Publications

cutprotfam-pred: detection and classification of putative structural cuticular proteins from sequence alone, based on profile hidden markov models.	the arthropod cuticle is a composite, bipartite system, made of chitin ﬁlaments embedded in a proteinaceous matrix. the physical properties of cuticle are determined by the structure and the interactions of its two major components, cuticular proteins (cps) and chitin. the proteinaceous matrix consists mainly of structural cuticular proteins. the majority of the structural proteins that have been described to date belong to the cpr family, and they are identified by the conserved r&r region (reb ...	2014	24978609
molecular and functional characterization of anopheles gambiae inward rectifier potassium (kir1) channels: a novel role in egg production.	inward rectifier potassium (kir) channels play essential roles in regulating diverse physiological processes. although kir channels are encoded in mosquito genomes, their functions remain largely unknown. in this study, we identified the members of the anopheles gambiae kir gene family and began to investigate their function. notably, we sequenced the a. gambiae kir1 (agkir1) gene and showed that it encodes all the canonical features of a kir channel: an ion pore that is composed of a pore helix ...	2014	24855023
effective autodissemination of pyriproxyfen to breeding sites by the exophilic malaria vector anopheles arabiensis in semi-field settings in tanzania.	malaria vector control strategies that target adult female mosquitoes are challenged by the emergence of insecticide resistance and behavioural resilience. conventional larviciding is restricted by high operational costs and inadequate knowledge of mosquito-breeding habitats in rural settings that might be overcome by the juvenile hormone analogue, pyriproxyfen (ppf). this study assessed the potential for anopheles arabiensis to pick up and transfer lethal doses of ppf from contamination sites t ...	2014	24779515
molasses as a source of carbon dioxide for attracting the malaria mosquitoes anopheles gambiae and anopheles funestus.	most odour baits for haematophagous arthropods contain carbon dioxide (co2). the co2 is sourced artificially from the fermentation of refined sugar (sucrose), dry ice, pressurized gas cylinders or propane. these sources of co2 are neither cost-effective nor sustainable for use in remote areas of sub-saharan africa. in this study, molasses was evaluated as a potential substrate for producing co2 used as bait for malaria mosquitoes.	2014	24767543
central projections of gustatory receptor neurons in the medial and the lateral sensilla styloconica of helicoverpa armigera larvae.	food selection behavior of lepidopteran larvae is predominantly governed by the activation of taste neurons present in two sensilla styloconica located on the galea of the maxilla. in this study, we present the ultrastructure of the sensilla styloconica and the central projection pattern of their associated receptor neurons in larvae of the heliothine moth, helicoverpa armigera. by means of light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, the previous findings of two morphologically fairly sim ...	2014	24740428
evaluating the feasibility of using insecticide quantification kits (iqk) for estimating cyanopyrethroid levels for indoor residual spraying in vanuatu.	the quality of routine indoor residual spraying (irs) operations is rarely assessed because of the limited choice of methods available for quantifying insecticide content in the field. this study, therefore, evaluated a user-friendly, rapid colorimetric assay for detecting insecticide content after routine irs operations were conducted.	2014	24885084
toll signals regulate dorsal-ventral patterning and anterior-posterior placement of the embryo in the hemipteran rhodnius prolixus.	insect embryonic dorso-ventral patterning depends greatly on two pathways: the toll pathway and the bone morphogenetic protein pathway. while the relative contribution of each pathway has been investigated in holometabolous insects, their role has not been explored in insects with a hemimetabolous type of development. the hemimetabolous insect rhodnius prolixus, an important vector of chagas disease in the americas, develops from an intermediate germ band and displays complex movements during ka ...	2014	25908955
comparative genome analysis of entomopathogenic fungi reveals a complex set of secreted proteins.	metarhizium anisopliae is an entomopathogenic fungus used in the biological control of some agricultural insect pests, and efforts are underway to use this fungus in the control of insect-borne human diseases. a large repertoire of proteins must be secreted by m. anisopliae to cope with the various available nutrients as this fungus switches through different lifestyles, i.e., from a saprophytic, to an infectious, to a plant endophytic stage. to further evaluate the predicted secretome of m. ani ...	2014	25263348
transcriptome changes in eriocheir sinensis megalopae after desalination provide insights into osmoregulation and stress adaption in larvae.	eriocheir sinensis, an extremely invasive alien crab species, has important economic value in china. it encounters different salinities during its life cycle, and at the megalopal stage it faces a turning point regarding the salinity in its environment. we applied rna sequencing to e. sinensis megalopae before (mb) and after (ma) desalination, resulting in the discovery of 21,042 unigenes and 908 differentially expressed genes (degs, 4.32% of the unigenes). the degs primarily belonged to the gen ...	2014	25470496
diverse modes of evolutionary emergence and flux of conserved microrna clusters.	many animal mirna loci reside in genomic clusters that generate multicistronic primary-mirna transcripts. while clusters that contain copies of the same mirna hairpin are clearly products of local duplications, the evolutionary provenance of clusters with disparate members is less clear. recently, it was proposed that essentially all such clusters in drosophila derived from de novo formation of mirna-like hairpins within existing mirna transcripts, and that the maintenance of multiple mirnas in ...	2014	25332374
nutritional control of body size through foxo-ultraspiracle mediated ecdysone biosynthesis.	despite their fundamental importance for body size regulation, the mechanisms that stop growth are poorly understood. in drosophila melanogaster, growth ceases in response to a peak of the molting hormone ecdysone that coincides with a nutrition-dependent checkpoint, critical weight. previous studies indicate that insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (iis)/target of rapamycin (tor) signaling in the prothoracic glands (pgs) regulates ecdysone biosynthesis and critical weight. here we eluc ...	2014	25421296
genetic analysis of loop sequences in the let-7 gene family reveal a relationship between loop evolution and multiple isomirs.	while mature mirnas have been widely studied, the terminal loop sequences are rarely examined despite regulating both primary and mature mirna functions. herein, we attempted to understand the evolutionary pattern of loop sequences by analyzing loops in the let-7 gene family. compared to the stable mirna length distributions seen in most metazoans, higher metazoan species exhibit a longer length distribution. examination of these loop sequence length distributions, in addition to phylogenetic tr ...	2014	25397967
