Transmission patterns of Leishmania tropica around the Mediterranean basin: Could Morocco be impacted by a zoonotic spillover?

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) due to Leishmania tropica is a neglected tropical disease characterized by a wide geographical distribution in the Mediterranean basin and is endemic in several of its countries. In addition, the vector Phlebotomus sergenti is abundantly present all around the basin. Its transmission cycle is still subject to debate. In some countries, the presence of an animal reservoir has been confirmed. In Morocco, CL due to L. tropica has risen since the 1980s and has spread widely to become the most abundant form of leishmaniasis in the territory. However, the anthroponotic transmission is so far the only recognized mode, despite recordings of L. tropica infection in animal hosts. In this review article, we assess the situation of CL due to L. tropica in the Mediterranean basin with a focus on Morocco and gather knowledge about any potential zoonotic transmission in the country. A concomitant zoonotic transmission could explain the persistence of the disease in areas where human protective measures combined with vector management did not help reduce the disease burden.

Field evaluation of WALS truck-mounted A1 super duty mist sprayer® with VectoBac® WDG against Aedes aegypti (Diptera:Culicidae) populations in Manatee County, Florida

Aedes aegypti, the Dengue and Zika vector, is a domestic mosquito that is difficult to control. The challenge lies in the mosquito’s preference to lay its eggs in cryptic habitats such as fence post openings, buckets and bird baths, cups. Additionally, current methods of control are labor-intensive. We employed the WALS strategy to evaluate the operational efficacy of applying VectoBac WDG using a truck-mounted mister to control local populations of Ae. aegypti in urban settings with difficult-to-reach larval mosquito habitats. Our study was conducted in Cortez (Manatee County), Florida, USA (27° 27’ N, 82° 40’ W). We selected two study sites, one untreated control (21.9 ha) and one treatment site (23.1 ha) where historical data have shown high populations of Ae. aegypti based on weekly ovitrap surveillance. Weekly BGs and ovitraps (10–15 traps/site) were deployed to monitor adult population dynamics. A total of 50 bioassay jars were placed in the field each afternoon of the Bti application (8 application events) at fixed locations to collect droplets and gauge efficacy. We found significant reduction in female adults (P = 0.0002) and landing rate counts (P = 0.0058) as a result of treatment. Larval bioassays during the eight applications confirmed Bti deposit in a variety of coverage types regardless of placement in the yards. WALS applications with a truck-mounted mister can be effective at reducing disease carrying mosquito populations in residential areas and can be implemented in an integrated vector management program.

Evaluation of Suitable IPM Module for Management of YMV Disease in Mungbean under West Central Table Land Zone of Odisha

Background: YMV disease in mungbean is one of the major disease causing heavy losses annually throughout the country. As the disease is transmitted by insect vector, management of vector is important to check the YMV disease that can minimise the losses. The present investigation was aimed to evaluate different IPM modules for management of YMV disease of mungbean. Methods: Field experiments were carried out during Rabi season of 2016-17 and 2017-18 at the Research Farm of Regional Research and Technology Transfer Station, Chiplima, Sambalpur, Odisha, India. Population of whitefly was recorded on three leaves selected from top, middle and bottom canopy of the plant. Disease severity was recorded by using 0-9 scale. Result: The IPM module i.e. seed treatment with Thiamethoxam 25 WG @ 5 gm kg-1 of seed, installation of yellow sticky trap @ 50 ha-1 and spraying of Acetamiprid 20 SP @ 0.3 gm l-1 of water was found as the most effective among all other modules. Pooled analysis of two years data revealed that 65.5% YMV disease control and 59.3% reduction of white fly population over control were performed by the said IPM module. A maximum increase in yield (84.8%) and highest cost benefit ratio (1.77) were also achieved with the module.

