Achieved services

To be completed…

August 2018

NorBite  field mission in south Norway, aiming at collecting distribution data on native mosquito species as well as on Culicoides midges. This 6-days field study was performed in the Norwegian region with historical malaria transmission. potential malaria vector species (i.e. Anopheles maculipennis s.l.) were found to be frequent. Performed in collaboration with Dr. Sondre Dahle, from Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA).

June 2018

Complementary VectorNet field mission in Azerbaijan, with the aim to check for the presence of invasive mosquito species (IMS) and to collect distribution data on native mosquito species. Performed in collaboration with Dr. Küşver Galib Mamedova, Veterinary Faculty, Azerbaijan State Agricultural University, Ganja.
During this 6-days field study, not less than of 40 samplings were performed at 39 sites, yielding 1’084 specimens from 14 mosquito species. Ovitraps were placed at selected locations along the border to Georgia in order to detect IMS.
Besides, we contributed to the 1st International Conference on One Health: Problems & Solutions, June 1-2, 2018 in Baku.

April-May 2018

Complementary VectorNet field mission in Ireland, aiming to collect field data on mosquito occurrence and train local entomologists, providing trapping equipment. This 7-days field trip yielded in 979 specimens from 9 mosquito species, collected at 33 sites. Local environment health officers (Health Service Executive) and scientists from University College Cork (Dr. Fidelma Butler & Dr. Karen Loxton) were introduced to monitoring methods for invasive mosquitoes.

April 2018

Teaching a training on Identification of mosquitoes of the Caribbean. This 2-days training was held a Leiden University, The Netherlands, for a group of young scientists going to study the mosquito fauna from the Dutch Caribbean.

March 2018

Complementary VectorNet field mission in Tunisia, aiming at collecting field data on the occurrence and distribution of Anopheles labranchiae, An. plumbeus, Culex modestus, and Cx. perexiguus, for the validation of VectorNet Gap Analysis (GA) modelling.
Sampling locations were chosen according to suitability level (low/medium/high) of GA output maps, and sampling sites were selected from GoogleEarth satellite images within these locations (level colour pixels), targeting larval habitats suitable for the defined species, e.g. river beds for An. labranchiae, tree holes for An. plumbeus, marshes and ponds for Cx. modestus. During this 7-days field study, a total of 39 samples were taken from 36 sites, yielding 3’565 specimens from 20 mosquito species.
Field missions were performed in collaboration with Prof. Ali Bouattour, Dr. Adel Rhaim, Dr. Youmna M’ghirbi and Dr. Fatma Khrouf, Service d’Entomologie Médicale, Institut Pasteur de Tunis.

March-November 2017

Expert support to AWEL (Amt für Abfall, Wasser, Energle und Luft), Canton Zurich, Switzerland, for the Surveillance and control of Aedes albopictus in Zürich city. Our contribution consisted in (1) delivering a Concept for the surveillance and control of the Asian tiger mosquito at the bus terminal, Zurich, (2) assisting and training local partners for the invasive mosquito identification and surveillance, and (3) delivering Elements for integrating the surveillance of the Asian tiger mosquito in the renovating plan of the bus terminal, Zurich.
As an outcome, several occurrences of Aedes albopictus were reported and controlled at the bus terminal in 2017.
These actions were performed under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Fischer and Dr. Barbara Wiesendanger, Section Biosecurity, AWEL.

April-October 2017

Contribution to VeCa (Vector Control Analysis) project, as a Proposal for Future Pilot Studies in the frame of the Development of a Tool to appraise and compare Vector Control Strategies against West Nile Fever in Europe (ECDC Framework Service Contract OJ/2016/OCS/5960/01).
The aim of this pilot study is to develop a protocol for the field­‐testing and validation of the prototype model under construction aimed to the appraisal and comparison of different vector control strategies against West Nile fever in Europe.
Our contributions consisted in designing the field protocol and visiting teams to validate the chose of field sites and equipment, assist and train local teams, and validate the collected data sets. Therefore four 3-days short field missions were performed in Albania (April), Armenia (May), Greece (May/June), and Italy (July).
The project was led by Dr. Dominique Bicout, VetAgro Sup, Lyon, France.
Outcomes are published in the BMC paper series Evaluation of Vector Control against West Nile Fever in Europe.

