| pyrethroid resistance in the major malaria vector anopheles arabiensis from gwave, a malaria-endemic area in zimbabwe. | insecticide resistance can present a major obstacle to malaria control programmes. following the recent detection of ddt resistance in anopheles arabiensis in gokwe, zimbabwe, the underlying resistance mechanisms in this population were studied. | 2008 | 19038063 |
| functional importance of the conserved n-terminal domain of the mitochondrial replicative dna helicase. | the mitochondrial replicative dna helicase is an essential cellular protein that shows high similarity with the bifunctional primase-helicase of bacteriophage t7, the gene 4 protein (t7 gp4). the n-terminal primase domain of t7 gp4 comprises seven conserved sequence motifs, i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi, and an rna polymerase basic domain. the putative primase domain of metazoan mitochondrial dna helicases has diverged from t7 gp4 and in particular, the primase domain of vertebrates lacks motif i, which ... | 2009 | 19063859 |
| ortholog-based protein-protein interaction prediction and its application to inter-species interactions. | the rapid growth of protein-protein interaction (ppi) data has led to the emergence of ppi network analysis. despite advances in high-throughput techniques, the interactomes of several model organisms are still far from complete. therefore, it is desirable to expand these interactomes with ortholog-based and other methods. | 2008 | 19091010 |
| global warming and malaria: knowing the horse before hitching the cart. | speculations on the potential impact of climate change on human health frequently focus on malaria. predictions are common that in the coming decades, tens - even hundreds - of millions more cases will occur in regions where the disease is already present, and that transmission will extend to higher latitudes and altitudes. such predictions, sometimes supported by simple models, are persuasive because they are intuitive, but they sidestep factors that are key to the transmission and epidemiology ... | 2008 | 19091037 |
| use of integrated malaria management reduces malaria in kenya. | during an entomological survey in preparation for malaria control interventions in mwea division, the number of malaria cases at the kimbimbi sub-district hospital was in a steady decline. the underlying factors for this reduction were unknown and needed to be identified before any malaria intervention tools were deployed in the area. we therefore set out to investigate the potential factors that could have contributed to the decline of malaria cases in the hospital by analyzing the malaria cont ... | 2008 | 19115000 |
| sub-microscopic infections and long-term recrudescence of plasmodium falciparum in mozambican pregnant women. | control of malaria in pregnancy remains a public health challenge. improvements in its correct diagnosis and the adequacy of protocols to evaluate anti-malarial drug efficacy in pregnancy, are essential to achieve this goal. | 2009 | 19134201 |
| social and environmental malaria risk factors in urban areas of ouagadougou, burkina faso. | despite low endemicity, malaria remains a major health problem in urban areas where a high proportion of fevers are presumptively treated using anti-malarial drugs. low acquired malaria immunity, behaviour of city-dwellers, access to health care and preventive interventions, and heterogenic suitability of urban ecosystems for malaria transmission contribute to the complexity of the malaria epidemiology in urban areas. | 2009 | 19144144 |
| nhe(vnat): an h+ v-atpase electrically coupled to a na+:nutrient amino acid transporter (nat) forms an na+/h+ exchanger (nhe). | glycolysis, the citric acid cycle and other metabolic pathways of living organisms generate potentially toxic acids within all cells. one ubiquitous mechanism for ridding cells of the acids is to expel h(+) in exchange for extracellular na(+), mediated by electroneutral transporters called na(+)/h(+) exchangers (nhes) that are driven by na(+) concentration gradients. the exchange must be important because the human genome contains 10 nhes along with two na(+)/h(+) antiporters (nhas). by contrast ... | 2009 | 19151209 |
| insight into the sialome of the black fly, simulium vittatum. | adaptation to vertebrate blood feeding includes development of a salivary "magic potion" that can disarm host hemostasis and inflammatory reactions. within the lower diptera, a vertebrate blood-sucking mode evolved in the psychodidae (sand flies), culicidae (mosquitoes), ceratopogonidae (biting midges), simuliidae (black flies), and the frog-feeding corethrellidae. sialotranscriptome analyses from several species of mosquitoes and sand flies and from one biting midge indicate divergence in the e ... | 2009 | 19166301 |
