• Energy Research

AbstractBluetongue virus (BTV) serotype 8 has been circulating in Europe since a major outbreak occurred in 2006, causing economic losses to livestock farms. The unpredictability of the biting activity of midges that transmit BTV implies difficulty in computing accurate transmission models. This study uniquely integrates field collections of midges at a range of European latitudes (in Sweden, The Netherlands, and Italy), with a multi-scale modelling approach. We inferred the environmental factors that influence the dynamics of midge catching, and then directly linked predicted midge catches to BTV transmission dynamics. Catch predictions were linked to the observed prevalence amongst sentinel cattle during the 2007 BTV outbreak in The Netherlands using a dynamic transmission model. We were able to directly infer a scaling parameter between daily midge catch predictions and the true biting rate per cow per day. Compared to biting rate per cow per day the scaling parameter was around 50% of 24 h midge catches with traps. Extending the estimated biting rate across Europe, for different seasons and years, indicated that whilst intensity of transmission is expected to vary widely from herd to herd, around 95% of naïve herds in western Europe have been at risk of sustained transmission over the last 15 years.

Abstract Background Despite significant success in the fight against malaria over the past two decades, malaria control programmes rely on only two insecticidal methods: indoor residual spraying and insecticidal-treated nets. House improvement (HI) can complement these interventions by reducing human-mosquito contact, thereby reinforcing the gains in disease reduction. This study assessed the implementation fidelity, which is the assessment of how closely an intervention aligns with its intended design, feasibility, and sustainability of community-led HI in southern Malawi. Methods The study, conducted in 22 villages (2730 households), employed a mixed-methods approach. Implementation fidelity was assessed using a modified framework, with longitudinal surveys collecting data on HI coverage indicators. Quantitative analysis, employing descriptive statistics, evaluated the adherence to HI implementation. Qualitative data came from in-depth interviews, key informant interviews, and focus groups involving project beneficiaries and implementers. Qualitative data were analysed using content analysis guided by the implementation fidelity model to explore facilitators, challenges, and factors affecting intervention feasibility. Results The results show that HI was implemented as planned. There was good adherence to the intended community-led HI design; however, the adherence could have been higher but gradually declined over time. In terms of intervention implementation, 74% of houses had attempted to have eaves closed in 2016-17 and 2017-18, compared to 70% in 2018–19. In 2016–17, 42% of houses had all four sides of the eaves closed, compared to 33% in 2018–19. Approximately 72% of houses were screened with gauze wire in 2016-17, compared to 57% in 2018-19. High costs, supply shortages, labour demands, volunteers’ poor living conditions and adverse weather were reported to hinder the ideal HI implementation. Overall, the community described community-led HI as feasible and could be sustained by addressing these socioeconomic and contextual challenges. Conclusion Our study found that although HI was initially implemented as planned, its fidelity declined over time. Using trained volunteers facilitated the fidelity and feasibility of implementing the intervention. A combination of rigorous community education, consistent training, information, education and communication, and intervention modifications may be necessary to address the challenges and enhance the intervention’s fidelity, feasibility, and sustainability.