August 2017

VectorNet field mission in Azerbaijan, with the aim to check for the presence of invasive mosquito species (IMS) in Azerbaijan, considering their presence in both neighbouring countries Georgia and Armenia. Performed in collaboration with Dr. Küşver Galib Mamedova, Veterinary Faculty, Azerbaijan State Agricultural University, Ganja. Main outcomes were:

  • A total of 118 samplings/trappings was performed at 48 sites within 41 AdminUnits, yielding 2,176 mosquito specimens
  • No detection of Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus over the country
  • No Ae. cretinus found but 14 mosquito species
  • Cx. tritaeniorhynchus looks to be common (at 11 sites)
  • Cx. modestus and An. superpictus found (at 2 and 4 sites, respectively)

A seminar was given on October 20th at Khazar University, Baku (8 p.).
Besides, sampling could be collected in Georgia, aiming at filling gaps in the Easter part of the country: 36 samplings performed at 25 sites within 14 AdminUnits in Georgia, yielding 120 mosquito specimens from 9 species, but no Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus were observed during that mission.

September 2017

Expert mission for WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO): Surveillance and control of vector species in Qatar: Situation analysis and needs assessment.
In the perspective of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the soccer 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) clearly expresses the willingness to ensure compliance with WHO resolutions on VBD, in particular for malaria elimination, by avoiding its comeback and becoming a certificated malaria-free country, and for IHR application.
This mission consisted of a literature review on vectors and VBD in Qatar and 5-days visit on place including a stakeholder workshop. The outcomes were described in a report with recommendations and a protocol for the establishment of an entomological surveillance system in Qatar.
The work was supervised by Dr. Ghasem Zamani, WHO Officer, Regional Advisor, and facilitated locally by Dr. Elmoubasher Abu Baker Abd Farag, Public Health Department, MoPH, Qatar.

September 2017

Training of medical entomologists from Balkan and Caucasus countries, at Tirana, Albania, on Field Procedures for Mosquito Population Surveillance, Detection and Quantification, in collaboration with Prof. Dušan Petrić, Dr Romeo Bellini, Dr. Fabrizio Balestrino and Dr. Jeremy Bouyer. Two-weeks training supported and organised within Joint FAO/IAEA Programme, Regional TC Project RER5022. Experimentation of mark-release-recapture technique with the Asian tiger mosquito in urban context.

August 2017

Contribution to a workshop on mosquitoes (Culicidae) and biting midges (Ceratopogonidae: Culicoides) in Pasvik, Finnmark, Norway, aiming at:
– Increase collaboration on Culicidae and Culicoides between neighbouring countries.
– Collect information on the species that are present in Finnmark and update the present species list of the area.
– Make relevant parts of the species data available through Artsdatabanken and prepare a scientific publication on the data.
– Provide material for DNA barcoding to the Norwegian Barcode of life (NorBol).
– During the workshop, collect material in the area, identify parts of the material and make it available through Artsdatabanken.
This five-days workshop was supported by the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre (Artsdatabanken), the Norwegian institute for Nature Research (NINA) and the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) and was led by Sondre Dahle (NINA) and Paul Eric Aspholm (NIBIO).
As an outcome, 11 mosquito species were observed, including Cx. torrentium and An. beklemishevi.

