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Sousa CA

Impact of a Dengue Outbreak Experience in the Preventive Perceptions of the Community from a Temperate Region: Madeira Island, Portugal

The ability to effectively modify behaviours is increasingly relevant to attain and maintain a good health status. Current behaviour-change models and theories present two main approaches for (healthier) decision-making: one analytical/logical, and one experiential/emotional/intuitive.
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Approaches to passive mosquito surveillance in the EU

The recent emergence in Europe of invasive mosquitoes and mosquito-borne disease associated with both invasive and native mosquito species has prompted intensified mosquito vector research in most European countries. Central to the efforts are mosquito monitoring and surveillance activities in order to assess the current species occurrence, distribution and, when possible, abundance, in order to permit the early detection of invasive species and the spread of competent vectors.
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Mosquito control might not bolster imperfect dengue vaccines

The most recent dengue vaccine trial data from Asia claims 40–70% efficacy in children aged 2–14 years. This is a substantial advance in dengue prevention but clearly falls short of the levels of protection required for a standalone intervention. The dengue vaccine initiative and other consortia have emphasised the benefits of integrating vaccines with mosquito control measures, which infers that vector control can bolster the effect of imperfect vaccines.
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Strengthening the perception-assessment tools for dengue prevention: a cross-sectional survey in a temperate region (Madeira, Portugal)

Community participation is mandatory in the prevention of Dengue outbreaks. Taking public views into account is crucial to guide more effective planning and quicker community participation in preventing campaigns. This study aims to assess community perceptions of Madeira population in order to explore their involvement in the A. aegypti’s control and reinforce health-educational planning.
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First report of an exophilic Anopheles arabiensis population in Bissau City, Guinea-Bissau: recent introduction or sampling bias?

This study reports for the first time the presence of An. arabiensis in Antula, a suburb of Bissau city, the capital of Guinea Bissau, where high levels of hybridization between Anopheles coluzzii and An. gambiae have been reported. Given that previous surveys in the area, based on indoor collections, did not sample An. arabiensis, the possibility of a recently introduced exophilic population was investigated.
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Macroclimate Determines the Global Range Limit of Aedes aegypti

Aedes aegypti is the main vector of dengue and a number of other diseases worldwide. Because of the domestic nature of this mosquito, the relative importance of macroclimate in shaping its distribution has been a controversial issue. We have captured here the worldwide macroclimatic conditions occupied by A. aegypti in the last century. We assessed the ability of this information to predict the species’ observed distribution using supra-continental spatially-uncorrelated data.
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Satellite-derived estimation of environmental suitability for malaria vector development in Portugal

This work focused on determining the current relationships between environmental factors and the density of the former malaria vector Anopheles atroparvus in Portugal, a previously endemic country. Adult females were sampled and vector density was estimated in 22 sites in Southern Portugal between 2001 and 2010 and related with land cover and satellite-derived air temperature and vegetation indices. The relationship between vector density and local larval habitat, temperature and, in a broader sense, to environmental suitability, was assessed using a statistical modelling approach.
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