scholarly journals Surveillance Studies Reveal Diverse and Potentially Pathogenic-Incriminated Vector Mosquito Species across Major Botswana Touristic Hotspots

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 913
Author(s):  
Mmabaledi Buxton ◽  
Casper Nyamukondiwa ◽  
Ryan J. Wasserman ◽  
Victor Othenin-Girard ◽  
Romain Pigeault ◽  
...  

Vector mosquitoes contribute significantly to the global burden of diseases in humans, livestock and wildlife. As such, the spatial distribution and abundance of mosquito species and their surveillance cannot be ignored. Here, we surveyed mosquito species across major tourism hotspots in semi-arid Botswana, including, for the first time, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Our results reported several mosquito species across seven genera, belonging to Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, Mansonia, Mimomyia, Coquillettidia and Uranotaenia. These results document a significant species inventory that may inform early warning vector-borne disease control systems and likely help manage the risk of emerging and re-emerging mosquito-borne infections.

Author(s):  
Tahereh Sadat Asgarian ◽  
Seyed Hassan Moosa-Kazemi ◽  
Mohammad Mehdi Sedaghat ◽  
Rouhullah Dehghani ◽  
Mohammad Reza Yaghoobi-Ershadi

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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-88
Author(s):  
Fedor I. Vasilevich ◽  
Anna M. Nikanorova

The purpose of the research is development of preventive measures against zooanthroponoze vector-borne diseases spread by parasitic arthropods in the Kaluga Region. Materials and methods. The subject of the research was Ixodidae, mosquitoes, and small mammals inhabiting the Kaluga Region. The census of parasitic arthropods was carried out on the territory of all districts of the Kaluga Region and the city of Kaluga. Open natural habitat and human settlements were investigated. Weather conditions from 2013 to 2018 were also taken into account. For the purposes of the study, we used standard methods for capturing and counting arthropods and mouse-like rodents. In order to obtain mathematical models of small mammal populations, a full factorial experiment was conducted using the collected statistical data. In-process testing of the drug based on s-fenvalerate and piperonyl butoxide were carried out under the conditions of the agricultural collective farm “Niva” of the Kozelsky District, the Kaluga Region, and LLC “Angus Center of Genetics” of the Babyninsky District, the Kaluga Region. Results and discussion. In the Kaluga Region, two species of ixodic ticks are found, namely, Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus, which have two activity peaks. Mosquito may have 3-4 generations in a year in the Kaluga region. The most common mosquito species in the Kaluga Region are Aedes communis, Ae. (Och.) togoi and Ae. (Och.) diantaeus, Culex pipiens Culex Linnaeus, 1758 (Diptera, Culicidae) (Culex pipiens): Cx. pipiens f. pipiens L. (non-autogenic form) and Cx. p. f. molestus Fors. (autogenic form), which interbreed, and reproductively isolated in the Region. The developed mathematical models make it possible to quantify the risks of outbreaks of zooanthroponoze vector-borne diseases without the cost of field research, and allow for rational, timely and effective preventive measures. Medications based on s-fenvalerate and piperonyl butoxide and based on cyfluthrin showed high insecto-acaricidal efficacy and safety.


Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Abdullah D. Alanazi ◽  
Abdulaziz S. Alouffi ◽  
Mohamed S. Alyousif ◽  
Mohammad Y. Alshahrani ◽  
Hend H. A. M. Abdullah ◽  
...  

Dogs and cats play an important role as reservoirs of vector-borne pathogens, yet reports of canine and feline vector-borne diseases in Saudi Arabia are scarce. Blood samples were collected from 188 free-roaming dogs and cats in Asir (70 dogs and 44 cats) and Riyadh (74 dogs), Saudi Arabia. The presence of Anaplasma spp., Bartonella spp., hemotropic Mycoplasma spp., Babesia spp., and Hepatozoon spp. was detected using a multiplex tandem real-time PCR. PCR-positive samples were further examined with specific conventional and real-time PCR followed by sequencing. Dogs from Riyadh tested negative for all pathogens, while 46 out of 70 dogs (65.7%) and 17 out of 44 cats (38.6%) from Asir were positive for at least one pathogen. Positive dogs were infected with Anaplasma platys (57.1%), Babesia vogeli (30%), Mycoplasma haemocanis (15.7%), and Bartonella henselae (1.4%), and cats were infected with Mycoplasma haemofelis (13.6%), Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum (13.6%), B. henselae (9.2%), and A. platys (2.27%), all of which are reported for the first time in Saudi Arabia. Co-infection with A. platys and B. vogeli was detected in 17 dogs (24.28%), while coinfections were not detected in cats. These results suggest that effective control and public awareness strategies for minimizing infection in animals are necessary.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunil Dhiman ◽  
Kavita Yadav ◽  
B. N. Acharya ◽  
Raj Kumar Ahirwar ◽  
D. Sukumaran

