Crowdsourcing for large-scale mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) sampling

2014 ◽  
Vol 147 (1) ◽  
pp. 118-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elin C. Maki ◽  
Lee W. Cohnstaedt
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mosquito Vector ◽  
Culex Tarsalis ◽  
Aedes Vexans ◽  
Control Programmes ◽  
And Control

AbstractSampling a cosmopolitan mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) species throughout its range is logistically challenging and extremely resource intensive. Mosquito control programmes and regional networks operate at the local level and often conduct sampling activities across much of North America. A method for large-scale sampling of two mosquito species using crowdsourcing to network with these local and regional programmes is described. A total of 961 mosquito vector and control districts, health departments, and individual collectors across the United States of America and Canada were contacted in 2011 and 2012 of which 9% positively responded by sending mosquitoes. In total, 1101 unique population samples of Aedes vexans (Meigen) and Culex tarsalis Coquillett were collected throughout their range in these two countries. Aedes vexans outgroup samples were also submitted from Europe and Asia. This is the largest crowd-sourced collection of samples to date.

Effect of dengue mosquito control insecticide thermal fogging on non-target insects

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (01) ◽  
pp. 11-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.G. Thilanka N. Abeyasuriya ◽  
N.W. Nalaka P. Nugapola ◽  
M. Devika B. Perera ◽  
W.A. Inoka P. Karunaratne ◽  
S.H.P. Parakrama Karunaratne
Keyword(s):  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Recovery Period ◽  
Mosquito Vector ◽  
Dengue Vector ◽  
Insect Order ◽  
Severe Effect ◽  
Control Programmes ◽  
Control Adult ◽  
Positive Controls ◽  
Dengue Vector Control

AbstractDengue vector control programmes are mainly focused on insecticide fogging/space spraying to control adultAedesmosquito vector populations. Due to the diurnal habit of the vectors, spraying is routinely conducted during the day when many other insect species are also active. This study reports the simultaneous effect of fogging on non-target insects by direct counting of knockdown in the insect population. Eight fogging treatments were conducted in two sites in Kurunegala District of Sri Lanka. Pesguard insecticide was sprayed in each treatment for 8 minutes according to the standard methodology and the ‘knockdown insects’ were collected on randomly spread polyethythene sheets (10 m2). A total of 3884 insects (24.3 insects per treatment per m2) belonging to 12 orders were collected and 12.44% of them recovered during a 24-hr recovery period. Diptera was the most affected insect order (36%) followed by Collembola (30%) and Thysanoptera (17%). Out of the 31 mosquitoes (<1%) collected, only two (<0.1%) belonged to the genusAedes. Body length of 93% of the affected insects ranged from 0.35 mm to 1.8 mm. Positive controls using the WHO standard cage bioassays with the mosquitoAe. albopictus(n = 417) and the stingless beeTrigona iridipennis(n = 122) showed 100% initial knockdown, and 83.5% mosquito and 93.5% bee mortalities after the recovery period. The study shows that insecticide fogging does have a severe effect on non-target insects such as pollinators; therefore, fogging operations should be done in a controlled manner and indiscriminate fogging should be avoided.

scholarly journals Simulations to compare efficacies of tetravalent dengue vaccines and mosquito vector control

2013 ◽  
Vol 142 (6) ◽  
pp. 1245-1258 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. THAVARA ◽  
A. TAWATSIN ◽  
Y. NAGAO
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Vaccination Programme ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Mosquito Vector ◽  
Dengue Vaccine ◽  
High Coverage ◽  
Immunological Mechanism ◽  
Mosquito Abundance ◽  
Control Programmes ◽  
Very High

SUMMARYInfection with dengue, the most prevalent mosquito-borne virus, manifests as dengue fever (DF) or the more fatal dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF). DHF occurs mainly when an individual who has acquired antibodies to one serotype is inoculated with another serotype. It was reported that mosquito control may have increased the incidence of DF and DHF due to age-dependency in manifesting these illnesses or an immunological mechanism. Tetravalent dengue vaccine is currently being tested in clinical trials. However, seroconversions to all four serotypes were achieved only after three doses. Therefore, vaccines may predispose vaccinees to the risk of developing DHF in future infections. This study employed an individual-based computer simulation, to emulate mosquito control and vaccination, incorporating seroconversion rates reported from actual clinical trials. It was found that mosquito control alone would have increased incidence of DF and DHF in areas of high mosquito density. A vaccination programme with very high coverage, even with a vaccine of suboptimal seroconversion rates, attenuated possible surges in the incidence of DF and DHF which would have been caused by insufficient reduction in mosquito abundance. DHF cases attributable to vaccine-derived enhancement were fewer than DHF cases prevented by a vaccine with considerably high (although not perfect) seroconversion rates. These predictions may justify vaccination programmes, at least in areas of high mosquito abundance. In such areas, mosquito control programmes should be conducted only after the vaccination programme with a high coverage has been initiated.

