Malaria control is mainly based on indoor residual spraying and insecticide-treated bed nets. The efficacy of these tools depends on the behaviour of mosquitoes, which varies by species. With resistance to insecticides, mosquitoes adapt their behaviour to ensure their survival and reproduction. The aim of this study was to assess the biting behaviour of Anopheles funestus after the implementation of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs).

Background: Urinary schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that exists in all regions of Senegal. It is a major public health issue in this country. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence and intensity of this parasitosis in 12 villages of Niakhar (Fatick, Senegal). Methods: A total of 210 schoolchildren, aged 7 to 15 years, were enrolled in this study, and urine samples were examined for Schistosoma haematobium eggs using a standard urine filtration technique. Results: Of these children, 121 (57.6%) were found to be infected with a mean geometric count of 185 eggs per 10 ml of urine. The disease was present in all surveyed villages, and the prevalence ranged from 14.3% to 92.8%. The prevalence of infection was significantly correlated with increasing age and was higher in boys. Infection intensity was significantly higher in boys but did not significantly differ with age. Significant relationships between i) water contact or access to running water and ii) the prevalence or intensity of urinary schistosomiasis were also noted. Conclusions: The district of Niakhar is endemic for urinary schistosomiasis, with a high intensity of infection. A control program to decrease the prevalence and intensity should be implemented in this area to improve community health.

Aedes mosquitoes are important vectors of re-emerging diseases in developing countries, and increasing exposure to Aedes in the developed world is currently a source of concern. Given the limitations of current entomologic methods, there is a need for a new effective way for evaluating Aedes exposure. Our objective was to evaluate specific antibody responses to Aedes aegypti saliva as a biomarker for vector exposure in a dengue-endemic urban area. IgG responses to saliva were strong in young children and steadily waned with age. Specific IgG levels were significantly higher in persons living in sites with higher Ae. aegypti density, as measured by using entomologic parameters. Logistic regression showed a significant correlation between IgG to saliva and exposure level, independently of either age or sex. These results suggest that antibody responses to saliva could be used to monitor human exposure to Aedes bites.

The spread of Aedes albopictus, a vector for re-emergent arbovirus diseases like chikungunya and dengue, points up the need for better control strategies and new tools to evaluate transmission risk. Human antibody (Ab) responses to mosquito salivary proteins could represent a reliable biomarker for evaluating human-vector contact and the efficacy of control programs. We used ELISA tests to evaluate specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses to salivary gland extracts (SGE) in adults exposed to Aedes albopictus in Reunion Island. The percentage of immune responders (88%) and levels of anti-SGE IgG Abs were high in exposed individuals. At an individual level, our results indicate heterogeneity of the exposure to Aedes albopictus bites. In addition, low-level immune cross-reactivity between Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti SGEs was observed, mainly in the highest responders. Ab responses to saliva could be used as an immuno-epidemiological tool for evaluating exposure to Aedes albopictus bites. Combined with entomological and epidemiological methods, a “salivary” biomarker of exposure to Aedes albopictus could enhance surveillance of its spread and the risk of arbovirus transmission, and could be used as a direct tool for the evaluation of Aedes albopictus control strategies. Aedes-borne viruses like dengue and chikungunya are a major problem in Reunion Island. Assessing exposure to Aedes bites is crucial to estimating the risk of pathogen transmission. Currently, the exposure of populations to Aedes albopictus bites is mainly evaluated by entomological methods which are indirect and difficult to apply on a large scale. Recent findings suggest that evaluation of human antibody responses against arthropod salivary proteins could be useful in assessing exposure to mosquito bites. The results indicate that 88% of the studied population produce IgG to Ae. albopictus saliva antigens in Reunion Island and show that this biomarker can detect different levels of individual exposure. In addition, little cross-reactivity is observed with Aedes aegypti saliva, suggesting that this could be a specific marker for exposure to Aedes albopictus bites. Taken together, these results suggest that antibody responses to saliva could constitute a powerful immuno-epidemiological tool for evaluating exposure to Aedes albopictus and therefore the risk of arbovirus infection.

