Sampling of An.gambiae s.s mosquitoes using Limburger cheese, heat and moisture as baits in a homemade trap

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ample evidence has shown that odour baited traps are likely to provide an objective monitoring tool for the host-seeking fraction of mosquito vectors of diseases like malaria and bancroftian filariasis. Such traps could eventually become part of primary healthcare systems used to study the vector biology and epidemiology of mosquito-borne diseases. I hereby, report a study that sampled <it>Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto </it>mosquitoes in a screen house using a homemade trap baited with a combination of Limburger cheese and moisture, Limburger cheese and heat, or Limburger cheese, moisture and heat.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Tests on the efficacy of the developed trap to sample <it>An. gambiae s.s</it>, mosquitoes using Limburger cheese, moisture and heat as baits were carried out in a screen house measuring 11.4 × 7.1 × 2.8 m. The studies were done in three phases. In the first phase the efficacy of the trap to sample <it>An. gambiae s.s</it>. using odour and moisture was tested. The second phase was to test the efficacy of the trap to sample <it>An. gambiae s.s</it>. using Limburger cheese and heat. In the third phase a combination of Limburger cheese, moisture and heat was tested. Tests were carried out for 27 consecutive nights.</p> <p>The designed trap collected a total of 59 <it>An. gambiae s.s</it>. in three trials. The trap baited with Limburger cheese and moisture collected 7 <it>An. gambiae s.s </it>in 7 days. The mean catch per day was 1. The trap baited with Limburger cheese and heat collected zero <it>An. gambiae s.s </it>in 11 days. The mean catch per day was therefore 0. The trap baited with Limburger cheese, moisture and heat collected 52 mosquitoes in 27 days and the mean catch was 1.93.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study indicates that a non-electric fan driven trap baited with a combination of Limburger cheese, heat and moisture has a potential as an effective sampling tool for the malaria vector, <it>Anopheles gambiae s.s</it>. However, further optimization studies would be necessary.</p

HIV Testing Experience and Risk Behavior Among Sexually Active Black Young Adults: A CBPR-Based Study Using Respondent-Driven Sampling in Durham, North Carolina

African Americans are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic inclusive of men who have sex with men, heterosexual men, and women. As part of a community-based participatory research study we assessed HIV testing experience among sexually active 18 to 30 year old Black men and women in Durham, North Carolina. Of 508 participants, 173 (74%) men and 236 (86%; p=.0008) women reported ever being tested. Barriers to testing (e.g., perceived risk and stigma) were the same for men and women, but men fell behind mainly because a primary facilitator of testing---routine screening in clinical settings---was more effective at reaching women. Structural and behavioral risk factors associated with HIV infection were prevalent but did not predict HIV testing experience. Reduced access to health care services for low income Black young adults may exacerbate HIV testing barriers that already exist for men and undermine previous success rates in reaching women

Social context of adherence in an open-label 1% tenofovir gel trial : gender dynamics and disclosure in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

CAPRISA, 2016.Abstract available in PDF file

HIV remission trial investigators’ attitudes towards risk and risk mitigation in trials that include treatment interruption

Early-phase HIV remission (“cure”) trials aim to test interventions developed to eradicate HIV or to sustainably control HIV without antiretroviral treatment (ART). Many remission trials include analytic treatment interruption (ATI) to evaluate interventions, which increases the risk to participants and their sexual partners. We conducted an online questionnaire of international HIV remission trial investigators and other study team members to assess their expectations regarding the time to achieve long-term control of HIV replication without treatment (functional cure) or complete eradication of replication-competent HIV virus (sterilizing cure); attitudes toward HIV remission research and the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of six HIV transmission risk mitigation strategies during trials with ATI of fixed duration.Nearly half of respondents (47%) reported expecting a functional cure for HIV to be achieved in 5–10 years, and one-third (35%) reported 10–20 years for a sterilizing cure to be achieved. On a scale of −3 to 3, mean scores indicated greater respondent concern about the risk of HIV transmission to partners during ATI (Time to rebound Mean: 0.4 and Fixed duration Mean: 11), compared to participant health risks from ATI (Time to Rebound Mean: -.9 and Fixed duration Mean: 0.0). With regard to feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy respectively, mitigation efforts rated positively included: requiring counseling for potential participants (Means: 2.3; 2.1; and 1.1), providing partner referrals for PrEP (Means: 1.3; 1.3; 1.5), providing pre-exposure proxylaxis directly to partners (Means: 1.0; 1.5; 1.6), and monitoring participants for new sexually transmitted disease acquisition (Means: 1.9; 1.4; 1.0). Respondents were less positive about requiring that participants’ sexual partner(s) participate in risk counseling or limiting participation to those who commit to abstaining from sex during the entire ATI period.Our study demonstrates that HIV remission trial investigators and study team members are concerned about the risk of transmission to sexual partners during ATI. Separating the assessment of risk mitigation strategies for transmission risk into feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy allows the discovery of strategies that may best achieve all three outcomes. Additional research is needed to compare these more fine-grained assessments with views held by other investigators, people living with HIV, and trial participants

Attitudes and perceptions towards novel objective measures of ARV-based vaginal ring use: Results from a global stakeholder survey

<div><p>Results of recent microbicide and pre-exposure prophylaxis clinical trials have shown adherence to be a significant challenge with new HIV prevention technologies. As the vaginal ring containing dapivirine moves into two open label follow-on studies (HOPE/MTN-025 and DREAM) and other antiretroviral-based and multi-purpose prevention technology ring products advance through the development pipeline, there is a need for more accurate and reliable measures of adherence to microbicide ring products. We previously conducted a comprehensive landscape analysis to identify new technologies that could be applied to adherence measurement of vaginal rings containing antiretrovirals. To explore attitudes and perceptions towards the approaches that we identified, we conducted a survey of stakeholders with experience and expertise in microbicide and HIV prevention clinical trials. From May to July 2015 an electronic survey was distributed via email to 894 stakeholders; a total of 206 eligible individuals responded to at least one question and were included in the data analysis. Survey respondents were presented with various objective measures and asked about their perceived acceptability to trial participants, feasibility of implementation by study staff, usefulness for measuring adherence and ethical concerns. Methods that require no additional input from the participant and require no modifications to the existing ring product (i.e., measurement of residual drug or excipient, or a vaginal analyte that enters the ring) were viewed as being more acceptable to trial participants and more feasible to implement in the field. Respondents saw value in using objective measures to provide real-time feedback on adherence. However, approaches that involve unannounced home visits for sample collection or spot checks of ring use, which could provide significant value to adherence feedback efforts, were met with skepticism. Additional research on the acceptability of these methods to potential trial participants and trial staff is recommended.</p></div

Respondent characteristics.

<p>Respondent characteristics.</p

Measures identified as being less prone to being tricked or outsmarted (n = 126).

<p>Measures identified as being less prone to being tricked or outsmarted (n = 126).</p

Respondents’ views on acceptability of measures for trial participants.

<p>Respondents’ views on acceptability of measures for trial participants.</p