Externally driven changes in the abundance of summer and winter flounder

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (9) ◽  
pp. 2416-2428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Bell ◽  
Jonathan A. Hare ◽  
John P. Manderson ◽  
David E. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Variability ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Winter Flounder ◽  
Fishing Pressure ◽  
Fishing Mortality ◽  
Summer Flounder ◽  
Decadal Scale

Abstract Marine organisms that utilize nearshore environments for major components of their life histories are subject to both local-scale forcing such as water quality and estuarine degradation as well as large-scale forcing such as fishing and decadal-scale climate variability. Large-scale forcing has the potential to synchronize the dynamics of subpopulations, while local-level forcing can produce asynchronous subpopulation trends. Summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) and winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) are important commercial and recreational flatfish along the east coast of North America which spend their first year of life in coastal habitats. We found that the two exhibited significant within-species coherence in commercial landings and fisheries-independent surveys across the northeast shelf of the United States, suggesting large-scale external drivers. In laboratory studies, temperature has been found to be an important factor regulating survival during the egg, larva and settlement phases of both species. We reconstructed a 40-year time-series of coastal water temperature for the major spawning and nursery areas to examine changes in the thermally available habitat. Estimates of winter flounder abundance were negatively correlated with the winter water temperature, but not with fishing mortality. Summer flounder abundance, by contrast, was negatively correlated with fishing mortality, but exhibited no link with temperature. In addition, time-varying stock–recruitment relationships indicated that stock productivity declined for winter flounder over time, while summer flounder productivity has varied without a trend. While both species declined in the 1980s and early 1990s due to heavy fishing pressure, the reduction in fishing over the last two decades has led to rebuilding of the summer flounder stock and an expansion of its age structure. Declining productivity due to warming estuarine conditions has kept the winter flounder stock at low levels despite low fishing pressure. The two stocks illustrate the importance of controlling fishing mortality in the management of natural marine resources while also accounting for changes in productivity due to climate variability and change.

scholarly journals A Case for Systematic Quality Management in Mosquito Control Programmes in Europe

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3478
Author(s):  
Antonios Michaelakis ◽  
Fabrizio Balestrino ◽  
Norbert Becker ◽  
Romeo Bellini ◽  
Beniamino Caputo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Management System ◽  
Quality Management System ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
System Quality ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Formal Quality ◽  
Control Programmes ◽  
Invasive Mosquito

The recent spread of invasive mosquito species, such as Aedes albopictus and the seasonal sporadic transmission of autochthonous cases of arboviral diseases (e.g., dengue, chikungunya, Zika) in temperate areas, such as Europe and North America, highlight the importance of effective mosquito-control interventions to reduce not only nuisance, but also major threats for public health. Local, regional, and even national mosquito control programs have been established in many countries and are executed on a seasonal basis by either public or private bodies. In order for these interventions to be worthwhile, funding authorities should ensure that mosquito control is (a) planned by competent scientific institutions addressing the local demands, (b) executed following the plan that is based on recommended and effective methods and strategies, (c) monitored regularly by checking the efficacy of the implemented actions, (d) evaluated against the set of targets, and (e) regularly improved according to the results of the monitoring. Adherence to these conditions can only be assured if a formal quality management system is adopted and enforced that ensures the transparency of effectiveness of the control operation. The current paper aims at defining the two components of this quality management system, quality assurance and quality control for mosquito control programs with special emphasis on Europe, but applicable over temperate areas.

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
Keyword(s):  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Asian Tiger Mosquito ◽  
Biological Control Agents ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Asian Tiger ◽  
Fungal Entomopathogens

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.

scholarly journals A Syndromic Surveillance Tool to Detect Anomalous Clusters of COVID-19 Symptoms in the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amparo Güemes ◽  
Soumyajit Ray ◽  
Khaled Aboumerhi ◽  
Michael Richard Desjardins ◽  
Anton Kvit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Correlation Analysis ◽  
Syndromic Surveillance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cross Correlation ◽  
Warning System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Johns Hopkins University ◽  
Cross Correlation Analysis ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
And Control

Coronavirus SARS-COV-2 infections continue to spread across the world, yet effective large-scale disease detection and prediction remain limited. COVID Control: A Johns Hopkins University Study, is a novel syndromic surveillance approach, which collects body temperature and COVID-like illness (CLI) symptoms across the US using a smartphone app and applies spatio-temporal clustering techniques and cross-correlation analysis to create maps of abnormal symptomatology incidence that are made publicly available. The results of the cross-correlation analysis identify optimal temporal lags between symptoms and a range of COVID-19 outcomes, with new taste/smell loss showing the highest correlations. We also identified temporal clusters of change in taste/smell entries and confirmed COVID-19 incidence in Baltimore City and County. Further, we utilized an extended simulated dataset to showcase our analytics in Maryland. The resulting clusters can serve as indicators of emerging COVID-19 outbreaks, and support syndromic surveillance as an early warning system for disease prevention and control.