characterization of small hsps from anemonia viridis reveals insights into molecular evolution of alpha crystallin genes among cnidarians.	gene family encoding small heat-shock proteins (shsps containing α-crystallin domain) are found both in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms; however, there is limited knowledge of their evolution. in this study, two small hsp genes termed avhsp28.6 and avhsp27, both organized in one intron and two exons, were characterised in the mediterranean snakelocks anemone anemonia viridis. the release of the genome sequence of hydra magnipapillata and nematostella vectensis enabled a comprehensive study ...	2014	25251681
annotation of the daphnia magna nuclear receptors: comparison to daphnia pulex.	most nuclear receptors (nrs) are ligand-dependent transcription factors crucial in homeostatic physiological responses or environmental responses. we annotated the daphnia magna nrs and compared them to daphnia pulex and other species, primarily through phylogenetic analysis. daphnia species contain 26 nrs spanning all seven gene subfamilies. thirteen of the 26 receptors found in daphnia species phylogenetically segregate into the nr1 subfamily, primarily involved in energy metabolism and resour ...	2014	25239664
the glanville fritillary genome retains an ancient karyotype and reveals selective chromosomal fusions in lepidoptera.	previous studies have reported that chromosome synteny in lepidoptera has been well conserved, yet the number of haploid chromosomes varies widely from 5 to 223. here we report the genome (393 mb) of the glanville fritillary butterfly (melitaea cinxia; nymphalidae), a widely recognized model species in metapopulation biology and eco-evolutionary research, which has the putative ancestral karyotype of n=31. using a phylogenetic analyses of nymphalidae and of other lepidoptera, combined with ortho ...	2014	25189940
soluble proteins of chemical communication: an overview across arthropods.	detection of chemical signals both in insects and in vertebrates is mediated by soluble proteins, highly concentrated in olfactory organs, which bind semiochemicals and activate, with still largely unknown mechanisms, specific chemoreceptors. the same proteins are often found in structures where pheromones are synthesized and released, where they likely perform a second role in solubilizing and delivering chemical messengers in the environment. a single class of soluble polypeptides, called odor ...	2014	25221516
analysis of insecticide resistance-related genes of the carmine spider mite tetranychus cinnabarinus based on a de novo assembled transcriptome.	the carmine spider mite (csm), tetranychus cinnabarinus, is an important pest mite in agriculture, because it can develop insecticide resistance easily. to gain valuable gene information and molecular basis for the future insecticide resistance study of csm, the first transcriptome analysis of csm was conducted. a total of 45,016 contigs and 25,519 unigenes were generated from the de novo transcriptome assembly, and 15,167 unigenes were annotated via blast querying against current databases, inc ...	2014	24830288
structure of the toll-spatzle complex, a molecular hub in drosophila development and innate immunity.	drosophila toll receptors are involved in embryonic development and the immune response of adult flies. in both processes, the only known toll receptor ligand is the human nerve growth factor-like cystine knot protein spätzle. here we present the crystal structure of a 1:1 (nonsignaling) complex of the full-length toll receptor ectodomain (ecd) with the spätzle cystine knot domain dimer. the ecd is divided into two leucine-rich repeat (lrr) domains, each of which is capped by cysteine-rich domai ...	2014	24733933
molecular evolution of glycoside hydrolase genes in the western corn rootworm (diabrotica virgifera virgifera).	cellulose is an important nutritional resource for a number of insect herbivores. digestion of cellulose and other polysaccharides in plant-based diets requires several types of enzymes including a number of glycoside hydrolase (gh) families. in a previous study, we showed that a single gh45 gene is present in the midgut tissue of the western corn rootworm, diabrotica virgifera virgifera (coleoptera: chrysomelidae). however, the presence of multiple enzymes was also suggested by the lack of a si ...	2014	24718603
shared gene structures and clusters of mutually exclusive spliced exons within the metazoan muscle myosin heavy chain genes.	multicellular animals possess two to three different types of muscle tissues. striated muscles have considerable ultrastructural similarity and contain a core set of proteins including the muscle myosin heavy chain (mhc) protein. the atpase activity of this myosin motor protein largely dictates muscle performance at the molecular level. two different solutions to adjusting myosin properties to different muscle subtypes have been identified so far: vertebrates and nematodes contain many independe ...	2014	24498429
analyzing mosquito (diptera: culicidae) diversity in pakistan by dna barcoding.	although they are important disease vectors mosquito biodiversity in pakistan is poorly known. recent epidemics of dengue fever have revealed the need for more detailed understanding of the diversity and distributions of mosquito species in this region. dna barcoding improves the accuracy of mosquito inventories because morphological differences between many species are subtle, leading to misidentifications.	2014	24827460
factors influencing u.s. canine heartworm (dirofilaria immitis) prevalence.	this paper examines the individual factors that influence prevalence rates of canine heartworm in the contiguous united states. a data set provided by the companion animal parasite council, which contains county-by-county results of over nine million heartworm tests conducted during 2011 and 2012, is analyzed for predictive structure. the goal is to identify the factors that are important in predicting high canine heartworm prevalence rates.	2014	24906567
diversity of mosquitoes and the aquatic insects associated with their oviposition sites along the pacific coast of mexico.	the abundance, richness and diversity of mosquitoes and aquatic insects associated with their oviposition sites were surveyed along eight states of the pacific coast of mexico. diversity was estimated using the shannon index (h'), similarity measures and cluster analysis.	2014	24450800
discovery and evolution of bunyavirids in arctic phantom midges and ancient bunyavirid-like sequences in insect genomes.	bunyaviridae is a large family of rna viruses chiefly comprised of vertebrate and plant pathogens. we discovered novel bunyavirids that are approximately equally divergent from each of the five known genera. we characterized novel genome sequences for two bunyavirids, namely, kigluaik phantom virus (kigv), from tundra-native phantom midges (chaoborus), and nome phantom virus (nomv), from tundra-invading phantom midges, and demonstrated that these bunyavirid-like sequences belong to an infectious ...	2014	24850747
