Natural Pathogenic Fungi Infection Attributes of Malarial Vectors Anopheles Maculipennis S. L. and Anopheles Superpictus S. L. in Central Iran

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Hassan Moosa Kazemi ◽  
Tahereh Sadat Asgarian ◽  
Mohammad Mehdi Sedaghat ◽  
Saeedeh Javar
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Central Iran ◽  
Infected Mosquito ◽  
Fungal Mycelium ◽  
Mosquito Larvae ◽  
Larval Habitats ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Fungi Infection

Abstract Background: Due to the effect of synthetic and commercial insecticides on non-target organisms and the resistance of mosquitoes, in recent years non-chemical and environmentally friendly methods have become prevalent. In this research, we aimed to isolate entomopathogenic fungi with toxic effects on mosquitoes in natural larval habitats.Methods: Larval mosquitos were collected from Central, Qamsar, Niasar and Barzok Districts in Kashan County, Central Iran by standard dipping method, from April to late December 2019. Dead larvae and larvae with signs of infection to fungal mycelium detectable on the outer surface of its body were isolated from the rest of the larvae and were sterilized with 10% sodium hypochlorite for two minutes, then washed twice with distilled water and transferred to PDA (potato-dextrose-agar) and WA (water-agar) media and incubated at a temperature of 25 ± 2° C for 3 - 4 days. Larvae and fungi were identified morphologically based on identification keys.Results: A total of 9789 larvae were collected from urban and rural areas in Kashan County. The genera i.e. Anopheles (7.89%), Culiseta (17.42%), and Culex (74.69%) including 13 species were identified. A total of 105 larvae including Anopheles superpictus s. l., An. maculipennis s. l., Culex deserticola, Cx. perexiguus, and Culiseta longiareolata were found to be infected by Nattrassia mangiferae, Aspergillus niger, A. fumigatus, Trichoderma spp. and Penicillium spp. Fungi. Penicillium spp. was the most abundant fungus isolated and identified from the larval habitats while An. superpictus s.l. was the most infected mosquito species. Conclusions: Based on the observations and results obtained from our study, isolated fungi had the potential for pathogenicity on mosquito larvae. Therefore, it is suggested that their effects on mosquito larvae be investigated in the laboratory. The most important point, however, is the proper way of exploiting these biocontrol agents to maximize their effect on reducing the population of vector mosquito larvae without any negative effect on non-target organisms.

scholarly journals Pathogenic fungi infection attributes of malarial vectors Anopheles maculipennis and Anopheles superpictus in central Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Hassan Moosa-Kazemi ◽  
Tahereh Sadat Asgarian ◽  
Mohammad Mehdi Sedaghat ◽  
Saeedeh Javar
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Central Iran ◽  
Infected Mosquito ◽  
Fungal Mycelium ◽  
Mosquito Larvae ◽  
Larval Habitats ◽  
Anopheles Maculipennis ◽  
Negative Effect

Abstract Background Due to the effect of synthetic and commercial insecticides on non-target organisms and the resistance of mosquitoes, non-chemical and environmentally friendly methods have become prevalent in recent years. The present study was to isolate entomopathogenic fungi with toxic effects on mosquitoes in natural larval habitats. Methods Larvae of mosquitoes were collected from Central, Qamsar, Niasar, and Barzok Districts in Kashan County, Central Iran by standard dipping method, from April to late December 2019. Dead larvae, live larvae showing signs of infection, and larvae and pupae with a white coating of fungal mycelium on the outer surface of their bodies were isolated from the rest of the larvae and sterilized with 10% sodium hypochlorite for 2 min, then washed twice with distilled water and transferred to potato-dextrose-agar (PDA) and water-agar (WA) media and incubated at 25 ± 2 °C for 3–4 days. Larvae and fungi were identified morphologically based on identification keys. Results A total of 9789 larvae were collected from urban and rural areas in Kashan County. Thirteen species were identified which were recognized to belong to three genera, including Anopheles (7.89%), Culiseta (17.42%) and Culex (74.69%). A total of 105 larvae, including Anopheles superpictus sensu lato (s.l), Anopheles maculipennis s.l., Culex deserticola, Culex perexiguus, and Culiseta longiareolata were found to be infected by Nattrassia mangiferae, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Trichoderma spp., and Penicillium spp. Of these, Penicillium spp. was the most abundant fungus isolated and identified from the larval habitats, while An. superpictus s.l. was the most infected mosquito species. Conclusions Based on the observations and results obtained of the study, isolated fungi had the potential efficacy for pathogenicity on mosquito larvae. It is suggested that their effects on mosquito larvae should be investigated in the laboratory. The most important point, however, is the proper way of exploiting these biocontrol agents to maximize their effect on reducing the population of vector mosquito larvae without any negative effect on non-target organisms.