scholarly journals Preliminary Analysis of African Swine Fever Virus Carriage and Transmission by Mosquitoes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiyun Qin ◽  
Zhongcheng Gao ◽  
Shenglong Wu ◽  
Wenbin Bao
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
African Swine Fever Virus ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Fever Virus ◽  
Qpcr Analysis ◽  
Pig Farms ◽  
Negative Cycle ◽  
Control Procedures ◽  
And Control

Abstract BackgroundMosquitoes are important insect vectors, but whether they can carry and transmit African swine fever virus (ASFV) in large-scale pig farms in China is unknown. ResultsIn this study, probe qPCR analysis was performed on mosquitoes from five pig farms with ASF virus (ASFV). Analysis of ASFV in 463 mosquitoes yielded negative cycle threshold (CT) value), and detection remained negative after mixing samples from all five pig farms. ConclusionsTherefore, mosquitoes appear unlikely to transmit ASFV, and pose little threat to large-scale pig farms. Thus, farms should continue to follow normal mosquito control procedures when formulating strategies for the prevention and control of ASF.

scholarly journals Social Distancing is Effective at Mitigating COVID-19 Transmission in the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamada S. Badr ◽  
Hongru Du ◽  
Max Marshall ◽  
Ensheng Dong ◽  
Marietta Squire ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Complex Dynamics ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Human Mobility ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mobile Phone Data ◽  
Variable Intensity ◽  
Social Distancing

AbstractCOVID-19 is present in every state and over 90 percent of all counties in the United States. Decentralized government efforts to reduce spread, combined with the complex dynamics of human mobility and the variable intensity of local outbreaks makes assessing the effect of large-scale social distancing on COVID-19 transmission in the U.S.a challenge. We generate a novel metric to represent social distancing behavior derived from mobile phone data and examine its relationship with COVID-19 case reports at the county level. Our analysis reveals that social distancing is strongly correlated with decreased COVID-19 case growth rates for the 25 most affected counties in the United States, with a lag period consistent with the incubation time of SARS-CoV-2. We also demonstrate evidence that social distancing was already under way in many U.S. counties before state or local-level policies were implemented. This study strongly supports social distancing as an effective way to mitigate COVID-19 transmission in the United States.

scholarly journals The Mosquitoes of Illinois (Diptera, Culicidae)

1947 ◽  
Vol 24 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 1-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herbert H. Ross
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
The United States ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Common

Mosquitoes are midgelike insects of various sizes, some of them minute, some of them nearly a half inch long. They belong to the family Culicidae, which belongs to the order Diptera, embracing the common housefly and other two-winged flies. Mosquitoes have aquatic larvae called wiggle-tails, wigglers, or wrigglers, which transform to aquatic pupae called tumblers. The adults, which emerge from the pupae, are aerial. About 150 species of mosquitoes are known to occur in the United States and Canada, and 52 of these have been taken in Illinois. The Illinois mosquito fauna represents a combination of the northern and the southern mosquito faunas, a combination not yet treated in the various reports giving keys to the faunas of limited regions. The object of this paper is to provide means for making mosquito control programs more effective, first by furnishing illustrated keys and descriptions for the identification of mosquito species that occur in Illinois and states similar in climate, and second by summarizing information regarding the distribution, biology, and habitat preferences of the species.

scholarly journals State-level needs for social distancing and contact tracing to contain COVID-19 in the United States 

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weihsueh A. Chiu ◽  
Rebecca Fischer ◽  
Martial L. Ndeffo-Mbah
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
District Of Columbia ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Epidemic Curve ◽  
Dynamics And Control ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Starting in mid-May 2020, many US states began relaxing social distancing measures that were put in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. To evaluate the impact of relaxation of restrictions on COVID-19 dynamics and control, we developed a transmission dynamic model and calibrated it to US state-level COVID-19 cases and deaths. We used this model to evaluate the impact of social distancing, testing and contact tracing on the COVID-19 epidemic in each state. As of July 22, 2020, we found only three states were on track to curtail their epidemic curve. Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia may have to double their testing and/or tracing rates and/or rolling back reopening by 25%, while eight states require an even greater measure of combined testing, tracing, and distancing. Increased testing and contact tracing capacity is paramount for mitigating the recent large-scale increases in U.S. cases and deaths.

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