CDC's COVID-19 International Vaccine Implementation and Evaluation Program and Lessons from Earlier Vaccine Introductions.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supports international partners in introducing vaccines, including those against SARS-CoV-2 virus. CDC contributes to the development of global technical tools, guidance, and policy for COVID-19 vaccination and has established its COVID-19 International Vaccine Implementation and Evaluation (CIVIE) program. CIVIE supports ministries of health and their partner organizations in developing or strengthening their national capacities for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of COVID-19 vaccination programs. CIVIE's 7 priority areas for country-specific technical assistance are vaccine policy development, program planning, vaccine confidence and demand, data management and use, workforce development, vaccine safety, and evaluation. We discuss CDC's work on global COVID-19 vaccine implementation, including priorities, challenges, opportunities, and applicable lessons learned from prior experiences with Ebola, influenza, and meningococcal serogroup A conjugate vaccine introductions

AEDES ALBOPICTUS INVASIONS: HOW AN INVASIVE MOSQUITO VECTOR ADAPTS AND BEHAVES IN NOVEL ENVIRONMENTS.

199 pagesThe mosquito Aedes albopictus is a vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses and an extremely successful invasive species. This mosquito exhibits high plasticity and an ability for rapid local adaption, leading to demonstrated variation in behavior among different environments. Therefore, it is critical to understand how its biology varies by ecological context in order for control to be effective. To this end, I completed three studies to better understand Ae. albopictus invasion ecology in populations in New York, USA and Medellín, Colombia. For my final chapter, I applied my understanding of mosquito ecology to the downstream effects on disease, looking at the spatial structure of dengue in Medellín, Colombia. First, I conducted a series of larval surveys for Ae. albopictus across a northern boundary of its United States range in southern New York to test the degree of larval infestation and understand how larval abundance and spatial distribution varied across gradients of impervious surface and household median income. I demonstrated that in one year of our study period, Ae. albopictus abundance was greater in sites with higher impervious surface, and that in both years of our surveys, Ae. albopictus larval spatial distribution was more clustered in higher income sites. Aedes albopictus were more likely to be found in shaded containers with vegetation, but other container characteristics did not consistently predict the presence of this species, highlighting the flexibility of Ae. albopictus’ larval habitat. After studying the ecology of Ae. albopictus larvae in one invasive population, I wondered how adult mosquito attraction drives the occurrence of larvae across the landscape. This is of particular relevance in locations where Ae. albopictus encounters established populations of Ae. aegypti with whom larval competition can occur. To test how oviposition attraction might enhance or decrease larval interspecific competition, I completed a series of mark-release-recapture experiments in the field and semi-field in Medellín, Colombia in a site where Ae. aegypti has been well established and Ae. albopictus has recently invaded. I set out experimental ovitraps with either Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus larvae at one of two natural larval densities or, as a control, no larvae. I found that Ae. albopictus were preferentially attracted to containers with larvae over those without, and that the species and density of larvae in the containers modulated that attraction. While completing the larval survey study in New York, I saw that populations continued to be active well into the fall, beyond the predicted onset of overwintering egg diapause in this region. To better understand the timing and environmental cues driving diapause behavior, I tested diapause incidence in the field along Ae. albopictus’ invasive northern US boundary. Our field results showed that rather than the expected rapid, population-wide switch into diapause centered on a critical photoperiod in early August, diapause incidence stayed below 100% through our final collection date and was predicted by temperatures at a two-week lag. We followed up our field experiment with a laboratory test of populations from New York as well as a population from North Carolina one from Florida. We found that the New York populations’ diapause incidence responded robustly to temperature, the North Carolina populations had an inconsistent response to temperature, and the Florida population showed no response to temperature. These findings will enable more accurate models and predictions of Ae. albopictus population growth and expansion. Finally, in a departure from my previous chapters, I tested how the construction of public transit infrastructure has altered the spatial structure of dengue infection in Medellín, Colombia. The public transit system in Medellín has increased between 2008 and 2016. We show that, in that same time period, dengue incidence was higher in zones of the city that were closer to public transit and in zones that have the higher rates of metro usage. The spatial distribution of dengue cases shifted after the construction of each new transit line; zones that became closer to public transit after new lines opened had an increased density of dengue cases. Finally, lower socioeconomic status predicted higher dengue rates in the later years of our study period, after the major expansion of the transit system. We believe this study will help create improved fine-scale risk maps for dengue that can direct focal mosquito control within the space of a city.2022-06-0

New York State Tiger Mosquito Education Network (Tiger NET)

NYS IPM Type: Project ReportThe invasive Asian tiger mosquito is a serious pest, yet knowledge about its habitat and abundance across NY State is lacking. This information is essential to implement regional IPM control strategies, especially in light of its role in emerging diseases, such as Zika. Engaging citizens in understanding the risks of contracting disease and personal protection measures is also important. To address these needs, we conducted the 2016 TigerNET project. Master Gardeners built, deployed and collect mosquito eggs from traps, which were used to map mosquito distribution. Follow-up surveys demonstrated increased participant knowledge of mosquito biology and Zika transmission risk

Egg Identification Guide for Aedes albopictus in the Northeast, USA

The Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases is supported through Cooperative Agreement Number 1U01CK000509-01 between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Cornell University.An identification guide to distinguish eggs laid by Aedes albopcitus from other urban Aedes mosquito species in the Northeast USA, using compound microscopes.This work was supported by: Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases, Cornell CALS, and Cornell University Insect Collection

Hermit crab response to a visual threat is sensitive to looming cues.

