Two doctoral students who study dengue in Thomas Scott's Mosquito Research Laboratory at the University of California, Davis have received honors for their work.

They are Nicole Mans, awarded a Fulbright scholarship to do research in Peru on dengue, and Sharon Minnick, who received a one-year epidemiology fellowship with the Vector-Borne Diseases Division of the California Department of Health Services to carry out epidemiologic studies on a variety of vectorborne diseases throughout the state.

Globally, some 2.5 million people are at risk for dengue, a mosquito-borne disease found in tropical and subtropical regions. The virus is primarily transmitted by Aedes aegypti.
The disease has two forms: the more mild dengue fever (afflicting more than 50 million people annually) and the potentially fatal dengue haemorrhagic fever (afflicting some 100,000 people a year).

Scott, their major professor, is a professor of entomology at UC Davis. His research lab focuses on the epidemiology, ecology, and evolution of insect-transmitted diseases.

Nicole Mans

Mans, one of nine successful applicants from a pool of 50 for the Peruvian grant, will leave this fall to study the ecology and epidemiology of dengue in city of Iquitos for eight to 10 months.

"I'm particularly interested in the intersection of ecology, epidemiology and public health," Mans said.

"There is no vaccine and no cure for the disease," she noted. "Although vaccines are under development, for now the only option for limiting transmission is vector control. Therefore, understanding the ecology of the mosquito vector is important for making sound public health policies."

"I'm going to investigate who is at great risk, with the goal that we may eventually be able to direct control efforts more efficiently."

Mans, from Palo Alto, received her bachelor of arts degree in environmental studies in 2003 from Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, and her master's degree in epidemiology, with an emphasis on infectious diseases, from UC Davis in 2006.

She attributes an undergraduate course in medical geography with sparking her interest in vectorborne diseases. "The combination of ecology and public health especially intrigued me."

Her first research experience: studying the West Nile virus with Mary Garvin at Oberlin College.

Mans enrolled in the UC Davis entomology doctorate program in fall 2004. After finishing her doctorate, she plans a teaching career.

The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and established in 1946 by the U.S. Congress, offers teaching and research opportunities for students, scholars, and professionals in more than 140 countries. The program awards more than 1300 grants annually.

U. S. Sen. J. William Fulbright (1905-1955) of Arkansas, who conceived the Fulbright Program, defined its purpose as "fostering leadership, learning and empathy between cultures."


Sharon Minnick

Minnick, who plans a career in medical entomology with an international emphasis, said her California Department of Health Services fellowship is "a good introduction to the public health field in California."

Minnick said dengue fever causes "fever, weakness and debilitating pain" while the more severe form, dengue hemorrhagic fever, is characterized by "hemorrhages, shock and sometimes death."

Nearly 4000 cases of dengue were reported in the United States from 1977 to 2004, but many more cases go unreported. Dengue outbreaks occasionally occur in south Texas, near the Mexican border.

American travelers returning from dengue-endemic areas account for imported dengue cases. "It's a big problem among travelers," Minnick said. "You can't take medicine, like you can to prevent malaria. You can't take a vaccine like you can with yellow fever. There is no cure for dengue."

"The virus that causes dengue is actually a collection of four distinct serotypes," Minnick said. "If you get one form of dengue, that does not protect you from the others."

Said Scott: "Sharon's Ph.D research has revealed previously unrecognized details that will substantially improve the prospects for dengue prevention in resource strapped, disease endemic countries. We are very proud of her accomplishments. Although we are happy for her to be able to pursue this new challenge, we are really going to miss her when she leaves our research group."

A native of Sterling Heights, Mich., Minnick received her bachelor of science degree in biology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and her master's degree in epidemiology from UC Davis. She is scheduled to complete her doctorate in entomology this summer.

Web sites, with photos of the doctoral candidates:
http://www.ucmrp.ucdavis.edu/news/nicolemans.html
http://www.ucmrp.ucdavis.edu/news/sharonminnickfellowship.html