DENGUETOOLS

Innovative tools and strategies for surveillance and control of dengue

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Current surveillance systems and control efforts are clearly insufficient to combat dengue in endemic countries and to prevent spread to previously uninfected areas (including Europe). We will focus on the following aspects of the call: better diagnosis, surveillance, prevention as well as prediction and/or prevention of the spread of Dengue fever to previously uninfected regions (including Europe) in the context of climate change. We will develop a rapid diagnostic assay for resource limited settings that can be used as point-of-care, is portable, provides rapid results and is inexpensive. Novel tools for vector monitoring will be tested. We propose to develop a comprehensive, early warning, laboratory-based sentinel surveillance system that integrates clinical, entomological, environmental, socio-economic, and weather/climate indices to evaluate predictive capability for epidemic dengue. The aim is to translate this information directly into improved tools for surveillance (early diagnostic assays, early warning systems and predictive models, risk maps, improved tools for vector surveillance). Furthermore, we will test the impact of a novel community-based strategy on the reduction of dengue incidence in school aged children. Lastly, the integrated information on trends of importation of dengue, global mobility patterns, and vector distribution under changing climate conditions will improve our current understanding of the risk of introduction into previously uninfected areas, in particular Europe. Web based predictive tools, models and maps will be produced. The information will be disseminated to relevant agencies, academia and policy makers and will translate into improved surveillance and control.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Accurate and rapid diagnosis of any infectious disease is paramount to constraining its transmission. In this context, European scientists have set out to develop diagnostic assays and implement a surveillance system for monitoring dengue fever.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease caused by the dengue virus. Currently our understanding of how viral, ecological, environmental, and climatic factors affect disease transmission and outbreaks is limited. This carries the risk of disease introduction to non-infected areas including Europe.

Unfortunately children are the most affected group in endemic countries both in terms of incidence and severity. This demonstrates the urgent need for effective control strategies to protect children. To prevent spread of dengue, the EU-funded 'Innovative tools and strategies for surveillance and control of dengue' (DENGUETOOLS) project has brought together leading experts in the field.

As a first step, the consortium set up a laboratory-based surveillance system in Sri Lanka, which includes hospitals, outpatient settings and households. Thousands of samples were analysed by polymerase chain reaction for the presence of the virus, including field-collected adult mosquitoes. Additional assays were also developed for point-of-care detection of dengue in endemic areas.

As an intervention against dengue transmission to school children, scientists proposed the use of insecticide impregnated uniforms. However, the repellent efficacy drops upon repeated washing indicating the need for further optimisation.

Considerable part of the project is dedicated to the understanding of vector density, capacity and the preferred breeding sites. In various European countries, the consortium studied the impact of insecticidal aerosols on mosquitoes. They are working on associating temperature fluctuations with the risk of a dengue outbreak. Ongoing work to evaluate the risk of transporting dengue should complete the disease risk mapping.

Using a well-designed population-based system, the DENGUETOOLS initiative proposed to monitor the spatial and temporal distribution of dengue. This is central for warning against epidemic transmission and identifying the priority areas for intervention. Furthermore, the generated predictive models and maps should help policymakers in Europe to better prepare for and control dengue in the future.