scholarly journals Mosquitoes of Etiological Concern in Kenya and Possible Control Strategies

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Karungu ◽  
Evans Atoni ◽  
Joseph Ogalo ◽  
Caroline Mwaliko ◽  
Bernard Agwanda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Vector Management ◽  
Invasive Mosquito ◽  
Parasitic Pathogens

Kenya is among the most affected tropical countries with pathogen transmitting Culicidae vectors. For decades, insect vectors have contributed to the emergence and distribution of viral and parasitic pathogens. Outbreaks and diseases have a great impact on a country’s economy, as resources that would otherwise be used for developmental projects are redirected to curb hospitalization cases and manage outbreaks. Infected invasive mosquito species have been shown to increasingly cross both local and global boarders due to the presence of increased environmental changes, trade, and tourism. In Kenya, there have been several mosquito-borne disease outbreaks such as the recent outbreaks along the coast of Kenya, involving chikungunya and dengue. This certainly calls for the implementation of strategies aimed at strengthening integrated vector management programs. In this review, we look at mosquitoes of public health concern in Kenya, while highlighting the pathogens they have been linked with over the years and across various regions. In addition, the major strategies that have previously been used in mosquito control and what more could be done to reduce or combat the menace caused by these hematophagous vectors are presented.

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 At the tip of an iceberg: citizen science and active surveillance collaborating to broaden the known distribution of Aedes japonicus in Spain

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Eritja ◽  
Sarah Delacour-Estrella ◽  
Ignacio Ruiz-Arrondo ◽  
Mikel A. González ◽  
Carlos Barceló ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Active Surveillance ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Northern Spain ◽  
Surveillance Strategy ◽  
Aedes Japonicus ◽  
Invasive Mosquito Species ◽  
Invasive Mosquito

Abstract Background Active surveillance aimed at the early detection of invasive mosquito species is usually focused on seaports and airports as points of entry, and along road networks as dispersion paths. In a number of cases, however, the first detections of colonizing populations are made by citizens, either because the species has already moved beyond the implemented active surveillance sites or because there is no surveillance in place. This was the case of the first detection in 2018 of the Asian bush mosquito, Aedes japonicus, in Asturias (northern Spain) by the citizen science platform Mosquito Alert. Methods The collaboration between Mosquito Alert, the Ministry of Health, local authorities and academic researchers resulted in a multi-source surveillance combining active field sampling with broader temporal and spatial citizen-sourced data, resulting in a more flexible and efficient surveillance strategy. Results Between 2018 and 2020, the joint efforts of administrative bodies, academic teams and citizen-sourced data led to the discovery of this species in northern regions of Spain such as Cantabria and the Basque Country. This raised the estimated area of occurrence of Ae. japonicus from < 900 km2 in 2018 to > 7000 km2 in 2020. Conclusions This population cluster is geographically isolated from any other population in Europe, which raises questions about its origin, path of introduction and dispersal means, while also highlighting the need to enhance surveillance systems by closely combining crowd-sourced surveillance with public health and mosquito control agencies’ efforts, from local to continental scales. This multi-actor approach for surveillance (either passive and active) shows high potential efficiency in the surveillance of other invasive mosquito species, and specifically the major vector Aedes aegypti which is already present in some parts of Europe. Graphical abstract

scholarly journals Mosquito Control Priorities in Florida—Survey Results from Florida Mosquito Control Districts

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 947
Author(s):  
Rishi Kondapaneni ◽  
Ashley N. Malcolm ◽  
Brian M. Vazquez ◽  
Eric Zeng ◽  
Tse-Yu Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
State Government ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Current Control ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Common Control ◽  
Surveillance Programs ◽  
Research Questions

Florida lies within a subtropical region where the climate allows diverse mosquito species including invasive species to thrive year-round. As of 2021, there are currently 66 state-approved Florida Mosquito Control Districts, which are major stakeholders for Florida public universities engaged in mosquito research. Florida is one of the few states with extensive organized mosquito control programs. The Florida State Government and Florida Mosquito Control Districts have long histories of collaboration with research institutions. During fall 2020, we carried out a survey to collect baseline data on the current control priorities from Florida Mosquito Control Districts relating to (1) priority control species, (2) common adult and larval control methods, and (3) major research questions to address that will improve their control and surveillance programs. The survey data showed that a total of 17 distinct mosquito species were considered to be priority control targets, with many of these species being understudied. The most common control approaches included truck-mounted ultra-low-volume adulticiding and biopesticide-based larviciding. The districts held interest in diverse research questions, with many prioritizing studies on basic science questions to help develop evidence-based control strategies. Our data highlight the fact that mosquito control approaches and priorities differ greatly between districts and provide an important point of comparison for other regions investing in mosquito control, particularly those with similar ecological settings, and great diversity of potential mosquito vectors, such as in Florida. Our findings highlight a need for greater alignment of research priorities between mosquito control and mosquito research. In particular, we note a need to prioritize filling knowledge gaps relating to understudied mosquito species that have been implicated in arbovirus transmission.