| the multiplicity of malaria transmission: a review of entomological inoculation rate measurements and methods across sub-saharan africa. | plasmodium falciparum malaria is a serious tropical disease that causes more than one million deaths each year, most of them in africa. it is transmitted by a range of anopheles mosquitoes and the risk of disease varies greatly across the continent. the "entomological inoculation rate" is the commonly-used measure of the intensity of malaria transmission, yet the methods used are currently not standardized, nor do they take the ecological, demographic, and socioeconomic differences across popula ... | 2009 | 19166589 |
| two duplicated p450 genes are associated with pyrethroid resistance in anopheles funestus, a major malaria vector. | pyrethroid resistance in anopheles funestus is a potential obstacle to malaria control in africa. tools are needed to detect resistance in field populations. we have been using a positional cloning approach to identify the major genes conferring pyrethroid resistance in this vector. a quantitative trait locus (qtl) named rp1 explains 87% of the genetic variance in pyrethroid susceptibility in two families from reciprocal crosses between susceptible and resistant strains. two additional qtls of m ... | 2009 | 19196725 |
| agent-based modelling of mosquito foraging behaviour for malaria control. | traditional environmental management programmes require extensive coverage of larval habitats to reduce drastically the emergence of adult mosquitoes. recent studies have highlighted the impact of reduced availability of aquatic habitats on mosquito foraging for hosts and oviposition sites. in this study, we developed an agent-based model to track the status and movement of mosquitoes individually. mosquito foraging was represented as a two-stage process: random flight when the resource was not ... | 2009 | 19200566 |
| molecular evolution of immune genes in the malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae. | background: as pathogens that circumvent the host immune response are favoured by selection, so are host alleles that reduce parasite load. such evolutionary processes leave their signature on the genes involved. deciphering modes of selection operating on immune genes might reveal the nature of host-pathogen interactions and factors that govern susceptibility in host populations. such understanding would have important public health implications. methodology/findings: we analyzed polymorphisms ... | 2009 | 19234606 |
| field-based evidence of fast and global increase of plasmodium falciparum drug-resistance by dna-microarrays and pcr/rflp in niger. | over the last years, significant progress has been made in the comprehension of the molecular mechanism of malaria resistance to drugs. together with in vivo tests, the molecular monitoring is now part of the survey strategy of the plasmodium sensitivity. currently, dna-microarray analysis allows the simultaneous study of many single nucleotide polymorphisms (snp) of plasmodium isolates. in december 2005, the international federation of the red cross distributed two million three hundred thousan ... | 2009 | 19236701 |
| caspar controls resistance to plasmodium falciparum in diverse anopheline species. | immune responses mounted by the malaria vector anopheles gambiae are largely regulated by the toll and imd (immune deficiency) pathways via the nf-kappab transcription factors rel1 and rel2, which are controlled by the negative regulators cactus and caspar, respectively. rel1- and rel2-dependent transcription in a. gambiae has been shown to be particularly critical to the mosquito's ability to manage infection with the rodent malaria parasite plasmodium berghei. using rna interference to deplete ... | 2009 | 19282971 |
| patterns of variation in the inhibitor of apoptosis 1 gene of aedes triseriatus, a transovarial vector of la crosse virus. | aedes triseriatus mosquitoes transovarially transmit (tot) la crosse virus (lacv) to their offspring with minimal damage to infected ovaries. ae. triseriatus inhibitor of apoptosis 1 (atiap1) is a candidate gene conditioning the ability to vertically transmit lacv. atiap1 was amplified and sequenced in adult mosquitoes reared from field-collected eggs. sequence analysis showed that atiap1 has much higher levels of genetic diversity than genes found in other mosquitoes. despite this large amount ... | 2009 | 19308633 |
| novel mutations in vangl1 in neural tube defects. | neural tube defects (ntds) are severe congenital malformations caused by failure of the neural tube to close during neurulation. their etiology is complex involving both environmental and genetic factors. we have recently reported three mutations in the planar cell polarity gene vangl1 associated with ntds. the aim of the present study was to define the role of vangl1 genetic variants in the development of ntds in a large cohort of various ethnic origins. we identified five novel missense varian ... | 2009 | 19319979 |