anti-mosquito plants as an alternative or incremental method for malaria vector control among rural communities of bagamoyo district, tanzania.	plants represent one of the most accessible resources available for mosquito control by communities in tanzania. however, no documented statistics exist for their contribution in the management of mosquitoes and other insects except through verbal and some publications. this study aimed at assessing communities' knowledge, attitudes and practices of using plants as an alternative method for mosquito control among selected communities in a malaria-prone area in tanzania.	2014	25015092
pirna pathway gene expression in the malaria vector mosquito anopheles stephensi.	the ability of transposons to mobilize to new places in a genome enables them to introgress rapidly into populations. the pirna pathway has been characterized recently in the germ line of the fruit fly, drosophila melanogaster, and is responsible for downregulating transposon mobility. transposons have been used as tools in mosquitoes to genetically transform a number of species including anopheles stephensi, a vector of human malaria. these mobile genetic elements also have been proposed as too ...	2014	24947897
aedes mosquito species in western saudi arabia.	the aedes meigen (diptera: culicidae) mosquito species populations in the western region of saudi arabia, especially in and around jeddah, are increasing, therefore increasing susceptibility of humans to the dengue virus. an extensive survey was carried out for one year, and four species were identified with the help of different pictorial keys available. the identification was based on morphological characteristics of adult female aedes mosquitoes.	2014	25373216
dna barcoding for the identification of sand fly species (diptera, psychodidae, phlebotominae) in colombia.	sand flies include a group of insects that are of medical importance and that vary in geographic distribution, ecology, and pathogen transmission. approximately 163 species of sand flies have been reported in colombia. surveillance of the presence of sand fly species and the actualization of species distribution are important for predicting risks for and monitoring the expansion of diseases which sand flies can transmit. currently, the identification of phlebotomine sand flies is based on morpho ...	2014	24454877
identification of salivary gland proteins depleted after blood feeding in the malaria vector anopheles campestris-like mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae).	malaria sporozoites must invade the salivary glands of mosquitoes for maturation before transmission to vertebrate hosts. the duration of the sporogonic cycle within the mosquitoes ranges from 10 to 21 days depending on the parasite species and temperature. during blood feeding salivary gland proteins are injected into the vertebrate host, along with malaria sporozoites in the case of an infected mosquito. to identify salivary gland proteins depleted after blood feeding of female anopheles campe ...	2014	24599352
imported zika virus infection from the cook islands into australia, 2014.	a female resident of townsville, queensland, australia has been diagnosed with zika virus infection following a recent trip to the cook islands. an initial serum sample collected in march, 2014 was positive by two separate zika virus taqman real-time rt-pcrs and a pan-flavivirus rt-pcr. nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetics of the complete cook islands zika virus envelope gene revealed 99.1% homology with a previous cambodia 2010 sequence within the asian lineage. in addition, igg and igm anti ...	2014	24944843
a novel live-attenuated vaccine candidate for mayaro fever.	mayaro virus (mayv) is an emerging, mosquito-borne alphavirus that causes a dengue-like illness in many regions of south america, and which has the potential to urbanize. because no specific treatment or vaccine is available for mayv infection, we capitalized on an ires-based approach to develop a live-attenuated mayv vaccine candidate. testing in infant, immunocompetent as well as interferon receptor-deficient mice demonstrated a high degree of attenuation, strong induction of neutralizing anti ...	2014	25101995
quantifying the contribution of hosts with different parasite concentrations to the transmission of visceral leishmaniasis in ethiopia.	an important factor influencing the transmission dynamics of vector-borne diseases is the contribution of hosts with different parasitemia (no. of parasites per ml of blood) to the infected vector population. today, estimation of this contribution is often impractical since it relies exclusively on limited-scale xenodiagnostic or artificial feeding experiments (i.e., measuring the proportion of vectors that become infected after feeding on infected blood/host).	2014	25356795
aedes hensilli as a potential vector of chikungunya and zika viruses.	an epidemic of zika virus (zikv) illness that occurred in july 2007 on yap island in the federated states of micronesia prompted entomological studies to identify both the primary vector(s) involved in transmission and the ecological parameters contributing to the outbreak. larval and pupal surveys were performed to identify the major containers serving as oviposition habitat for the likely vector(s). adult mosquitoes were also collected by backpack aspiration, light trap, and gravid traps at se ...	2014	25299181
chikungunya in the caribbean: an epidemic in the making.	chikungunya is a mosquito-borne virus that has shown increased prevalence in the caribbean since october 2013. there have been several outbreaks throughout asian and african countries over the past few decades with global travel and tourism having a major impact on the further spread of this disease. improved policies and practices for preventative measures and epidemiological surveillance must be implemented to prevent the continued transmission of chikungunya.	2014	25245516
assessing climate variability effects on dengue incidence in san juan, puerto rico.	we test the hypothesis that climate and environmental conditions are becoming favorable for dengue transmission in san juan, puerto rico. sea level pressure (slp), mean sea level (msl), wind, sea surface temperature (sst), air surface temperature (ast), rainfall, and confirmed dengue cases were analyzed. we evaluated the dengue incidence and environmental data with principal component analysis, pearson correlation coefficient, mann-kendall trend test and logistic regressions. results indicated t ...	2014	25216253
recombinant modified vaccinia virus ankara expressing glycoprotein e2 of chikungunya virus protects ag129 mice against lethal challenge.	chikungunya virus (chikv) infection is characterized by rash, acute high fever, chills, headache, nausea, photophobia, vomiting, and severe polyarthralgia. there is evidence that arthralgia can persist for years and result in long-term discomfort. neurologic disease with fatal outcome has been documented, although at low incidences. the chikv rna genome encodes five structural proteins (c, e1, e2, e3 and 6k). the e1 spike protein drives the fusion process within the cytoplasm, while the e2 prote ...	2014	25188230
