Selection of Monitoring points for the Number and Infectivity of the Main Vectors of West Nile Virus in the Volgograd Region

Relevance. Since 1999, the incidence of West Nile fever has been recorded in the Volgograd region. The main vectors of West Nile virus in Russia are Cx mosquitoes. pipiens L. and Cx. modestus Fic. An objective assessment of the entomological situation and infection rate of these species within the framework of epidemiological surveillance of West Nile fever is possible only in biotopes with sufficiently high numbers of mosquitoes; therefore, the choice of sampling points is an urgent task. Purpose of the study. Analysis of the West Nile virus main vectors - mosquitoes Cx. pipiens L. and Cx. modestus Fic. average number, occurrence and infection rate at the various open biotopes of the Volgograd region to justify the choice of optimal points for entomological monitoring. Materials and methods. The catching and accounting of the mosquitoes’ number was carried out in 2015–2019 from May to August in the third decade of each month in a floodplain forest, at a personal plot, a summer cottage and on bank of water body. To catch mosquitoes, automatic traps Mosquito Magnet Executive and LovKom-1 were used. The accounting unit was the number of mosquitoes collected in both traps per trap-night. The average number, the index of occurrence and infection rate were determined by generally accepted methods. Detection of West Nile virus RNA in samples of mosquito pool suspensions was performed by RT-PCR using the AmpliSense WNV-FL reagent kit. The results were statistically processed using Microsoft Excel 2016 (Microsoft Corporation, USA). Results. In the 2015-2019 period, 17468 mosquitoes of the genus Culex: 8258 species – Cx. pipiens L., 9210 species – Cx. modestus Fic. were collected in over than 80 trap nights at the selected stationary points of the Volgograd region. Average number of Cx. pipiens L. was: in the floodplain forest – 4.6 individuals per 1 trap-night; at the personal plot – 183.9; at the summer cottage – 30.2; on the bank of water body – 194.3. Average number of Cx. modestus Fic. was: in the floodplain forest – 5.2 individuals per 1 trapnight; at the personal plot – 8.3; at the summer cottage – 2.5;on the bank of water body – 444.6. Occurrence index Cx. pipiens L. was highon the bank of water body and at the personal plot (47.1% and 44.5%, respectively), much lower – at the summer cottage (7.3%) and in the floodplain forest (1.1%). Level of WNV infection among Cx. pipiens L.on a personal plot was 5.4%, on a summer cottage – 3.6%,on the bank of water body – 2.2%. No infected samples were found among Cx. pipiens L. collected from the floodplain forest. WNV RNA in samples from mosquitoes Cx. modestus Fic. found only in individuals caughton the bank of water body. Their infection rate was 1.2%. Discussion. Ecological plasticity of Cx. pipiens L. mosquitoes allows them to live in settlements and near water bodies. Mosquitoes of the species Cx. modestus Fic. do not fly away from ponds, breeding places. Conclusion. High numbers and occurrence of the Cx. pipiens L. mosquitoes were observed at a personal plot within the city andon the bank of water body, Cx. modestus Fic. –on the bank of water body. WNV RNA positive samples were detected from mosquitoes collected at the personal plot, the summer cottage andon the bank of water body. To monitor the number and infection rate among Cx. pipiens L., points of registration and sampling should be placed in open stationson personal plots in settlements, banks of water bodies and summer cottages. We recommend to carry entomological monitoring for Cx. modestus Fic. out onlyon the banks of water bodies along the water's edge in reed thickets. The placement of the main WNV vectors number and infection rate monitoring points in the floodplain forest is not advisable.

BEETLES (INSECTA: COLEOPTERA) IN UNDERSNOW UNINHABITED NESTS OF COMMON VOLE MICROTUS ARVALIS PALLAS, 1778 SENSU LATO (RODENTIA: CRICETIDAE) FROM SARATOV OBLAST

This article provides information about entomological monitoring of common vole’s ( Microtus arvalis Pallas, 1778 sensu lato) uninhabited nests under snow, during expedition around Khvalynsky District of Saratov Oblast in May of 2021 year. During the survey of nests had been discovered 22 beetle species from 10 families. Species Atomaria apicalis Erichson, 1846 is recorded for Saratov Oblast for the first time.

