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Abstract Background Wolbachia pipientis is an endosymbiont bacterium that induces cytoplasmic incompatibility and inhibits arboviral replication in mosquitoes. This study aimed to assess Wolbachia prevalence and genetic diversity in different mosquito species from Cape Verde. Methods Mosquitoes were collected on six islands of Cape Verde and identified to species using morphological keys and PCR-based assays. Wolbachia was detected by amplifying a fragment of the surface protein gene (wsp). Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed with five housekeeping genes (coxA, gatB, ftsZ, hcpA, and fbpA) and the wsp hypervariable region (HVR) for strain identification. Identification of wPip groups (wPip-I to wPip-V) was performed using PCR–restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay on the ankyrin domain gene pk1. Results Nine mosquito species were collected, including the major vectors Aedes aegypti, Anopheles arabiensis, Culex pipiens sensu stricto, and Culex quinquefasciatus. Wolbachia was only detected in Cx. pipiens s.s. (100% prevalence), Cx. quinquefasciatus (98.3%), Cx. pipiens/quinquefasciatus hybrids (100%), and Culex tigripes (100%). Based on the results of MLST and wsp hypervariable region typing, Wolbachia from the Cx. pipiens complex was assigned to sequence type 9, wPip clade, and supergroup B. PCR/RFLP analysis revealed three wPip groups in Cape Verde, namely wPip-II, wPip-III, and wPip-IV. wPip-IV was the most prevalent, while wPip-II and wPip-III were found only on Maio and Fogo islands. Wolbachia detected in Cx. tigripes belongs to supergroup B, with no attributed MLST profile, indicating a new strain of Wolbachia in this mosquito species. Conclusions A high prevalence and diversity of Wolbachia was found in species from the Cx. pipiens complex. This diversity may be related to the mosquito's colonization history on the Cape Verde islands. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to detect Wolbachia in Cx. tigripes, which may provide an additional opportunity for biocontrol initiatives. Graphical Abstract

Abstract The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), a vector of dengue, Zika and other diseases, was introduced in Europe in the 1970s, where it is still widening its range. Spurred by public health concerns, several studies have delivered predictions of the current and future distribution of the species for this region, often with differing results. We provide the first joint analysis of these predictions, to identify consensus hotspots of high and low suitability, as well as areas with high uncertainty. The analysis focused on current and future climate conditions and was carried out for the whole of Europe and for 65 major urban areas. High consensus on current suitability was found for the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, southern France, Italy and the coastline between the western Balkans and Greece. Most models also agree on a substantial future expansion of suitable areas into northern and eastern Europe. About 83% of urban areas are expected to become suitable in the future, in contrast with ~ 49% nowadays. Our findings show that previous research is congruent in identifying wide suitable areas for Aedes albopictus across Europe and in the need to effectively account for climate change in managing and preventing its future spread.

ABSTRACTThe release of modified mosquitoes to suppress/replace vectors constitutes a promising tool for vector control and disease prevention. Evidence regarding these innovative modification techniques is scarce and disperse. This work conducted a systematic review, gathering and analysing research articles from PubMed and Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde databases whose results report efficacy and non-target effects of using modified insects for disease prevention, until 2016. More than 1500 publications were screened and 349 were analysed. Only 12/3.4% articles reported field-based evidence and 41/11.7% covered modification strategies’ post-release efficacy. Variability in the effective results (90/25.7%) questioned its reproducibility in different settings. We also found publications reporting reversal outcomes 38/10.9%, (e.g. post-release increase of vector population). Ecological effects were also reported, such as horizontal transfer events (54/15.5%), and worsening pathogenesis induced by natural wolbachia (10/2.9%). Present work revealed promising outcomes of modifying strategies. However, it also revealed a need for field-based evidence mainly regarding epidemiologic and long-term impact. It pointed out some eventual irreversible and important effects that must not be ignored when considering open-field releases, and that may constitute constraints to generate the missing field evidence. Present work constitutes a baseline of knowledge, offering also a methodological approach that may facilitate future updates.

