scholarly journals Host-Environment Interplay Shapes Fungal Diversity in Mosquitoes

mSphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patil Tawidian ◽  
Kerri L. Coon ◽  
Ari Jumpponen ◽  
Lee W. Cohnstaedt ◽  
Kristin Michel

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus , is the dominant mosquito species in the United States and an important vector of arboviruses of major public health concern. One aspect of mosquito control to curb mosquito-borne diseases has been the use of biological control agents such as fungal entomopathogens.

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Karungu ◽  
Evans Atoni ◽  
Joseph Ogalo ◽  
Caroline Mwaliko ◽  
Bernard Agwanda ◽  
...  

Kenya is among the most affected tropical countries with pathogen transmitting Culicidae vectors. For decades, insect vectors have contributed to the emergence and distribution of viral and parasitic pathogens. Outbreaks and diseases have a great impact on a country’s economy, as resources that would otherwise be used for developmental projects are redirected to curb hospitalization cases and manage outbreaks. Infected invasive mosquito species have been shown to increasingly cross both local and global boarders due to the presence of increased environmental changes, trade, and tourism. In Kenya, there have been several mosquito-borne disease outbreaks such as the recent outbreaks along the coast of Kenya, involving chikungunya and dengue. This certainly calls for the implementation of strategies aimed at strengthening integrated vector management programs. In this review, we look at mosquitoes of public health concern in Kenya, while highlighting the pathogens they have been linked with over the years and across various regions. In addition, the major strategies that have previously been used in mosquito control and what more could be done to reduce or combat the menace caused by these hematophagous vectors are presented.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-159
Author(s):  
Ahmad Khanijahani

PurposeThe purpose of this viewpoint is to discuss and analyze three major governance tools that have been implemented in the United States to target tobacco smoking as a major public health concern.Design/methodology/approachThe author highlights the negative consequences of smoking as a global and U.S public health concern and discusses three categories of governance tools implemented in the U.S. Additionally, emerging challenges in the U.S. and different sides of story in developing countries are underscored.FindingsAlthough some success has been reached in controlling smoking-related mortalities and morbidities in the U.S. and most of the countries, long-term and sustainable improvement require active surveillance and constant implementation of evidence-based policies and programs.Practical implicationsThis viewpoint discusses the governance tools that can be implemented to decrease smoking-related preventable mortalities and morbidities. Similar tools with some tuning can be used to target smoking in other nations. Additionally, these tools can be modified to target other public health-related wicked problems such as obesity, alcohol consumption, and traffic accidents.Originality/valueThis viewpoint highlights the magnitude of smoking as a major public health concern and underscores the necessity of using governance tools in targeting this issue. Additionally, it provides application examples from the United States implementable in other countries with some contextual justifications and tuning.


2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (45) ◽  
Author(s):  
E J Scholte ◽  
W Den Hartog ◽  
M Dik ◽  
B Schoelitsz ◽  
M Brooks ◽  
...  

In July 2010, during routine mosquito surveillance inspections at companies that import used tires, three invasive species were found at five locations in the Netherlands: the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti), the Asian tiger mosquito (Ae. albopictus), and the American rock-pool mosquito (Ae. atropalpus). This is the first time that Ae. aegypti is reported from the Netherlands. Mosquito control was initiated one week after the first invasive mosquito was found, using adulticides and larvicides. The available data suggest that the implemented control measures have been effective for this season.


2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 3-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
M N Wymann ◽  
E Flacio ◽  
S Radczuweit ◽  
N Patocchi ◽  
P Lüthy

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Stegomya albopicta) originating from south-east Asia, has spread primarily by the trade of used tyres to the United States, Europe, Latin America and Africa [1]. In Italy, the mosquito species was first detected in Genoa in 1990 and has since spread to several parts of the country, including border areas with Switzerland [2]. In 2000, an active monitoring system was established in southern Switzerland. The first tiger mosquito was detected in the canton of Ticino in 2003 [3]. Monitoring was gradually intensified due to growing mosquito densities in northern Italy. As the long-distance migration of Ae. albopictus depends on passive transport, the monitoring system consisted of strategically positioned oviposition traps along main traffic axes, including parking lots within industrial complexes, border crossings and shopping centres. In 2007, this monitoring system consisted of over 70 checkpoints with a total of 300 traps. Bi-weekly control visits to all traps were conducted between April and November 2007. As soon as eggs were detected, the surrounding vegetation within a perimeter of about 100 metres was sprayed with permethrin against adult mosquitoes. Stagnant water was treated with Bacillus thuringiensis and in some cases with diflubenzuron to control the larval stages.


2015 ◽  
Vol 83 (10) ◽  
pp. 3890-3901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prasun Moitra ◽  
Hong Zheng ◽  
Vivek Anantharaman ◽  
Rajdeep Banerjee ◽  
Kazuyo Takeda ◽  
...  