scholarly journals Fauna and Larval Habitat Characteristics of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Kashan County, Central Iran, 2019

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahereh Sadat Asgarian ◽  
Seyed Hassan Moosa-Kazemi ◽  
Mohammad Mehdi Sedaghat ◽  
Rouhullah Dehghani ◽  
Mohammad Reza Yaghoobi-Ershadi
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Larval Habitat ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Larval Habitats ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
First Time

Background: Mosquitoes are responsible for spreading devastating parasites and pathogens causing some important infectious diseases. The present study was done to better understand and update the fauna of Culicidae and to find out the distribution and the type of their larval habitats in Kashan County. Methods: This study was done in four districts of Kashan County (Central, Qamasr, Niasar and Barzok). Mosquito lar-vae were collected from 23 active larval habitats using a standard 350ml capacity mosquito dipper from April to late December 2019. The collected larvae were transferred to containers containing lactophenol, and after two weeks indi-vidually mounted in Berlese's fluid on a microscope slide and identified to species by morphological characters and valid keys. Results: In this study, a total of 9789 larvae were collected from urban and rural areas in Kashan County. The identified genera were Anopheles, Culiseta and Culex. In this study larvae of An. turkhudi, Cx. perexiguus, Cx. mimeticus, Cx. deserticola and Cs. subochrea were collected for the first time from Kashan County. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate the presence and activity of different mosquito species in Kashan County that some of them are vectors of arbovirus and other vector-borne diseases.

scholarly journals Survey of Usutu Virus Potential Vectors and their Diversity in Iran: A Neglected Emerging Arbovirus

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-118
Author(s):  
Mehdi Khoobdel ◽  
Davoud Keshavarzi
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Mosquito Larvae ◽  
Larval Habitats ◽  
Significant Positive Relationship ◽  
Usutu Virus ◽  
Ecological Features ◽  
Frequent Species ◽  
The Family ◽  
Vector Borne

Introduction: Usutu Virus (USUV) is a vector-borne flavivirus within the family of Flaviviridae; its reservoirs and vectors are birds and mosquitoes, respectively. Methods: At first, electronic databases were searched with a date range from 2000 to 2018 to find the Culex species that transmit the disease and then for determining the diversity of those, mosquito larvae were collected from six places in three main environmental categories using the dipping technique. Results: In total, 1369 specimens belonging to 10 different species were collected and identified, as follows: Cx. hortensis Ficalbi, Cx. laticinctus Edwards, Cx. mimeticus Noe, Cx. perxigus Theobald, Cx. pipiens Linnaeus, Cx. modestus Ficalbi, Cx. sinaiticus Kirkpatrick, Cx. theileri Theobald Cx. torrentium Martini and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus Giles. Four species involved as vectors of USUV in other countries are printed in bold. Cx.pipiens, as the main vector was the most frequent species in rural areas, share its larval habitats with Cx. torrentium (similarity > 0.9) and reached its peak in August. Overall, in the present study, there was a significant positive relationship between mean temperatures and abundance of mosquitoes (r = 0.75, P = 0.005). Conclusion: In the present study, some species involved as main vectors of USUV in other countries and their ecological features were recorded. Based on these results, the possibility of the emergence of USUV in Iran exists.

