Biological Differences between Brackish and Fresh Water-Derived Aedes aegypti from Two Locations in the Jaffna Peninsula of Sri Lanka and the Implications for Arboviral Disease Transmission

Ligusticum sinense Oliv. cv. is a species of Umbelliferae (Apiaceae), a large plant family in the order Apiales. In this study, L. sinense hexane extract nanoemulsion gel (LHE-NEG) was investigated for mosquito repellency and compared to the standard chemical, N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET), with the goal of developing a natural alternative to synthetic repellents in protecting against mosquito vectors. The results demonstrated that LHE-NEG afforded remarkable repellency against Aedes aegypti, Anopheles minimus, and Culex quinquefasciatus, with median protection times (MPTs) of 5.5 (4.5–6.0), 11.5 (8.5–12.5), and 11.25 (8.5–12.5) h, respectively, which was comparable to those of DEET-nanoemulsion gel (DEET-NEG: 8.5 (7.0–9.0), 12.0 (10.0–12.5), and 12.5 (10.0–13.5) h, respectively). Evaluation of skin irritation in 30 human volunteers revealed no potential irritant from LHE-NEG. The physical and biological stability of LHE-NEG were determined after being kept under heating/cooling cycle conditions. The stored samples of LHE-NEG exhibited some changes in appearance and differing degrees of repellency between those kept for 3 and 6 heating/cooling cycles, thus providing slightly shorter MPTs of 4.25 (4.0–4.5) and 3.25 (2.5–3.5) h, respectively, when compared to those of 5.0 (4.5–6.0) h in fresh preparation. These findings encourage commercially developed LHE-based products as an alternative to conventional synthetic repellents in preventing mosquito bites and helping to interrupt mosquito-borne disease transmission.

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Investigating Male Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Attraction to Different Oviposition Containers Using Various Configurations of the Sound Gravid Aedes Trap

Journal of Medical Entomology ◽

10.1093/jme/tjz229 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 57 (3) ◽

pp. 957-961

Author(s):

Kyran M Staunton ◽

Barukh B Rohde ◽

Michael Townsend ◽

Jianyi Liu ◽

Mark Desnoyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Zika Virus ◽

Disease Transmission ◽

Urban Landscape ◽

Mosquito Control ◽

Transmission Risk ◽

Northern Australia ◽

Control Programs ◽

Male Dispersal ◽

Olfactory Attractant

Abstract Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus), the primary vectors of the arboviruses dengue virus and Zika virus, continue to expand their global distributions. In efforts to better control such species, several mosquito control programs are investigating the efficacy of rearing and releasing millions of altered male Aedes throughout landscapes to reduce populations and disease transmission risk. Unfortunately, little is known about Ae. aegypti, especially male, dispersal behaviors within urban habitats. We deployed Sound-producing Gravid Aedes Traps (SGATs) in Cairns, northern Australia, to investigate male Ae. aegypti attraction to various oviposition container configurations. The traps were arranged to include: 1) water only, 2) organically infused water, 3) infused water and L3 larvae, 4) infused water and a human-scented lure, and lastly 5) no water or olfactory attractant (dry). Our data suggest that males were more attracted to SGATs representing active larval sites than potential larval sites, but were equally attracted to dry SGATs relative to those containing water and/or infusion. Additionally, we found that female Ae. aegypti were equally attracted to wet SGATs, with or without infusion, but not dry ones. These results suggest that male Ae. aegypti within northern Australia are more attracted to active larval sites and equally attracted to dry containers as wet or infused ones. Additionally, female Ae. aegypti are unlikely to enter dry containers. Such findings contribute to our understanding of potentially attractive features for local and released Ae. aegypti throughout the northern Australian urban landscape.

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