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Policies and programs to increase vaccine coverage rates among adults 50 years of age or older are limited and vaccine uptake is often suboptimal. Our review evaluated evidence on the effectiveness and success of adult-targeted vaccination interventions and identified literature gaps. Literature was retrieved (2021) from PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar databases. Outcomes assessed included data on an intervention’s effectiveness and impact on vaccine uptake. Interventions were characterized thematically: affordability (n = 9), awareness (n = 25), and vaccination access (n = 6); and included influenza, pneumococcal, tetanus-containing, and herpes zoster vaccines. Interactive interventions directed toward patients, including provider-led educational initiatives and provider recommendations showed more positive associations than less interactive interventions, such as posters and reminder-recall letters. Provider interventions, including awareness campaigns, incentives, affordability efforts, or vaccination site expansion generally showed positive associations. Combining interventions was found to be successful across several studies. Barriers and interventions varied for population subgroups, therefore, tailoring programs is critical.

We performed a systematic literature review in PubMed and Embase (2016-2021) to investigate the drivers of and barriers to routine vaccination in adults aged 50 and older globally. A thematic assessment identified three categories across 61 publications: sociodemographic, health-related, and attitudinal. The most common sociodemographic determinants (factors identified in studies; n = 47) associated with vaccination uptake were economic status, age, education, and household composition, which had mixed effects on vaccine uptake. For health-related determinants (n = 27), individuals with comorbidities and health care consumption were the most common factors, both increased vaccine uptake. The most common attitudinal factors (n = 42) were self-efficacy, provider or other's recommendations, and vaccine-preventable disease awareness; across studies, all attitude factors had a positive effect, unlike the sociodemographic and health status categories. Findings suggest that patient and provider awareness and education campaigns are effective ways to increase uptake of routine vaccinations in older adults.

Despite the benefits of immunization, differences in attitudes persist toward vaccines. We captured individuals’ perceptions of vaccines and vaccination across the United States (US) to inform vaccine-related policy development. A survey was completed by 5000 respondents from 10 states. Respondents were screened for inclusion, which included individuals ≥ 18 years of age that had received a vaccine or were unvaccinated but indicated a favorable or neutral attitude towards vaccinations. Participants were excluded if they indicated they did not support the idea of vaccinations. Questions explored perceptions of vaccines for all age groups. Among unvaccinated individuals, the most common concerns were about safety (38%). Most respondents (95%) highlighted the importance of state immunization programs for disease prevention. Access to health and immunization records and immunization information systems were important to 96% and 88% of respondents, respectively, for future health planning. Doctors and healthcare professionals (HCPs) were considered trusted sources for vaccine information (95%). Overall, respondents recognized the importance of vaccination, but documented concerns among the unvaccinated indicated a need for greater promotion regarding vaccine safety. Doctors and HCPs, as trusted information sources, should continue to and increasingly advocate for the importance of immunization to increase vaccine uptake.

The German cockroach Blattella germanica (L.) (Blattodea, Ectobiidae) is one of the most common indoor pests in multifamily housing communities. Our objectives were to investigate the spatial distribution patterns of German cockroach infestations in a multiunit dwelling before and after building-wide integrated pest management (IPM) implementation. The study was conducted in a high-rise apartment building with 188 residential units in Paterson, New Jersey. All the identified infestations were treated by researchers using IPM implementation, and monitoring was repeated at 6 and 12 mo after the initial survey. We examined cockroach spatial distribution patterns within and between apartments. Traps placed by the stove and refrigerator caught significantly more cockroaches than traps placed in the kitchen cabinet under the sink or in the bathroom. At month 0, cockroach infestations within the building were spatially correlated. At 12 mo after implementation of IPM, only infestations cross the floors remained to be correlated. Therefore, IPM not only eliminates cockroach infestations in individual units, but also reduces cockroach dispersal between units.