Fungi on leaves, branches and stems of trees and shrubs of Saint Petersburg suburban parks

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
М.В. Сидельникова ◽  
А.В. Тобиас ◽  
Д.Ю. Власов
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Dutch Elm Disease ◽  
City Center ◽  
Saint Petersburg ◽  
Xylotrophic Fungi ◽  
Fungi Infection ◽  
Mycological Examination ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Available Information ◽  
Trees And Shrubs

Проведены микологические обследования древесной и кустарниковой растительности на территории парковой зоны Санкт-Петербурга и пригородов. Сбор материала проводился в парках южных пригородов Санкт-Петербурга (Павловский парк, Екатерининский парк, Нижний сад и Верхний парк Ораниенбаума, Верхний сад и Нижний парк ГМЗ «Петергоф»). В сравнительных целях был обследован парк при Обуховской больнице в центре Санкт-Петербурга. На древесно-кустарниковых породах парковой зоны нами выявлено 230 видов грибов (микро- и макромицетов). На листьях выявлено 28 видов микромицетов, в числе которых возбудители мучнистой росы, ржавчины и пятнистостей. На ветвях и стволах древесных пород выявлено 150 видов микромицетов, среди которых есть как часто встречающиеся, так и редкие виды грибов. Большинство из них обнаруживается в анаморфной стадии. Наибольшее разнообразие и развитие микромицетов отмечено на сухих ветвях. Высокой вредоносностью характеризуются тиростромоз липы и голландская болезнь вязов. Выявлены устойчивые патогенные комплексы грибов, развитие которых приводит к заметному ухудшению состояния растений. На стволах живых и усыхающих деревьев, а также растительных остатках отмечено 52 вида макромицетов. Среди них выявлены доминирующие и редкие виды. Среди источников заражения древесных растений ксилотрофными грибами выделяются отмершие вязы, усохшие стволы которых можно наблюдать как в пригородных парках, так и в центральной части Санкт-Петербурга. Полученные данные существенно расширяют имеющиеся сведения по микобиоте парков Санкт-Петербурга. Mycological examination of tree and shrub vegetation on the territory of Saint Petersburg park zone and its suburbs was conducted. Material was collected in the parks of southern suburbs of Saint Petersburg (Pavlovsk Park, Catherine Park, Lower Garden and Upper Park in Oranienbaum, Upper Garden and Lower Park in Peterhof). For comparative purposes Park of Obukhov Hospital in Saint Petersburg city center was also examined. At the moment, 230 fungi species (micro- and macrofungi) were identified on trees and shrubs of the park zone. Among them, 28 species of microfungi, including powdery mildew, rust and blights pathogens were found on leaves. Also, 150 species of microfungi, including both common and rare fungi species, were found on branches and trunks. Most of them were found in the anamorphic stage. The greatest diversity and microfungi development were noted on dry branches. Thyrostromose of linden and Dutch elm disease are the most harmful. Stable complexes of pathogenic fungi, which development leads to clear decline of plants' condition, were identified. In addition, 52 species of macrofungi, including dominant and rare species, were observed on trunks of living and drying trees and vegetation residues. Among the sources of xylotrophic fungi infection of woody plants, dead elms are the most distinguished. Their dead trunks can be found in both suburban parks and the central part of Saint Petersburg. The presented data significantly expand available information on mycobiota Saint Petersburg parks.

scholarly journals Seasonal abundance and larval habitats characterization of mosquito species in Lagos State, Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. e00656
Author(s):  
Ifeoluwa Kayode Fagbohun ◽  
Emmanuel Taiwo Idowu ◽  
Taiwo Samson Awolola ◽  
Olubunmi Adetoro Otubanjo
Keyword(s):  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Seasonal Abundance ◽  
Larval Habitats ◽  
Lagos State