Abstract Aedes‐borne arboviruses have spread globally with outbreaks of vast impact on human populations and health systems. The West African archipelago of Cape Verde had its first outbreak of Dengue in 2009, at the time the largest recorded in Africa, and was one of the few African countries affected by the Zika virus epidemic. Aedes aegypti was the mosquito vector involved in both outbreaks. We performed a phylogeographic and population genetics study of A. aegypti in Cape Verde in order to infer the geographic origin and evolutionary history of this mosquito. These results are discussed with respect to the implications for vector control and prevention of future outbreaks. Mosquitoes captured before and after the Dengue outbreak on the islands of Santiago, Brava, and Fogo were analyzed with two mitochondrial genes COI and ND4, 14 microsatellite loci and five kdr mutations. Genetic variability was comparable to other African populations. Our results suggest that A. aegypti invaded Cape Verde at the beginning of the Holocene from West Africa. Given the historic importance of Cape Verde in the transatlantic trade of the 16th–17th centuries, a possible contribution to the genetic pool of the founding populations in the New World cannot be fully discarded. However, contemporary gene flow with the Americas is likely to be infrequent. No kdr mutations associated with pyrethroid resistance were detected. The implications for vector control and prevention of future outbreaks are discussed.

Abstract Background The frequency and intensity of arboviral epidemics is steadily increasing and posing an intractable public health burden. Current vector control methods are proving ineffectual and despite progress in the development of high technology approaches, there is an urgent need for the development of tools for immediate implementation. Several studies suggest that the auto-dissemination of pyriproxyfen (PPF) is a promising new approach to larviciding although there is little detail on the conditions under which it is optimally effective. Here, we evaluate the efficacy of the approach in urban and rural sites in Madeira, Portugal. Results Auto-dissemination of PPF through adapted Biogents Sentinel traps (BGSTs) resulted in a modest but consistent impact on both juvenile and adult mosquito populations, but with considerable spatial heterogeneity. This heterogeneity was related to the distance from the BGST dissemination station as well as the local density of adult mosquitoes. There was evidence that the impact of PPF was cumulative over time both locally and with gradual spatial expansion. Conclusions The density of adult mosquitoes and the spatial distribution of dissemination devices are key factors in mediating efficacy. In addition, urban topography may affect the efficiency of auto-dissemination by impeding adult mosquito dispersal. Further studies in a range of urban landscapes are necessary to guide optimal strategies for the implementation of this potentially efficacious and cost-effective approach to larviciding.

Abstract Aedes aegypti, the major vector of dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, remains of great medical and public health concern. There is little doubt that the ancestral home of the species is Africa. This mosquito invaded the New World 400‐500 years ago and later, Asia. However, little is known about the genetic structure and history of Ae. aegypti across Africa, as well as the possible origin(s) of the New World invasion. Here, we use ~17,000 genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to characterize a heretofore undocumented complex picture of this mosquito across its ancestral range in Africa. We find signatures of human‐assisted migrations, connectivity across long distances in sylvan populations, and of local admixture between domestic and sylvan populations. Finally, through a phylogenetic analysis combined with the genetic structure analyses, we suggest West Africa and especially Angola as the source of the New World's invasion, a scenario that fits well with the historic record of 16th‐century slave trade between Africa and Americas.

Malaria was a major health problem in the first half of the 20th Century in mainland Portugal. Nowadays, although the disease is no longer endemic, there is still the risk of future endemic infections due to the continuous occurrence of imported cases and the possibility of transmission in the country by Anopheles atroparvus Van Thiel, 1927. Since vector abundance constitute one of the foremost factors in malaria transmission, we have created several habitat suitability models to describe this vector species’ current distribution. Three different correlative models; namely (i) a multilayer perceptron artificial neural network (MLP-ANN); (ii) binary logistic regression (BLR); and (iii) Mahalanobis distance were used to combine the species records with a set of five environmental predictors. Kappa coefficient values from k-fold cross-validation records showed that binary logistic regression produced the best predictions, while the other two models also produced acceptable results. Therefore, in order to reduce uncertainty, the three suitability models were combined. The resulting model identified high suitability for An. atroparvus in the majority of the country with exception of the northern and central coastal areas. Malaria distribution during the last endemic period in the country was also compared with the combined suitability model, and a high degree of spatial agreement was obtained (kappa = 0.62). It was concluded that habitat suitability for malaria vectors can constitute valuable information on the assessment of several spatial attributes of the disease. In addition, the results suggest that the spatial distribution of An. atroparvus in the country remains very similar to the one known about seven decades ago.

