Individual’s Cultural Orientation and Perceived Service Quality in the Hospitality Industry

The study assessed the effects of individual’s cultural orientation on perceived service quality in the hospitality industry. The study focused on nine (9) rated hotels (3 to 5-star rating) in Ghana. In all, 676 clients were selected from these hotels within a period of 3 months. The dimensions of Hofstede’s model were used in measuring individual’s cultural orientation, whiles SERVQUAL model was also used in measuring perceived service quality. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was run to check for the validity and reliability of the measurement instrument. The study concludes that, low power distance cultural orientation had a positive effect on all the dimensions of perceived service quality of high rated hotels. Low uncertainty avoidance had a positive effect on perceived service assurance, tangibility and responsiveness. It also had a negative effect on perceived service empathy. Low uncertainty avoidance however had no significant effect on perceived service reliability. Individualism cultural orientation had a negative effect on perceived service assurance, reliability, empathy and tangibility of rated hotels. It however had no significant effect on perceived responsiveness. Femininity had a positive effect on perceived assurance and service reliability. For perceived service empathy, tangibility and responsiveness, femininity however, had a negative effect. Finally, short-term cultural orientation also had a positive effect on all the dimensions of perceived service quality

Enhanced Zika virus susceptibility of globally invasive Aedes aegypti populations

The drivers and patterns of zoonotic virus emergence in the human population are poorly understood. The mosquito Aedes aegypti is a major arbovirus vector native to Africa that invaded most of the world’s tropical belt over the past four centuries, after the evolution of a “domestic” form that specialized in biting humans and breeding in water storage containers. Here, we show that human specialization and subsequent spread of A. aegypti out of Africa were accompanied by an increase in its intrinsic ability to acquire and transmit the emerging human pathogen Zika virus. Thus, the recent evolution and global expansion of A. aegypti promoted arbovirus emergence not solely through increased vector–host contact but also as a result of enhanced vector susceptibility

An assessment of mosquito collection techniques for xenomonitoring of anopheline-transmitted Lymphatic Filariasis in Ghana.

Monitoring vectors is relevant to ascertain transmission of lymphatic filariasis (LF). This may require the best sampling method that can capture high numbers of specific species to give indication of transmission. Gravid anophelines are good indicators for assessing transmission due to close contact with humans through blood meals. This study compared the efficiency of an Anopheles gravid trap (AGT) with other mosquito collection methods including the box and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention gravid, light, exit and BioGent-sentinel traps, indoor resting collection (IRC) and pyrethrum spray catches across two endemic regions of Ghana. The AGT showed high trapping efficiency by collecting the highest mean number of anophelines per night in the Western (4.6) and Northern (7.3) regions compared with the outdoor collection methods. Additionally, IRC was similarly efficient in the Northern region (8.9) where vectors exhibit a high degree of endophily. AGT also showed good trapping potential for collecting Anopheles melas which is usually difficult to catch with existing methods. Screening of mosquitoes for infection showed a 0.80-3.01% Wuchereria bancrofti and 2.15-3.27% Plasmodium spp. in Anopheles gambiae. The AGT has shown to be appropriate for surveying Anopheles populations and can be useful for xenomonitoring for both LF and malaria

Assessing the Presence of Wuchereria bancrofti Infections in Vectors Using Xenomonitoring in Lymphatic Filariasis Endemic Districts in Ghana

Mass drug administration (MDA) is the current mainstay to interrupt the transmission of lymphatic filariasis. To monitor whether MDA is effective and transmission of lymphatic filariasis indeed has been interrupted, rigorous surveillance is required. Assessment of transmission by programme managers is usually done via serology. New research suggests that xenomonitoring holds promise for determining the success of lymphatic filariasis interventions. The objective of this study was to assess Wuchereria bancrofti infection in mosquitoes as a post-MDA surveillance tool using xenomonitoring. The study was carried out in four districts of Ghana; Ahanta West, Mpohor, Kassena Nankana West and Bongo. A suite of mosquito sampling methods was employed, including human landing collections, pyrethrum spray catches and window exit traps. Infection of W. bancrofti in mosquitoes was determined using dissection, conventional and real-time polymerase chain reaction and loop mediated isothermal amplification assays. Aedes, Anopheles coustani, An. gambiae, An. pharoensis, Culex and Mansonia mosquitoes were sampled in each of the four study districts. The dissected mosquitoes were positive for filarial infection using molecular assays. Dissected An. melas mosquitoes from Ahanta West district were the only species found positive for filarial parasites. We conclude that whilst samples extracted with Trizol reagent did not show any positives, molecular methods should still be considered for monitoring and surveillance of lymphatic filariasis transmission

Climate and Urbanization Drive Mosquito Preference for Humans

International audienceHighlights d African populations of Ae. aegypti vary in preference for human versus animal odor d Preference for humans is associated with intense dry seasons and urbanization d Preference for humans has a single, shared genomic basis inside and outside Africa d Rapid urbanization could further increase human biting in many African cities by 205

Extensive variation and strain-specificity in dengue virus susceptibility among African Aedes aegypti populations

International audienceAfrican populations of the mosquito Aedes aegypti are usually considered less susceptible to infection by human-pathogenic flaviviruses than globally invasive populations found outside Africa. Although this contrast has been well documented for Zika virus (ZIKV), it is unclear to what extent it is true for dengue virus (DENV), the most prevalent flavivirus of humans. Addressing this question is complicated by substantial genetic diversity among DENV strains, most notably in the form of four genetic types (DENV1 to DENV4), that can lead to genetically specific interactions with mosquito populations. Here, we carried out a survey of DENV susceptibility using a panel of seven field-derived Ae . aegypti colonies from across the African range of the species and a colony from Guadeloupe, French West Indies as non-African reference. We found considerable variation in the ability of African Ae . aegypti populations to acquire and replicate a panel of six DENV strains spanning the four DENV types. Although African Ae . aegypti populations were generally less susceptible than the reference non-African population from Guadeloupe, in several instances some African populations were equally or more susceptible than the Guadeloupe population. Moreover, the relative level of susceptibility between African mosquito populations depended on the DENV strain, indicating genetically specific interactions. We conclude that unlike ZIKV susceptibility, there is no clear-cut dichotomy in DENV susceptibility between African and non-African Ae . aegypti . DENV susceptibility of African Ae . aegypti populations is highly heterogeneous and largely governed by the specific pairing of mosquito population and DENV strain

Additional file 1: of Onchocerciasis transmission in Ghana: the human blood index of sibling species of the Simulium damnosum complex

Bird species recorded in the study. (XLSX 24 kb

Additional file 2: of Onchocerciasis transmission in Ghana: the human blood index of sibling species of the Simulium damnosum complex

Rainfall data for study years and informal validation of EPIONCHO using the value of HBI estimated for the savannah members of the Simulium damnosum (s.l.) complex. (DOC 94 kb