molecular detection of mayaro virus during a dengue outbreak in the state of mato grosso, central-west brazil.	mayaro virus (mayv) is frequently reported in pan-amazonia. the aim of this study was to investigate the circulation of alphaviruses during a dengue outbreak in the state of mato grosso, brazil. serum samples from dengue-suspected patients were subjected to multiplex semi-nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for 11 flaviviruses and five alphaviruses, to nucleotide sequencing and to viral isolation. mayv was detected in 15 (2.5%) of 604 patients. twelve were co-infected with den ...	2014	25141284
climate change and the emergence of vector-borne diseases in europe: case study of dengue fever.	dengue fever is the most prevalent mosquito-borne viral disease worldwide. dengue transmission is critically dependent on climatic factors and there is much concern as to whether climate change would spread the disease to areas currently unaffected. the occurrence of autochthonous infections in croatia and france in 2010 has raised concerns about a potential re-emergence of dengue in europe. the objective of this study is to estimate dengue risk in europe under climate change scenarios.	2014	25149418
complete coding region sequence of a chikungunya virus strain used for formulation of cber/fda rna reference reagents for nucleic acid testing.	we have sequenced the complete coding region of a chikungunya virus isolate (r91064) used in the formulation of cber/fda rna reference reagents for nucleic acid technology testing.	2014	25081254
evidence of dengue virus transmission and factors associated with the presence of anti-dengue virus antibodies in humans in three major towns in cameroon.	dengue is not well documented in africa. in cameroon, data are scarce, but dengue infection has been confirmed in humans. we conducted a study to document risk factors associated with anti-dengue virus immunoglobulin g seropositivity in humans in three major towns in cameroon.	2014	25009996
high level of vector competence of aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus from ten american countries as a crucial factor in the spread of chikungunya virus.	chikungunya virus (chikv) causes a major public health problem. in 2004, chikv began an unprecedented global expansion and has been responsible for epidemics in africa, asia, islands in the indian ocean region, and surprisingly, in temperate regions, such as europe. intriguingly, no local transmission of chikungunya virus (chikv) had been reported in the americas until recently, despite the presence of vectors and annually reported imported cases. here, we assessed the vector competence of 35 am ...	2014	24672026
to be or not to be associated: power study of four statistical modeling approaches to identify parasite associations in cross-sectional studies.	a growing number of studies are reporting simultaneous infections by parasites in many different hosts. the detection of whether these parasites are significantly associated is important in medicine and epidemiology. numerous approaches to detect associations are available, but only a few provide statistical tests. furthermore, they generally test for an overall detection of association and do not identify which parasite is associated with which other one. here, we developed a new approach, the ...	2014	24860791
protection against chikungunya virus induced arthralgia following prophylactic treatment with adenovirus vectored interferon (mdef201).	recent outbreaks of chikungunya virus (chikv) infection have resulted in millions of cases of disease with significant morbidity. no approved antiviral treatments exist for the prevention or treatment of this viral disease. infection with chikv results in a high rate of symptomatic disease that primarily includes a debilitating arthralgia. to model this cardinal disease manifestation, adult dba/1j mice were challenged with chikv by footpad injection. viremia and hind limb virus titers increased ...	2014	24833276
fitness impact and stability of a transgene conferring resistance to dengue-2 virus following introgression into a genetically diverse aedes aegypti strain.	in 2006, we reported a mariner (mos1)-transformed aedes aegypti line, carb77, which was highly resistant to dengue-2 virus (denv2). carb77 mosquitoes expressed a denv2-specific inverted-repeat (ir) rna in midgut epithelial cells after ingesting an infectious bloodmeal. the ir-rna formed double-stranded denv2-derived rna, initiating an intracellular antiviral rna interference (rnai) response. however, carb77 mosquitoes stopped expressing the ir-rna after 17 generations in culture and lost their d ...	2014	24810399
cxcr4: a virus's best friend?	viruses are dependent on their hosts for replication and dispersal in the environment; thus, the most successful viruses are those that co-evolve with their hosts. cxcr4 is a cellular chemokine receptor that plays central roles in development, hematopoiesis, and immune surveillance through signaling induced by its ligand, cxcl12. the cxcr4-cxcl12 axis has been besieged by many pathogens that employ a range of strategies to modify or exploit cxcr4 activity. while cxcr4 was identified as a critica ...	2014	24793563
genetic shifting: a novel approach for controlling vector-borne diseases.	rendering populations of vectors of diseases incapable of transmitting pathogens through genetic methods has long been a goal of vector geneticists. we outline a method to achieve this goal that does not involve the introduction of any new genetic variants to the target population. rather we propose that shifting the frequencies of naturally occurring alleles that confer refractoriness to transmission can reduce transmission below a sustainable level. the program employs methods successfully use ...	2014	24794113
implication of the bacterial endosymbiont rickettsia spp. in interactions of the whitefly bemisia tabaci with tomato yellow leaf curl virus.	numerous animal and plant viruses are transmitted by arthropod vectors in a persistent, circulative manner. tomato yellow leaf curl virus (tylcv) is transmitted by the sweet potato whitefly bemisia tabaci. we report here that infection with rickettsia spp., a facultative endosymbiont of whiteflies, altered tylcv-b. tabaci interactions. a b. tabaci strain infected with rickettsia acquired more tylcv from infected plants, retained the virus longer, and exhibited nearly double the transmission effi ...	2014	24600010
characterization of chikungunya virus induced host response in a mouse model of viral myositis.	while a number of studies have documented the persistent presence of chikungunya virus (chikv) in muscle tissue with primary fibroblast as the preferable cell target, little is known regarding the alterations that take place in muscle tissue in response to chikv infection. hence, in the present study a permissive mouse model of chikv infection was established and characterized in order to understand the pathophysiology of the disease. the two dimensional electrophoresis of muscle proteome perfor ...	2014	24667237
spatial and temporal heterogeneities of aedes albopictus density in la reunion island: rise and weakness of entomological indices.	following the 2006 chikungunya disease in la reunion, questions were raised concerning the monitoring survey of aedes albopictus populations and the entomological indexes used to evaluate population abundance. the objectives of the present study were to determine reliable productivity indexes using a quantitative method to improve entomological surveys and mosquito control measures on aedes albopictus. between 2007 and 2011, 4 intervention districts, 24 cities, 990 areas and over 850,000 houses ...	2014	24637507