Disease outbreaks caused by steppe-type rabies viruses in China

2014 ◽  
Vol 143 (6) ◽  
pp. 1287-1291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. FENG ◽  
W. WANG ◽  
J. GUO ◽  
ALATENGHELI ◽  
Y. LI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluorescent Antibody ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Antibody Test ◽  
Domestic Animal ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
The North ◽  
Significant Public Health Concern ◽  
Significant Public Health

SUMMARYWhile rabies is a significant public health concern in China, the epidemiology of animal rabies in the north and northwest border provinces remains unknown. From February 2013 to March 2014, seven outbreaks of domestic animal rabies caused by wild carnivores in Xinjiang (XJ) and Inner Mongolia (IM) Autonomous Regions, China were reported and diagnosed in brain samples of infected animals by the fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and RT–PCR. Ten field rabies viruses were obtained. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis based on the complete N gene (1353 bp) amplified directly from the original brain tissues showed that these ten strains were steppe-type viruses, closely related to strains reported in Russia and Mongolia. None had been identified previously in China. The viruses from XJ and IM clustered separately into two lineages showing their different geographical distribution. This study emphasizes the importance of wildlife surveillance and of cross-departmental cooperation in the control of transboundary rabies transmission.

scholarly journals Integrating Vector and Nuisance Mosquito Control for Severe Weather Response

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2s) ◽  
pp. 41-48
Author(s):  
Heather M. Ward ◽  
Whitney A. Qualls
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Vector Control ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Severe Weather ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Control Plan ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Nuisance Species ◽  
Mosquito Management

ABSTRACT Ideally, all mosquito control programs would have public health–driven and nuisance population–focused components in their mosquito control plan. However, due to resource limitations many mosquito control programs focus attention on one specific component of integrated mosquito control, i.e., adulticiding only. Programs run by public health departments with limited resources are frequently heavily focused on vector control, targeting a few mosquito species that are locally medically relevant in human and animal disease cycles. Focusing their mosquito management on these specific vector species can result in inefficiencies after hurricanes and severe flooding events that create a need for nuisance mosquito control. Floodwater nuisance species that emerge are not routinely a public health threat, but hinder operations related to response efforts and can negatively affect the lives of people in areas recovering from these disaster events. Staff, training, equipment, and facilities, when aimed at public health vector control, may not have the experience, knowledge, or tools to effectively respond to postdisaster, floodwater mosquito populations. As such, all mosquito management programs should have plans in place to handle not only known vectors of public health concern in response to mosquito-borne disease, but also to manage floodwater mosquito populations after natural disasters to safeguard public health and facilitate recovery operations. The current paper discusses the severe weather events in South Texas in 2018 and the resulting integrated nuisance floodwater mosquito control guidance developed by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

scholarly journals Cas9-Mediated Gene-Editing in the Malaria Mosquito Anopheles stephensi by ReMOT Control

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1353-1360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa M. Macias ◽  
Sage McKeand ◽  
Duverney Chaverra-Rodriguez ◽  
Grant L. Hughes ◽  
Aniko Fazekas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Editing ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Anopheles Stephensi ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Adult Mosquito ◽  
Malaria Mosquito ◽  
Powerful Method ◽  
Injection Methods

Innovative tools are essential for advancing malaria control and depend on an understanding of molecular mechanisms governing transmission of malaria parasites by Anopheles mosquitoes. CRISPR/Cas9-based gene disruption is a powerful method to uncover underlying biology of vector-pathogen interactions and can itself form the basis of mosquito control strategies. However, embryo injection methods used to genetically manipulate mosquitoes (especially Anopheles) are difficult and inefficient, particularly for non-specialist laboratories. Here, we adapted the ReMOT Control (Receptor-mediated Ovary Transduction of Cargo) technique to deliver Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complex to adult mosquito ovaries, generating targeted and heritable mutations in the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi without injecting embryos. In Anopheles, ReMOT Control gene editing was as efficient as standard embryo injections. The application of ReMOT Control to Anopheles opens the power of CRISPR/Cas9 methods to malaria laboratories that lack the equipment or expertise to perform embryo injections and establishes the flexibility of ReMOT Control for diverse mosquito species.