First Evaluation of Field Evolved Resistance to Commonly Used Insecticides in House Fly Populations from Saudi Arabian Dairy Farms

The house fly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), is one of the major vectors of several pathogens that affect humans and animals. We evaluated the toxicity of eight insecticides commonly used for house fly control using five field populations collected from dairies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Among the five tested pyrethroids, non to moderate resistance was found in adults of both sexes compared to a susceptible strain. Resistance ratios ranged from 0.5- to 7-fold for alpha-cypermethrin, 2- to 21-fold for deltamethrin, 4- to 19-fold for bifenthrin, 1- to 9-fold for cyfluthrin, and 1- to 8-fold for cypermethrin. Among the three tested organophosphates, low to moderate resistance was found among adult flies compared to the susceptible strain, and the resistance ratios ranged from 4- to 27-fold for fenitrothion, 2- to 14-fold for chlorpyrifos, and 3- to 12-fold for malathion. The median lethal times for the tested insecticides were 3–33 h for alpha-cypermethrin, 3–24 h for deltamethrin, 5–59 h for bifenthrin, 1–7 h for cypermethrin, 0.3–7 h for cyfluthrin, 6–36 h for fenitrothion, 2–21 h for chlorpyrifos, and 3–34 h for malathion. This study presents baseline data pertaining to registered public health insecticides, and the results will assist future studies monitoring insecticide resistance, and the planning of effective integrated vector management programs.

Extracts of Amazonian Fungi With Larvicidal Activities Against Aedes aegypti

The global increase in diseases transmitted by the vector Aedes aegypti, new and re-emerging, underscores the need for alternative and more effective methods of controlling mosquitoes. Our aim was to identify fungal strains from the Amazon rain forest that produce metabolites with larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti. Thirty-six fungal strains belonging to 23 different genera of fungi, isolated from water samples collected in the state of Amazonas, Brazil were cultivated. The liquid medium was separated from the mycelium by filtration. Medium fractions were extracted with ethyl acetate and isopropanol 9:1 volume:volume, and the mycelia with ethyl acetate and methanol 1:1. The extracts were vacuum dried and the larvicidal activity was evaluated in selective bioassays containing 500 μg/ml of the dried fungal extracts. Larval mortality was evaluated up to 72 h. None of the mycelium extracts showed larvicidal activity greater than 50% at 72 h. In contrast, 15 culture medium extracts had larvicidal activity equal to or greater than 50% and eight killed more than 90% of the larvae within 72 h. These eight extracts from fungi belonging to seven different genera (Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Trichoderma, Diaporthe, Albifimbria, Emmia, and Sarocladium) were selected for the determination of LC50 and LC90. Albifimbria lateralis (1160) medium extracts presented the lowest LC50 value (0.268 μg/ml) after 24 h exposure. Diaporthe ueckerae (1203) medium extracts presented the lowest value of LC90 (2.928 μg/ml) at 24 h, the lowest values of LC50 (0.108 μg/ml) and LC90 (0.894 μg/ml) at 48 h and also at 72 h (LC50 = 0.062 μg/ml and LC90 = 0.476 μg/ml). Extracts from Al. lateralis (1160) and D. ueckerae (1203) showed potential for developing new, naturally derived products, to be applied in integrated vector management programs against Ae. aegypti.

A Field Efficacy Evaluation of In2Care Mosquito Traps in Comparison with Routine Integrated Vector Management at Reducing Aedes aegypti

ABSTRACT Aedes aegypti is the predominant vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. This mosquito is difficult to control with conventional methods due to its container-inhabiting behavior and resistance to insecticides. Autodissemination of pyriproxyfen (PPF), a potent larvicide, has shown promise as an additional tool to control Aedes species in small-scale field trials. However, few large-scale field evaluations have been conducted. We undertook a 6-month-long large-scale field study to compare the effectiveness and operational feasibility of using In2Care Mosquito Traps (In2Care Traps, commercially available Aedes traps with PPF and Beauveria bassiana) compared to an integrated vector management (IVM) strategy consisting of source reduction, larviciding, and adulticiding for controlling Ae. aegypti eggs, larvae, and adults. We found that while the difference between treatments was only statistically significant for eggs and larvae (P < 0.05 for eggs and larvae and P > 0.05 for adults), the use of In2Care Traps alone resulted in 60%, 57%, and 57% fewer eggs, larvae, and adults, respectively, collected from that site compared to the IVM site. However, In2Care Trap deployment and maintenance were more time consuming and labor intensive than the IVM strategy. Thus, using In2Care Traps alone as a control method for large areas (e.g., >20 ha) may be less practical for control programs with the capacity to conduct ground and aerial larviciding and adulticiding. Based on our study results, we conclude that In2Care Traps are effective at suppressing Ae. aegypti and have the most potential for use in areas without sophisticated control programs and within IVM programs to target hotspots with high population levels and/or risk of Aedes-borne pathogen transmission.

