Breeding ecology of visceral leishmaniasis vector sandfly in Bihar state of India

Soil samples weighing 255.3 kg, collected from 50 villages of 5 visceral leishmaniasis (VL) endemic districts of Bihar state were examined for sandfly breeding, using the soil incubation method. Breeding of sandflies was detected in 46% of the villages and 7.3% of the soil samples examined. Intra-domestic soil was found to be infested with 2 species of sandflies, Phlebotomus argentipes Annandale and Brunetti and Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli). In comparison with human houses, P. argentipes was found to show greater propensity to breed in cattle sheds; breeding prevalences in villages and soil samples, for the species, were significantly higher in cattle sheds than in human houses. The preference for breeding sites by the sandflies appeared to be associated with the pH of the soil. P. argentipes thus preferred to breed in the alkaline soil of cattle shed, and P. papatasi in the soil with neutral pH, of human houses. The emergence of adult P. argentipes from soil samples was mainly observed from April to October.     

蛤蚧生态与生物学特性的研究

笔者通过对蛤蚧的野外调查和人工养殖观察，基本掌握了蛤蚧的地理分布、栖息环境，活动规律以及蛤蚧的繁殖习性和食性，为人工养殖提供了科学依据。     

湖北省媒介按蚊生态与疟疾发病关系的研究

目的 了解湖北省嗜人按蚊和中华按蚊的生态习性以及与疟疾发病的关系。方法调查各县（市）疟疾发病情况及当地传播媒介的种类和生态习性。结果湖北省疟疾流行与媒介的种类、栖息场所、吸血习性等有密切关系，通过调查发现嗜人按蚊人房密度为84．04％，中华按蚊密度为15，96％。嗜人按蚊的媒介能量平均高出中华按蚊44．47倍，嗜人按蚊区疟疾发病数占全省发病数的81．38%-93．84％。结论在嗜人按蚊存在的地区，疟疾发病较高。应根据媒介生态习性、分布特点及发病规律采取不同的抗疟措施。     

构建面向应用的医学特色计算机课程教学体系

概述国内外医学信息技术与职业技能教育的发展趋势，以及信息时代对医学人才IT技术知识结构、技能结构的新要求。强调医学计算机基础教育应该紧密结合本专业医信技术应用的需求，紧跟本学科未来发展的方向，科学合理的完善大学生的IT知识结构，同时以“生态学”教育模式培养学生自主学习的意识及方法，使各层次医药类院校培养的学生能够适应各自专业工作中对网络技术、信息技术和本专业数字化技术的要求，为将来从事数字诊疗技术夯实基础。提出要用科学发展观深化教育改革，构建面向应用的医学特色计算机课程体系，又好又快地落实培养适应未来信息社会发展需求的现代医学人才目标。     

Spatial analysis for epidemiology

Remote sensing, geographical information systems (GIS) and spatial analysis provide important tools that are as yet under-exploited in the fight against disease. As the use of such tools becomes more accepted and prevalent in epidemiological studies, so our understanding of the mechanisms of disease systems has the potential to increase. This paper introduces a range of techniques used in remote sensing, GIS and spatial analysis that are relevant to epidemiology. Possible future directions for the application of remote sensing, GIS and spatial analysis are also suggested.     

Avian influenza virus: Of virus and bird ecology

The recent introductions of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus in wild birds and its subsequent spread throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe has put a focus on the role of wild birds in the geographical spread of HPAI H5N1 virus. Large-scale surveillance programs are ongoing to determine a potential role of wild birds in H5N1 virus spread and to serve as sentinel systems for introductions into new geographical regions. The unprecedented scale and coverage of these surveillance programs offer a unique opportunity to expand our current knowledge on the ecology of LPAI in wild migratory birds. We provide an update on the current knowledge on the relation between host and virus ecology.     

Prevalence of the Sickle Cell Trait in Gabon: A nationwide study

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is an important cause of death in young children in Africa, which the World Health Organization has declared a public health priority. Although SCD has been studied at the continental scale and at the local scale, a picture of its distribution at the scale of an African country has never been given. The aim of this study is to provide such a picture for the Republic of Gabon, a country where precisely the epidemiology of SCD has been poorly investigated. To this effect, 4250 blood samples from persons older than 15 were collected between June 2005 and September 2008 in 210 randomly selected villages from the nine administrative provinces of Gabon. Two methods were used to screen Sickle Cell Trait (SCT) carriers: isoelectric focusing (IEF) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). SCT prevalence in Gabon was 21.1% (895/4249). SCT prevalence was significantly larger for the Bantu population (21.7%, n = 860/3959) than for the Pygmy population (12.1%, n = 35/290), (p = 0.00013). In addition, the presence of Plasmodium sp. was assessed via thick blood examination. Age was positively associated with SCT prevalence (odds-ratio for an increase of 10 years in age = 1.063, p = 0.020). Sex was not associated with SCT prevalence. The study reveals the absence of homozygous sickle-cell patients, and marked differences in SCT prevalence between the Gabonese provinces, and also between population groups (Bantu vs Pygmy). These findings could be used by the public health authorities to allocate medical resources and target prevention campaigns.