| the salivary transcriptome of anopheles gambiae (diptera: culicidae) larvae: a microarray-based analysis. | in spite of the many recent developments in the field of vector sialomics, the salivary glands of larval mosquitoes have been largely unexplored. we used whole-transcriptome microarray analysis to create a gene-expression profile of the salivary gland tissue of fourth-instar anopheles gambiae larvae, and compare it to the gene-expression profile of a matching group of whole larvae. we identified a total of 221 probes with expression values that were (a) significantly enriched in the salivary gla ... | 2009 | 19328852 |
| identifying the most productive breeding sites for malaria mosquitoes in the gambia. | ideally larval control activities should be targeted at sites that generate the most adult vectors, thereby reducing operational costs. despite the plethora of potential mosquito breeding sites found in the floodplains of the gambia river, about 150 km from its mouth, during the rainy season, only a small proportion are colonized by anophelines on any day. this study aimed to determine the characteristics of larval habitats most frequently and most densely populated by anopheline larvae and to e ... | 2009 | 19361337 |
| insecticide resistance profiles for malaria vectors in the kassena-nankana district of ghana. | malaria is a major public health problem in ghana. the current strategy of the national malaria control programme is based on effective case management and the use of insecticide treated bed nets among vulnerable groups such as children under-five years of age and pregnant women. resistance to pyrethroids by anopheles gambiae s.l. and anopheles funestus has been reported in several african countries including neighbouring burkina faso. | 2009 | 19389257 |
| a resting box for outdoor sampling of adult anopheles arabiensis in rice irrigation schemes of lower moshi, northern tanzania. | malaria vector sampling is the best method for understanding the vector dynamics and infectivity; thus, disease transmission seasonality can be established. there is a need to protecting humans involved in the sampling of disease vectors during surveillance or in control programmes. in this study, human landing catch, two cow odour baited resting boxes and an unbaited resting box were evaluated as vector sampling tools in an area with a high proportion of anopheles arabiensis, as the major malar ... | 2009 | 19393098 |
| cloning and functional expression of the first eukaryotic na+-tryptophan symporter, agnat6. | the nutrient amino acid transporter (nat) subfamily of the neurotransmitter sodium symporter family (nss, also known as the solute carrier family 6, slc6) represents transport mechanisms with putative synergistic roles in the absorption of essential and conditionally essential neutral amino acids. it includes a large paralogous expansion of insect-specific genes, with seven genes from the genome of the malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae. one of the an. gambiae nats, agnat8, was cloned, function ... | 2009 | 19411550 |
| development of vegetable farming: a cause of the emergence of insecticide resistance in populations of anopheles gambiae in urban areas of benin. | a fast development of urban agriculture has recently taken place in many areas in the republic of benin. this study aims to assess the rapid expansion of urban agriculture especially, its contribution to the emergence of insecticide resistance in populations of anopheles gambiae. | 2009 | 19442297 |
| the anopheles gambiae salivary protein gsg6: an anopheline-specific protein with a blood-feeding role. | the anopheles gambiae salivary gland protein 6 (gsg6) is a small protein specifically found in the salivary glands of adult female mosquitoes. we report here the expression of a recombinant form of the protein and we show that in vivo gsg6 is expressed in distal-lateral lobes and is secreted with the saliva while the female mosquito probes for feeding. injection of gsg6 dsrna into adult a. gambiae females results in decreased gsg6 protein levels, increased probing time and reduced blood feeding ... | 2009 | 19442731 |
| an initial linkage map of the west nile virus vector culex tarsalis. | we have constructed the first genetic linkage map for the north american arboviral vector culex tarsalis. 120 f(2) offspring from a cross between two colonies were genotyped using 25 microsatellites and six inter-simple sequence repeat (issr) markers. we resolved four linkage groups which likely correspond to two full-length chromosomes and two arms of the final chromosome. the longest linkage group contains the sex locus and corresponds to chromosome 3. recombination rates around the sex locus ... | 2009 | 19453767 |