Background Bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L., have become one of the most difficult urban pests to control. Steam treatment is reported to be an effective method to kill bed bugs and is considered to be an important component of bed bug integrated pest management (IPM). We evaluated and compared the efficacies of two affordable consumer-grade commercial steamers and a commonly used professional-grade steamer for killing bed bugs. Results In laboratory experiments, the consumer-grade steamers at affordable prices achieved the same high control efficacy as the professional-grade steamer for treating bed bugs exposed on mattresses (100% bed bug mortality for all steamers), located beneath a fabric cover (>89% bed bug mortality for all steamers), or hiding in cracks (100% bed bug mortality for all steamers). Bed bugs located behind a leather cover did not suffer significant mortality from steam treatment regardless of the type of steamers used and the treatment duration. Conclusion Proper use of steamers can kill all life stages of bed bugs. Affordable consumer-grade steamers are as effective as professional-grade steam machines for eliminating bed bugs resting on mattresses and hiding behind fabric materials or in cracks. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

BACKGROUND Infestations of the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., have become common in low-income communities in the USA over the last 15 years. We evaluated community-based integrated pest management (IPM) programs for reducing bed bug infestations. Two housing authorities (Bayonne and Hackensack) implemented bed bug IPM programs. A third housing authority (Paterson) was used as the control site. Building-wide surveys were conducted in all communities, three times, to evaluate the effectiveness of the IPM programs. RESULTS From 0 to 24 months, the infestation rate at Bayonne, Hackensack, and Paterson decreased by 49, 64, and 26%, respectively. The two sites that adopted IPM achieved faster bed bug elimination than the control site. The bed bug introduction rate over a 24-month period at Bayonne, Hackensack, and Paterson was 7, 3, and 11%, respectively. The introduction rate was positively associated with the initial infestation rate. Residents from buildings enrolled in IPM programs were more satisfied with the bed bug control services than residents from the control site. CONCLUSION IPM programs were more effective in reducing bed bug infestations than traditional pest control services, but many factors contributed to the lower than desired level of reduction in infestation rate. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Pest infestations in residential buildings are common, but community-wide pest survey data are lacking. Frequent insecticide applications for controlling indoor pests leave insecticide residues and pose potential health risks to residents. In this study, a community-wide pest survey was carried out in a housing complex consisting of 258 units in 40 buildings in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It was immediately followed by implementation of an integrated pest management (IPM) program in all the cockroach-infested apartments and two bed bug apartments with the goal of eliminating pest infestations, reducing pyrethroid residues, and increasing resident satisfaction with pest control services. The IPM-treated apartments were revisited and treated biweekly or monthly for 7 mo. Initial inspection found the top three pests and their infestation rates to be as follows: German cockroaches (Blattella germanica L. [Blattodea: Blattellidae]), 28%; rodents, 11%; and bed bugs (Cimex lectularius L. [Hemiptera: Cimicidae]), 8%. Floor wipe samples were collected in the kitchens and bedrooms of 20 apartments for pyrethroid residue analysis before the IPM implementation; 17 of the 20 apartments were resampled again at 7 mo. The IPM program reduced cockroach counts per apartment by 88% at 7 wk after initial treatment. At 7 mo, 85% of the cockroach infestations found in the initial survey were eliminated. The average number of pyrethroids detected decreased significantly from 6 ± 1 (mean ± SEM) and 5 ± 1 to 2 ± 1 and 3 ± 1 in the kitchens and bedrooms, respectively. The average concentrations of targeted pyrethroids residue also decreased significantly in the kitchens and bedrooms.

Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) (Ixodida: Ixodidae) is a three-host dog tick found worldwide that is able to complete its' entire lifecycle indoors. Options for the management of R. sanguineus are limited and its' control relies largely on only a few acaricidal active ingredients. Previous studies have confirmed permethrin resistance and fipronil tolerance in R. sanguineus populations, commonly conferred by metabolic detoxification or target site mutations. Herein, five strains of permethrin-resistant and three strains of fipronil-tolerant ticks were evaluated for metabolic resistance using synergists to block metabolic enzymes. Synergist studies were completed with triphenyl phosphate (TPP) for esterase inhibition, piperonyl butoxide (PBO) for cytochrome P450 inhibition, and diethyl maleate (DEM) for glutathione-S-transferase inhibition. Additionally, increased esterase activity was confirmed using gel electrophoresis. The most important metabolic detoxification mechanism in permethrin-resistant ticks was increased esterase activity, followed by increased cytochrome P450 activity. The inhibition of metabolic enzymes did not have a marked impact on fipronil-tolerant tick strains.

Insecticide use in homes leads to human exposure to insecticide residues that persist in the environment. Integrated pest management (IPM) programs have been known to be more environmentally friendly for managing German cockroach (Blattella germanica L.) infestations, but their effect on indoor insecticide residue levels are not well understood. An IPM program consisting of applying cockroach gel baits and placing insect sticky traps as the primary treatment methods were implemented. Floor wipe samples were collected from the bedroom and kitchen floors of 69 apartments with German cockroach infestations at 0 months and again at 12 months from 49 of the 69 apartments sampled at 0 months. Levels of 18 insecticide residues were measured. The mean insecticide residue concentration per apartment decreased by 74% after 12 months. The number of insecticides detected per apartment decreased from 2.5 &plusmn, 0.2 to 1.5 &plusmn, 0.2 (mean &plusmn, standard error). Indoxacarb residue was only detected in two apartments at 12 months despite the fact that an average of 32 &plusmn, 4 g 0.6% indoxacarb gel bait was applied per apartment. IPM implementation can result in significant reduction in the insecticide residue concentrations and number of detected insecticides in floor dust samples.

Bed bug, Cimex lectularius (L.) (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), and German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.) (Blattodea: Ectobiidae), infestations are commonly found in low-income housing communities and result in negative health effects and economic burden. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has been shown to be an effective approach for managing these pests, yet practice of IPM in housing communities is very limited. We evaluated the effectiveness of a contractor-led bed bug IPM program and researcher-led cockroach IPM program in a high-rise apartment building for 1 yr. A second apartment building that received conventional monthly pest control service was used as control. The bed bug infestation rate decreased from 9% at 0 mo to 3% at 12 mo (63% reduction), even though the contractor only partially followed the IPM protocol; the German cockroach infestation rate decreased from 49% at 0 mo to 12% at 12 mo (75% reduction). In the control building, no monitors were installed in the infested apartments and the apartments received cursory treatment services from an existing pest control contractor. The bed bug infestation rate increased from 6% at 0 mo to 12% at 12 mo (117% increase); the German cockroach infestation rate decreased from 47% at 0 mo to 29% at 12 mo (39% reduction). IPM is a much more effective approach for building-wide control of cockroaches and bed bugs than conventional pest control service. This study confirms the benefit of building-wide IPM on pest reduction and challenges existed for carrying out IPM programs in low-income communities.

We investigated male mate choice and mating competency in the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., using video tracking for 10 min per experiment. In the male mate choice experiment, when a male was placed with two females of different mating status, males preferred to initiate copulation with the virgin female more quickly than with the mated female, and the mean total copulation duration with virgin females (38.0 ± 3.0 s) was significantly longer than with mated females (14.6 ± 3.0 s). When a male was placed with two females of different age, males initiated copulation more quickly with the old virgin female (29–34 d adult emergence) than with the young virgin one (

Essential oils extracted from 4 different plant species--citronella (Cymbopogon nardus), hairy basil (Ocimum americanum), sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), and vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides)-were investigated for their irritant and repellent activities against Anopheles minimus, using an excito-repellency test system. Pure essential oils were used in absolute ethanol at the concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, 2.5%, and 5% (v/v) compared with deet. At the lowest concentration of 0.5%, hairy basil displayed the best irritant and repellent effects against An. minimus. Citronella and vetiver at 1-5% showed strong irritant effects with80% escape, while repellent effects of both oils were observed at 1% and 2.5% citronella (73-89% escape) and at 5% vetiver (83.9% escape). Sweet basil had only moderate irritant action at 5% concentration (69.6% escape) and slightly repellent on test mosquitoes (50% escape). The results found that hairy basil, citronella, and vetiver are promising potential mosquito repellent products for protection against An. minimus.

