Zoonotic Flavivirus Exposure in Peri-Urban and Suburban Pig-Keeping in Hanoi, Vietnam, and the Knowledge and Preventive Practices of Pig Farmers.

Mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs), including those caused by flaviviruses, remain human health problems for developing and urbanizing economies. This cross-sectional study examined risks of flavivirus exposure through a survey regarding knowledge and practices of pig farmers, and serological analysis of pigs in peri-urban and suburban Hanoi city. A total of 636 pig sera from 179 pig farms in 4 districts, namely, Chuong My, Dan Phuong, Ha Dong, and Bac Tu Liem, were analyzed by a competitive ELISA designed for flavivirus antibody detection. The results indicated a low level of awareness about MBDs among pig farmers, and a high seroprevalence in pigs at 88.5% (95%CI = 85.8-90.9%). Moreover, common practices of pig owners to prevent mosquitoes at home and farm did not show a significant reduction in flavivirus exposure in pigs. At animal level, significant associations between seropositive pigs and the farms with more than 60 pigs, and the district location were found. Farm-level multivariable analysis did not identify significant risk factors for flavivirus exposure. The study suggests that improving awareness of pig owners about MBDs in Hanoi city may be warranted to reduce the risk for MBD flavivirus infections in both humans and pigs.

Knowledge and practice on prevention of mosquito-borne diseases in livestock-keeping and non-livestock-keeping communities in Hanoi city, Vietnam: A mixed-method study.

Mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) are causing high morbidity and mortality for humans. Urban livestock keeping is still common in cities around the world. The animals may serve as reservoirs for zoonotic MBDs, which increase the risks for humans. Here we assess the knowledge and practices related to MBDs in households with livestock and without livestock and explore the perceptions of the health care sector about MBDs and livestock keeping in Hanoi city of Vietnam in a cross-sectional study. A quantitative survey was conducted including 513 households with and without livestock-keeping in six districts and complemented with qualitative surveys with four health staff from Hanoi Center of Disease Control and three district health centers. The quantitative survey indicated that the participants possessed basic knowledge on MBDs with an average score of 18.3 out of 35, of which non-livestock-keeping households had a better knowledge than households keeping livestock (p<0.05). Both household categories had low score, 3.5 out of 11, regarding preventive practices against MBDs. The negative binomial model showed that occupation and location of living were factors associated to the knowledge on MBDs. Farmers were likely to have better preventive practices as compared to office workers (p<0.05). Those who had better knowledge also had more adequate preventive practices against MBDs (p<0.001). The qualitative survey revealed that livestock keeping was determined as increasing risks of MBDs due to the increase of mosquito population. It is recommended that community campaigns to raise the awareness and change behavior on MBDs should be organized based on collaboration between the health sector and the veterinary sector for households with and without livestock living in central urban and peri-urban areas. Further studies are needed to confirm the association between urban livestock keeping and potential increasing risks of MBDs such as dengue and Japanese encephalitis.

Diversity and Ecology of Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae), Potential Vectors of Leishmania in the Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam.

The study aims to make an update on the distribution and ecology of sand flies in the Quang Ninh province, Northern Vietnam, where Leishmania cases were reported in 2001. Seventeen sites were chosen in three districts of the province: Ha Long, Cam Pha, and Hoanh Bo. Phlebotomine sand flies were collected using 68 CDC light traps from May 30 to 3 June 2016. Captured specimens were transferred individually into Eppendorf tubes with 90% ethanol. The sand fly heads and genitalia were removed and were mounted in Euparal after successive different baths. Specimen identification was determined based on the morphology of the cibarium, pharynx, and/or male genitalia or female spermathecae. A total of 416 sand flies (125 females, 283 males) belonging to four genera were collected and 10 sand fly species were identified: Sergentomyia silvatica, Se. barraudi, Se. hivernus, Se. bailyi, Phlebotomus mascomai, Ph. stantoni, Ph. yunshengensis, Ph. betisi, Chinius junlianensis, Idiophlebotomus longiforceps. The Sergentomyia genus prevailed (79.7% of the collected sand flies), followed by the Phlebotomus genus (13.7%), the Chinius genus (6.1%), and the Idiophlebotomus genus (0.8%). Besides these well-defined taxa, five specimens, named sp1, showed unknown morphological characteristics, requiring further study. The majority of sand flies were collected in rock caves suggesting the cavernicolous character of the species in the Quang Ninh province. However, specimens were also collected in intra and peridomiciliary sites in which Ph. stantoni and Se. hivernus were found as the main species. It is worth noting that two Ph. stantoni were found in the house of a patient affected by Leishmania.

Water level flux in household containers in Vietnam--a key determinant of Aedes aegypti population dynamics.

We examined changes in the abundance of immature Aedes aegypti at the household and water storage container level during the dry-season (June-July, 2008) in Tri Nguyen village, central Vietnam. We conducted quantitative immature mosquito surveys of 171 containers in the same 41 households, with replacement of samples, every two days during a 29-day period. We developed multi-level mixed effects regression models to investigate container and household variability in pupal abundance. The percentage of houses that were positive for I/II instars, III/IV instars and pupae during any one survey ranged from 19.5-43.9%, 48.8-75.6% and 17.1-53.7%, respectively. The mean numbers of Ae. aegypti pupae per house ranged between 1.9-12.6 over the study period. Estimates of absolute pupal abundance were highly variable over the 29-day period despite relatively stable weather conditions. Most variability in pupal abundance occurred at the container rather than the household level. A key determinant of Ae. aegypti production was the frequent filling of the containers with water, which caused asynchronous hatching of Ae. aegypti eggs and development of cohorts of immatures. We calculated the probability of the water volume of a large container (>500 L) increasing or decreasing by ≥20% to be 0.05 and 0.07 per day, respectively, and for small containers (<500 L) to be 0.11 and 0.13 per day, respectively. These human water-management behaviors are important determinants of Ae. aegypti production during the dry season. This has implications for choosing a suitable Wolbachia strain for release as it appears that prolonged egg desiccation does not occur in this village.