, P< 0.001), history of contact with a known case of COVID-19 (OR 1.42, CI 1.11-1.82, P=0.005), and attending a mass gathering (OR 1.21, CI: 1.02-1.42, p=0.02) were significant risk factors associated with contracting an infection. A Chi-Square test of independence showed significant protection while using regular hand hygiene practices (6.5; p<0.05) and regular usage of face masks (8.6; p<0.05). Conclusion: Seroprevalence gives a direct estimation of population groups exposed to the virus. A remarkable difference in prevalence is found in urban and rural areas, extreme age groups, and socioeconomic statuses, suggesting targeted public health interventions. Sero-studies are affordable counterparts of molecular testing where quick estimation, prevention effectiveness, and data-driven public health policies are priorities.

scholarly journals Urban warming advances spring phenology but reduces the response of phenology to temperature in the conterminous United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (8) ◽  
pp. 4228-4233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Meng ◽  
Jiafu Mao ◽  
Yuyu Zhou ◽  
Andrew D. Richardson ◽  
Xuhui Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Urban Heat Islands ◽  
Heat Accumulation ◽  
Spring Phenology ◽  
Heat Islands ◽  
Urban Rural

Urbanization has caused environmental changes, such as urban heat islands (UHIs), that affect terrestrial ecosystems. However, how and to what extent urbanization affects plant phenology remains relatively unexplored. Here, we investigated the changes in the satellite-derived start of season (SOS) and the covariation between SOS and temperature (RT) in 85 large cities across the conterminous United States for the period 2001–2014. We found that 1) the SOS came significantly earlier (6.1 ± 6.3 d) in 74 cities and RT was significantly weaker (0.03 ± 0.07) in 43 cities when compared with their surrounding rural areas (P < 0.05); 2) the decreased magnitude in RT mainly occurred in cities in relatively cold regions with an annual mean temperature <17.3 °C (e.g., Minnesota, Michigan, and Pennsylvania); and 3) the magnitude of urban−rural difference in both SOS and RT was primarily correlated with the intensity of UHI. Simulations of two phenology models further suggested that more and faster heat accumulation contributed to the earlier SOS, while a decrease in required chilling led to a decline in RT magnitude in urban areas. These findings provide observational evidence of a reduced covariation between temperature and SOS in major US cities, implying the response of spring phenology to warming conditions in nonurban environments may decline in the warming future.

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