Abstract Background The direct toxicological impact of insecticides on vector mosquitoes has been well emphasized; however, behavioural responses such as excito-repellency and physical avoidance as a result of insecticide exposure have not been much studied. We have demonstrated the excito-repellency and behavioural avoidance in certain vector mosquito species on exposure to a slow-release insecticidal paint (SRIP) formulation in addition to direct toxicity. Methods A SRIP formulation developed by the Defence Research and Development Establishment, Gwalior, contains chlorpyriphos, deltamethrin and pyriproxyfen as active insecticides. Anopheles stephensi, Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were used to study the excito-repellency response of the formulation. The experiments were performed in a specially designed dual-choice exposure and escape chamber made of transparent polymethyl methacrylate. For the experiments, the SRIP formulation was applied undiluted at a rate of 8 m2 per kg on 15 cm2 metallic surfaces. Mosquitoes were introduced into the exposure chamber, and observations of the movement of mosquitoes into the escape chamber through the exit portal were taken at 1-min intervals for up to 30 min. Results The evaluated formulation displayed strong excito-repellency against all three tested vector mosquito species. Results showed that the ET50 (escape time 50%) for Ae. aegypti, An. stephensi and Cx. quinquefasciatus was 20.9 min, 14.5 min and 17.9 min for contact exposure (CE) respectively. Altogether in CE, the escape rates were stronger in An. stephensi mosquitoes at different time intervals compared to Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes. The probit analysis revealed that the determined ET did not deviate from linearity for both non-contact exposure (NCE) and placebo exposure (PE) (χ2 ≤ 7.9; p = 1.0) for Ae. aegypti mosquitoes and for NCE (χ2 = 8.3; p = 1.0) and PE (χ2 = 1.7; p = 1.0) treatments in Cx. quinquefasciatus. Mortality (24 h) was found to be statistically higher (F = 6.4; p = 0.02) in An. stephensi for CE but did not vary for NCE (p ≥ 0.3) and PE (p = 0.6) treatments among the tested mosquito species. Survival probability response suggested that all the three tested species displayed similar survival responses for similar exposures (χ2 ≤ 2.3; p ≥ 0.1). Conclusion The study demonstrates the toxicity and strong behavioural avoidance in known vector mosquito species on exposure to an insecticide-based paint formulation. The combination of insecticides in the present formulation will broaden the overall impact spectrum for protecting users from mosquito bites. The efficacy data generated in the study provide crucial information on the effectiveness of the tested formulation and could be useful in reducing the transmission intensity and disease risk in endemic countries.


2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaspar PENICHE-LARA ◽  
Karla DZUL-ROSADO ◽  
Carlos PÉREZ-OSORIO ◽  
Jorge ZAVALA-CASTRO

Rickettsia typhi is the causal agent of murine typhus; a worldwide zoonotic and vector-borne infectious disease, commonly associated with the presence of domestic and wild rodents. Human cases of murine typhus in the state of Yucatán are frequent. However, there is no evidence of the presence of Rickettsia typhi in mammals or vectors in Yucatán. The presence of Rickettsia in rodents and their ectoparasites was evaluated in a small municipality of Yucatán using the conventional polymerase chain reaction technique and sequencing. The study only identified the presence of Rickettsia typhi in blood samples obtained from Rattus rattus and it reported, for the first time, the presence of R. felis in the flea Polygenis odiosus collected from Ototylomys phyllotis rodent. Additionally, Rickettsia felis was detected in the ectoparasite Ctenocephalides felis fleas parasitizing the wild rodent Peromyscus yucatanicus. This study’s results contributed to a better knowledge of Rickettsia epidemiology in Yucatán.


2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominic Brown ◽  
John Taylor ◽  
Martin Bell

In recent years, with the formation of organisations such as the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre, social science interest in the Australian desert has re-surfaced with a research emphasis that is focused on creating sustainable futures for the region. One consequence of this is a demand for detailed demographic information to allow an assessment of different quanta of need in social and economic policy, and for assessment of the impact of these in environmental policy. However, demographic analysis on human populations in the desert to date has attracted very little research attention. In this paper we begin to address this lack of analysis by focusing on the populations, both aboriginal and non-aboriginal, of the arid and semi-arid zones of Australia. We extend earlier analysis by including for the first time demographic information on the semi-arid as well as the arid zone to establish the spatial pattern of population growth within the whole desert area drawing attention to the resulting settlement structure as an outcome of prevailing social, cultural and economic conditions. By examining population structure and demographic components of population change we also present for the first time population projections for the semi-arid zone and, therefore, in combination with the arid zone, for the entire Australian desert. All of this provides a basis for considering social and economic policy implications and the nature of underlying processes that drive change in this region.


