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The Global Challenge of Vector Borne Diseases and How to Control Them

Examine the global challenge of vector-borne diseases and how vector control practices can reduce the risk to public health.

7,432 enrolled on this course

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  • Duration

    6 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

Understand how mosquitoes and other arthropod disease vectors can be controlled

The spread of vector-borne diseases, including malaria, Zika virus and dengue fever, are of global concern.

In 2017, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released their Global Vector Control Response (GVCR) document which promotes a stronger, strategic worldwide approach to controlling vectors of disease.

On this course, you will learn about a wide range of vectors and the diseases they transmit, from the Aedes mosquito and the Zika virus, to the tsetse fly and African sleeping sickness.

You will explore the WHO GVCR document, and will also discover how vector-borne diseases are distributed, and the suitability of vector control practices designed to prevent the spread of these dangerous diseases.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    A HISTORY OF VECTOR CONTROL

    • Crouching forward and downward on her forelegs, this image depicts a lateral view of a feeding female Anopheles stephensi mosquito. You can see blood in her needle-like labrum. Her abdomen is also full of blood and she has expelled some blood drops.

      Introduction

      In this section we describe the course, how learning is supported, and introduce each other.

    • A cartoon image of the globe showing South and North America, part of Europe & Africa, and the UK. The background is a night sky with stars.

      Burden of vector borne diseases globally

      In this section, you will learn about the risk, burden and mortality of vector borne diseases across the globe as well as their burden from an economic perspective.

    • A man in a white shirt and black trousers in a field operates a machine which looks like a lawnmower, which disperses an airborne insecticide in a white cloud of vapour.

      Rationale behind vector control

      Learn about the rationale behind vector control programmes.

    • A group of 9 men from Mozambique wearing white shirts gather around a map on a table. Several of the men are pointing at this map.

      Vector control challenges

      In this section, you will learn about the challenges faced by vector control programmes and what happens when these measures fail.

    • A Haitian man and woman sit next to each other at a table. Behind them is a blackboard covered in writing. Both people are wearing gloves as they are testing blood for malaria and LF. The woman who is wearing a blue gown pipettes blood into an RDT.

      Vector control successes

      Now you have learnt about the challenges to vector control, you will now learn about what happens when these programmes are successful and the impact which they have.

  • Week 2

    WHO GLOBAL VECTOR RESPONSE

    • The front cover of the WHO GVCR. White circles contain images of common vectors including mosquitoes, sandflies and ticks joined to an inner set of circles with lines. The background is blue and white text reads 'Global Vector Control Response'

      Introduction

      This section provides an introduction to week 2 of our course, which centers around the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Vector Control Response 2017-2030 document (GVCR)

    • A man wearing a blue hoodie and beige trousers sits on a chair operating a microscope. He is looking at stool specimens using the Kato Katz technique to diagnose soil transmitted helminth infection.

      Current vector control situation

      This section aims to provide an overview of the current vector control situation. This includes the rationale behind the WHO GVCR as well as opportunities and challenges raised by this document, and the vision, aims and goals.

    • This image depicts the WHO GVCR framework. This diagram is a house shaped diagram with the two foundations at the bottom, with four pillars of action above, and the roof shape at the top which denotes 'effective locally adapted sustainable vector control'

      WHO response framework

      In this section, we will learn about the response framework of the WHO GVCR.

    • A brown haired woman wearing a lab coat, glasses and purple nitrile gloves unpacks reagents from a large white cardboard box which is rested on a work surface made from dark brown wood.

      Enabling factors

      In this section, we cover the 'enabling factors' outlined in the WHO GVCR. This is followed by interviews with collaborators based in disease-endemic countries on their own experiences, a summary of and the quiz for this week.

  • Week 3

    VECTOR BIOLOGY

    • An enlarged view of a female Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito that had landed upon the skin of a human host, and was extracting its blood meal through its proboscis. You’re able to see her enlarged red abdomen as it becomes distended with the hosts' blood.

      Introduction

      This section introduces this week, where you will learn about the biology of important vector species as well as an overall introduction to the mosquito, perhaps the most notorious of all disease vectors.

    • This image depicts a close, right lateral view of a female, Aedes albopictus mosquito, as she was obtaining her blood meal through the skin of her host. She has distinctive black and white striped legs, and a blood filled abdomen and proboscis.

      Mosquitoes

      In this section, we will cover the biology, habitats, vectored diseases and control of the three main medically important mosquito genera - Aedes, Anopheles and Culex.

    • This image depicts a lateral view of a female blacklegged, deer tick, Ixodes scapularis. Her body is swollen/engorged with the blood of her host. She has black legs and mouthparts, and her abdomen is a greyish colour.

      Ticks

      Learn about the biology, habitats and diseases of ticks.

    • Dorsal view of a triatomine bug. She is a brown and black coloured six legged creature, with wings crossed over her abdomen. She has an elongated face and antennae, and you can see thin orange stripes in a border around her abdomen.

      Triatomines

      In this section, you will learn about the biology, habitats and diseases transmitted by Triatomine bugs, also known as 'kissing bugs'.

    • A man wearing khaki overalls operates an insecticide sprayer. The pack is carried on his back, and he is using the handheld nozzle to spray an insecticide on the outside walls of a small bungalow house made of brown wood.

      Ticks & Triatomines

      Learn how the biology of both ticks and triatomine bugs can be exploited to facilitate their control.

    • Dorsal view of the house fly Musca domestica. This is a large, plump black coloured fly with translucent wings. The wing veins can be clearly seen, and the fly has two very large eyes.

      Flies

      Learn about the biology, diseases and habitats of flies.

    • This photograph depicts a left superolateral view, of a Phlebotomus papatasi sand fly. She is feeding from the skin of a human host, and you can see blood inside her distended abdomen. She is very small, and her body covered in fine, fluffy hairs.