incrimination of aedes (stegomyia) hensilli farner as an epidemic vector of chikungunya virus on yap island, federated states of micronesia, 2013.	two species of aedes (stegomyia) were collected in response to the first chikungunya virus (chikv) outbreak on yap island: the native species ae. hensilli farner and the introduced species ae. aegypti (l.). fourteen chikv-positive mosquito pools were detected. six pools were composed of female ae. hensilli, six pools were composed of female ae. aegypti, one pool was composed of male ae. hensilli, and one pool contained female specimens identified as ae. (stg.) spp. infection rates were not signi ...	2014	25404070
chikungunya virus infections among travelers-united states, 2010-2013.	chikungunya virus is an emerging threat to the united states because humans are amplifying hosts and competent mosquito vectors are present in many regions of the country. we identified laboratory-confirmed chikungunya virus infections with diagnostic testing performed in the united states from 2010 through 2013. we described the epidemiology of these cases and determined which were reported to arbonet. from 2010 through 2013, 115 laboratory-confirmed chikungunya virus infections were identified ...	2014	25349374
first reported chikungunya fever outbreak in the republic of congo, 2011.	chikungunya is an aedes -borne disease characterised by febrile arthralgia and responsible for massive outbreaks. we present a prospective clinical cohort study and a retrospective serological study relating to a chik outbreak, in the republic of congo in 2011.	2014	25541718
anti-mayaro virus activity of cassia australis extracts (fabaceae, leguminosae).	the arthropod-borne mayaro virus (mayv) causes 'mayaro fever', a disease of medical significance, primarily affecting individuals in permanent contact with forested areas in tropical south america. studies showed that the virus could also be transmitted by the mosquito aedes aegypti. recently, mayv has attracted attention due to its likely urbanization. to date, there are no drugs that can treat this illness.	2014	25428163
dna vaccine initiates replication of live attenuated chikungunya virus in vitro and elicits protective immune response in mice.	chikungunya virus (chikv) causes outbreaks of chikungunya fever worldwide and represents an emerging pandemic threat. vaccine development against chikv has proved challenging. currently there is no approved vaccine or specific therapy for the disease.	2014	24585894
chikungunya - an emerging infection in bangladesh: a case series.	chikungunya is an arthropod-borne virus endemic to africa, southeast asia and india that causes acute febrile polyarthralgia and arthritis. in this short case series, we discuss six bangladeshi patients with chikungunya fever. though bangladesh is in endemic zone, it is not common here, hence it demands attention for proper diagnosis and management.	2014	24559283
a novel 2006 indian outbreak strain of chikungunya virus exhibits different pattern of infection as compared to prototype strain.	the recent re-emergence of chikungunya virus (chikv) in india after 32 years and its worldwide epidemics with unprecedented magnitude raised a great public health concern.	2014	24465661
next generation sequencing reveals regulation of distinct aedes micrornas during chikungunya virus development.	application of genomics and next generation sequencing has led to the identification of new class of cellular functional molecules, namely, small rnas. of the several classes of ncrnas (non-coding rna), micrornas have been demonstrated to exert determinative influence on various cellular processes. it is becoming abundantly clear that host/vector/pathogen encoded micrornas impact eventual pathogenesis. in this context, the participation of vector based micrornas in disease transmission and patho ...	2014	24421911
chikungunya vaccine candidate is highly attenuated and protects nonhuman primates against telemetrically monitored disease following a single dose.	chikungunya virus (chikv) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that causes major epidemics of rash, fever, and debilitating arthritis. currently, there are no vaccines or antivirals available for prevention or treatment. we therefore generated 2 live-attenuated vaccine candidates based on the insertion of a picornavirus internal ribosome entry site (ires) sequence into the genome of chikv. vaccination of cynomolgus macaques with a single dose of either vaccine produced no signs of disease but was high ...	2014	24403555
anti-chikungunya viral activities of aplysiatoxin-related compounds from the marine cyanobacterium trichodesmium erythraeum.	tropical filamentous marine cyanobacteria have emerged as a viable source of novel bioactive natural products for drug discovery and development. in the present study, aplysiatoxin (1), debromoaplysiatoxin (2) and anhydrodebromoaplysiatoxin (3), as well as two new analogues, 3-methoxyaplysiatoxin (4) and 3-methoxydebromoaplysiatoxin (5), are reported for the first time from the marine cyanobacterium trichodesmium erythraeum. the identification of the bloom-forming cyanobacterial strain was confi ...	2014	24394406
molecular xenomonitoring using mosquitoes to map lymphatic filariasis after mass drug administration in american samoa.	mass drug administration (mda) programs have dramatically reduced lymphatic filariasis (lf) incidence in many areas around the globe, including american samoa. as infection rates decline and mda programs end, efficient and sensitive methods for detecting infections are needed to monitor for recrudescence. molecular methods, collectively termed 'molecular xenomonitoring,' can identify parasite dna or rna in human blood-feeding mosquitoes. we tested mosquitoes trapped throughout the inhabited isla ...	2014	25122037
effective suppression of dengue virus using a novel group-i intron that induces apoptotic cell death upon infection through conditional expression of the bax c-terminal domain.	approximately 100 million confirmed infections and 20,000 deaths are caused by dengue virus (denv) outbreaks annually. global warming and rapid dispersal have resulted in denv epidemics in formally non-endemic regions. currently no consistently effective preventive measures for denv exist, prompting development of transgenic and paratransgenic vector control approaches. production of transgenic mosquitoes refractory for virus infection and/or transmission is contingent upon defining antiviral ge ...	2014	24927852
epidemiology of dengue in a high-income country: a case study in queensland, australia.	australia is one of the few high-income countries where dengue transmission regularly occurs. dengue is a major health threat in north queensland (nq), where the vector aedes aegypti is present. whether nq should be considered as a dengue endemic or epidemic region is an ongoing debate. to help address this issue, we analysed the characteristics of locally-acquired (la) and imported dengue cases in nq through time and space. we describe the epidemiology of dengue in nq from 1995 to 2011, to iden ...	2014	25138897