Abstract Background To further reduce malaria, larval source management (LSM) is proposed as a complementary strategy to the existing strategies. LSM has potential to control insecticide resistant, outdoor biting and outdoor resting vectors. Concerns about costs and operational feasibility of implementation of LSM at large scale are among the reasons the strategy is not utilized in many African countries. Involving communities in LSM could increase intervention coverage, reduce costs of implementation and improve sustainability of operations. Community acceptance and participation in community-led LSM depends on a number of factors. These factors were explored under the Majete Malaria Project in Chikwawa district, southern Malawi. Methods Separate focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with members from the general community (n = 3); health animators (HAs) (n = 3); and LSM committee members (n = 3). In-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with community members. Framework analysis was employed to determine the factors contributing to community acceptance and participation in the locally-driven intervention. Results Nine FGDs and 24 IDIs were held, involving 87 members of the community. Widespread knowledge of malaria as a health problem, its mode of transmission, mosquito larval habitats and mosquito control was recorded. High awareness of an association between creation of larval habitats and malaria transmission was reported. Perception of LSM as a tool for malaria control was high. The use of a microbial larvicide as a form of LSM was perceived as both safe and effective. However, actual participation in LSM by the different interviewee groups varied. Labour-intensiveness and time requirements of the LSM activities, lack of financial incentives, and concern about health risks when wading in water bodies contributed to lower participation. Conclusion Community involvement in LSM increased local awareness of malaria as a health problem, its risk factors and control strategies. However, community participation varied among the respondent groups, with labour and time demands of the activities, and lack of incentives, contributing to reduced participation. Innovative tools that can reduce the labour and time demands could improve community participation in the activities. Further studies are required to investigate the forms and modes of delivery of incentives in operational community-driven LSM interventions.

There has been increasing effort in recent years to incorporate user needs in technology design and re-design. This project employed a bottom-up approach that engaged end users from the outset. Bottom-up approaches have the potential to bolster novel interventions and move them towards adaptive and evidence-based strategies. The present study concerns an innovative use of solar-powered mosquito trapping systems (SMoTS) to control malaria in western Kenya. Our paper highlights the co-dependence of research associated with the development of the SMoTS technology on one hand and research for enhancing the sustainable uptake of that very same intervention within the community on the other.During the pre-intervention year, we examined the design, re-design and piloting of a novel technology to generate lessons for malaria elimination on Rusinga Island. Initial ideas about many technological necessities were evaluated and re-designed following feedback from various sources, including technical and social research as well as broader interactions with the social environment. We documented the interlocking of the multiple processes and activities that took place through process observation and document reviews. We analysed the data within the conceptual framework of system innovation by identifying mutual shaping between technical and social factors.Our findings illustrate how various project stakeholders including project staff, collaborators, donor, and community members simultaneously pursued interdependent technological transformations and social interests. In the ongoing process, we observed how partial outcomes in the technological domain influenced social events at a later phase and vice versa.Looking at malaria intervention projects employing novel technologies as niches that may evolve towards system innovation, helps to reveal interrelations between the various technical and social aspects. Revealing these interrelations requires a different role for research and different perspective on innovation where innovation is more than the technical aspects. This approach therefore requires that research is designed in a way that enables obtaining feedback from both aspects.

The current geographic range of malaria is much smaller than its potential range. In many regions there exists a phenomena characterized as "Anophelism without malaria." The vectors are present but malaria transmission does not occur. Vectorial capacity often has been used as a parameter to estimate the susceptibility of an area to malaria. Model computations with global climatological data show that a dynamic concept of vectorial capacity can be used as a comparative risk indicator to predict the current extent and distribution of malarious regions in the world. A sensitivity analysis done in 3 distinct geographic areas shows that the areas of largest change of epidemic potential caused by a temperature increase are those where mosquitoes already occur but where development of the parasite is limited by temperature. Computations with the model presented here predict, with different climate scenarios, an increased malaria risk in areas bordering malaria endemic regions and at higher altitudes within malarious regions under a temperature increase of 2-4 degrees C.