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Na página 245, cabeçalho do artigo, onde se lê (assinalado a vermelho): “Acta Med Port 2021 Apr;34(3):245-246” Deverá ler-se: “Acta Med Port 2021 Apr;34(4):245-246” Artigo publicado com erros: https://www.actamedicaportuguesa.com/revista/index.php/amp/article/view/15854

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Abstract Background In 2012, the first dengue virus outbreak was reported on the Portuguese island of Madeira with 1080 confirmed cases. Dengue virus of serotype 1 (DENV-1), probably imported from Venezuela, caused this outbreak with autochthonous transmission by invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Results We investigated the seroprevalence among the population on Madeira Island four years after the outbreak. Study participants (n = 358), representative of the island population regarding their age and gender, were enrolled in 2012 in a cross-sectional study. Dengue antibodies were detected with an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the dimer of domain III (ED3) of the DENV-1 envelope protein as well as commercial Panbio indirect and capture IgG ELISAs. Positive ELISA results were validated with a neutralization test. The overall seroprevalence was found to be 7.8% (28/358) with the in-house ELISA, whereas the commercial DENV indirect ELISA detected IgG antibodies in 8.9% of the individuals (32/358). The results of the foci reduction neutralization test confirmed DENV-1 imported from South America as the causative agent of the 2012 epidemic. Additionally, we found a higher seroprevalence in study participants with an age above 60 years old and probable secondary DENV infected individuals indicating unreported dengue circulation before or after 2012 on Madeira Island. Conclusions This study revealed that the number of infections might have been much higher than estimated from only confirmed cases in 2012/2013. These mainly DENV-1 immune individuals are not protected from a secondary DENV infection and the majority of the population of Madeira Island is still naïve for DENV. Surveillance of mosquitoes and arboviruses should be continued on Madeira Island as well as in other European areas where invasive vector mosquitoes are present.

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No rodapé da página 80, afiliação dos autores, onde se lê: “3. Departamento de Psicologia Clínica e da Saúde. Hospital da Luz. Lisboa. Portugal.” Deverá ler-se: “3. Centro de Investigação da Learning Health. Hospital da Luz Learning Health. Lisboa. Portugal.” Artigo publicado com erros: https://www.actamedicaportuguesa.com/revista/index.php/amp/article/view/15155

Na página 280, 2ª linha da legenda da Figura 1, onde se lê “(...) depressão no sexo masculino em Portugal (...)” Deverá ler-se: “(...) depressão no sexo feminino em Portugal (...)” 2ª linha da legenda da Figura 2, onde se lê “(...) depressão no sexo feminino em Portugal (...)” Deverá ler-se: “(...) depressão no sexo masculino em Portugal (...)” Artigo publicado com erros: https://www.actamedicaportuguesa.com/revista/index.php/amp/article/view/13574

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On page 36, in the fifth sentence of right-side column, where it reads: ”Direct thrombin inhibitors (DTI) (argatroban, bivalirrubin) are used in COVID-19 infected patients with significantly lower antithrombin levels,24 or if heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) occurs.” It should read: “Direct thrombin inhibitors (DTI) (argatroban, bivalirudin) are used in COVID-19 infected patients with significantly lower antithrombin levels,24 or if heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) occurs.” Article published with errors: https://www.actamedicaportuguesa.com/revista/index.php/amp/article/view/14784

Na página 23, Figura 1, onde se lê: “Controls 157 2015-2016 season = 47” Deverá ler-se: (ver nova Figura 1 na página 62) Na página 25, Tabela 2, terceira linha da última coluna intitulada “p-value”, onde se lê: 1 (ver Tabela 2 na pág. 63) Deverá ler-se: 1.000 (ver nova Tabela 2, pág. 64) Artigo publicado com erros: https://www.actamedicaportuguesa.com/revista/index.php/amp/article/view/13438

Na página 13, Tabela 1, primeira linha da terceira coluna (intitulada ‘Amplitude’) onde se lê: “[0,21; 1]” Deverá ler-se: “[21; 100]”. Artigo publicado com erros: https://www.actamedicaportuguesa.com/revista/index.php/amp/article/view/14516

On page 761, in the first sentence of the Introduction, where it reads: ”Cardiovascular Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) has been approved for spasticity management.” It should read: “Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) has been approved for spasticity management.” Article published with errors: https://www.actamedicaportuguesa.com/revista/index.php/amp/article/view/11503

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