| house design modifications reduce indoor resting malaria vector densities in rice irrigation scheme area in western kenya. | simple modifications of typical rural house design can be an effective and relatively inexpensive method of reducing indoor mosquito vector densities and consequently decreasing malaria transmission. public health scientists have shown the potential for house design to protect people against malaria, yet this type of intervention remains virtually ignored. a randomized-controlled study was, therefore, undertaken to determine the effects of this method of vector control on the density of indoor r ... | 2009 | 19454025 |
| living at the edge: biogeographic patterns of habitat segregation conform to speciation by niche expansion in anopheles gambiae. | ongoing lineage splitting within the african malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae is compatible with ecological speciation, the evolution of reproductive isolation by divergent natural selection acting on two populations exploiting alternative resources. divergence between two molecular forms (m and s) identified by fixed differences in rdna, and characterized by marked, although incomplete, reproductive isolation is occurring in west and central africa. to elucidate the role that ecology and geog ... | 2009 | 19460144 |
| ecological niche partitioning between anopheles gambiae molecular forms in cameroon: the ecological side of speciation. | speciation among members of the anopheles gambiae complex is thought to be promoted by disruptive selection and ecological divergence acting on sets of adaptation genes protected from recombination by polymorphic paracentric chromosomal inversions. however, shared chromosomal polymorphisms between the m and s molecular forms of an. gambiae and insufficient information about their relationship with ecological divergence challenge this view. we used geographic information systems, ecological niche ... | 2009 | 19460146 |
| malaria vectors and transmission dynamics in goulmoun, a rural city in south-western chad. | knowledge of some baseline entomological data such as entomological inoculation rates (eir) is crucially needed to assess the epidemiological impact of malaria control activities directed either against parasites or vectors. in chad, most published surveys date back to the 1960's. in this study, anopheline species composition and their relation to malaria transmission were investigated in a dry sudanian savannas area of chad. | 2009 | 19463189 |
| marked increase in child survival after four years of intensive malaria control. | in malaria-endemic countries in africa, a large proportion of child deaths are directly or indirectly attributable to infection with plasmodium falciparum. four years after high coverage, multiple malaria control interventions were introduced on bioko island, equatorial guinea, changes in infection with malarial parasites, anemia, and fever history in children were estimated and assessed in relation to changes in all-cause under-5 mortality. there were reductions in prevalence of infection (odds ... | 2009 | 19478243 |
| impact of child malnutrition on the specific anti-plasmodium falciparum antibody response. | in sub-saharan africa, preschool children represent the population most vulnerable to malaria and malnutrition. it is widely recognized that malnutrition compromises the immune function, resulting in higher risk of infection. however, very few studies have investigated the relationship between malaria, malnutrition and specific immunity. in the present study, the anti-plasmodium falciparum igg antibody (ab) response was evaluated in children according to the type of malnutrition. | 2009 | 19490641 |
| t-cell epitope polymorphisms of the plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein among field isolates from sierra leone: age-dependent haplotype distribution? | in the context of the development of a successful malaria vaccine, understanding the polymorphisms exhibited by malaria antigens in natural parasite populations is crucial for proper vaccine design. recent observations have indicated that sequence polymorphisms in the c-terminal t-cell epitopes of the plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (pfcsp) are rather low and apparently stable in low endemic areas. this study sought to assess the pattern in a malaria endemic setting in africa, usi ... | 2009 | 19500348 |
| the dawgpaws pipeline for the annotation of genes and transposable elements in plant genomes. | abstract: | 2009 | 19545381 |