The intraerythrocytic apicomplexanBabesia microti, the primary causative agent of human babesiosis, is a major public health concern in the United States and elsewhere. Apicomplexans utilize a multiprotein complex that includes a type I membrane protein called apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) to invade host cells. We have isolated the full-lengthB. microtiAMA1 (BmAMA1) gene and determined its nucleotide sequence, as well as the amino acid sequence of the AMA1 protein. This protein contains an N-terminal signal sequence, an extracellular region, a transmembrane region, and a short conserved cytoplasmic tail. It shows the same domain organization as the AMA1 orthologs from piroplasm, coccidian, and haemosporidian apicomplexans but differs from all other currently known piroplasmida, including otherBabesiaandTheileriaspecies, in lacking two conserved cysteines in highly variable domain III of the extracellular region. Minimal polymorphism was detected in BmAMA1 gene sequences of parasite isolates from six babesiosis patients from Nantucket. Immunofluorescence microscopy studies showed that BmAMA1 is localized on the cell surface and cytoplasm near the apical end of the parasite. Native BmAMA1 from parasite lysate and refolded recombinant BmAMA1 (rBmAMA1) expressed inEscherichia colireacted with a mouse anti-BmAMA1 antibody using Western blotting.In vitrobinding studies showed that both native BmAMA1 and rBmAMA1 bind to human red blood cells (RBCs). This binding is trypsin and chymotrypsin treatment sensitive but neuraminidase independent. Incubation ofB. microtiparasites in human RBCs with a mouse anti-BmAMA1 antibody inhibited parasite growth by 80% in a 24-h assay. Based on its antigenically conserved nature and potential role in RBC invasion, BmAMA1 should be evaluated as a vaccine candidate.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Vittoria Mancini ◽  
Christie S. Herd ◽  
Thomas H. Ant ◽  
Shivan M. Murdochy ◽  
Steven P. Sinkins

AbstractThe global incidence of arboviral diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, including dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika, has increased dramatically in recent decades. The release of Aedes aegypti carrying the maternally inherited symbiont Wolbachia as an intervention to control arboviruses is being trialled in several countries. However, these efforts are compromised in many endemic regions due to the co-localization of the secondary vector Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito. Ae. albopictus has an expanding global distribution following incursions into a number of new territories. To date, only the wMel and wPip strains of Wolbachia have been reported to be transferred into and characterized in this vector. A Wolbachia strain naturally infecting Drosophila simulans, wAu, was selected for transfer into a Malaysian Ae. albopictus line to create a novel triple-strain infection. The newly generated line showed self-compatibility, moderate fitness cost and complete resistance to Zika and dengue infections.Author summaryAedes albopictus, the invasive Asian tiger mosquito, is responsible for numerous outbreaks of important viruses such as dengue and Zika in various regions of the world. The need for alterative control interventions propelled the development of a novel approach that exploits a natural insect symbiont, Wolbachia; when transferred into non-native hosts, these maternally-inherited bacteria are able to interfere with the transmission of mosquito-borne viruses, and also provide reproductive advantages to the host, offering a promising tool for self-sustaining field applications. Currently, several field trials are ongoing for the primary vector of dengue and several other arboviruses, Aedes aegypti, providing encouraging results. In this study, Ae. albopictus has been targeted for a similar approach: this mosquito species naturally carries two strains of Wolbachia. The artificial introduction of a third, non-native strain made this line less able to transmit dengue and Zika viruses and had an impact on its fitness.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 101691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Romeo Bellini ◽  
Antonios Michaelakis ◽  
Dušan Petrić ◽  
Francis Schaffner ◽  
Bulent Alten ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Frances M. Davis ◽  
Ting Tan ◽  
Suzanne Nicewonder ◽  
Raffaella De Vita

Pelvic floor disorders such as urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse represent a major public health concern in the United States affecting one third of adult women [1]. These disorders are determined by structural and mechanical alterations of the pelvic organs, their supporting muscles and connective tissues that occur mainly during pregnancy, vaginal delivery, and aging [1].


2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 555-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra K. Urich ◽  
Linda Chalcraft ◽  
Martin E. Schriefer ◽  
Brook M. Yockey ◽  
Jeannine M. Petersen

ABSTRACTYersinia pestisis the causative agent of plague, a fulminant disease that is often fatal without antimicrobial treatment. Plasmid (IncA/C)-mediated multidrug resistance inY. pestiswas reported in 1995 in Madagascar and has generated considerable public health concern, most recently because of the identification of IncA/C multidrug-resistant plasmids in other zoonotic pathogens. Here, we demonstrate no resistance in 392Y. pestisisolates from 17 countries to eight antimicrobials used for treatment or prophylaxis of plague.


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