Paved Paradise: Belowground Parking Structures Sustain Urban Mosquito Populations in Washington, DC

ABSTRACT After notification of mosquitoes within federal buildings in Washington, DC, we surveyed belowground levels of nearby parking structures for mosquitoes and standing water in the summer months of 2018 and 2019. Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus, and members of the Culex pipiens Assemblage were found. Genotyping revealed pipiens, molestus, and quinquefasciatus ancestry among Cx. pipiens Assemblage mosquitoes, and allele frequency comparisons indicated a stable, resident population. Winter and spring aboveground temperatures ranged from −11°C to 35°C, while belowground temperatures never dropped below 5°C or exceeded 30°C, and winter temperatures were significantly higher belowground compared with aboveground. Moderated winter conditions suggest that belowground urban structures could act as refugia for warmer-climate species, like Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus, allowing them to overcome assumed thermal barriers. Surveys of parking structures should be incorporated into integrated vector management programs in urban areas.

Managing Risks from Invasive Marine Species: Is Post-Border Management Feasible?

<p>Non-indigenous marine species are a major threat to marine environments and economies globally. This thesis examines whether management of pest organisms post-border (i.e, after they have established in New Zealand) is feasible in the marine environment, using the non-indigenous Asian kelp Undaria pinnatifida as a model organism. Background information on Undaria in Chapter 2 recognises the paucity of information on Undaria's impacts. Hence, Chapter 3 investigates ecological effects from Undaria in a low shore rocky habitat. Although negligible effects were described, the uncertainty in extrapolating findings to other places and times means that the precautionary principle should be applied by managers, and 'worst-case' impacts assumed. Chapter 4 investigates mechanisms for Undaria's natural dispersal, and describes strategies based on spore release and sporophyte drift that may lead to spread over scales of metres to kilometres. This work highlights the importance of human transport vectors (especially vessels and aquaculture) in the post-border spread of Undaria at regional and national scales. Hence, a case study in Chapter 5 describes aquaculture activities that could be vectors for spread of Undaria in New Zealand, and presents criteria for identifying present and future high risk pathways. Chapters 6 and 7 describe methods to reduce the accidental transport of Undaria and other biofouling pests with aquaculture, with a focus on mussel farming. Treatments based on water blasting, air drying and freshwater immersion provide low cost options for equipment such as floats and rope. For treatment of mussel seed-stock, immersion in dilute (4%) acetic acid (the active ingredient in vinegar) is identified as a method that could eliminate Undaria and other soft-bodied fouling organisms without resulting in an unacceptable level of mussel mortality. Chapter 8 proposes a risk-based framework for setting post-border management priorities based on the feasibility, benefits and costs of risk reduction. This chapter elucidates how knowledge generated from research in Chapters 2-7 can be used in a biosecurity risk management context. It shows that effective management post-border is possible even when pest organisms become relatively well established, and that the benefits gained from even limited successes have the potential to greatly outweigh the consequences of uncontrolled invasion. However, as unwanted species become increasingly widespread, management will become increasingly focussed on the protection of specific values. Chapter 9 extends some of the ideas proposed in Chapter 8, and considers a broad postborder management framework for marine pests. A comprehensive system should consist of vector management, surveillance, and incursion response that targets particular pests or suites of functionally similar species (e.g., biofouling organisms), coupled with generic vector management approaches that aim to reduce humanmediated transport of all organisms at a national scale. New Zealand's geographic isolation and low population, hence relatively low level of vector activity, makes the management of human-mediated pathways of spread entirely feasible in many circumstances. Hence, while there are clearly many challenges in the post-border management of marine pests, this is nonetheless a realistic goal, and probably moreso in New Zealand than in any other country in the world.</p>

Managing Risks from Invasive Marine Species: Is Post-Border Management Feasible?