| highly focused anopheline breeding sites and malaria transmission in dakar. | urbanization has a great impact on the composition of the vector system and malaria transmission dynamics. in dakar, some malaria cases are autochthonous but parasite rates and incidences of clinical malaria attacks have been recorded at low levels. ecological heterogeneity of malaria transmission was investigated in dakar, in order to characterize the anopheles breeding sites in the city and to study the dynamics of larval density and adult aggressiveness in ten characteristically different urb ... | 2009 | 19552809 |
| spatial distribution, blood feeding pattern, and role of anopheles funestus complex in malaria transmission in central kenya. | studies were conducted to determine the role of sibling species of anopheles funestus complex in malaria transmission in three agro-ecosystems in central kenya. mosquitoes were sampled indoors and outdoors, and rdna pcr was successfully used to identify 340 specimens. anopheles parensis (91.8%), a. funestus (6.8%), and anopheles leesoni (1.5%) were the three sibling species identified. a. parensis was the dominant species at all study sites, while 22 of 23 a. funestus were collected in the non-i ... | 2009 | 19557433 |
| expressed sequence tags from larval gut of the european corn borer (ostrinia nubilalis): exploring candidate genes potentially involved in bacillus thuringiensis toxicity and resistance. | lepidoptera represents more than 160,000 insect species which include some of the most devastating pests of crops, forests, and stored products. however, the genomic information on lepidopteran insects is very limited. only a few studies have focused on developing expressed sequence tag (est) libraries from the guts of lepidopteran larvae. knowledge of the genes that are expressed in the insect gut are crucial for understanding basic physiology of food digestion, their interactions with bacillus ... | 2009 | 19558725 |
| an insight into the transcriptome and proteome of the salivary gland of the stable fly, stomoxys calcitrans. | adult stable flies are blood feeders, a nuisance, and mechanical vectors of veterinary diseases. to enable efficient feeding, blood sucking insects have evolved a sophisticated array of salivary compounds to disarm their host's hemostasis and inflammatory reaction. while the sialomes of several blood sucking nematocera flies have been described, no thorough description has been made so far of any brachycera, except for a detailed proteome analysis of a tabanid (xu et al., 2008). in this work we ... | 2009 | 19576987 |
| analysis of expression in the anopheles gambiae developing testes reveals rapidly evolving lineage-specific genes in mosquitoes. | male mosquitoes do not feed on blood and are not involved in delivery of pathogens to humans. consequently, they are seldom the subjects of research, which results in a very poor understanding of their biology. to gain insights into male developmental processes we sought to identify genes transcribed exclusively in the reproductive tissues of male anopheles gambiae pupae. | 2009 | 19580678 |
| genetic diversity and population structure of plasmodium falciparum in thailand, a low transmission country. | the population structure of the causative agents of human malaria, plasmodium sp., including the most serious agent plasmodium falciparum, depends on the local epidemiological and demographic situations, such as the incidence of infected people, the vector transmission intensity and migration of inhabitants (i.e. exchange between sites). analysing the structure of p. falciparum populations at a large scale, such as continents, or with markers that are subject to non-neutral selection, can lead t ... | 2009 | 19602241 |
| a new tent trap for sampling exophagic and endophagic members of the anopheles gambiae complex. | mosquito sampling methods are essential for monitoring and evaluating malaria vector control interventions. in urban dar es salaam, human landing catch (hlc) is the only method sufficiently sensitive for monitoring malaria-transmitting anopheles. hlc is labour intensive, cumbersome, hazardous, and requires such intense supervision that is difficulty to sustain on large scales. | 2009 | 19602253 |
| fever treatment in the absence of malaria transmission in an urban informal settlement in nairobi, kenya. | in sub-saharan africa, knowledge of malaria transmission across rapidly proliferating urban centres and recommendations for its prevention or management remain poorly defined. this paper presents the results of an investigation into infection prevalence and treatment of recent febrile events among a slum population in nairobi, kenya. | 2009 | 19604369 |
| assessment of the relative success of sporozoite inoculations in individuals exposed to moderate seasonal transmission. | the time necessary for malaria parasite to re-appear in the blood following treatment (re-infection time) is an indirect method for evaluating the immune defences operating against pre-erythrocytic and early erythrocytic malaria stages. few longitudinal data are available in populations in whom malaria transmission level had also been measured. | 2009 | 19604389 |