      Sandflies

      In this section we will cover the biology, habitats and diseases of sandflies, as well as how their biology can be exploited to facilitate their control.

    • A close up view of the head of a tsetse fly. You can see its two large compound eyes as well as its' distinctive forward pointing proboscis. The body is brownish in colour, and is covered in small, fine black hairs.

      Tsetse Flies

      In this section you will learn about the Tsetse fly, their biology, habitats and the diseases they transmit. You will also learn about the parasite-vector interactions in this species, as well as how to facilitate their control.

  • Week 4

    TRADITIONAL VECTOR CONTROL

    • A twin engine aeroplane flying in the sky, releasing streams of white cloudy vapour insecticide.

      Introduction

      An introduction to week 4, where we will learn about traditional vector control methods.

    • This image depicts a spray insect repellent being applied to the right forearm of a young woman by her mother.

      Vector control classes

      Here, we will explore the classes of vector control; personal and environmental protection and will explore the usage of household modification in vector borne disease control.

    • An adult woman sits on a white chair, next to a bed which is cloaked in an insecticide treated bed net. A child is sleeping under the net on the bed.

      Traditional vector control methods

      In this section, we will explore traditional vector control methods in depth including insecticide treated nets, indoor residual spraying and trapping as well as a summary of what you have learnt this week and a quiz.

  • Week 5

    MODERN VECTOR CONTROL

    • This image depicts a pair of gloved hands, using a micropipette to transfer material into a small plastic tube known as an eppendorf tube. The person is wearing a lab coat, and there is a red sharps bin on the work surface.

      Introduction

      This section provides an introduction to our penultimate week, week 5. This week we will cover modern vector control.

    • This image shows a parasitic wasp egg under the microscope. This is blue in colour and you can clearly see areas of lighter blue dots, which are Wolbachia bacteria.

      Modern vector control methods

      In this section, you will learn about modern and novel approaches to vector control. We will also cover Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), and its importance in the field of vector control product testing.

    • This image depicts a pair of gloved hands holding a glass bottle with a black lid screwed on. Several others of the same bottle are placed upon the desk. This is the conduction of the CDC bottle bioassay, which is used to analyse insecticide resistance.

      Successes & failures in vector control

      In this section, we will expand upon what we learnt in week 1 with regards to successes and failures of vector control programmes. We will particularly focus on the challenge of the emergence of insecticide resistance in vectors.

  • Week 6

    DESIGNING SURVEILLANCE & BEHAVIOUR CHANGE PROGRAMMES AND RCTS

    • A man wearing beige overalls and a cap stands at the side of a small body of water. He is skimming the water with a larval dipper which is a bowl attached to a stick, to collect larvae.

      Introduction

      Here, we will introduce our final week. This week is centered around the design and implementation of vector control programmes.

    • This image depicts the WHO sustainable development goals which are linked to effective vector control. These are ''no poverty', ''good health & wellbeing', 'clean water & sanitation', 'partnerships for the goals', 'climate change' and 'sustainable cities'

      Why must vector control be 'integrated'?

      The WHO recommends an integrated approach to vector control/management. In this section you will learn about integrated control as well as the need for different types of control programme and access to data and literature.

    • A group of 5 women and 1 man in lab coats gather around a fume hood in which a woman is depicted working with full PPE including a hairnet.

      How to design and implement a vector control programme

      In this section, you will learn more about how to design a vector control program with consideration to monitoring, surveillance and evaluation of these programmes. This section also contains a quiz to test your knowledge.

    • A composite of three images of an Anopheles adult mosquito emerging from its pupal case. The three images show the emergence of this adult from the waters surface.

      Course review

      Congratulations on reaching the end of the course! Here, we will summarise what you have learnt and what next steps you can take to further your knowledge on vector control. This section also includes acknowledgments.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Describe the lifecycle of mosquitoes, sandflies, tsetse flies, triatoma bugs, and ticks
  • Describe the distribution of these arthropods and diseases transmitted
  • Explore and understand the control methods used against these vectors
  • Evaluate the pros and cons of different vector control strategies
  • Describe examples of successes in vector control
  • Describe how to implement control strategies most effectively and how to design robust studies to collect scientifically rigorous data

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone who has an interest in learning more about arthropod disease vectors, their fascinating biology, and how they are controlled.

It is ideal for health workers, vector control researchers, as well as those working and living in countries affected by vector-borne diseases.

Who will you learn with?

James Logan

Professor James Logan is the Head of the Department of Disease Control at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Director of the Arthropod Control Product Test Centre (ARCTEC)

Michael Coleman

Over 25years experience developing and implementing tools, capacity and operational research to enhance vector control programmes. Focusing on malaria in Africa and Visceral Leishmania in India.

Erin Foley

Research Entomologist and Trial Manager at ARCTEC, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

BSc (Hons) Zoology, MSc Medical Parasitology.

Chelci Squires

Research Scientist and Clinical Trials Manager with a background in biomedicine, genetics, and implementation of large-scale global clinical trials across 6 WHO regions according to GCP/GLP standards.

Scott Tytheridge

- Assistant Trial Manager, ARCTEC at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
- MSc Medical Entomology alumna

Who developed the course?

London School of Hygeine & Tropical Medicine logo

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a world leader in research and postgraduate education in public and global health. Its mission is to improve health and health equity worldwide.

arctec

ARCTEC

arctec at the LSHTM is a world-leading independent test centre for the evaluation and development of arthropod pest control technologies.

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine logo

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Breaking the cycle of poor health and poverty since 1898

IVCC logo

IVCC

IVCC works globally to facilitate innovative approaches to preventing vector-borne diseases and tackle the growing threat of insecticide resistance.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
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Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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