Updating Ecological and Behavioral Aspects of the Sandfly Fauna in the Vale do Ribeira Region, São Paulo State, Brazil

Some ecological parameters and the distribution of vectors in the municipality of Eldorado, Vale do Ribeira Region, São Paulo, were studied. Entomological surveys were carried out from September 2019 to March 2021. It was observed that a few ecological parameters, including richness, abundance, diversity, and equitability, were typical of a modified environment, where artificial ecotopes maintain the presence of sandflies throughout the year. A total of 11,668 sandflies were captured. The presence of five taxa were observed in Eldorado, with low diversity and high dominance of Nyssomyia intermedia next to Ny. neivai, which are sympatric species. The results presented reinforce the importance of these species in anthropized areas in the transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) agents and the need for entomological monitoring. Psathyromyia pascalei was encountered for the first time in the municipality, expanding the known area of distribution of this species in a modified environment.

An update on the distribution, bionomics, and insecticide susceptibility of Anopheles stephensi in Ethiopia, 2018–2020

Background Anopheles stephensi, an invasive malaria vector, was first detected in Africa nearly 10 years ago. After the initial finding in Djibouti, it has subsequently been found in Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia. To better inform policies and vector control decisions, it is important to understand the distribution, bionomics, insecticide susceptibility, and transmission potential of An. stephensi. These aspects were studied as part of routine entomological monitoring in Ethiopia between 2018 and 2020. Methods Adult mosquitoes were collected using human landing collections, pyrethrum spray catches, CDC light traps, animal-baited tent traps, resting boxes, and manual aspiration from animal shelters. Larvae were collected using hand-held dippers. The source of blood in blood-fed mosquitoes and the presence of sporozoites was assessed through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Insecticide susceptibility was assessed for pyrethroids, organophosphates and carbamates. Results Adult An. stephensi were collected with aspiration, black resting boxes, and animal-baited traps collecting the highest numbers of mosquitoes. Although sampling efforts were geographically widespread, An. stephensi larvae were collected in urban and rural sites in eastern Ethiopia, but An. stephensi larvae were not found in western Ethiopian sites. Blood-meal analysis revealed a high proportion of blood meals that were taken from goats, and only a small proportion from humans. Plasmodium vivax was detected in wild-collected An. stephensi. High levels of insecticide resistance were detected to pyrethroids, carbamates and organophosphates. Pre-exposure to piperonyl butoxide increased susceptibility to pyrethroids. Larvae were found to be susceptible to temephos. Conclusions Understanding the bionomics, insecticide susceptibility and distribution of An. stephensi will improve the quality of a national response in Ethiopia and provide additional information on populations of this invasive species in Africa. Further work is needed to understand the role that An. stephensi will have in Plasmodium transmission and malaria case incidence. While additional data are being collected, national programmes can use the available data to formulate and operationalize national strategies against the threat of An. stephensi.

Monitoring the state of St. Petersburg tree plantations: modern and traditional approaches