| high, clustered, nucleotide diversity in the genome of anopheles gambiae revealed through pooled-template sequencing: implications for high-throughput genotyping protocols. | association mapping approaches are dependent upon discovery and validation of single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps). to further association studies in anopheles gambiae we conducted a major resequencing programme, primarily targeting regions within or close to candidate genes for insecticide resistance. | 2009 | 19607710 |
| recombinant expression and biochemical characterization of the catalytic domain of acetylcholinesterase-1 from the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae. | acetylcholinesterases (aches) and their genes from susceptible and resistant insects have been extensively studied to understand the molecular basis of target site insensitivity. due to the existence of other resistance mechanisms, however, it can be problematic to correlate directly a mutation with the resistant phenotype. an alternative approach involves recombinant expression and characterization of highly purified wild-type and mutant aches, which serves as a reliable platform for studying s ... | 2009 | 19607916 |
| molecular and functional characterization of a c-type lysozyme from the asian corn borer, ostrinia furnacalis. | some lepidopteran lysozymes have been reported to display activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, in contrast to most lysozymes that are active only against gram-positive bacteria. ostrinlysc, a c-type lysozyme, was purified from the asian corn borer, ostrinia furnacalis guenée (lepidoptera: pyralidae), and shows activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. the nh2-terminal amino acid sequence was determined by edman degradation and used in a homology cloning str ... | 2009 | 19613460 |
| epidemiology of malaria in an area prepared for clinical trials in korogwe, north-eastern tanzania. | site preparation is a pre-requesite in conducting malaria vaccines trials. this study was conducted in 12 villages to determine malariometric indices and associated risk factors, during long and short rainy seasons, in an area with varying malaria transmission intensities in korogwe district, tanzania. four villages had passive case detection (pcd) of fever system using village health workers. | 2009 | 19615093 |
| major variations in malaria exposure of travellers in rural areas: an entomological cohort study in western côte d'ivoire. | malaria remains a major threat, to both travellers and military personnel deployed to endemic areas. the recommendations for travellers given by the world health organization is based on the incidence of malaria in an area and do not take the degree of exposure into account. the aim of this article is to evaluate the exposure of travellers by entomologic methods, which are the commonly used measures of the intensity of malaria transmission. | 2009 | 19638219 |
| ecological meta-analysis of density-dependent processes in the transmission of lymphatic filariasis: survival of infected vectors. | the survival rate of infected vectors represents one of the fundamental components that influence the transmission dynamics of mosquito-borne diseases. despite the occurrence of a number of studies investigating mosquito survival after infection with filarial worms, there remains conflicting evidence from both laboratory and field experiments as to the existence and mechanism for parasite-induced mortality among filarial mosquitoes. here, we used a mixed effects meta-analytical framework to comb ... | 2009 | 19645292 |
| the tempo and mode of evolution of transposable elements as revealed by molecular phylogenies reconstructed from mosquito genomes. | although many mathematical models exist predicting the dynamics of transposable elements (tes), there is a lack of available empirical data to validate these models and inherent assumptions. genomes can provide a snapshot of several te families in a single organism, and these could have their demographics inferred by coalescent analysis, allowing for the testing of theories on te amplification dynamics. using the available genomes of the mosquitoes aedes aegypti and anopheles gambiae, we indicat ... | 2009 | 19656180 |
| longitudinal survey of malaria morbidity over 10 years in saharevo (madagascar): further lessons for strengthening malaria control. | madagascar has been known for having bio-geo-ecological diversity which is reflected by a complex malaria epidemiology ranging from hyperendemic to malaria-free areas. malaria-related attacks and infection are frequently recorded both in children and adults living in areas of low malaria transmission. to integrate this variability in the national malaria control policy, extensive epidemiological studies are required to up-date previous records and adjust strategies. | 2009 | 19660116 |