Prior work in our lab has shown that an expanding image on a computer screen elicits a hiding response in the Caribbean terrestrial hermit crab (Coenobita clypeatus). We conducted two experiments to identify what properties of the expanding stimulus contribute to its effectiveness as a visual threat. First we found that an expanding geometric star evoked a strong hiding response while a contracting or full-sized stationary star did not. A second experiment revealed that the more quickly the stimulus expanded the shorter the latency to hide. These findings suggest that the anti-predator response to looming stimulus relies heavily on visual cues relating to the manner of approach. The simulated visual threat on a computer screen captures key features of a real looming object that elicits hiding behavior in crabs in the wild

Hermit crab response to a visual threat is sensitive to looming cues.

Prior work in our lab has shown that an expanding image on a computer screen elicits a hiding response in the Caribbean terrestrial hermit crab (Coenobita clypeatus). We conducted two experiments to identify what properties of the expanding stimulus contribute to its effectiveness as a visual threat. First we found that an expanding geometric star evoked a strong hiding response while a contracting or full-sized stationary star did not. A second experiment revealed that the more quickly the stimulus expanded the shorter the latency to hide. These findings suggest that the anti-predator response to looming stimulus relies heavily on visual cues relating to the manner of approach. The simulated visual threat on a computer screen captures key features of a real looming object that elicits hiding behavior in crabs in the wild

Entomovirological Surveillance in Schools: Are They a Source for Arboviral Diseases Transmission?

Surveillance and control activities for virus-transmitting mosquitoes have primarily focused on dwellings. There is little information about viral circulation in heavily trafficked places such as schools. We collected and analyzed data to assess the presence and prevalence of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses in mosquitoes, and measured Aedes indices in schools in Medellín (Colombia) between 2016–2018. In 43.27% of 2632 visits we collected Aedes adults, creating 883 pools analyzed by RT-PCR. 14.27% of pools yielded positive for dengue or Zika (infection rates of 1.75–296.29 for Aedes aegypti). Ae. aegypti was more abundant and had a higher infection rate for all studied diseases. Aedes indices varied over time. There was no association between Aedes abundance and mosquito infection rates, but the latter did correlate with cases of arboviral disease and climate. Results suggest schools are important sources of arbovirus and health agencies should include these sites in surveillance programs; it is essential to know the source for arboviral diseases transmission and the identification of the most population groups exposed to these diseases to research and developing new strategies

Implementation of data triangulation and dashboard development for COVID-19 vaccine adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) data in Nigeria

Nigeria began administering COVID-19 vaccines on 5 March 2021 and is working towards the WHO’s African regional goal to fully vaccinate 70% of their eligible population by December 2022. Nigeria’s COVID-19 vaccination information system includes a surveillance system for COVID-19 adverse events following immunisation (AEFI), but as of April 2021, AEFI data were being collected and managed by multiple groups and lacked routine analysis and use for action. To fill this gap in COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring, between April 2021 and June 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with other implementing partners led by the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, supported the Government of Nigeria to triangulate existing COVID-19 AEFI data. This paper describes the process of implementing published draft guidelines for data triangulation for COVID-19 AEFI data in Nigeria. Here, we focus on the process of implementing data triangulation rather than analysing the results and impacts of triangulation. Work began by mapping the flow of COVID-19 AEFI data, engaging stakeholders and building a data management system to intake and store all shared data. These datasets were used to create an online dashboard with key indicators selected based on existing WHO guidelines and national guidance. The dashboard went through an iterative review before dissemination to stakeholders. This case study highlights a successful example of implementing data triangulation for rapid use of AEFI data for decision-making and emphasises the importance of stakeholder engagement and strong data governance structures to make data triangulation successful

Population genetics of an invasive mosquito vector, Aedes albopictus in the Northeastern USA

The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) arrived in the USA in the 1980’s and rapidly spread throughout eastern USA within a decade. The predicted northern edge of its overwintering distribution on the East Coast of the USA roughly falls across New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, where the species has been recorded as early as 2000. It is unclear whether Ae. albopictus populations have become established and survive the cold winters in these areas or are recolonized every year. We genotyped and analyzed populations of Ae. albopictus from the northeast USA using 15 microsatellite markers and compared them with other populations across the country and to representatives of the major global genetic clades to investigate their connectivity and stability. Founder effects or bottlenecks were rare at the northern range of the Ae. albopictus distribution in the northeastern USA, with populations displaying high levels of genetic diversity and connectivity along the East Coast. There is no evidence of population turnover in Connecticut during the course of three consecutive years, with consistent genetic structure throughout this period. Overall, these results support the presence of established populations of Ae. albopictus in New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, successfully overwintering and migrating in large numbers. Given the stability and interconnectedness of these populations, Ae. albopictus has the potential to continue to proliferate and expand its range northward under mean warming conditions of climate change. Efforts to control Ae. albopictus in these areas should thus focus on vector suppression rather than eradication strategies, as local populations have become firmly established and are expected to reemerge every summer