June-September 2017

VectorNet field mission in France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Tunisia, aiming at collecting field data on the occurrence and distribution of Anopheles labranchiae, An. sacharovi, An. superpictus, An. plumbeus, Culex modestus, Cx. perexiguus, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, for the validation of VectorNet Gap Analysis (GA) modelling.
Here sampling locations were chosen according to suitability level (low/medium/high) of GA output maps, and sampling sites were selected from GoogleEarth satellite images within these locations (level colour pixels), targeting larval habitats suitable for the defined species, e.g. river beds for An. superpictus, tree holes for An. plumbeus, marshes and ponds for Cx. modestus. Overall, 157 samples were taken from 116 sites within 67 AdminUnits, yielding 4’172 mosquito specimens.
Field missions were performed in collaboration in France with Dr. Vincent Robert and Dr. Gilbert Le Goff, MIVEGEC-IRD, and in Tunisia with Prof. Ali Bouattour, Dr. Adel Rhaim, Dr. Youmna M’ghirbi and Dr. Fatma Khrouf, Service d’Entomologie Médicale, Institut Pasteur de Tunis.

June 2017

Expert service to the National Museum of National History of Luxembourg, with a two-days identification session for a batch of 270 mosquito adults collected in a national monitoring throughout 2016, and a one-day training session for local team on identification of mosquito adult females, at museum facilities, Luxembourg.

May 2017

Short VectorNet field mission in Ireland, together with British and Irish colleagues from VectorNet tick group, with the aim to collect field data and meet local entomologists. Brief outcomes are:

  • During this four-days field trip, 41 samplings/trapping were performed at 35 locations and 11 mosquito species were sampled, including 2 species new for Ireland; the others are 9 out of the 18 species recorded (50%)
  • No invasive mosquito species observed
  • Additional survey by local partners were performed by ovitrapping
  • Culicoides biting midges were also sampled for the Culicoides Group (3 samples; 1’930 specimens)
April 2017

Training of public health stakeholders and medical entomologists from Balkans and Caucasus countries, in line with the Training curriculum on invasive mosquitoes and (re-)emerging vector-borne diseases in the European region and with the contribution of Dr. Henk van den Berg. Five-days training organised and supported at Dubrovnik, Croatia, by WHO Regional Office for Europe.

February 2017

Scientific support and training for implementing mosquito monitoring to collect mosquito abundance and seasonality data in an oasis, Egypt. Performed for Avia-GIS, Belgium, with a local partner.

January 2017

Training of medical entomologists from east European countries on Mosquito Identification, Surveillance and Trapping Methods for Area-Wide Integrated Mosquito Management in the European Area, in collaboration with Prof. Dušan Petrić, Dr Martin Geier, and Dr. Fabrizio Balestrino. Five-days training supported and organised within Joint FAO/IAEA Programme, Regional TC Project RER5022, at IAEA facilities Seibersdorf, Austria .

December 2016

Finalisation of the Training curriculum on invasive mosquitoes and (re-)emerging vector-borne diseases in the WHO European region.
The aim of this curriculum is to provide non-specialists with the understanding and analytic skills about the key issues surrounding invasive mosquitoes and re-emerging vector-borne diseases in their country that will enable them to improve strategic planning and implementation of activities.
The curriculum is made to be consistent with the Regional Framework for surveillance and control of invasive mosquito vectors and re-emerging vector-borne diseases.

November 2016

Training of public health stakeholders and medical entomologists from Croatia, in line with the Training curriculum on invasive mosquitoes and (re-)emerging vector-borne diseases in the European region and with the contribution of Dr. Henk van den Berg. Five-days training supported and organised at Dubrovnik, Croatia, by WHO Regional Office for Europe.

October 2016

Training of medical entomologists from Armenian National Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, on identification of larvae and adult mosquitoes. Five-days training organised at Yerevan, Armenia, supported by WHO Regional Office for Europe and performed in connection with VectorNet and MediLabSecure projects.

September 2016

Expert assessment of vector surveillance and control activities in Curaçao (Dutch Indies): Situation analysis and needs assessment. Performed with the contribution of Dr. Marieta Braks, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands, and delivered to the Ministry of Health, Environment & Nature of Curaçao.

CONTACT

Francis Schaffner Consultancy – Surveillance and management of biting insects
Lörracherstrasse 50
4125 Riehen (Basel-Land)
Switzerland
fschaffner.consult@gmail.com