dengue virus 2 american-asian genotype identified during the 2006/2007 outbreak in piauí, brazil reveals a caribbean route of introduction and dissemination of dengue virus in brazil.	dengue virus (denv) is the most widespread arthropod-borne virus, and the number and severity of outbreaks has increased worldwide in recent decades. dengue is caused by denv-1, denv- 2, denv-3 and denv-4 which are genetically distant. the species has been subdivided into genotypes based on phylogenetic studies. denv-2, which was isolated from dengue fever patients during an outbreak in piaui, brazil in 2006/2007 was analyzed by sequencing the envelope (e) gene. the results indicated a high simi ...	2014	25127366
laboratory surveillance of dengue in rio grande do sul, brazil, from 2007 to 2013.	according to official records, dengue was introduced in brazil in the 80's; since then several epidemics have occurred. meanwhile, in rio grande do sul (rs, southern brazil) the first autochthonous case occurred only in 2007.	2014	25116186
phylogeography and molecular epidemiology of an epidemic strain of dengue virus type 1 in sri lanka.	in 2009, a severe epidemic of dengue disease occurred in sri lanka, with higher mortality and morbidity than any previously recorded epidemic in the country. it corresponded to a shift to dengue virus 1 as the major disease-causing serotype in sri lanka. dengue disease reached epidemic levels in the next 3 years. we report phylogenetic evidence that the 2009 epidemic denv-1 strain continued to circulate within the population and caused severe disease in the epidemic of 2012. bayesian phylogeogra ...	2014	24799375
delivery of antiviral small interfering rna with gold nanoparticles inhibits dengue virus infection in vitro.	dengue virus (denv) infection in humans can cause flu-like illness, life-threatening haemorrhagic fever or even death. there is no specific anti-denv therapeutic or approved vaccine currently available, partially due to the possibility of antibody-dependent enhancement reaction. small interfering rnas (sirnas) that target specific viral genes are considered a promising therapeutic alternative against denv infection. however, in vivo, sirnas are vulnerable to degradation by serum nucleases and ra ...	2014	24828333
spatio-temporal distribution of dengue and lymphatic filariasis vectors along an altitudinal transect in central nepal.	rapidly increasing temperatures in the mountain region of nepal and recent reports of dengue fever and lymphatic filariasis cases from mountainous areas of central nepal prompted us to study the spatio-temporal distribution of the vectors of these two diseases along an altitudinal transect in central nepal.	2014	25078276
first sero-prevalence of dengue fever specific immunoglobulin g antibodies in western and north-western provinces of zambia: a population based cross sectional study.	dengue fever is a tropical infectious disease caused by dengue virus (denv), a single positive-stranded rna flavivirus. there is no published evidence of dengue in zambia. the objective of the study was to determine the sero-prevalence and correlates for dengue fever specific igg antibodies in western and north-western provinces in zambia.	2014	25078113
global temperature constraints on aedes aegypti and ae. albopictus persistence and competence for dengue virus transmission.	dengue is a disease that has undergone significant expansion over the past hundred years. understanding what factors limit the distribution of transmission can be used to predict current and future limits to further dengue expansion. while not the only factor, temperature plays an important role in defining these limits. previous attempts to analyse the effect of temperature on the geographic distribution of dengue have not considered its dynamic intra-annual and diurnal change and its cumulativ ...	2014	25052008
molecular docking based screening of plant flavonoids as dengue ns1 inhibitors.	dengue infection has turned into a serious health concern globally due to its high morbidity rate and a high possibility of increase in its mortality rate on the account of unavailability of any proper treatment for severe dengue infection. the situation demands an urgent development of efficient and practicable treatment to deal with dengue virus (denv). flavonoids, a class of phytochemicals present in medicinal plants, possess anti-viral activity and can be strong drug candidates against virus ...	2014	25187688
endothelial cells in dengue hemorrhagic fever.	therapies to prevent or reverse endothelial dysfunction and vascular leak found in dengue hemorrhagic fever (dhf) have not been identified. in this review we summarize dengue viruses and the spectrum of human disease and highlight evidence of endothelial cell dysfunction in dhf based on studies in patients and mouse and tissue culture models. evidence suggests that both virus antigen and host immune response, can cause endothelial cell dysfunction and weaken endothelial barrier integrity. we sug ...	2014	25025934
distinct variation in vector competence among nine field populations of aedes aegypti from a brazilian dengue-endemic risk city.	in brazil, dengue epidemics erupt sporadically throughout the country and it is unclear if outbreaks may initiate a sustainable transmission cycle. there are few studies evaluating the ability of brazilian aedes aegypti populations to transmit dengue virus (denv). the aim of this study was to compare denv susceptibility of field-captured ae. aegypti populations from nine distinct geographic areas of the city of belo horizonte in 2009 and 2011. infection rate (ir), vector competence (vc) and diss ...	2014	25015526
clinical, molecular, and epidemiological analysis of dengue cases during a major outbreak in the midwest region of minas gerais, brazil.	this study aims to perform the first molecular and clinical-epidemiological analysis of dengue cases in divinopolis, mg, brazil. data from 4,110 cases of dengue were accessed and 190 clinical samples were collected for molecular analyses. in this study, 2.7% of the men and 3.0% of the women were admitted to hospital. there was no association between gender and hospital admission. the symptoms observed in this study are according to the health ministry, but fever was present in 82.2% and not in 1 ...	2014	25120572
knowledge, attitude and practice regarding dengue fever among the healthy population of highland and lowland communities in central nepal.	dengue fever (df) is the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease in the world. in this decade it has expanded to new countries and from urban to rural areas. nepal was regarded df free until 2004. since then dengue virus (denv) has rapidly expanded its range even in mountain regions of nepal, and major outbreaks occurred in 2006 and 2010. however, no data on the local knowledge, attitude and practice (kap) of df in nepal exist although such information is required for prevention and ...	2014	25007284
baicalin, a metabolite of baicalein with antiviral activity against dengue virus.	baicalin, a flavonoid derived from scutellaria baicalensis, is the main metabolite of baicalein released following administration in different animal models and human. we previously reported the antiviral activity of baicalein against dengue virus (denv). here, we examined the anti-denv properties of baicalin in vitro, and described the inhibitory potentials of baicalin at different steps of denv-2 (ngc strain) replication. our in vitro antiviral experiments showed that baicalin inhibited virus ...	2014	24965553
