Although it is very important in view of public health to understand the mosquito breeding sites and key reservoirs existing around residential areas, such information is lacking in temporary housing sites constructed after the serious tsunami strikes on 26 December 2004 in Sri Lanka. This study clarified the situation regarding mosquito breeding 14 months after the tsunami in Sri Lanka by surveying temporary housing and non-damaged village areas, and also by examining people‘s knowledge related to mosquito breeding sites and mosquito-borne diseases. The relative frequency of mosquito larvae in wastewater pools was significantly higher in temporary housing than in village areas. The prevalence of storage containers at temporary housing and village areas was not significantly different. It was found that wastewater pools in temporary housing sites were the main breeding site of Culex quinquefasciatus Say, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus Giles, and Aedes albopictus Skuse whereas storage containers in village areas were the main breeding site of Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. albopictus. No mosquitoes bred in storage containers in the temporary housing but some Ae. albopictus did so in village areas. The questionnaires indicated a significant difference between residents of temporary housing and villages in response to the question: Do you know where mosquitoes breed? The proportion of the “wastewater pools” response was higher among temporary housing residents than among village residents. This knowledge among temporary housing residents may relate to the fact that wastewater pools are latent breeding sites for mosquitoes in temporary housing sites. Although residents in the temporary housing sites put salt and abluent into storage containers to prevent mosquitoes from breeding, wastewater pools receiving a constant supply of wastewater provided the best breeding site for mosquitoes.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare cause of pulmonary hypertension; less than 5% of pulmonary hypertension is caused by recurrent pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). By definition, CTEPH happens within the first two years after symptomatic PTE; however, cases are often diagnosed without a history of acute PTE. Because of the poor functional status and chronicity of this disease, the classic and curative strategy of open pulmonary endarterectomy cannot be applied in some patients with lesions that involve the distal subsegmental pulmonary artery. Bridging therapy is needed for cases that are technically operable but have an unacceptable risk-benefit assessment or residual symptomatic pulmonary hypertension following surgical removal. Groups in Europe and Japan recently introduced balloon pulmonary angioplasty or percutaneous transluminal pulmonary angioplasty, which has led to significant improvement in functional and hemodynamic parameters in patients with CTEPH. This article introduces recent updates in patient selection and interventional procedures for this chronic and devastating disease.
Angioplasty ; Endarterectomy ; Europe ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Japan ; Patient Selection ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Risk Assessment ; Thromboembolism

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare cause of pulmonary hypertension; less than 5% of pulmonary hypertension is caused by recurrent pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). By definition, CTEPH happens within the first two years after symptomatic PTE; however, cases are often diagnosed without a history of acute PTE. Because of the poor functional status and chronicity of this disease, the classic and curative strategy of open pulmonary endarterectomy cannot be applied in some patients with lesions that involve the distal subsegmental pulmonary artery. Bridging therapy is needed for cases that are technically operable but have an unacceptable risk-benefit assessment or residual symptomatic pulmonary hypertension following surgical removal. Groups in Europe and Japan recently introduced balloon pulmonary angioplasty or percutaneous transluminal pulmonary angioplasty, which has led to significant improvement in functional and hemodynamic parameters in patients with CTEPH. This article introduces recent updates in patient selection and interventional procedures for this chronic and devastating disease.