2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-75
Author(s):  
Drew David Reinbold-Wasson ◽  
Michael Hay Reiskind

ABSTRACT An essential component of vector-borne disease monitoring programs is mosquito surveillance. Surveillance efforts employ various collection traps depending on mosquito species and targeted life-history stage, i.e., eggs, larvae, host-seeking, resting, or gravid adults. Surveillance activities often use commercial traps, sometimes modified to accept specific mosquito species attractants. The advent of widely available and affordable 3D printing technology allows the construction of novel trap designs and components. The study goal was to develop and assess a cost-effective, multipurpose, 6-volt mosquito trap integrating features of both host-seeking and gravid mosquito traps to collect undamaged live specimens: a multifunctional mosquito trap (MMT). We tested the MMT in comparison to commercial traps, targeting gravid Aedes albopictus, host-seeking Ae. albopictus, and total number of host-seeking mosquitos regardless of species. Field evaluations found the MMT performed as well as or better than comparable commercial traps. This project demonstrates an easy to construct, inexpensive, and versatile mosquito trap, potentially useful for surveying multiple mosquito species and other hematophagous insects by varying attractants into the MMT.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
MG Onyango ◽  
AF Payne ◽  
J Stout ◽  
C Dieme ◽  
L Kuo ◽  
...  

AbstractElizabethkingia anophelis has been the cause of four outbreaks with significant morbidity and mortality. Its transmission routes remain unknown and no point source of infection has been identified. Here we show that E. anophelis can be found in the saliva of Aedes mosquitoes, suggesting the novel possibility of vector-borne transmission of this bacterium. We additionally characterized diverse microbial communities in Aedes midguts, salivary glands and saliva. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first description of the microbiome of Aedes saliva. Further, we demonstrate that increased abundance of E. anophelis is associated with decreased susceptibility and replication of Zika virus (ZIKV) in the midgut of Aedes mosquitoes, suggesting a novel transmission barrier for arboviruses transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. Together, these results demonstrate the complex relationships between the mosquito, the midgut microbial community and arboviruses and offer insights into the epidemiology and control of emerging bacterial and viral pathogens.Author SummaryElizabethkingia anophelis has in the recent past caused outbreaks different parts of the world resulting both in morbidity and mortality. Until now, to the best of our knowledge, no study has been able to demonstrate that this bacterium can be transmitted by mosquitoes. We have demonstrated for the first time that Elizabethkingia anophelis is present in the saliva of both infected and non-infected Aedes mosquitoes. Further, we have shown that it confers an inhibitory effect on Zika virus establishment in the midguts of Aedes mosquitoes. Together, these results potentially display the potential for vector borne transmission of E. anophelis as well as a novel transmission barrier of ZIKV. Lastly, we have for the first time characterized salivary microbes of Aedes mosquitoes necessitating the investigation of the impact of salivary microbes in severity of disease in vertebrate hosts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-338
Author(s):  
Aksa Ingrid Vieira Batista ◽  
Gabriel Vinicius Carvalho de Lucena ◽  
Kleber Silva de Oliveira Filho ◽  
Thiago Ferreira Lopes Nery ◽  
Thiago Fernandes Martins ◽  
...  

The Caatinga rainbow boa (Epicrates assisi Machado, 1945) is a snake belonging to the order Squamata, family Boidae, and subfamily Boinae. It has a wide distribution in Brazil and can be found in the Caatinga biome. The present study aims to report the first occurrence of Amblyomma rotundatum on E. assisi in the municipality of João Pessoa, Paraíba State (PB). On March 3, 2020, a tick collection was performed on the dorsal region of the head of an E. assisi, which was captive at the Arruda Câmara Zoobotanical Park, João Pessoa-PB. After collecting the tick, it was transferred to a flask containing 70º alcohol and sent to the Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid (UFERSA) for analysis. Identification was done with the aid of a stereomicroscope using a taxonomic key. The result identified this specimen as a nymph of A. rotundatum. The occurrence of this tick species on E. assisi is reported for the first time and constitutes new data applicable to the ectoparasites that occur in this host species in Brazil.


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