Предлагается использование системы Tree Talker мониторинга в сочетании с традиционными методами фитопатологического и энтомологического мониторинга для обеспечения своевременного обнаружения изменения состояния насаждений Санкт-Петербурга и выявления ключевых факторов экологического стресса. Разнообразная ведомственная принадлежность и широкий видовой состав насаждений города, а также наличие многочисленных экологических факторов, негативно влияющих на состояние деревьев, появление инвазионных патогенов и вредителей создают плохо прогнозируемые ситуации. Появление инвазионных вредителей и патогенов, таких как возбудитель голландской болезни гриб-аскомицет Ophiostoma novo-ulmi и его распространители – короеды-заболонники, ещё один аскомицет, гриб Hymenoscyphus fraxineus и ясеневая изумрудная узкотелая златка Agrilus planipennis, привело к массовой гибели вязов и ясеней, в том числе из-за несвоевременного обнаружения этих патогенов и вредителей. В условиях разобщенности системы управления городскими насаждениями из-за разной ведомственной принадлежности, мозаичного расположения, видового разнообразия и специфичности видового состава древесных растений, а также требований к оперативному принятию решений, использование Tree Talker технологий становится весьма перспективным. Эти технологии позволяют обеспечить оперативное получение, передачу и анализ данных по суточной и сезонной динамике физиологических параметров, устойчивости деревьев к ветровым нагрузкам с учётом породы, возраста и размеров. Интегрирование полученных данных позволяет оценить эффективность насаждений в целом по созданию микроклимата, динамике отклонений по вертикали, эффективности санитарно-оздоровительных мероприятий. В итоге, получение оперативной информации позволяет своевременно обнаружить неблагоприятные изменения как у отдельных деревьев, так и в структуре насаждений и провести анализ причин этих изменений, в особенности в отношении появления биологических угроз насаждения – распространению опасных патогенов и размножению вредителей. It is proposed to use the Tree Talker monitoring system in combination with traditional methods of phytopathological and entomological monitoring to ensure timely detection of changes in the state of plantations in St. Petersburg and identify key factors of environmental stress. Diverse departmental affiliation and a wide species composition of the city's plantations, as well as the presence of numerous environmental factors that negatively affect the condition of trees, the appearance of invasive pathogens and pests create poorly predictable situations. The emergence of invasive pests and pathogens, such as the causative agent of the Dutch elm disease, the Ascomycete fungi Ophiostoma novo-ulmi and its spreaders – the sapwood bark beetles, another Ascomycete, the Hymenoscyphus fraxineus fungus, and the Emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis in including due to late detection of these pathogens and pests. In the context of the disunity of the management system of urban plantings due to different departmental affiliation, mosaic location, species diversity and specificity of the species composition of woody plants, as well as requirements for prompt decision-making, the use of Tree Talker technologies becomes very promising. These technologies allow for the prompt receipt, transmission and analysis of data on the daily and seasonal dynamics of physiological parameters, the resistance of trees to wind loads, taking into account the species, age and size. Integration of the obtained data allows us to evaluate the effectiveness of plantings in general in terms of creating a microclimate, the dynamics of vertical deviations, and the effectiveness of sanitary and recreational activities. As a result, obtaining operational information allows us to timely detect unfavorable changes both in individual trees and in the structure of plantings and to analyze the causes of these changes, especially in relation to the emergence of biological threats to the plantation – the spread of dangerous pathogens and the reproduction of pests.

Synthesis of Policies Applied in the Fight Against Malaria in two African Countries at different Stages of Intervention (Model of Burkina Faso and Model of Senegal) using Data from Surveys and Literature

Background: Malaria is a global public health problem with many cases each year (228 million cases in 2018 with 405,000 deaths). Most malaria cases occur in Africa. Methods: Data used for analysis are from Demographics and Health Surveys (DHS) 2017-2018 for Burkina Faso and DHS 2017 for Senegal. We added information from a synthesis of literature. Linear regression models were performed with an estimation of the mean number of persons using ITNs among groups (urban or rural areas, wealth level, highest education level in the household and age of household head) in each country. We evaluated the importance of co-factors in the relationship between the number of ITNs (insecticide-treated nets) in a household and the number of household members by calculating the R-squared. A criteria grid used for this synthesis of literature included eight important sub-groups: funding sources, entomological monitoring, use of ITNs, use of insecticide, malaria case management, health system organization, communication and surveillance. Results: Senegal and Burkina Faso have the same proportion (51%) of households in which all children under 5 sleep under ITNs. We found R-squared (R2=0.007 in Burkina Faso and R2=0.16 in Senegal) for the relationship between the number of ITNs in a household and household size. When wealth level, age of head of household, area of residence (rural or urban), highest education level in the household and number of bedrooms in the household were controlled for, we found R2=0.106 for Burkina Faso and R2=0.167 for Senegal. We found that Senegal’s national malaria program is decentralized with entomological monitoring in all districts, which is normal considering the intervention stage in the fight against malaria. In Burkina Faso, we found centralization of routine data.Conclusion: Our study synthesized the health policies applied in African countries which are at different stages of intervention in the fight against malaria and which have succeeded in maintaining low malaria prevalence (in Senegal) or in rapidly decreasing the prevalence of the disease (in Burkina Faso). Being close to elimination, Senegal required more active malaria surveillance than passive surveillance. Burkina Faso did not require a lot of active surveillance being not close to malaria elimination. These results merit a review in the context of each African country.

