Journal of Vector Borne Diseases

Dengue fever, caused by the dengue virus transmitted by mosquitoes, usually manifests as flu-like symptoms and is a prevalent tropical illness. However, there are rare cases where the infection takes an unusual course, resulting in severe complications like dengue encephalitis. This case report delineates an occurrence of dengue encephalitis in a patient from Sri Lanka. This work provides insights into the clinical presentation, diagnostic difficulties, and treatment approaches linked to this uncommon manifestation of dengue fever...

Vector-borne diseases exert immense health burdens worldwide. Malaria alone causes over 200 million cases and 600,000 deaths annually. Transmission involves complex drivers requiring examination beyond entomological factors. A systematic literature search across databases identified relevant studies on vector-borne disease determinants published in the last two decades, with priority given to rigorous designs like longitudinal analyses, reviews, and meta-analyses from diverse epidemic regions, allowing narrative synthesis of key determinants, relationships, and gaps...

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne illness that affects millions of people worldwide every year. With no vaccination available, early detection and treatment is critical. One-hundred-twelve countries in the world pose a risk to travelers, particularly in metropolitan areas. Laboratory diagnoses vary according to objectives, resources, and schedule, with sensitivity and specificity must be balanced for effective testing. METHODS: The current work is a cross-sectional diagnostic study and samples from suspected patients of dengue was collected from May 15 to November 15 2023 and transported to laboratory, and RT-PCR and Dengue Duo Rapid test diagnosis techniques were used on 48 clinical samples included in this study...

BACKGROUND: Dengue poses a considerable public health threat in Saudi Arabia, with escalating outbreaks in Jazan, where seasonal rains create ideal mosquito breeding conditions. Elucidating local epidemiological dynamics is imperative to strengthen evidence-based prevention policies. This study analyzed the spatiotemporal, demographic, and meteorological patterns of dengue in Jazan from 2015-2020. METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study utilized surveillance records for 3427 confirmed dengue cases...

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: The persistent threat of drug resistant malaria demands new cures. Low prevalence of malaria in the Indian state of Kerala compared with other proximal states made us explore if there is any traditional practice in Kerala which may confer protection against malaria. In this context, our attention was drawn to 'Pathimugam' i.e., Ceasalpinia sappan whose heartwood is used to prepare a red aqueous extract which is a uniquely popular drink in Kerala. METHODS: Aqueous and methanolic extracts of various organs of C...

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: Anopheles stephensi is responsible for the transmission of malaria in urban areas. Vector competence of An. stephensi from a non-malarious (Coimbatore) and highly malarious (Chennai) urban areas in Tamil Nadu state of India, was investigated to find the reason for non-transmission of malaria in Coimbatore. METHODS: Vector competence (susceptibility/refractoriness) of An. stephensi mosquitoes from Chennai (malarious) and Coimbatore (non-malarious) to Plasmodium vivax (Chennai) was investigated...

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: At present the use of synthetic pesticides to manage insects and other arthropods creates a number of issues that are related to the environment and public health. The goal of the present study was to find the repellent activity of Vitex negundo and Curcuma longa herbal extract against the wild species Simulium (blackfly) bite. METHODS: We have studied Simulium biting behavior and tested the repellency of herbal extract obtained from Vitex negundo L...

Vector transmitted diseases are accountable for more than 17% of all infectious disease cases worldwide according to World Health Organization. Insect vectors play a key role in transmitting diseases and loss of lives. Modified and advanced vector control strategies with chemical insecticides are needed as vectors are resistant to a particular insecticide. Moreover, chemical control is cost-inductive and may give rise to health issues. In this review, bioacoustics have been narrated as a novel technology for eco-friendly and cost-effective control of insect vectors...

Malaria is a global health problem that causes 1.5-2.7 million deaths worldwide each year. Resistance to antimalarial drugs in malaria parasites and to insecticides in vectors is one of the most serious issues in the fight against the disease. Moreover, the lack of an effective vaccine against malaria is still a major concern. Recent developments in nanotechnology have resulted in new prospects for the fight against malaria, especially by obtaining metal nanoparticles (NPs) that are less toxic, highly biocompatible, environmentally friendly, and less expensive...