L'augmentation des niveaux de résistance aux insecticides ainsi que la transmission résiduelle du paludisme à l'extérieur menacent l'efficacité des outils de lutte antivectorielle existants utilisés contre les moustiques du paludisme. Le développement de pièges à moustiques appâtés par les odeurs a conduit à la possibilité de contrôler le paludisme par le piégeage de masse des vecteurs du paludisme. Grâce à l'élimination quotidienne du piégeage dans un contexte d'utilisation continue des moustiquaires de lit, il est prévu que les populations de vecteurs pourraient être supprimées à un niveau tel que la transmission continue du paludisme ne sera plus possible. Une conception d'essai randomisée par grappes en coin a été utilisée pour la mise en œuvre du piégeage massif des moustiques sur l'île de Rusinga, dans l'ouest du Kenya (le projet SolarMal). Au cours des 2 années (2013-2015), tous les ménages de l'île ont été équipés d'un système de piégeage des moustiques à énergie solaire. Un système de surveillance sanitaire et démographique continu combiné à des enquêtes parasitologiques trois fois par an, des séries successives de surveillance des moustiques et des études sociologiques régulières ont permis de mesurer les résultats des interventions avant, pendant et à la fin du déploiement des pièges. La collecte de données s'est poursuivie après avoir atteint une couverture de masse avec Traps afin d'estimer l'efficacité à long terme de cette nouvelle intervention. L'énergie solaire a été exploitée pour fournir de la lumière électrique et la recharge des téléphones mobiles pour chaque ménage, et les impacts de ces avantages tangibles immédiats sur l'acceptabilité et le respect de l'utilisation de l'intervention sont mesurés. Cette étude sera la première à évaluer si le principe du piégeage massif des moustiques à l'énergie solaire pourrait être un outil efficace pour l'élimination du paludisme. S'il s'avère efficace, cette nouvelle approche de la lutte antipaludique serait un ajout précieux aux stratégies existantes de moustiquaires imprégnées d'insecticide de longue durée et de prise en charge des cas. Les études sociologiques fournissent une base de connaissances pour comprendre l'utilisation de ce nouvel outil. Trialregister.nl : NTR3496 - SolarMal. Enregistré le 20 juin 2012. El aumento de los niveles de resistencia a los insecticidas, así como la transmisión residual al aire libre de la malaria, amenazan la eficacia de las herramientas existentes de control de vectores utilizadas contra los mosquitos de la malaria. El desarrollo de trampas de mosquitos con olor ha llevado a la posibilidad de controlar la malaria a través de la captura masiva de vectores de malaria. A través de la eliminación diaria de trampas en un contexto de uso continuo de mosquiteros, se prevé que las poblaciones de vectores podrían suprimirse hasta un nivel en el que ya no sea posible la transmisión continua de la malaria. Se utilizó un diseño de ensayo aleatorizado en grupo de cuña escalonada para la implementación de la captura masiva de mosquitos en la isla Rusinga, en el oeste de Kenia (el proyecto SolarMal). En el transcurso de 2 años (2013-2015), todos los hogares de la isla recibieron un sistema de captura de mosquitos con energía solar. Un sistema continuo de vigilancia sanitaria y demográfica combinado con encuestas parasitológicas tres veces al año, rondas sucesivas de monitoreo de mosquitos y estudios sociológicos regulares permitieron medir los resultados de la intervención antes, durante y al finalizar el despliegue de las trampas. La recopilación de datos continuó después de lograr una cobertura masiva con trampas para estimar la efectividad a largo plazo de esta nueva intervención. La energía solar se explotó para proporcionar luz eléctrica y carga de teléfonos móviles para cada hogar, y se están midiendo los impactos de estos beneficios tangibles inmediatos sobre la aceptabilidad y el cumplimiento del uso de la intervención. Este estudio será el primero en evaluar si el principio de captura masiva de mosquitos con energía solar podría