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Profiles animals with distinct bites, offering information on how differing teeth, jaws, and biting mechanics enable different species to eat, fight, and survive.

Animal-related injuries remain a neglected public health issue in rural Tanzania, exacerbated by limited access to care and varied occupational exposures. While some studies have examined bite management in tertiary hospitals, little is known about the situation at the primary healthcare (PHC) level. This study explored clinical presentations, management and outcomes of animal-related injuries in a rural Tanzanian setting, using Mkinga District as a case study. A mixed-methods study was conducted in February 2024 across 29 PHC facilities in Mkinga, Tanzania. The quantitative component involved a retrospective audit of animal-related injury records from 2019 to 2023. The qualitative component comprised 10 interviews with facility in-charges to explore clinical decision-making, treatment approaches, and outcomes. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS; thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative transcript. A total of 351 cases were documented. Symptom data were missing in over 70% of records, limiting clinical profiling. Among recorded cases, corticosteroids (55%) and antihistamines (53%) were commonly used, especially for insect and dog bites. Antibiotics were administered in insect stings (26%) and dog bites (23%), and analgesics were frequently used for insect bites. Antidotes were most common in dog (58%) and snake bites (26%). Of two cat bite cases, only one received antibiotics; neither received tetanus toxoid, despite the known infection risk. Qualitative findings highlighted three themes: clinical presentations, treatment modalities, and outcomes. Respondents described primary (e.g., bleeding, pain) and systemic (e.g., respiratory distress, neurological signs) symptoms. Treatment involved a mix of pharmacological, non-pharmacological, and traditional methods. While most patients recovered, some experienced complications or death. PHC facilities manage most animal-related injuries effectively, but gaps in documentation, guideline adherence, and referral systems remain. Strengthening provider training, improving resources, and engaging traditional healers may enhance timely care. Broader surveillance and community education are critical to reducing preventable harm.

\"Wildlife expert Coyote Peterson brings his 12.5 million YouTube subscribers and legions of kid fans a highly designed, full-color exploration of his 'Sting Zone' adventure series, culminating in his ... encounter with the 'King of Sting'--the executioner wasp\"-- Provided by publisher.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) has a direct role as a mediator in the pathogenesis of various disorders with an inflammatory component, including those with allergic aetiology. The peripheral blood concentration of PAF is dynamically regulated by plasma PAF acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH). Previous research suggest that low activity of plasma PAF-AH could be a predictive marker for increased severity of some types of allergic hypersensitivity reactions-especially anaphylaxis. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the association between plasma PAF-AH activity and severity in patients with anaphylactic reactions following a wasp or bee sting. The study group of 89 patients was divided into two subgroups depending on the increasing severity of the most severe anaphylactic reaction in the past, which was assessed according to the Müller's scale. The first subgroup included participants with a history of hypersensitivity reactions up to grade II. The second subgroup consisted of patients who have experienced at least one grade III or IV reactions in the past. A control group of 20 people was established. Plasma PAF-AH activity was measured using a colorimetric method. It has been observed that plasma activity of platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase was significantly lower in patients with anaphylaxis history compared to the control group with negative atopic history (on average 21.38 nmol/min/ml for the control group, 9.47 nmol/min/ml for the first subgroup and 10.16 nmol/min/ml for the second subgroup, in both cases p < 0.0001). The plasma activity of PAF-AH is a promising parameter that can help to distinguish a group of patients not threatened with development of anaphylaxis and not requiring laborious or expensive prophylactic procedures.

\"Ou-ou-ouch! Who did that? No bottoms are safe in a mischievous jungle story sure to elicit peals of laughter. All is quiet in the jungle. But not for long! \"Who bit my lovely green bottom?\" shouts Frog. He rushes to tell King Lion, who will surely know just what to do. But soon Monkey (eek-eek-eek!) and Zebra (ya-a-a hooo!) encounter something mighty and bitey, too. Can the King of the Jungle save them all? What kind of creature would test its super-sharp teeth on everything it meets? Vivid illustrations, rhythmic language, and a surprise perpetrator combine for a rollicking read\"--The publisher.

