Search

Influenza virus is a well‐known pathogen that can cause epidemics and pandemics. Several surveillance methods are being followed to monitor the transmission patterns and spread of influenza in the community. Wastewater‐based Epidemiology (WBE) can serve as an additional tool to detect the presence of influenza viruses. The current study primarily focuses on surveillance of Influenza A and Influenza B in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) samples. A total of 100 wastewater samples were collected in July (n = 50) and August (n = 50) 2023 from four different WWTPs in Manipal and Udupi, district of Karnataka, India. The WWTP samples were processed and tested by Real‐Time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT‐PCR). The data generated was analysed in comparison with the clinical Influenza cases. Of the 100 samples, 18 (18%) tested positive for Influenza A virus and 2 (2%) tested positive for Influenza B virus, with a viral load ranging 1.4 x 102–2.2 x 103 gc/L for influenza A virus and 5.2 x 103–7.7 x 103gc/L for influenza B virus. On correlating the WWTP positivity with clinical case, it was found that influenza clinical cases and virus positivity in wastewater increased simultaneously, emphasizing WBE as a concurrent method for monitoring influenza virus activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aedes is the most globally distributed mosquito genus in the 21st century and transmits various arboviral diseases. The rapid expansion of Ae. Aegypti and Ae. albopictus breeding habitats is a significant threat to global public health, driven by temperature and precipitation changes. In this study, bioclimatic variables were employed to predict the spatial distribution of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus in India. The reference coordinate points of (n = 583) Aedes occurrences at a scale of ∼1 km and nineteen bioclimatic factors were retrieved to train SDM (Species Distribution Models) for both species. Maximum entropy modelling was used to predict the species' fundamental climatic niche distributions. Future projections were made using global climate models for 2021-2040 and 2081-2100 separately. The models performed reasonably well (AUC > 0.77). Both species thrived in reduced diurnal temperature and higher annual mean temperatures, with suitability increasing alongside precipitation. Ae. aegypti's projected present and future distribution was broader than that of Ae. Albopictus. The expansion of Aedes suitability varied under different future climatic scenarios. Suitability for Ae. aegypti could expand from between 17.6 and 41.1 % in 2100 under SSP (shared socioeconomic pathways) scenarios 1 and 3, respectively, whereas for Ae. albopictus suitability increased from between 10.2 and 25 % under SSP scenarios 1 and 3 respectively. Preparing for future epidemics and outbreaks requires robust vector distribution models to identify high-risk areas, allocate resources for surveillance and control, and implement prevention strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)