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West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquitoborne virus that can cause severe and even fatal disease in humans. After WNV introduction into New York, NY, USA, its geographic range expanded [...]

Objective Novel, inexpensive solutions are needed for improved management of vector-borne and other diseases in resource-poor environments. Emerging free software providing access to satellite imagery and simple editing tools (e.g. Google Earth[TM]) complement existing geographic information system (GIS) software and provide new opportunities for: (i) strengthening overall public health capacity through development of information for city infrastructures; anal (ii) display of public health data directly on an image of the physical environment. Methods We used freely accessible satellite imagery and a set of feature-making tools included in the software (allowing for production of polygons, lines and points) to generate information for city infrastructure anal to display disease data in a dengue decision support system (DDSS) framework. Findings Two cities in Mexico (Chetumal and Merida) were used to demonstrate that a basic representation of city infrastructure useful as a spatial backbone in a DDSS can be rapidly developed at minimal cost. Data layers generated included labelled polygons representing city blocks, lines representing streets, and points showing the locations of schools and health clinics. City blocks were colour-coded to show presence of dengue cases. The data layers were successfully imported in a format known as shapefile into a GIS software. Conclusion The combination of Google Earth[TM] and free GIS software (e.g. HealthMapper, developed by WHO, and SIGEpi, developed by PAHO) has tremendous potential to strengthen overall public health capacity anal facilitate decision support system approaches to prevention and control of vector-borne diseases in resource-poor environments. Objectif Des solutions innovantes et peu onereuses sont necessaires pour ameliorer la prise en charge des maladies a transmission vectorielle et autres dans les environnements pauvres en ressources. Les logiciels emergents gratuits qui fournissent un acces a l'imagerie sateilitaire et a des outils d'edition simples (Google Earth[TM]) completent les logiciels de systeme d'information geographique (GIS) et offrent de nouvelles possibilites : (i) de renforcer les capacites globales de la sante publique par la generation d'informations concernant les infrastructures urbaines; et (ii) d'afficher directement des donnees de sante publique sur une image de l'environnement physique. Methodes Nous avons utilise l'imagerie satellitaire en acces libre et une serie d'outils de tracage appartenant au logiciel (permettant de produire des polygones, des lignes et des points) pour generer des informations sur l'infrastructure urbaine et pour afficher des donnees de morbidite dans le cadre d'un systeme d'aide a la decision concernant la dengue (DDSS). Resultats Nous nous sommes servis de deux villes du Mexique (Chetumal et Merida) pour demontrer qu'il etait possible de developper rapidement et a un cout minimal une representation rudimentaire des infrastructures urbaines, utilisable comme epine dorsale spatiale d'un DDSS. Les couches de donnees generees comprenaient des polygones etiquetes representant des pates de maisons, des lignes figurant des rues et des points indiquant l'emplacement d'ecoles et de centres de sante. Les pates de maisons ont ete colores selon un code de maniere a signaler la presence de cas de dengue. Ces couches de donnees ont ete importees avec succes sous un format appele fichier de formes dans un logiciel GIS. Conclusion La combinaison associant Google Earth[TM] et un logiciel GIS libre et gratuit (par exemple HealthMapper, developpe par l'OMS, ou SIGEpi, developpe par l'OPS) offre un enorme potentiel pour renforcer les capacites generales de la sante publique et faciliter l'utilisation de systemes d'aide a la decision pour prevenir et combattre les maladies a transmission vectorielle dans les environnements pauvres en ressources. Objetivo Se necesitan soluciones novedosas y de bajo costo para mejorar la gestion de las enfermedades de transmision vectorial y de otro tipo en los entornos con recursos escasos. Las nuevas opciones de software gratuito que dan acceso a imagenes por satelite y a instrumentos de edicion sencillos (por ejemplo Google Earth[TM]) complementan el software del sistema de informacion geografica (SIG) existente y brindan nuevas oportunidades para: (i) reforzar la capacidad global de salud publica mediante la elaboracion de informacion para infraestructuras urbanas; y (ii) mostrar los datos de salud publica directamente en una imagen del entorno fisico. Metodos Se utilizaron imagenes por satelite de libre acceso y una serie de prestaciones de generacion de detalles incluidas en el software (que permiten crear poligonos, lineas y puntos) para anadir informacion sobre las infraestructuras urbanas y representar datos sobre las enfermedades en el marco de un sistema de apoyo decisional para el dengue (DDSS). Resultados Se utilizaron dos ciudades de Mexico (Chetumal y Merida) para demostrar que es posible desarrollar rapidamente y con un costo minimo una representacion basica de la infraestructura urbana que revista utilidad como urdimbre espacial en un DDSS. Las capas de informacion generadas comprendian poligonos etiquetados que representaban cuadras, lineas que reproducian las calles, y puntos que indicaban la localizacion de las escuelas y los dispensarios. Las cuadras se codificaron mediante colores en funcion de los casos de dengue. Las capas de informacion se pudieron importar satisfactoriamente a un software SIG en el formato conocido como shapefiles. Conclusion La combinacion de Google Earth[TM] y software SIG gratuito (por ejempio, HealthMapper, desarrollado por la OMS, y SIGEpi, desarrollado por la OPS) brinda enormes posibilidades para reforzar la capacidad general de salud publica y facilitar la aplicacion de sistemas de apoyo decisional a la prevencion y el control de enfermedades de transmision vectorial en los entornos con recursos escasos., Introduction Vector-borne diseases inflict a terrible and unacceptable public health burden in developing countries. Indeed, seven of the 10 diseases targeted by the WHO Special Programme for Research and Training [...]

We developed a 1-hour field enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for detecting antibody to Sin Nombre virus in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). The assay specificity and sensitivity were comparable to those of [...]

West Nile virus has been isolated for the first time in Mexico, from a sick person and from mosquitoes (Culex quinquefasciatus). Partial sequencing and analysis of the 2 isolates indicate [...]

The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the most important vector of yellow fever and dengue fever flaviviruses. Ae. aegypti eradication campaigns have not been sustainable and there are no effective vaccines for dengue viruses. Alternative control strategies may depend upon identification of mosquito genes that condition flavivirus susceptibility and may ultimately provide clues for interrupting transmission. Quantitative trait loci affecting the ability of Ae. aeypti to develop a dengue-2 infection in the midgut have been mapped previously. Herein we report on QTL that determine whether mosquitoes with a dengue-2-infected gut can then disseminate the virus to other tissues. A strain selected for high rates of dengue-2 dissemination was crossed to a strain selected for low dissemination rates. QTL were mapped in the [F.sub.2] and again in an [F.sub.5] advanced intercross line. QTL were detected at 31 cM on chromosome I, at 32 cM on chromosome II, and between 44 and 52 cM on chromosome III. Alleles at these QTL were additive or dominant in determining rates of dengue-2 dissemination and accounted for ~45% of the phenotypic variance. The locations of dengue-2 midgut infection and dissemination QTL correspond to those found in earlier studies.

West Nile virus RNA was detected in brain tissue from a horse that died in June 2003 in Nuevo Leon State, Mexico. Nueleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the premembrane [...]

Serum samples were obtained from 24 horses in the State of Coahuila, Mexico, in December 2002. Antibodies to West Nile virus were detected by epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and confirmed [...]

In the spring of i993, a previously undescribed disease emerged in the Southwest, killing 10 people during an 8-week period in May and June. Early during an infection, victims experienced [...]

To the Editor: We collected Asian tiger mosquitoes, Aedes albopictus (Skuse), in Cancun in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico in September 2011. This mosquito is a nuisance biter of humans [...]