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 Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) against Aedes Species Mosquitoes: A Roadmap and Good Practice Framework for Designing, Implementing and Evaluating Pilot Field Trials

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 191
Author(s):  
Clélia F Oliva ◽  
Mark Q Benedict ◽  
C Matilda Collins ◽  
Thierry Baldet ◽  
Romeo Bellini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sterile Insect Technique ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Invasive Mosquito ◽  
Substantial Risk ◽  
Concurrent Development ◽  
Practice Framework

Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti are invasive mosquito species that impose a substantial risk to human health. To control the abundance and spread of these arboviral pathogen vectors, the sterile insect technique (SIT) is emerging as a powerful complement to most commonly-used approaches, in part, because this technique is ecologically benign, specific, and non-persistent in the environment if releases are stopped. Because SIT and other similar vector control strategies are becoming of increasing interest to many countries, we offer here a pragmatic and accessible ‘roadmap’ for the pre-pilot and pilot phases to guide any interested party. This will support stakeholders, non-specialist scientists, implementers, and decision-makers. Applying these concepts will ensure, given adequate resources, a sound basis for local field trialing and for developing experience with the technique in readiness for potential operational deployment. This synthesis is based on the available literature, in addition to the experience and current knowledge of the expert contributing authors in this field. We describe a typical path to successful pilot testing, with the four concurrent development streams of Laboratory, Field, Stakeholder Relations, and the Business and Compliance Case. We provide a graphic framework with criteria that must be met in order to proceed.

scholarly journals Inhibition of Asaia in Adult Mosquitoes Causes Male-Specific Mortality and Diverse Transcriptome Changes

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Vittoria Mancini ◽  
Claudia Damiani ◽  
Sarah M. Short ◽  
Alessia Cappelli ◽  
Ulisse Ulissi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Acetic Acid Bacteria ◽  
Adult Mosquito ◽  
Great Expectations ◽  
Innovative Tool ◽  
Male Specific

Mosquitoes can transmit many infectious diseases, such as malaria, dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and lymphatic filariasis. Current mosquito control strategies are failing to reduce the severity of outbreaks that still cause high human morbidity and mortality worldwide. Great expectations have been placed on genetic control methods. Among other methods, genetic modification of the bacteria colonizing different mosquito species and expressing anti-pathogen molecules may represent an innovative tool to combat mosquito-borne diseases. Nevertheless, this emerging approach, known as paratransgenesis, requires a detailed understanding of the mosquito microbiota and an accurate characterization of selected bacteria candidates. The acetic acid bacteria Asaia is a promising candidate for paratransgenic approaches. We have previously reported that Asaia symbionts play a beneficial role in the normal development of Anopheles mosquito larvae, but no study has yet investigated the role(s) of Asaia in adult mosquito biology. Here we report evidence on how treatment with a highly specific anti-Asaia monoclonal antibody impacts the survival and physiology of adult Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. Our findings offer useful insight on the role of Asaia in several physiological systems of adult mosquitoes, where the influence differs between males and females.

scholarly journals Risk-Based and Adaptive Invasive Mosquito Surveillance at Lucky Bamboo and Used Tire Importers in the Netherlands

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-98
Author(s):  
Adolfo Ibáñez-Justicia ◽  
Constantianus J. M. Koenraadt ◽  
Arjan Stroo ◽  
Ron van Lammeren ◽  
Willem Takken
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Aedes Albopictus ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Dutch Government ◽  
Invasive Mosquito Species ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Invasive Mosquito ◽  
Dracaena Sanderiana ◽  
Governmental Management

ABSTRACT The detection of Aedes albopictus in Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) greenhouses and Ae. atropalpus at used tire importers illustrates that the Netherlands is exposed to the risk of introductions of invasive mosquito species (IMS). In this study we implemented a risk-based and adaptive surveillance (2010–16) in order to detect introductions and prevent potential proliferation of IMS at these locations. Results at Lucky bamboo greenhouses show that interceptions of Ae. albopictus occurred every year, with 2010 and 2012 being the years with most locations found positive for this species (n = 6), and 2015 the year with the highest percentage of positive samples (4.1%). Furthermore, our results demonstrate that Ae. japonicus can also be associated with the import of Lucky bamboo. At used tire companies, IMS were found at 12 locations. Invasive mosquito species identified were Ae. albopictus, Ae. atropalpus, Ae. aegypti, and Ae. japonicus, of which Ae. albopictus has been found every year since 2010. The proportion of samples containing IMS was significantly higher before application of a covenant between the used tire importers and the Dutch government in 2013 (12.96%) than in the successive 3 years (2014 [6.93%], 2015 [4.24%], 2016 [5.09%], 1-sided binomial test, P &lt; 0.01). It is concluded that risk-based and adaptive surveillance is an effective methodology for detection of IMS, and that application of governmental management measures in combination with mosquito control has stabilized the situation.

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