Effect of education on migration decisions in Ghana: a rural-urban perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 336-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franklin Amuakwa-Mensah ◽  
Louis Boakye-Yiadom ◽  
William Baah-Boateng
Keyword(s):  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Migration Decision ◽  
Skilled Workers ◽  
Mixed Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Migration Decisions ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of education on migration decisions focusing on rural and urban in-migrants by comparing the 2005/2006 and 2012/2013 rounds of the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS5 and GLSS6). After correcting for selectivity bias, the authors observed that anticipated welfare gain and socio-economic variables such as sector of employment, sex, experience, age, educational level and marital status significantly affect an individual’s migration decision. Design/methodology/approach – The authors made use of Sjaastad’s (1962) human capital framework as a basis for examining the impact of education on migration. The migration decision equation was based on the Heckman two stage procedure. Findings – While educational attainment is observed to have a positive effect on migration decision in the period 2005/2006, the authors find a negative effect of educational attainment on migration decision in the period 2012/2013. The effect of educational attainment on migration decision in 2005/2006 for urban in-migrant is higher than the effect for rural in-migrant, with its significance varying for the different stages of educational attainment. In absolute terms, whereas the effect of secondary educational attainment on migration decisions for urban in-migrant is higher than that of rural in-migrant, the reverse holds for higher educational attainment during the period 2012/2013. Social implications – Based on the mixed effect of education on migration decision as evident from the study, policies to enhance the educational system in Ghana should be complemented with job creations in the entire country. Moreover, special attention should be given to the rural sector in such a way that the jobs to be created in the sector do not require skilled workers. With quality education and job creation, the welfare of individuals living in urban and rural areas will be enhanced. Originality/value – In spite of the importance of education in migration decisions, there is scanty literature on the rural-urban dimension. To the best of the author’s knowledge there is no literature in the Ghanaian context which examines the rural and urban perspective of the impact of education on migration with a much recent data. Further, the author consider how the determinants of migration decision have changed over time focusing on rural and urban perspectives.

scholarly journals A Proposed Land Exchange Algorithm for Eliminating the External Plot Patchwork

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
Żanna Stręk ◽  
Przemysław Leń ◽  
Justyna Wójcik-Leń ◽  
Paweł Postek ◽  
Monika Mika ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Structure ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Test Sample ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Exchange Algorithm ◽  
The World ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Structure Improvement ◽  
Land Exchange

In many countries of the world, rural areas are characterized by a defective spatial structure of agricultural land. The most frequent defects are large fragmentation and distribution of farmland. The fragmentation of land has been an issue widely described by many authors throughout the world. The problem of the distribution of land owned by individual farmers is slightly different, since due to the complexity of the problem this issue was not widely explored in Poland (plot patchwork) or in other countries of Europe and the world. Land fragmentation and distribution of plots in rural areas has a negative effect on the profitability and efficiency of agricultural production. Land consolidation and exchange is an operation facilitating spatial structure improvement. The authors attempted to develop a universal land exchange algorithm for eliminating the external plot patchwork. As it turns out, so far no land exchange algorithm has been developed. Specific analyses were carried out in Puchaczów commune, county of Łęczna, Lublin voivodeship in the eastern part of Poland, covering an area of 6907.80 ha, split into 15,211 plots. The chequerboard arrays method was used. The publication presents the algorithm and its practical application using a test sample. A result of the studies is a proposal concerning the exchange of land between landowners in the villages of the commune of Puchaczów. Using the algorithm, the area of individual lands in the commune, after the exchange, will increase by 172.09 ha, which is 2.5% for the area of individual lands, and 1.9% for the commune.

scholarly journals Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in Ghana

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-187
Author(s):  
Sumani Abdul-Manan ◽  
Alhassan Iddrisu Abdullai ◽  
Buhari Gunu Yussif
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
P Value ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccine Acceptance ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Social Media Platforms

Background: A proven strategy for saving lives from vaccine-preventable diseases is the timely vaccination of the people. In Ghana, there is considerable hesitation about the Covid-19 vaccines due to anxieties and uncertainties about their safety. With varying perceptions and believes being developed about Covid-19 vaccines, there is a likely negative effect on vaccine acceptance or otherwise. This study aims to ascertain the levels of acceptance of potential Covid-19 vaccine among Ghanaian adults, to identify predictors of vaccine acceptance or hesitance. Methodology: A web based cross-sectional survey conducted among Ghanaians above 18 years, conducted between the month of February and March, 2021. Data were collected by administering online google forms (Questionnaire). The questionnaire was shared through social media platforms. A snowball sampling technique was used where researchers shared google forms to close friends and family. Analyses were conducted at p-value <0.05 using descriptive statistics, cross-tabula­tions and logistic regression. Results: A total of 350 responses were achieved by end of data collection. Out of these, only 348 were considered for analysis based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Majority of the respondents (65.2%) were male, a third (30%) of them live in rural areas and about 57.5% were married. Factors such as age, educational level, prior vaccine acceptance history, personal vulnerability and self-feeling of health were significantly associated with covid-19 vaccine acceptance. Conclusion: The results depict low acceptance rate for potential covid-19 vaccine among Ghanaians. Government and MoH should engage the media on its role in combating misinformation with regards the Covid-19 vaccine. Key words: coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), vaccine, hesitance, acceptance.