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: Malaria remains a complex challenge in India due to its diverse epidemiology, multi-ethnic population, and multiplicity of malaria vectors. While progress has been made in reducing malaria nationally, persistent pockets hinder elimination efforts. These challenges include hidden reservoirs, inadequate healthcare, suboptimal surveillance, non-compliance, and subclinical infections. Shortage of grassroot level and primary care health staff, transportation issues and general inaccessibility and unavailability of healthcare services are additional challenges...

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: Surveillance of canine leishmaniasis in Colombia is restricted to the appearance of visceral leishmaniasis cases in humans, and is mainly performed by serological tests. This requires blood sampling by veterinarians or technicians according to Colombian laws. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of conjunctival swabs in the molecular detection of Leishmania in dogs from the municipality of Ovejas, Sucre. METHODS: The present study was cross-sectional, descriptive...

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: Amphotericin B, Allopurinol, Glucantime and Beta-Glucan are the main drugs currently used for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. In present study, we evaluated the effect of medical leeches on BALB/c mice models infected with Leishmania parasites. METHODS: To create animal models of leishmaniasis, BALB/c mice were inoculated with the standard Leishmania major strain MRHO / IR / 75 / ER. Treatment was performed through blood sampling with leeches...

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BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: Although associated with conflict, epidemic typhus was endemic across Europe into the modern period. The extent of the problem it caused is uncertain as record keeping for those socio-economic groups most affected was rare. Google's Ngram Viewer details the frequency of word usage in written language over time. The objective was to examine whether use of the word typhus reflected potential patterns in epidemic typhus. METHODS: The frequency the word 'typhus' was used in British English was studied between 1800 and 2019 and trends examined...

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: Malaria is one of the most critical public health problem globally as well as nationally. Recent times have seen an increase in the importance of the possible effects of environmental and demographic factors on the local transmission of malaria. We conducted a community-level study between urban and rural areas to find out the factors associated with malaria infection. METHODS: A community based observational cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2020 to September 2022 among 330 households from urban area of Chetla, Kolkata and rural areas of Singur district of West Bengal...

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: The human blood parasite Leishmania donovani causes visceral leishmaniasis or grayish discoloration of the skin (black fever/kala-azar). Antitumor drugs such as daunorubicin and etoposide can help to treat such diseases. The computational approach is used to find the better interaction of drugs with the active site of the protein and help to design new drugs. METHODS: In this study, we have optimized two antitumor drugs daunorubicin and etoposide...

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: The battle against malaria has witnessed remarkable progress in recent years, characterized by increased funding, the development of life-saving tools, and a significant reduction in disease prevalence. Yet, the formidable challenge of drug resistance persists, threatening to undo these gains. METHODS: To tackle this issue, it is imperative to identify new effective drug candidates against the malaria parasite and exhibit minimal toxicity...

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: The distribution of sandflies is influenced by several climatic factors, like winter temperature limits, summer humidity, and drought. Only a few studies were performed to search for the connection between the physiological tolerance of sandflies and the result of the Climate Envelope Models projected distribution borders. METHODS: It was studied how the depth of rodent burrows could determine the occurrence of five European Phlebotomus species based on their known physiological cold tolerances...

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: Vector-borne diseases pose substantial global health challenges, with a notable impact in India as well. Effective vector control strategies are crucial to mitigating these diseases as there are no effective vaccines available. Synthetic chemicals are widely used but concerns about safety and environmental impact have prompted exploration of alternative, natural solutions. Unani medicine offers a potential source of natural products. This study aims to systematically review classical Unani texts and contemporary scientific literature to evaluate the vector control potential of Unani medicines...

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to see how well an AI language model called Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) assisted healthcare personnel in selecting relevant medications for filariasis therapy. A team of medical specialists and tropical medicine experts reviewed ChatGPT's recommendations for ten hypothetical filariasis clinical situations. METHODS: The purpose of this study was to look at the effectiveness of an AI language model called Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) in supporting healthcare providers in picking appropriate drugs for filariasis treatment...