Aedes mosquitoes are vectors for several major arboviruses of public health concern including dengue viruses. The relationships between Aedes infestation and disease transmission are complex wherein the epidemiological dynamics can be difficult to discern because of a lack of robust and sensitive indicators for predicting transmission risk. This study investigates the use of anti-Aedes saliva antibodies as a serological biomarker for Aedes mosquito bites to assess small scale variations in adult Aedes density and dengue virus (DENV) transmission risk in northeastern Thailand. Individual characteristics, behaviors/occupation and socio-demographics, climatic and epidemiological risk factors associated with human-mosquito exposure are also addressed. The study was conducted within a randomized clustered control trial in Roi Et and Khon Kaen provinces over a consecutive 19 months period. Thirty-six (36) clusters were selected, each of ten houses. Serological and entomological surveys were conducted in all houses every four months and monthly in three sentinel households per cluster between September 2017 and April 2019 for blood spot collections and recording concurrent immature and adult Aedes indices. Additionally, the human exposure to Aedes mosquito bites (i.e., Mosquito Exposure Index or MEI) was estimated by ELISA measuring levels of human antibody response to the specific Nterm-34 kDa salivary antigen. The relationships between the MEI, vector infestation indices (adult and immature stages) and vector DENV infection were evaluated using a two-level (house and individual levels) mixed model analysis with one-month lag autoregressive correlation. There was a strong positive relationship between the MEI and adult Aedes (indoor and outdoor) density. Individuals from households with a medium mosquito density (mean difference: 0.091, p<0.001) and households with a high mosquito density (mean difference: 0.131, p<0.001) had higher MEI's compared to individuals from households without Aedes. On a similar trend, individuals from households with a low, medium or high indoor Aedes densities (mean difference: 0.021, p<0.007, 0.053, p<0.0001 and 0.037, p<0.0001 for low, medium and high levels of infestation, respectively) had higher MEI than individuals from houses without indoor Aedes. The MEI was driven by individual characteristics, such as gender, age and occupation/behaviors, and varied according to climatic, seasonal factors and vector control intervention (p<0.05). Nevertheless, the study did not demonstrate a clear correlation between MEI and the presence of DENV-infected Aedes. This study represents an important step toward the validation of the specific IgG response to the Aedes salivary peptide Nterm-34kDa as a proxy measure for Aedes infestation levels and human-mosquito exposure risk in a dengue endemic setting. The use of the IgG response to the Nterm-34 kDa peptide as a viable diagnostic tool for estimating dengue transmission requires further investigations and validation in other geographical and transmission settings.

Background Some settings continue to experience a high malaria burden despite scale-up of malaria vector control to high levels of coverage. Characterisation of persistent malaria transmission in the presence of standard control measures, also termed residual malaria transmission, to understand where and when individuals are exposed to vector biting is critical to inform refinement of prevention and control strategies. Methods Secondary analysis was performed using data collected during a phase III cluster randomized trial of attractive targeted sugar bait stations in Western Province, Zambia. Two seasonal cohorts of children aged 1–14 years were recruited and monitored monthly during the malaria transmission season, concurrent with entomological surveillance using a combination of human landing catch (HLC) and Centres for Disease Control (CDC) light traps at randomly selected households in study clusters. Behavioural data from cohort participants were combined with measured Anopheles funestus landing rates and sporozoite positivity to estimate the human behaviour-adjusted entomological inoculation rate (EIR). Results Behavioural data from 1237 children over 5456 child-visits in 20 entomology surveillance clusters were linked with hourly landing rates from 8131 female An . funestus trapped by HLC. Among all An . funestus tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), 3.3% were sporozoite-positive. Mean EIR directly measured from HLC was 0.07 infectious bites per person per night (ib/p/n). When accounting for child locations over the evening and night, the mean behaviour-adjusted EIR was 0.02 ib/p/n. Children not sleeping under insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) experienced 13.6 infectious bites per person per 6 month season, 8% of which occurred outdoors, while ITN users received 1.3 infectious bites per person per 6 month season, 86% of which were received outdoors. Sleeping under an ITN can prevent approximately 90% of potential An . funestus bites among children. Conclusions In this setting ITNs have a high personal protective efficacy owing to peak An . funestus biting occurring indoors while most individuals are asleep. However, despite high household possession of ITNs (>90%) and high individual use (>70%), children in this setting experience more than one infectious bite per person per 6 month transmission season, sufficient to maintain high malaria transmission and burden. New tools and strategies are required to reduce the malaria burden in such settings. Graphical Abstract