serodetection of dengue virus and its antibodies among blood donors in the western region of saudi arabia: a preliminary study.		2014	25369603
dengue and hepatitis e virus infection in pregnant women in eastern sudan, a challenge for diagnosis in an endemic area.	dengue fever and hepatitis e virus infection are both a public health problem in developing countries due to poor sanitation. infection with viral hepatitis and dengue fever can present with similar clinical such and fever, headache and abortion. this study was conducted in port-sudan city in the eastern part of the country. elisa and real time pcr tests were used to detect the infection. a total number of 39 pregnant women with a mean age 26 ±7.8 were included in the study. all of them had feve ...	2014	25995787
cellular oxidative stress response controls the antiviral and apoptotic programs in dengue virus-infected dendritic cells.	dengue virus (denv) is a re-emerging arthropod borne flavivirus that infects more than 300 million people worldwide, leading to 50,000 deaths annually. because dendritic cells (dc) in the skin and blood are the first target cells for denv, we sought to investigate the early molecular events involved in the host response to the virus in primary human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (mo-dc). using a genome-wide transcriptome analysis of denv2-infected human mo-dc, three major responses were ident ...	2014	25521078
dengue serosurvey in sint eustatius.	four distinct serotypes of dengue viruses (denv) are the cause of re-emerging dengue fever (df) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (dhf). dengue circulation in the caribbean has gone from none or single serotype to multiple serotypes co-circulating with reports of continuing cycles of progressively more severe disease in the region. few studies have investigated dengue on sint eustatius. blood samples were collected to determine the prevalence of antibodies against dengue in the sint eustatius populat ...	2014	24914538
infection with dengue-2 virus alters proteins in naturally expectorated saliva of aedes aegypti mosquitoes.	dengue virus (denv) is responsible for up to approximately 300 million infections and an increasing number of deaths related to severe manifestations each year in affected countries throughout the tropics. it is critical to understand the drivers of this emergence, including the role of vector-virus interactions. when a denv-infected aedes aegypti mosquito bites a vertebrate, the virus is deposited along with a complex mixture of salivary proteins. however, the influence of a denv infection upon ...	2014	24886023
frequency and clinical manifestations of dengue in urban medellin, colombia.	a dengue fever surveillance study was conducted at three medical facilities located in the low-income district of san javier in medellin, colombia. during march 2008 to 2009, 781 patients with fever regardless of chief complaint were recruited for acute dengue virus infection testing. of the 781 tested, 73 (9.3%) were positive for dengue infection. serotypes denv-2 (77%) and -3 (23%) were detected by pcr. one patient met the diagnostic criteria for dengue hemorrhagic fever. only 3 out of 73 (4.1 ...	2014	24987421
time-varying, serotype-specific force of infection of dengue virus.	infectious disease models play a key role in public health planning. these models rely on accurate estimates of key transmission parameters such as the force of infection (foi), which is the per-capita risk of a susceptible person being infected. the foi captures the fundamental dynamics of transmission and is crucial for gauging control efforts, such as identifying vaccination targets. dengue virus (denv) is a mosquito-borne, multiserotype pathogen that currently infects ∼390 million people a y ...	2014	24847073
influence of mosquito genotype on transcriptional response to dengue virus infection.	the mosquito aedes aegypti is the principal vector that transmits dengue virus (denv) to humans. the primary factors that trigger a susceptible or refractory interaction of a. aegypti with denv are not well understood. in this study, our aim is to characterize the influence of vector genotype on differential gene expression of susceptible vs. refractory a. aegypti strains to denv infection. to accomplish that, we identified differential expression of a set of complementary dnas (cdnas; n = 9,504 ...	2014	24798794
comparing dengue and chikungunya emergence and endemic transmission in a. aegypti and a. albopictus.	chikungunya and dengue are re-emerging mosquito-borne infectious diseases that are of increasing concern as human travel and expanding mosquito ranges increase the risk of spread. we seek to understand the differences in transient and endemic behavior of chikungunya and dengue; risk of emergence for different virus-vector assemblages; and the role that virus evolution plays in disease dynamics and risk. to address these questions, we adapt a mathematical mosquito-borne disease model to chikungun ...	2014	24801860
apropos: 'preliminary evaluation on the efficiency of the kit platelia dengue ns1 ag-elisa to detect dengue virus in dried aedes aegypti: a potential tool to improve dengue surveillance'.	only simple, point-of-care, assay formats of the platellia dengue ns1 ag-elisa would be suitable to identify dengue virus in aedes aegypti mosquitoes in dengue-endemic areas lacking sophisticated laboratory infrastructure and trained laboratory personnel.	2014	24779373
development and evaluation of a novel contamination device that targets multiple life-stages of aedes aegypti.	the increasing global threat of dengue demands new and easily applicable vector control methods. ovitraps provide a low-tech and inexpensive means to combat dengue vectors. here we describe the development and optimization process of a novel contamination device that targets multiple life-stages of the aedes aegypti mosquito. special focus is directed to the diverse array of control agents deployed in this trap, covering adulticidal, larvicidal and autodissemination impacts.	2014	24766772
winter refuge for aedes aegypti and ae. albopictus mosquitoes in hanoi during winter.	dengue occurs throughout the year in hanoi, vietnam, despite winter low temperatures <10°c. during july 2010 to march 2012, we surveyed monthly for aedes larvae and pupae in 120 houses in 8 hanoi districts. aedes albopictus preferred discarded containers in summer and pupal density drastically decreased in winter. aedes aegypti preferred concrete tanks and this preference increased in winter. even in winter, the lowest water temperature found in concrete tanks was >14°c, exceeding the developmen ...	2014	24752230
air travel is associated with intracontinental spread of dengue virus serotypes 1-3 in brazil.	dengue virus and its four serotypes (denv-1 to denv-4) infect 390 million people and are implicated in at least 25,000 deaths annually, with the largest disease burden in tropical and subtropical regions. we investigated the spatial dynamics of denv-1, denv-2 and denv-3 in brazil by applying a statistical framework to complete genome sequences. for all three serotypes, we estimated that the introduction of new lineages occurred within 7 to 10-year intervals. new lineages were most likely to be i ...	2014	24743730
