Takeda opens new dengue vaccine manufacturing plant in Singen, Germany
In November this year, the Japanese pharmaceutical firm Takeda inaugurated its first dengue vaccine manufacturing plant in Singen, Germany. The Singen vaccine plant ultimately aims to offer end-to-end production of the vaccine, including formulation, fill, finish and secondary packaging of the current Takeda dengue vaccine candidate. This plant is located on the premises of one out of 34 production sites of Takeda’s extensive network in 20 different countries serving a wide r
Kayla de Freitas (Guyana): dengue in Guyana, collective experiences
My name is Kayla de Freitas and I am from the the Rupununi region of Guyana in South America. The main town of this region, where I live, shares a border with Brazil and, like many border regions, it faces the issue of porous borders, including issues such as the mosquito-borne diseases of dengue and malaria which are prominent in the region. I want to share the collective experience of dengue which we face in this region, and share testimonies which are both personal and of
Assessing the repellent efficacy of essential oils
Environmental management and protection from insect bites remain some of the main strategies shared with communities to prevent mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and break transmission cycles. The search for effective novel tools for the protection from mosquitoes is ongoing, with researchers increasingly exploring alternatives to existing insecticides and repellents. Applying insect repellent remains one of the most favoured strategies chosen by individuals to protect t
They signed the World Dengue Day petition: find out why
The global petition calling for a World Dengue Day has garnered support from signatories across the globe and across disciplines. In this Infectious Thoughts interview, we hear more about the reasons for which it was important to rally behind this movement from Dr. Andrea Mosca, medical entomologist and vector professional in mosquito surveillance and abatement in the district of Piedmont (Italy), and Fiona Weston, parent and resident of London. What is your professional or p
A web-GIS approach to mapping dengue outbreaks
Dengue fever was first recorded in Pakistan in 1982, with about a dozen cases confirmed. The disease has been spreading in scope and intensity over the last few decades, with a major outbreak in 2010 launching a new period of frequent and severe outbreaks for this high burden country. Efforts are being stepped up to both prevent infections within communities as well as harness numerous and innovative approaches to predict when and where outbreaks might occur to best channel r
Mosquito control: targeting breeding sites using street view images
In addition to personal protection against mosquito bites and the chemical control of mosquitoes and their larvae, the removal of common breeding sites is one of the most important and effective steps in controlling mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit. Recent research has sought to use geotagged images obtained through Google's Street View to map the most common types of open containers in order to facilitate and accelerate the detection of these and generate a decision
First case of autochthonous dengue near Lyon, France
This week, French health authorities including the local Agence Régionale de Santé Auvergne Rhône-Alpes have confirmed the first case of autochthonous dengue in the Rhône region of France. Auvergne Rhône-Alpes is a large region of France, bordering with Switzerland and Italy to the east, and includes several important urban centres including the city of Lyon, Saint-Etienne and Grenoble. Serological tests confirmed that one patient was indeed locally infected with the dengue v
World Dengue Day at the Asia Dengue Summit
The 4th Asia Dengue Summit took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, in July 2019, bringing together dengue experts from academies and research institutions, representatives from Ministries of Health, the regional and global World Health Organization (WHO) and numerous national and international groups who participated to provide a broad overview of the current status of dengue and its management across Asia. As part of the summit, Kamran Rafiq, co-founder and Communications Director
Women and biosocial approaches to dengue control
Successful dengue control is reliant upon integrated and cross-disciplinary approaches, including collaboration across entomology and vector-control, epidemiology, case management, community engagement etc. A growing body of research has been looking at the benefits of social and ethnographic considerations, particularly to highlight the relationship between nature, society and health, and has been applying this in order to provide a better understanding of how communities in
They signed the World Dengue Day petition: find out why
The global petition calling for a World Dengue Day has garnered support from signatories across the globe and across disciplines. In this joint Infectious Thoughts interview, we hear about why it was important to rally behind this movement from Dr. Alimatou Hema, pharmacist at GRAS (Groupe de Recherche Action en Santé) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; Pr. Eliningaya J. Kweka, from the Tropical Pesticides Research Institute in Arusha, Tanzania; and Dr. Kenneth Arkoh Amoquandoh, D