Envenoming resulting from Apis honeybee stings pose a neglected public health concern, with clinical complications ranging from mild local reactions to severe systemic manifestations. This review explores the mechanisms underlying envenoming by honeybee sting, discusses diagnostic approaches, and reviews current pharmacological interventions. This section explores the diverse clinical presentations of honeybee envenoming, including allergic and non-allergic reactions, emphasizing the need for accurate diagnosis to guide appropriate medical management. Mechanistic insights into the honeybee venom’s impact on physiological systems, including the immune and cardiovascular systems, are provided to enhance understanding of the complexities of honeybee sting envenoming. Additionally, the article evaluates emerging diagnostic technologies and therapeutic strategies, providing a critical analysis of their potential contributions to improved patient outcomes. This article aims to provide current knowledge for healthcare professionals to effectively manage honeybee sting envenoming, thereby improving patient care and treatment outcomes.

Repellents do not kill mosquitoes--they simply reduce human-vector contact. Thus it is possible that individuals who do not use repellents but dwell close to repellent users experience more bites than otherwise. The objective of this study was to measure if diversion occurs from households that use repellents to those that do not use repellents. The study was performed in three Tanzanian villages using 15%-DEET and placebo lotions. All households were given LLINs. Three coverage scenarios were investigated: complete coverage (all households were given 15%-DEET), incomplete coverage (80% of households were given 15%-DEET and 20% placebo) and no coverage (all households were given placebo). A crossover study design was used and coverage scenarios were rotated weekly over a period of ten weeks. The placebo lotion was randomly allocated to households in the incomplete coverage scenario. The level of compliance was reported to be close to 100%. Mosquito densities were measured through aspiration of resting mosquitoes. Data were analysed using negative binomial regression models. Repellent-users had consistently fewer mosquitoes in their dwellings. In villages where everybody had been given 15%-DEET, resting mosquito densities were fewer than half that of households in the no coverage scenario (Incidence Rate Ratio [IRR]=0.39 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.25-0.60); p<0.001). Placebo-users living in a village where 80% of the households used 15%-DEET were likely to have over four-times more mosquitoes (IRR=4.17; 95% CI: 3.08-5.65; p<0.001) resting in their dwellings in comparison to households in a village where nobody uses repellent. There is evidence that high coverage of repellent use could significantly reduce man-vector contact but with incomplete coverage evidence suggests that mosquitoes are diverted from households that use repellent to those that do not. Therefore, if repellents are to be considered for vector control, strategies to maximise coverage are required.

Reliable assessment of protection in venom immunotherapy (VIT) patients remains a clinical challenge, especially due to the limitations of conventional sting challenge tests (SCTs), which require complex insect handling and may compromise test accuracy. This study introduces StingReady, a novel, user-friendly device designed to streamline the SCT process by enabling safe, efficient, and minimally manipulative exposure to hymenopteran stings. For the first time, StingReady was applied to conduct SCTs with Vespa velutina, an invasive hornet species of increasing clinical relevance. The device was tested in a real-world setting at Belvís Park in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, where hornets were successfully captured and transported to the hospital without anesthesia or limb removal. The design features adjustable mesh sizes, allowing compatibility with various hymenopteran taxa. Using StingReady, nine patients underwent SCTs with no need for direct insect handling during the hospital procedure. The process improved patient safety and comfort while preserving the insect’s natural stinging behavior, thereby enhancing test reliability. This study demonstrates that StingReady significantly improves SCT methodology, offering a practical, reproducible, and ethically sound alternative for evaluating VIT efficacy across diverse hymenopteran species.