| comparative evaluation of the ifakara tent trap-b, the standardized resting boxes and the human landing catch for sampling malaria vectors and other mosquitoes in urban dar es salaam, tanzania. | frequent, sensitive and accurate sampling of anopheles mosquitoes is a prerequisite for effective management of malaria vector control programmes. the most reliable existing means to measure mosquito density is the human landing catch (hlc). however, the hlc technique raises major ethical concerns because of the necessity to expose humans to vectors of malaria and a variety of other pathogens. furthermore, it is a very arduous undertaking that requires intense supervision, which is severely limi ... | 2009 | 19674477 |
| a new species concealed by anopheles funestus giles, a major malaria vector in africa. | the major malaria vector anopheles funestus belongs to a group of morphologically similar species that are commonly distinguished from one another through the use of chromosomal and molecular techniques. indoor resting collections of mosquitoes from malawi were initially identified as an. funestus by morphology, but failed to have this confirmed by the species-specific polymerase chain reaction assay. sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region 2 identified variations within the ... | 2009 | 19706923 |
| selective and irreversible inhibitors of mosquito acetylcholinesterases for controlling malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. | new insecticides are urgently needed because resistance to current insecticides allows resurgence of disease-transmitting mosquitoes while concerns for human toxicity from current compounds are growing. we previously reported the finding of a free cysteine (cys) residue at the entrance of the active site of acetylcholinesterase (ache) in some insects but not in mammals, birds, and fish. these insects have two ache genes (ap and ao), and only ap-ache carries the cys residue. most of these insects ... | 2009 | 19714254 |
| adaptation and evaluation of the bottle assay for monitoring insecticide resistance in disease vector mosquitoes in the peruvian amazon. | the purpose of this study was to establish whether the "bottle assay", a tool for monitoring insecticide resistance in mosquitoes, can complement and augment the capabilities of the established who assay, particularly in resource-poor, logistically challenging environments. | 2009 | 19728871 |
| expression of metallothionein and alpha-tubulin in heavy metal-tolerant anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (diptera: culicidae). | anopheles mosquitoes have been shown to adapt to heavy metals in their natural habitats. in this study we explored the possibility of using anopheles gambiae sensu stricto as bio-reporters for environmental heavy metal pollution through expressions of their metal-responsive metallothionein and alpha-tubulin genes. the study was undertaken with third instar larvae after selection by cadmium, copper, or lead at lc(30) through five successive generations. expression levels were determined in the 5t ... | 2010 | 19735939 |
| a transposon toolkit for gene transfer and mutagenesis in protozoan parasites. | protozoan parasites affect millions of people around the world. treatment and control of these diseases are complicated partly due to the intricate biology of these organisms. the interactions of species of plasmodium, leishmania and trypanosomes with their hosts are mediated by an unusual control of gene expression that is not fully understood. the availability of the genome sequence of these protozoa sets the stage for using more comprehensive, genome-wide strategies to study gene function. tr ... | 2010 | 19763844 |
| integrated malaria vector control with microbial larvicides and insecticide-treated nets in western kenya: a controlled trial. | to assess the contributions of both microbial larvicides and insecticide-treated nets (itns) in terms of reducing malaria incidence in an integrated vector management programme in an area moderately endemic for malaria in the western kenyan highlands. | 2009 | 19784445 |
| epidemiology of malaria in the forest-savanna transitional zone of ghana. | information on the epidemiology of malaria is essential for designing and interpreting results of clinical trials of drugs, vaccines and other interventions. as a background to the establishment of a site for anti-malarial drugs and vaccine trials, the epidemiology of malaria in a rural site in central ghana was investigated. | 2009 | 19785766 |
