Assessing mosquito biodiversity is important for disease surveillance and ecosystem health assessments. Such studies are particularly needed in regions like the Caribbean, which have experienced a... Show moreAssessing mosquito biodiversity is important for disease surveillance and ecosystem health assessments. Such studies are particularly needed in regions like the Caribbean, which have experienced a series of recent mosquito borne disease outbreaks but received little attention regarding its invertebrate biodiversity. Here, we report on results from a mosquito survey on the Dutch Leeward Islands (Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten and Saba), carried out in April and October 2018, which is the first integrative survey since those conducted by Van der Kuyp (1947) and Wagenaar Hummelinck (1949). Moreover, we present a novel key for adults and fourth instar larvae of the mosquitoes of the Dutch Leeward Islands. Overall, eleven species were recorded, eight on Sint Maarten, five on Saba and two on Sint Eustatius. Two new potential disease vectors, Culex nigripalpus and Aedes taeniorhynchus, were recorded on Sint Maarten. One previously recorded species, Cx habilitator, was not retrieved from any of the islands, which is further discussed in the paper. Species indicative of natural forest which previously occurred on all three islands were absent from Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten but still present on Saba. In contrast, species indicative of human inhabitation, Ae. aegypti and Cx. guinquefasciatus, were highly abundant on Sint Maarten and Sint Eustatius and present in low numbers on Saba. Overall, the results of this study emphasize the importance of biodiversity surveys and indicate that frequent mosquito inventories may contribute to a better understanding of mosquito community composition and distribution of potential vector species. Show less
Vos, R.A.; Pasmans, H.; Tymchenko, L.; Janga-Jansen, A.V.A.; Baboe-Kalpoe, S.; Hulshof, K.; ... ; Klis, F.R.M. van der 2020
Background: Incidence and mortality of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers differs geographically, with high rates in Caribbean countries. Seroepidemiological data provide information on... Show moreBackground: Incidence and mortality of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers differs geographically, with high rates in Caribbean countries. Seroepidemiological data provide information on lifetime cumulative HPV exposure and contributing risk factors, but has not been available yet for Caribbean Netherlands (CN), comprising the islands Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. Therefore, a cross-sectional population-based serosurveillance study was performed in this (recently girls-only HPV-vaccinated) population in 2017.Methods: Blood samples from participants (n = 1,823, 0-90 years) were tested for seven high-risk (hr)-HPV-specific IgG-antibodies using a VLP-based multiplex-immunoassay. Risk factors for HPV-seropositivity were analysed among persons unvaccinated aged >= 15 years who ever had sex (n = 1,080).Results: Among unvaccinated individuals aged >= 15 years, overall seropositivity was high (34%), with over half of them being seropositive for >= 2 hr-HPV types, and HPV16 and 52 being most prevalent (13%). Seroprevalence was substantial higher in unvaccinated women (51%) than men (18%), predominantly peaking in women aged 20-59 years, and was highest on St. Eustatius (38%). Besides age and sex, sexual risk factors were associated with HPV-seropositivity.Conclusions: In accordance with the Caribbean region, seroprevalence of multiple hr-HPV types was high in CN. These data corroborate the decision regarding introduction of a sex-neutral HPV-vaccination program and the relevance for considering a population-based cervical cancer screening program. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Show less