ser una herramienta efectiva para la eliminación de la malaria. Si se demuestra que es efectivo, este nuevo enfoque para el control de la malaria sería una valiosa adición a las estrategias existentes de mosquiteros tratados con insecticidas de larga duración y manejo de casos. Los estudios sociológicos proporcionan una base de conocimientos para comprender el uso de esta nueva herramienta.Trialregister.nl: NTR3496 - SolarMal. Inscrita el 20 de junio de 2012. Increasing levels of insecticide resistance as well as outdoor, residual transmission of malaria threaten the efficacy of existing vector control tools used against malaria mosquitoes. The development of odour-baited mosquito traps has led to the possibility of controlling malaria through mass trapping of malaria vectors. Through daily removal trapping against a background of continued bed net use it is anticipated that vector populations could be suppressed to a level where continued transmission of malaria will no longer be possible.A stepped wedge cluster-randomised trial design was used for the implementation of mass mosquito trapping on Rusinga Island, western Kenya (the SolarMal project). Over the course of 2 years (2013-2015) all households on the island were provided with a solar-powered mosquito trapping system. A continuous health and demographic surveillance system combined with parasitological surveys three times a year, successive rounds of mosquito monitoring and regular sociological studies allowed measurement of intervention outcomes before, during and at completion of the rollout of traps. Data collection continued after achieving mass coverage with traps in order to estimate the longer term effectiveness of this novel intervention. Solar energy was exploited to provide electric light and mobile phone charging for each household, and the impacts of these immediate tangible benefits upon acceptability of and adherence to the use of the intervention are being measured.This study will be the first to evaluate whether the principle of solar-powered mass mosquito trapping could be an effective tool for elimination of malaria. If proven to be effective, this novel approach to malaria control would be a valuable addition to the existing strategies of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets and case management. Sociological studies provide a knowledge base for understanding the usage of this novel tool.Trialregister.nl: NTR3496 - SolarMal. Registered on 20 June 2012. تهدد المستويات المتزايدة لمقاومة المبيدات الحشرية وكذلك انتقال الملاريا المتبقي في الهواء الطلق فعالية أدوات مكافحة ناقلات الأمراض الحالية المستخدمة ضد بعوض الملاريا. أدى تطوير مصائد البعوض ذات الرائحة الكريهة إلى إمكانية السيطرة على الملاريا من خلال المحاصرة الجماعية لناقلات الملاريا. من خلال محاصرة الإزالة اليومية على خلفية الاستخدام المستمر للناموسيات، من المتوقع أن يتم قمع مجموعات النواقل إلى مستوى لن يكون فيه الانتقال المستمر للملاريا ممكنًا. تم استخدام تصميم تجريبي عشوائي لمجموعة إسفين متدرجة لتنفيذ محاصرة البعوض الجماعية في جزيرة رسينجا، غرب كينيا (مشروع سولار مال). على مدار عامين (2013-2015)، تم تزويد جميع الأسر في الجزيرة بنظام لصيد البعوض بالطاقة الشمسية. سمح نظام المراقبة الصحية والديموغرافية المستمر جنبًا إلى جنب مع المسوحات الطفيلية ثلاث مرات في السنة، والجولات المتعاقبة من مراقبة البعوض والدراسات الاجتماعية المنتظمة بقياس نتائج التدخل قبل وأثناء وعند الانتهاء من نشر الفخاخ. استمر جمع البيانات بعد تحقيق تغطية جماعية مع الفخاخ من أجل تقدير الفعالية على المدى الطويل لهذا التدخل الجديد. تم استغلال الطاقة الشمسية لتوفير الضوء الكهربائي وشحن الهاتف المحمول لكل أسرة، ويتم قياس آثار هذه الفوائد الملموسة الفورية على قبول التدخل والالتزام به. ستكون هذه الدراسة هي الأولى لتقييم ما إذا كان مبدأ اصطياد البعوض الجماعي الذي يعمل بالطاقة الشمسية يمكن أن يكون أداة فعالة للقضاء على الملاريا. إذا ثبتت فعاليته، فإن هذا النهج الجديد لمكافحة الملاريا سيكون إضافة قيمة إلى الاستراتيجيات الحالية للناموسيات المعالجة بالمبيدات الحشرية طويلة الأمد وإدارة الحالات. توفر الدراسات الاجتماعية قاعدة معرفية لفهم استخدام هذه الأداة الجديدة .Trialregister.nl: NTR3496 - SolarMal. تم التسجيل في 20 يونيو 2012.