Methods of Controlling Vector-borne Diseases;- Numerous vector-borne infections are zoonotic, or diseases that can spread between animals and people either directly or indirectly. These include, for instance, Leishmaniasis, West Nile virus, tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme disease, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.
Vectors are living organisms that can transmit infectious pathogens between humans, or from animals to humans. Many of these vectors are bloodsucking insects, which ingest disease-producing microorganisms during a blood meal from an infected host (human or animal) and later transmit it into a new host, after the pathogen has replicated. Often, once a vector becomes infectious, they are capable of transmitting the pathogen for the rest of their life during each subsequent bite/blood meal. Read More

Common Vector-borne Diseases
Common Vector borne Diseases:
- Vector is any carrier of disease (insects, mosquitos, ticks and snails) which are an essential part of the life cycle of the disease causative organism
- Vectors acquire disease organisms by sucking blood from infected persons or animals and pass them on by same route
Common vector borne diseases:
- Malaria
- Filariasis
- Trypanosomiasis
- Yellow fever
- Plague
- Schistosomiasis
Vectors of Medical Importance
The following are Vectors of Medical importance:
Table 4.1 Common vectors and the diseases they transmit
Vector | Disease(s) |
Mosquitoes
|
Malaria, filariasis, yellow fever, dengue fever |
Black flies | River blindness |
Biting flies | Trypanosomiasis ( sleeping sickness) |
Lice | Relapsing fever ( louse-borne ) |
Fleas | Plague |
Soft ticks | Relapsing fever ( tick-borne ) |
Hard ticks | African tick-borne typhus |
Methods of Vector Control
Methods of Vector Control:
The control may be brought about by:
- Reducing the reservoir host
- Control the vector population
- Killing adults with insecticides
- Killing larva with larvicides
- Prevention of breeding sites by environmental sanitation
- Protecting the susceptible individuals
- Use of insecticide treated nets
- Ue of chemoprophylaxis
- Use of repellents and protective clothing
Key Points
- Vector is any carrier of disease
- A vector is required for the transmission of vector-borne diseases.
- Measures that reduce vector population and protect susceptible hosts are used to control vector-borne diseases.
References
- Cook, G., & Zumla, A. (2003). Manson’s Tropical Diseases. (21st ed). London: Saunders Ltd.
- Denyer, S. P., Hodges, N. A., Gorman, S. P., & Gilmore BF (2011) (eds),Hugo& Russell’s Pharmaceutical Microbiology (8th ed). Oxford: Willey-Blackwell publishing
- Eshuis J., & Manschot, P (1992).Communicable diseases, (1sted). Nairobi: AMREF
- GoT (2004).National Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Guidelines for Healthcare Workers. Dar es Salaam: MOHSW
- GoT (2013).National Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Malaria. Dar es salaam: MOHSW
- GoT (2013).Standard Treatment Guidelines & National Essential Medicines List (4thed). Dar es Salaam: MOHSW
- Nordberg, E. (1999).Communicable Diseases, A Manual for Health Workers in Sub-Saharan Africa, Nairobi: AMREF
- Nordberg, E., Kingondu, T., & Mugambi, E., et al. (2008).Communicable Diseases. (4thed). Nairobi: AMREF.
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