gene expression divergence between malaria vector sibling species anopheles gambiae and an. coluzzii from rural and urban yaoundé cameroon.	divergent selection based on aquatic larval ecology is a likely factor in the recent isolation of two broadly sympatric and morphologically identical african mosquito species, the malaria vectors anopheles gambiae and an. coluzzii. population-based genome scans have revealed numerous candidate regions of recent positive selection, but have provided few clues as to the genetic mechanisms underlying behavioural and physiological divergence between the two species, phenotypes which themselves remai ...	2014	24673723
a meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of two commercial ns1 antigen elisa tests for early dengue virus detection.	dengue virus (denv) ns1 antigen detection is regarded as an early diagnostic marker. accordingly, several studies have evaluated the performance of tests that utilize ns1 capture, but the results of individual studies may be limited due to the restricted sample size of the patients recruited. therefore, our objective was to perform a meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of two commercial ns1 elisas (panbio and platelia).	2014	24728377
fusion of protegrin-1 and plectasin to map30 shows significant inhibition activity against dengue virus replication.	dengue virus (denv) broadly disseminates in tropical and sub-tropical countries and there are no vaccine or anti-dengue drugs available. denv outbreaks cause serious economic burden due to infection complications that requires special medical care and hospitalization. this study presents a new strategy for inexpensive production of anti-denv peptide-fusion protein to prevent and/or treat denv infection. antiviral cationic peptides protegrin-1 (pg1) and plectasin (plsn) were fused with map30 prot ...	2014	24722532
estimating the basic reproduction number for single-strain dengue fever epidemics.	dengue, an infectious tropical disease, has recently emerged as one of the most important mosquito-borne viral diseases in the world. we perform a retrospective analysis of the 2011 dengue fever epidemic in pakistan in order to assess the transmissibility of the disease. we obtain estimates of the basic reproduction number r 0 from epidemic data using different methodologies applied to different epidemic models in order to evaluate the robustness of our estimate.	2014	24708869
a retrospective analysis of dengue fever case management and frequency of co-morbidities associated with deaths.	dengue epidemic in lahore (2011) resulted in hundreds of deaths and affected thousands. as most of the studies were focused on its diagnosis and treatment, scanty data is available on associated diseases/co-morbidities in these patients that could have contributed to a higher mortality. there were no local guidelines available on recording, reporting and management of these co-morbidities. the objective of this study was to analyze the initial presentations of dengue cases and to estimate the fr ...	2014	24690140
resistance of biomphalaria glabrata 13-16-r1 snails to schistosoma mansoni pr1 is a function of haemocyte abundance and constitutive levels of specific transcripts in haemocytes.	continuing transmission of human intestinal schistosomiasis depends on the parasite's access to susceptible snail intermediate hosts (often biomphalaria glabrata). transmission fails when parasite larvae enter resistant individuals in wild snail populations. the genetic basis for differences in snail susceptibility/resistance is being intensively investigated as a means to devise novel control strategies based on resistance genes. reactive oxygen species produced by the snail's defence cells (ha ...	2014	24681237
diagnostic efficacy of saliva for dengue - a reality in near future? a piloting initiative.	dengue, a mosquito-transmitted viral infection presents variable symptoms, including death. due to their increasing incidences, early detection and improved diagnoses of severe cases are of prime importance. currently, viral antigens and antibodies are detected by traditional serological tests. however, the introduction of oral fluid as an alternative, has led to many researches. hence, this prompted us to carry out a pilot study to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of saliva in detecting dengue ...	2014	24783144
dengue virus type 2 (denv2)-induced oxidative responses in monocytes from glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (g6pd)-deficient and g6pd normal subjects.	dengue virus is endemic in peninsular malaysia. the clinical manifestations vary depending on the incubation period of the virus as well as the immunity of the patients. glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (g6pd) deficiency is prevalent in malaysia where the incidence is 3.2%. it has been noted that some g6pd-deficient individuals suffer from more severe clinical presentation of dengue infection. in this study, we aim to investigate the oxidative responses of denv2-infected monocytes from g6pd-def ...	2014	24625456
t-cell immunity to infection with dengue virus in humans.	dengue virus (denv) is the etiologic agent of dengue fever, the most significant mosquito-borne viral disease in humans. up to 400 million denv infections occur every year, and severity can range from asymptomatic to an acute self-limiting febrile illness. in a small proportion of patients, the disease can exacerbate and progress to dengue hemorrhagic fever and/or dengue shock syndrome, characterized by severe vascular leakage, thrombocytopenia, and hemorrhagic manifestations. a unique challenge ...	2014	24639680
socially structured human movement shapes dengue transmission despite the diffusive effect of mosquito dispersal.	for sexually and directly transmitted infectious diseases, social connections influence transmission because they determine contact between individuals. for pathogens that are indirectly transmitted by arthropod vectors, the movement of the vectors is thought to diminish the role of social connections. results from a recent study of mosquito-borne dengue virus (denv), however, indicate that human movement alone can explain significant spatial variation in urban transmission rates. because moveme ...	2014	24593919
mining local climate data to assess spatiotemporal dengue fever epidemic patterns in french guiana.	to identify local meteorological drivers of dengue fever in french guiana, we applied an original data mining method to the available epidemiological and climatic data. through this work, we also assessed the contribution of the data mining method to the understanding of factors associated with the dissemination of infectious diseases and their spatiotemporal spread.	2014	24549761
ecological, biological and social dimensions of dengue vector breeding in five urban settings of latin america: a multi-country study.	dengue is an increasingly important public health problem in most latin american countries and more cost-effective ways of reducing dengue vector densities to prevent transmission are in demand by vector control programs. this multi-centre study attempted to identify key factors associated with vector breeding and development as a basis for improving targeted intervention strategies.	2014	24447796