MOSTICAW Workshop: Modelling the Dissemination and Control of Arboviroses
Polytechnic School, San Lorenzo, Paraguay. October 5-7, 2016, 09:00 – 18:30
Presentation
Arboviroses is the generic name for diseases caused by viruses transmitted by arthropoda. The Aedes aegypti mosquito transmits several arboviroses, including Dengue fever, Chikungunyia and Zika. These diseases are being aggressively spread throughout all of the Americas and several regions of the world. In fact, Dengue is considered as an emergency in public health due to the morbility and deaths caused at a worldwide level. Recently, the WHO (World Health Organization) has declared an international emergency because of the Zika virus epidemic, given that there is evidence that this disease can be transmitted via cullicides, via body fluids from ill patients through sexual contact. In women who acquire Zika during pregnancy, the disease produces important brain damage to fetuses causing microcephaly.
Despite great effort that has already been made to attain control, it has not been possible to overcome the factors that determine the transmission of Dengue fever through Aedes aegypti: accelerated and unplanned urbanization, development of cities and suburbs with serious deficiencies in the supply of drinking water and urban cleaning services, as well as the growing utilization of non-biodegradable materials which, after their disposal, become potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The limitations of control methods, and the predictions from the Experts Panel on Climatic Change (IPCC) indicate increased temperatures and rainfall in the tropical and subtropical zones of the planet. These external factors added to the previously mentioned factors will significantly contribute to an increase in conditions favorable to more cases of Dengue and other arboviroses transmitted by the same vector.
The Workshop on Modelling Dissemination and Control of Arboviroses aims to be a forum of discussion on models of spread and control of diseases transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. We expect that scientists, technicians, medical practitioners and everyone related to fighting this scourge will be able to discuss leading edge techniques in the various areas of action for control of these diseases. It is also expected that successes and failures of the deployed techniques will be discussed so as to learn from them, enabling creation of more appropriate strategies for each region.
Advances being currently made in the use of Wolbachia for controlling diseases transmitted by Aedes aegypti will be discussed in the context of the MOSTICAW meeting. This innovative technique is in implementation phase in several parts of the planet, with encouraging results. However, important questions arise on how to adjust the technique for different regions of the world, and what measurements and adjustments should be carried out to attain sustainability. The meeting is set out to discuss and analyze control models, their conceptual support, and their strategies, and to estimate their degree of success.
In this video, Dr. Cristian Schaerer explains a few details about the Mosticaw Workshop 2016.