Arboviral diseases are an important public health concerns. Vector control remains the sole strategy to fight against these diseases. Because of the important limits of methods currently used to assess human exposure to Aedes mosquito bites, much effort is being devoted to develop new indicators. Recent studies have reported that human antibody (Ab) responses to Aedes aegypti Nterm-34kDa salivary peptide represent a promising biomarker tool to evaluate the human-Aedes contact. The present study aims investigate whether such biomarker could be used for assessing the efficacy of vector control against Aedes. Specific human IgG response to the Nterm-34kDa peptide was assessed from 102 individuals living in urban area of Saint-Denis at La Reunion Island, Indian Ocean, before and after the implementation of vector control against Aedes mosquitoes. IgG response decreased after 2 weeks (P < 0.0001), and remained low for 4 weeks post-intervention (P = 0.0002). The specific IgG decrease was associated with the decline of Aedes mosquito density, as estimated by entomological parameters and closely correlated to vector control implementation and was not associated with the use of individual protection, daily commuting outside of the house, sex and age. Our findings indicate a probable short-term decrease of human exposure to Aedes bites just after vector control implementation. Results provided in the present study indicate that IgG Ab response to Aedes aegypti Nterm-34kDa salivary peptide could be a relevant short-time indicator for evaluating the efficacy of vector control interventions against Aedes species. In absence of effective treatment and vaccine, vector control is the main strategy against arboviral diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya. Given the limitation of entomologic tool currently used, news tools are urgently needed to assess the efficacy of vector control against arboviral diseases. The present study aimed to investigate whether human IgG antibody specific response to only one Aedes salivary peptide could be useful for assessing the efficacy of vector control against arboviral diseases. For this purpose, IgG response to Nterm-34kDa peptide was assessed from 102 individuals living in urban area at La Reunion Island, Indian Ocean, before and after the implementation of vector control against Aedes albopictus mosquito species. A significant decrease of this specific IgG level was noticed after vector control implementation. The decrease was associated to the decline in Aedes mosquito density estimated by entomological parameters, such as adult mosquito density, House and Breteau indices. The results of the present study indicated that human IgG response to the Aedes Nterm-34kDa salivary peptide could be a useful tool to evaluate the efficacy of vector control strategies against arboviruses.

Schistosoma haematobium is the most widespread schistosome species in Senegal and occurs in several regions of the country especially in the Sudan-Sahelian zone. The aims of the study were i) to determine the freshwater species ii) to ascertain the role of the identified snail species in the transmission of S. haematobium and iii) to study the impact of drought on the snails. Snails were sampled each year in 17 sites from July to November-December 2012 and 2013. At each snail survey, snails were grouped by village, counted, identified according to shell morphology and the rates of schistosome cercarial shedding recorded. The shell height of the snails collected in July was measured and classified into four groups according to their size in order to determine those that are open to aestivation. B. senegalensis and B. umbilicatus were the only snails intermediate hosts collected in the Niakhar study area. B. senegalensis is found in all the 17 sampling sites while B. umbilicatus was only found in one site out of the many surveyed. The total number of B. senegalensis collected in 2012 and 2013 was 1032 and 8261 respectively. A total of 901 and 6432 B. senegalensis were tested for Schistosoma spp. infestation in 2012 and 2013 respectively. For B. umbilicatus, 58 snails were collected and tested in 2012. In 2013, 290 were collected and 281 tested. The overall rates of schistosome cercarial shedding were 0 % in 2012 and 0.12 % in 2013 for B. senegalensis and 13.79 and 4.98 % in 2012 and 2013 respectively for B. umbilicatus. For both species collected in July, size group 3 individuals (7–9.9 mm) were the most numerous, 63.6 and 57.8 % for B. senegalensis and B. umbilicatus respectively. B. umbilicatus was reported for the first time in the region of Fatick located in the old ecological zone of Sine-Saloum, is able to maintain Schistosoma spp. larvae during 7 months of drought and may transmit the disease in early July, increasing the period and the risk of transmission. This study recommends an adaptation of snail control strategies at pond cycles and ecology of the snails in these seasonal foci. Malacological control strategies must take into account these phenomena of drought resistance and the capacity of some snails to maintain parasite during aestivation. The treatment of ponds with Bayluscide at the end of the rainy season in November and upon onset of rains in July would be more advantageous to the control of snails thereby reducing transmission of urogenital schistosomiasis in the Niakhar area.