An Update on the Distribution, Bionomics, and Insecticide Susceptibility of Anopheles Stephensi in Ethiopia, 2018-2020

BackgroundAnopheles stephensi, an invasive malaria vector, was first detected in Africa nearly 10 years ago. After the initial finding in Djibouti, it has subsequently been found in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Somalia. To better inform policies and vector control decisions, it is important to understand the distribution, bionomics, insecticide susceptibility, and transmission potential of An. stephensi. These aspects were studied as part of routine entomological monitoring in Ethiopia between 2018 and 2020.MethodsAdult mosquitoes were collected using human landing collections, pyrethrum spray catches, CDC light traps, animal-baited tent traps, resting boxes, and manual aspiration from animal shelters. Larvae were collected using handheld dippers. The source of blood in bloodfed mosquitoes and the presence of sporozoites was assessed through enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Insecticide susceptibility was assessed for pyrethroids, organophosphates, and carbamates.ResultsAdult An. stephensi were collected with aspiration, black resting boxes, and animal-baited traps collecting the highest numbers of mosquitoes. Although sampling efforts were geographically widespread, An. stephensi larvae were collected in urban and rural sites in eastern Ethiopia, but An. stephensi larvae were not found in western Ethiopian sites. Blood meal analysis revealed a high proportion of blood meals that were taken from goats, and only a small proportion from humans. Plasmodium vivax was detected in wild collected An. stephensi. High levels of insecticide resistance were detected to pyrethroids, carbamates, and organophosphates. Pre-exposure to piperonyl butoxide increased susceptibility to pyrethroids. Larvae were found to be susceptible to temephos.ConclusionsUnderstanding the bionomics, insecticide susceptibility, and distribution of An. stephensi will improve the quality of a national response in Ethiopia and provide additional information on populations of this invasive species in Africa. Further work is needed to understand the role that An. stephensi will have in Plasmodium transmission and malaria case incidence. While additional data are being collected, national programs can use the available data to formulate and operationalize national strategies against the threat of An. stephensi.

Biodiversity and seasonal distribution of Cullicoides spp. examined in NIVS Belgrade during 2019

Continuous entomological monitoring of Cullicoides spp., which is being conducted starting from 2014 have so far yielded significant results related to biodiversity and seasonal dynamics of these insects Serbia. The research we have done so far has contributed to mapping the geographical distribution of the species we encounter as well as the variations in the number of populations in different years. As monitoring continues, we receive new valuable data every year that will help predict the movement of these insects on the basis of biclimatograms and enable preventative action to be taken to counteract them. Unfortunately, starting in 2019, monitoring has been split into three institutions (NIVS Belgrade, NIV Novi Sad and VSI Kraljevo) so that this has lost insight into the biodiversity, sex ratio, and most importantly the age of the females that are the primary vectors. In our work, therefore, we can provide only the results of testing the biodiversity and seasonal dynamics of Cullicoides spp. during 2019 in the epizootiological area of NIVS Belgrade, VSI Šabac, VSI Pančevo, VSI Požarevac, and VSI Zaječar, while we did not divide samples from VSI Jagodina for the fourth consecutive year. Culicoides spp. from Obsoletus complexes were established at 59.91%, from the Pulicaris complex were established at 34.06% and other types of culicoids have been established in less than 10% of the examined samples.