Internal remittances and employment choices in rural Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 505-524
Author(s):  
Stanley Kojo Dary ◽  
Yazidu Ustarz
Keyword(s):  
Labor Supply ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Instrumental Variable ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rural Ghana ◽  
Self Employment ◽  
Variable Approach ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Household Heads ◽  
Employment Choices

PurposeThe paper examines the effect of internal remittances on the employment choices of household heads in rural Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs data from the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS 6) of the Ghana Statistical Service. Due to issues of endogeneity of remittances in relation to labor supply, the paper adopts an instrumental variable approach in the analysis. First, employment choices are categorized into three: (1) wage/salary employment, (2) self-employment and (3) domestic/family employment. The relationship is then modeled as instrumental variable multinomial probit (IV-MNP). Secondly, employment choices are recategorized into two: farm employment and otherwise and modeled as instrumental variable probit (IV-PROBIT). The models are estimated via the conditional mixed process (CMP) estimation technique.FindingsThe results indicate that remittances have a negative effect on self-employment and a positive effect on domestic/family employment. Thus, remittances reduce participation in self-employment but increase participation in domestic/family employment. Furthermore, remittances have a negative effect on participation in farm employment. The results are robust to different measures of remittances: receipt of remittances (dummy) and remittance income.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that remittances are used for consumption rather than investing in earning activities. In general, engaging in earning type of employment, whether farm and nonfarm employment will decline with receipt of remittances in rural Ghana. There is a need for policy attention with the increasing migration of people out of rural areas.Originality/valuePrior to this study, little was known on the effect of internal remittances on labor supply decisions of remittance recipients in Ghana, particularly rural Ghana. This paper contributes significantly to filling this knowledge gap.

A Survey of Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes in Tunisia and the Potential Role of Aedes detritus and Aedes caspius in the Transmission of Zika Virus

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 1377-1383
Author(s):  
Wiem Ben Ayed ◽  
Fadila Amraoui ◽  
Youmna M’ghirbi ◽  
Francis Schaffner ◽  
Adel Rhaim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Vector Competence ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Widespread Species ◽  
Larval Habitats ◽  
Aedes Caspius ◽  
Aedes Detritus

Abstract The present study aimed to update the list of Aedes mosquito species occurring in Tunisia and to test the vector competence of Aedes (Ochlerotatus) caspius (Pallas) and Ae. (Ochlerotatus) detritus (Haliday), the locally most abundant and widespread species, to transmit Zika virus (ZIKV). In 2017–2018, mosquito larvae were collected from 39 different larval habitats in seven bioclimatic zones of Tunisia. The salinity and pH of each breeding site were measured. The survey revealed the presence of 10 Aedes species in Tunisia: Ae. (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse), Ae. (Ochlerotatus) berlandi (Séguy), Ae. caspius, Ae. detritus, Ae. (Finlaya) echinus (Edwards), Ae. (Finlaya) geniculatus (Olivier), Ae. (Acartomyia) mariae (Sergent and Sergent), Ae. (Ochlerotatus) pulcritarsis (Rondani), Ae. (Aedimorphus) vexans (Meigen), and Ae. (Fredwardsius) vittatus (Bigot). Of these 10 species, Ae. caspius and Ae. detritus were the most abundant in Tunisia. Aedes detritus and Ae. caspius larvae were reared until the imago stage under insectary conditions to test autogeny. The study showed that Ae. detritus is autogenous and stenogamous and Ae. caspius, anautogenous and eurygamous. Finally, the collected strains of these two species were experimentally infected with the Asian genotype of ZIKV, originally isolated from a patient in April 2014 in New Caledonia, to test their vector competence. Neither of these species was able to transmit ZIKV at 7 and 14 d postexposure. Further investigations are needed to test the competence of other Tunisian mosquito species that may be associated with ZIKV transmission.

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