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Global Epidemics of Zika? Implications for Public Health
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Global Epidemics of Zika? Implications for Public Health

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2017) | Viewed by 45865

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Richard Paul

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Unité de la Génétique Fonctionnelle des Maladies Infectieuses, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 2000, 75015 Paris, France
Interests: vector-borne pathogens; reservoirs of infection; control strategies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Zika virus is the latest mosquito-borne virus to spread explosively world-wide, inflicting serious morbidity with hitherto unprecedented neurological sequelae, in particular in South America. Despite being known for decades, Zika virus was considered relatively benign, limited to Africa and Asia. Since the 2013 outbreak in French Polynesia, the virus has spread to South America, resulting in a vast public health burden. Invasion of the virus into Asia threatened a regional public health crisis above and beyond that already inflicted by dengue virus. However, this has not yet happened, possibly reflecting previous exposure, with consequent development of immunity in addition to potential cross-immunity with dengue virus. Models predict that Zika will burn out within a few years and pose no serious threat for a decade or more until a new susceptible population emerges. A decade’s respite is short, but offers time within which to establish an action plan for strategic control and intervention. Moreover, this prediction resides on uncertain premises about the epidemiology of Zika virus. This special issue will discuss what we need to know about Zika virus to be able to predict the potential for a global epidemic, what we need to develop in order to achieve an action plan and how we should implement a public health surveillance program to maintain levels of continued awareness. Experience suggests that the Zika epidemic will be forgotten within a few years, with little or no effort for public health preparedness. The scientific and public health community must, however, draw up a plan of action. Vigilance must be maintained and ten years is little time to achieve a program of surveillance and control that is neither overly burdensome on the limited public health resources, nor too restrictive to be ineffectual. Because Zika virus, Dengue virus and many other arboviruses are transmitted by the same mosquitoes, a concerted arbovirus control program should be envisaged, thereby enabling stakeholders to optimise public health effort.  

Dr. Richard Paul
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Zika virus
  • epidemic potential
  • forecasting
  • public health surveillance
  • control strategies

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Review

12 pages, 582 KiB  
Review
Immune Responses to Dengue and Zika Viruses—Guidance for T Cell Vaccine Development
by Claude Roth, Félix G. Delgado, Etienne Simon-Lorière and Anavaj Sakuntabhai
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(2), 385; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15020385 - 23 Feb 2018
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 7178
Abstract
Despite numerous efforts to identify the molecular and cellular effectors of the adaptive immunity that induce a long-lasting immunity against dengue or Zika virus infection, the specific mechanisms underlying such protective immunity remain largely unknown. One of the major challenges lies in the [...] Read more.
Despite numerous efforts to identify the molecular and cellular effectors of the adaptive immunity that induce a long-lasting immunity against dengue or Zika virus infection, the specific mechanisms underlying such protective immunity remain largely unknown. One of the major challenges lies in the high level of dengue virus (DENV) seroprevalence in areas where Zika virus (ZIKV) is circulating. In the context of such a pre-existing DENV immunity that can exacerbate ZIKV infection and disease, and given the lack of appropriate treatment for ZIKV infection, there is an urgent need to develop an efficient vaccine against DENV and ZIKV. Notably, whereas several ZIKV vaccine candidates are currently in clinical trials, all these vaccine candidates have been designed to induce neutralizing antibodies as the primary mechanism of immune protection. Given the difficulty to elicit simultaneously high levels of neutralizing antibodies against the different DENV serotypes, and the potential impact of pre-existing subneutralizing antibodies induced upon DENV infection or vaccination on ZIKV infection and disease, additional or alternative strategies to enhance vaccine efficacy, through T cell immunity, are now being considered. In this review, we summarize recent discoveries about cross-reactive B and T cell responses against DENV and ZIKV and propose guidelines for the development of safe and efficient T cell vaccines targeting both viruses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Epidemics of Zika? Implications for Public Health)
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20 pages, 1505 KiB  
Review
Aedes Mosquitoes and Aedes-Borne Arboviruses in Africa: Current and Future Threats
by David Weetman, Basile Kamgang, Athanase Badolo, Catherine L. Moyes, Freya M. Shearer, Mamadou Coulibaly, João Pinto, Louis Lambrechts and Philip J. McCall
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(2), 220; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15020220 - 28 Jan 2018
Cited by 155 | Viewed by 15740
Abstract
The Zika crisis drew attention to the long-overlooked problem of arboviruses transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes in Africa. Yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya and Zika are poorly controlled in Africa and often go unrecognized. However, to combat these diseases, both in Africa and worldwide, it [...] Read more.
The Zika crisis drew attention to the long-overlooked problem of arboviruses transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes in Africa. Yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya and Zika are poorly controlled in Africa and often go unrecognized. However, to combat these diseases, both in Africa and worldwide, it is crucial that this situation changes. Here, we review available data on the distribution of each disease in Africa, their Aedes vectors, transmission potential, and challenges and opportunities for Aedes control. Data on disease and vector ranges are sparse, and consequently maps of risk are uncertain. Issues such as genetic and ecological diversity, and opportunities for integration with malaria control, are primarily African; others such as ever-increasing urbanization, insecticide resistance and lack of evidence for most control-interventions reflect problems throughout the tropics. We identify key knowledge gaps and future research areas, and in particular, highlight the need to improve knowledge of the distributions of disease and major vectors, insecticide resistance, and to develop specific plans and capacity for arboviral disease surveillance, prevention and outbreak responses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Epidemics of Zika? Implications for Public Health)
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18 pages, 3630 KiB  
Review
The Zika Virus Epidemic in Brazil: From Discovery to Future Implications
by Rachel Lowe, Christovam Barcellos, Patrícia Brasil, Oswaldo G. Cruz, Nildimar Alves Honório, Hannah Kuper and Marilia Sá Carvalho
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(1), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15010096 - 9 Jan 2018
Cited by 252 | Viewed by 22291
Abstract
The first confirmed case of Zika virus infection in the Americas was reported in Northeast Brazil in May 2015, although phylogenetic studies indicate virus introduction as early as 2013. Zika rapidly spread across Brazil and to more than 50 other countries and territories [...] Read more.
The first confirmed case of Zika virus infection in the Americas was reported in Northeast Brazil in May 2015, although phylogenetic studies indicate virus introduction as early as 2013. Zika rapidly spread across Brazil and to more than 50 other countries and territories on the American continent. The Aedes aegypti mosquito is thought to be the principal vector responsible for the widespread transmission of the virus. However, sexual transmission has also been reported. The explosively emerging epidemic has had diverse impacts on population health, coinciding with cases of Guillain–Barré Syndrome and an unexpected epidemic of newborns with microcephaly and other neurological impairments. This led to Brazil declaring a national public health emergency in November 2015, followed by a similar decision by the World Health Organization three months later. While dengue virus serotypes took several decades to spread across Brazil, the Zika virus epidemic diffused within months, extending beyond the area of permanent dengue transmission, which is bound by a climatic barrier in the south and low population density areas in the north. This rapid spread was probably due to a combination of factors, including a massive susceptible population, climatic conditions conducive for the mosquito vector, alternative non-vector transmission, and a highly mobile population. The epidemic has since subsided, but many unanswered questions remain. In this article, we provide an overview of the discovery of Zika virus in Brazil, including its emergence and spread, epidemiological surveillance, vector and non-vector transmission routes, clinical complications, and socio-economic impacts. We discuss gaps in the knowledge and the challenges ahead to anticipate, prevent, and control emerging and re-emerging epidemics of arboviruses in Brazil and worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Epidemics of Zika? Implications for Public Health)
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