<p>Non-indigenous marine species are a major threat to marine environments and economies globally. This thesis examines whether management of pest organisms post-border (i.e, after they have established in New Zealand) is feasible in the marine environment, using the non-indigenous Asian kelp Undaria pinnatifida as a model organism. Background information on Undaria in Chapter 2 recognises the paucity of information on Undaria's impacts. Hence, Chapter 3 investigates ecological effects from Undaria in a low shore rocky habitat. Although negligible effects were described, the uncertainty in extrapolating findings to other places and times means that the precautionary principle should be applied by managers, and 'worst-case' impacts assumed. Chapter 4 investigates mechanisms for Undaria's natural dispersal, and describes strategies based on spore release and sporophyte drift that may lead to spread over scales of metres to kilometres. This work highlights the importance of human transport vectors (especially vessels and aquaculture) in the post-border spread of Undaria at regional and national scales. Hence, a case study in Chapter 5 describes aquaculture activities that could be vectors for spread of Undaria in New Zealand, and presents criteria for identifying present and future high risk pathways. Chapters 6 and 7 describe methods to reduce the accidental transport of Undaria and other biofouling pests with aquaculture, with a focus on mussel farming. Treatments based on water blasting, air drying and freshwater immersion provide low cost options for equipment such as floats and rope. For treatment of mussel seed-stock, immersion in dilute (4%) acetic acid (the active ingredient in vinegar) is identified as a method that could eliminate Undaria and other soft-bodied fouling organisms without resulting in an unacceptable level of mussel mortality. Chapter 8 proposes a risk-based framework for setting post-border management priorities based on the feasibility, benefits and costs of risk reduction. This chapter elucidates how knowledge generated from research in Chapters 2-7 can be used in a biosecurity risk management context. It shows that effective management post-border is possible even when pest organisms become relatively well established, and that the benefits gained from even limited successes have the potential to greatly outweigh the consequences of uncontrolled invasion. However, as unwanted species become increasingly widespread, management will become increasingly focussed on the protection of specific values. Chapter 9 extends some of the ideas proposed in Chapter 8, and considers a broad postborder management framework for marine pests. A comprehensive system should consist of vector management, surveillance, and incursion response that targets particular pests or suites of functionally similar species (e.g., biofouling organisms), coupled with generic vector management approaches that aim to reduce humanmediated transport of all organisms at a national scale. New Zealand's geographic isolation and low population, hence relatively low level of vector activity, makes the management of human-mediated pathways of spread entirely feasible in many circumstances. Hence, while there are clearly many challenges in the post-border management of marine pests, this is nonetheless a realistic goal, and probably moreso in New Zealand than in any other country in the world.</p>

METHODS OF PROJECT-VECTOR MANAGEMENT OF EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS

Based on the developed mathematical model of the project-vector space, the methods of determining the endpoints of the objects of the project-vector space (PVS) and the calculation of the trajectory of the movement to these points are proposed. It is shown that the problem of developing these methods is related to the definition of such projects (project integration), which will correspond to the maximum expansion of “Universal Projects” educational environment. Calculation of the trajectory of the movement in the project-vector space ensures the achievement of the objectives of the project with minimal time and financial resources. It is proposed to use the Monte Carlo method to calculate the options for the trajectory of PVS subjects. This distribution of probabilities when choosing the displacement of objects and subjects of PVS corresponds to the priority of subjects and the impact of objects on the displacement of these subjects. For the assessment of the magnitude of the impact on the movement of PVS subjects it was developed the structure of the expert table and the model of the calculation of the average expert assessment of such an impact. Implementation of the given methods will allow to dynamically evaluate the most important goals for all interested parties of the project, as well as to develop ways to achieve them in real terms. In this case, the real conditions of the projects are described in the system of impact on the movement of objects and subjects of PVS in the expanding “Universal Projects”.