BACKGROUND Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille), the brown dog tick, is a veterinary canine and urban pest. These ticks have been found to develop resistance and tolerance to the two commonly used acaricides permethrin and fipronil respectively. We have developed a discriminating concentration that can be used for rapid detection of permethrin and fipronil resistance in brown dog tick populations. The availability of a discriminating concentration for the brown dog tick provides an inexpensive and rapid resistance diagnostic technique that can be used to guide tick management plans for companion animals and aid in the selection of environmental treatment options. RESULTS Establishing the discriminating concentration for permethrin and fipronil in brown dog ticks enables a resistant:susceptible screening. For permethrin the discriminating concentration was set at 0.19%, and for fipronil at 0.15%. Three additional diagnostic concentrations were chosen to evaluate resistance levels when larval tick numbers were available for screening. CONCLUSION Future tick submissions from residences and kennel facilities can be subjected to a single chemical concentration to diagnose resistance, which minimizes time, costs and tick rearing requirements and guides effective control plans. With the standardized use of larval ticks, a client-submission quantity of ideally five engorged females would provide sufficient larval numbers to utilize this technique. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry

Following the publication of our article [...]

The German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), is a common pest found in apartment buildings. Prevalence of cockroach infestations is affected by both environmental conditions and building occupant behavior, but their relationships are not well studied. The objective of this study was to analyze the presence of German cockroaches in relation to environmental conditions, resident demographics, and residents' tolerance of cockroaches. We conducted resident interviews, placed sticky traps to detect the presence of German cockroaches, and assessed apartment conditions. A total of 388 apartments from seven low-income apartment buildings, occupied by senior citizens in New Jersey, United States, were included. Among the 344 apartments where trap count data were obtained, 30% had German cockroaches. Among interviewed residents whose apartments had existing cockroach infestations, 36% were unaware of the presence of cockroaches. The odds of having cockroaches in apartments with a 'poor' sanitation rating in kitchens and bathrooms was 2.7 times greater than that in apartments with better sanitation conditions. Residents' tolerance to cockroaches is significantly associated with presence of cockroaches and cockroach population size. The median cockroach count when residents were bothered by cockroaches was ≥3, based on deployment of 4 sticky traps per apartment, over a 2-wk period. Assessing and reducing cockroach tolerance thresholds and improving housekeeping through resident education and assistance from community and housing management should be incorporated in future cockroach management programs in order to reduce high cockroach infestation rates found in similar communities.

Bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L., have become one of the most difficult urban pests to control. Steam treatment is reported to be an effective method to kill bed bugs and is considered to be an important component of bed bug integrated pest management (IPM). We evaluated and compared the efficacies of two affordable consumer-grade commercial steamers and a commonly used professional-grade steamer for killing bed bugs.In laboratory experiments, the consumer-grade steamers at affordable prices achieved the same high control efficacy as the professional-grade steamer for treating bed bugs exposed on mattresses (100% bed bug mortality for all steamers), located beneath a fabric cover (89% bed bug mortality for all steamers), or hiding in cracks (100% bed bug mortality for all steamers). Bed bugs located behind a leather cover did not suffer significant mortality from steam treatment regardless of the type of steamers used and the treatment duration.Proper use of steamers can kill all life stages of bed bugs. Affordable consumer-grade steamers are as effective as professional-grade steam machines for eliminating bed bugs resting on mattresses and hiding behind fabric materials or in cracks. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Permethrin is a commonly used acaricide for tick control on domestic animals and in residential environments, while fipronil use is restricted to on-animal treatment. Following widespread reports of permethrin and fipronil application failures to control indoor infestations of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille), the brown dog tick, 31 tick populations were obtained from Florida and Texas for acaricide resistance screening. These field-collected ticks from kennels and residential facilities were challenged with technical grade permethrin and fipronil to create dose response curves that were compared with an acaricide-susceptible strain. Permethrin resistance was successfully screened in nine populations, all of which were resistant or highly resistant. Tick susceptibility to fipronil was conducted on four populations, which were found to be tolerant, with resistance ratios below 10. This is the first documentation of R. sanguineus permethrin resistance and fipronil tolerance in the United States. Potential causes of resistance development and recommendations on future brown dog tick control management plans are discussed.

