Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2019/10/news-scan-oct-03-2019
News Scan for Oct 03, 2019
New York measles case; Long-distance mosquito migration
Filed Under:
Measles; Malaria
[h=3]Rockland County, NY, reports new measles case separate from earlier outbreak[/h] Health officials in New York's Rockland County yesterday announced a new measles case, which involves an international traveler and is separate from a large outbreak that ended in September.
The patient visited a synagogue in Monsey, New York, possible exposing others from Sep 20 to Sep 21. Monsey is about 40 miles from New York City.
County Executive Ed Day emphasized in a statement that the case is new and isn't connected to the previous outbreak, which sickened 312 beginning in October 2018 and was declared over on Sep 25, decreasing the chance that the United States would lose its measles elimination status.
"As the disease continues to spread around the world, it is not surprising to see yet another imported case here in Rockland. Utilizing the strategies developed during our outbreak the Department of Health will continue to investigate this case and monitor anyone who may have been exposed to the measles," he said.
Health officials are urging residents to check their immunization status and to get vaccinated if they are underimmunized. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert, DO, MPH, county health commissioner, said, "By avoiding having pockets of susceptible individuals, we can prevent the measles from spreading further within our County. The MMR [measles, mumps, and rubella] vaccination remains the only safe and effective way to prevent the measles."
Oct 2 Rockland County press release
[h=3]Study details first evidence of windborne mosquito migration in Africa[/h] A study to probe why malaria persists in parts of Africa that are dry for 3 to 8 months of the year revealed the first evidence of windborne migration of some mosquito species that can spread the disease. Researchers from Mali, the United Kingdom, and the United States described their findings yesterday in a letter to Nature.
The investigators used aerial sampling to explore mosquito movements in the Sahel area of Mali, which has a long dry season and where mosquito populations surge much faster than expected after the rains return. Aerial sampling involved suspending sticky nets tied to helium balloons at different altitudes at night. Sampling took place at four villages for 10 consecutive nights over 22 to 32 months.
The team found ten species, including the primary malaria vector Anopheles coluzzii, among 235 anopheline captured during 617 aerial collections. Females made up 80% of the collected mosquitoes, and, of those, 90% had taken a blood meal before migration, hinting that malaria parasites are probably transported over long distances by migrating females. However, they did not find the parasite in any of the sampled mosquitoes, possibly owing to the small sample size.
Also, the researchers found that the likelihood of capturing Anopheles species increased with altitude and wet season, with little variation between years and locations. Trajectory simulations of mosquito flights suggest nightly displacements of 300 kilometers (186 miles) for 9-hour flight durations.
The group concluded that successful elimination of malaria may hinge on identifying and controlling the sources of migrant mosquito vectors.
Oct 2 Nature study
Oct 2 Nature news story
News Scan for Oct 03, 2019
New York measles case; Long-distance mosquito migration
Filed Under:
Measles; Malaria
[h=3]Rockland County, NY, reports new measles case separate from earlier outbreak[/h] Health officials in New York's Rockland County yesterday announced a new measles case, which involves an international traveler and is separate from a large outbreak that ended in September.
The patient visited a synagogue in Monsey, New York, possible exposing others from Sep 20 to Sep 21. Monsey is about 40 miles from New York City.
County Executive Ed Day emphasized in a statement that the case is new and isn't connected to the previous outbreak, which sickened 312 beginning in October 2018 and was declared over on Sep 25, decreasing the chance that the United States would lose its measles elimination status.
"As the disease continues to spread around the world, it is not surprising to see yet another imported case here in Rockland. Utilizing the strategies developed during our outbreak the Department of Health will continue to investigate this case and monitor anyone who may have been exposed to the measles," he said.
Health officials are urging residents to check their immunization status and to get vaccinated if they are underimmunized. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert, DO, MPH, county health commissioner, said, "By avoiding having pockets of susceptible individuals, we can prevent the measles from spreading further within our County. The MMR [measles, mumps, and rubella] vaccination remains the only safe and effective way to prevent the measles."
Oct 2 Rockland County press release
[h=3]Study details first evidence of windborne mosquito migration in Africa[/h] A study to probe why malaria persists in parts of Africa that are dry for 3 to 8 months of the year revealed the first evidence of windborne migration of some mosquito species that can spread the disease. Researchers from Mali, the United Kingdom, and the United States described their findings yesterday in a letter to Nature.
The investigators used aerial sampling to explore mosquito movements in the Sahel area of Mali, which has a long dry season and where mosquito populations surge much faster than expected after the rains return. Aerial sampling involved suspending sticky nets tied to helium balloons at different altitudes at night. Sampling took place at four villages for 10 consecutive nights over 22 to 32 months.
The team found ten species, including the primary malaria vector Anopheles coluzzii, among 235 anopheline captured during 617 aerial collections. Females made up 80% of the collected mosquitoes, and, of those, 90% had taken a blood meal before migration, hinting that malaria parasites are probably transported over long distances by migrating females. However, they did not find the parasite in any of the sampled mosquitoes, possibly owing to the small sample size.
Also, the researchers found that the likelihood of capturing Anopheles species increased with altitude and wet season, with little variation between years and locations. Trajectory simulations of mosquito flights suggest nightly displacements of 300 kilometers (186 miles) for 9-hour flight durations.
The group concluded that successful elimination of malaria may hinge on identifying and controlling the sources of migrant mosquito vectors.
Oct 2 Nature study
Oct 2 Nature news story