The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius L.) (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) is an obligate blood-sucking insect that has been resurging in many countries. Researching this pest's behavior will help design more effective control methods. In this study, we evaluated the effect of feeding history and time elapsed from field collection on bed bug movement behavior and response to chemical lure or carbon dioxide stimulation in the laboratory. After CO2 was released, bed bugs unfed for 3 d began to return to harborages; in contrast, the ones unfed for 2 and 4 wk spent significantly more time outside their harborages during the first 1 h after than the 1 h before CO2 release. After CO2 release, there was an increase in activity (time spent moving outside harborage) in all bed bugs with different feeding history or time elapsed from field collection. During the 8-h observation period when CO2 was present, bed bug males unfed for 4 wk spent significantly more time exploring outside harborages than the ones unfed for 3 d, 1 wk, and 2 wk. Nymphs collected 1-2 wk and 1 yr ago spent significantly more time exploring outside harborages than the ones collected 43 yr ago. Bed bug's exploratory activity (the total percentage of bed bugs trapped in both baited and unbaited interceptors) was significantly affected by their time elapsed from field collection and their exploratory activity level was 1-2 wk > 6 mo > 5 and 43 yr. Both feeding history and time elapsed from field collection significantly affected bed bug movement, whereas bed bug's response to chemical lure or CO2 (the percentage of bed bugs trapped in the baited interceptor, summarized as the number of bed bugs trapped in the baited interceptor divided by the total number of trapped bed bugs in both baited and unbaited interceptors) was unaffected by the time elapsed from field collection.

Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille), the brown dog tick, is a veterinary canine and urban pest. These ticks have been found to develop resistance and tolerance to the two commonly used acaricides permethrin and fipronil respectively. We have developed a discriminating concentration that can be used for rapid detection of permethrin and fipronil resistance in brown dog tick populations. The availability of a discriminating concentration for the brown dog tick provides an inexpensive and rapid resistance diagnostic technique that can be used to guide tick management plans for companion animals and aid in the selection of environmental treatment options.Establishing the discriminating concentration for permethrin and fipronil in brown dog ticks enables a resistant:susceptible screening. For permethrin the discriminating concentration was set at 0.19%, and for fipronil at 0.15%. Three additional diagnostic concentrations were chosen to evaluate resistance levels when larval tick numbers were available for screening.Future tick submissions from residences and kennel facilities can be subjected to a single chemical concentration to diagnose resistance, which minimizes time, costs and tick rearing requirements and guides effective control plans. With the standardized use of larval ticks, a client-submission quantity of ideally five engorged females would provide sufficient larval numbers to utilize this technique. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Southern black widow spider, Latrodectus mactans (Fabricius), is a venomous spider found throughout the southeastern United States. Widow spiders received their name from the belief that they would kill and consume their mate following copulation. However, the practice was mainly observed in laboratory settings under crowded conditions. It is believed that sexual cannibalism within the widow species in natural settings is more associated with the male’s physical inability to escape rather than the female’s interest in consuming him. This 6-page fact sheet was written by Amanda Eiden and Phil E. Kaufman and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, May 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1000