| a mechanistic approach for accurate simulation of village scale malaria transmission. | malaria transmission models commonly incorporate spatial environmental and climate variability for making regional predictions of disease risk. however, a mismatch of these models' typical spatial resolutions and the characteristic scale of malaria vector population dynamics may confound disease risk predictions in areas of high spatial hydrological variability such as the sahel region of africa. | 2009 | 19799793 |
| fungal infection counters insecticide resistance in african malaria mosquitoes. | the evolution of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes is threatening the effectiveness and sustainability of malaria control programs in various parts of the world. through their unique mode of action, entomopathogenic fungi provide promising alternatives to chemical control. however, potential interactions between fungal infection and insecticide resistance, such as cross-resistance, have not been investigated. we show that insecticide-resistant anopheles mosquitoes remain susceptible to infect ... | 2009 | 19805146 |
| placental malaria and low birth weight in pregnant women living in a rural area of burkina faso following the use of three preventive treatment regimens. | the weekly chemoprophylaxis of malaria during pregnancy with chloroquine (cq) has become problematic with the increasing resistance of plasmodium falciparum to this drug. there was a need to test the benefits of new strategies over the classical chemoprophylaxis. this study was conducted to provide data to the national malarial control programme for an evidence-based policy change decision making process. it compares the efficacy of two ipt regimens, using chloroquine (cq) or sulphadoxine/pyrime ... | 2009 | 19811649 |
| habitat stability and occurrences of malaria vector larvae in western kenya highlands. | although the occurrence of malaria vector larvae in the valleys of western kenya highlands is well documented, knowledge of larval habitats in the uphill sites is lacking. given that most inhabitants of the highlands actually dwell in the uphill regions, it is important to develop understanding of mosquito breeding habitat stability in these sites in order to determine their potential for larval control. | 2009 | 19845968 |
| effect of repeated application of microbial larvicides on malaria transmission in central côte d'ivoire. | the effect of repeated applications of bacillus thuringiensis var israeliensis (bti) and b. sphaericus (bs) on different entomologic parameters of malaria transmission was investigated in a village in central côte d'ivoire. the study area was monitored for potential mosquito breeding sites over a 7-month period. microbial larvicides were applied once every 3 wk; first bti (0.8 mg/liter), followed by bs (10 mg/liter) 3-4 days later. adult mosquitoes were collected inside and outside sentinel hous ... | 2009 | 19852233 |
| seasonal distribution of anopheles funestus chromosomal forms from burkina faso. | previous studies of anopheles funestus chromosomal inversion polymorphisms in burkina faso showed large departures from hardy-weinberg equilibrium and linkage disequilibrium among inversions located on different chromosomes, implying the existence of two taxonomic units ("chromosomal forms") with limited genetic flow. one chromosomal form, named folonzo, is highly polymorphic for alternative rearrangements of 3ra, 3rb, 2ra, and 3la; the other, kiribina, is predominantly characterized by the stan ... | 2009 | 19857258 |
| impact of insecticide-treated nets on wild pyrethroid resistant anopheles epiroticus population from southern vietnam tested in experimental huts. | in this study, the efficacy of insecticide-treated nets was evaluated in terms of deterrence, blood-feeding inhibition, induced exophily and mortality on a wild resistant population of anopheles epiroticus in southern vietnam, in order to gain insight into the operational consequences of the insecticide resistance observed in this malaria vector in the mekong delta. | 2009 | 19874581 |
| evaluation of the pyrrole insecticide chlorfenapyr against pyrethroid resistant and susceptible anopheles funestus (diptera: culicidae). | to evaluate the pyrrole insecticide chlorfenapyr, which has a novel non-neurotoxic mode of action and is a promising alternative to conventional adulticides, against anopheles funestus. | 2010 | 19891759 |
| spatial risk profiling of plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia in a high endemicity area in côte d'ivoire. | the objective of this study was to identify demographic, environmental and socioeconomic risk factors and spatial patterns of plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia in a high endemicity area of africa, and to specify how this information can facilitate improved malaria control at the district level. | 2009 | 19906295 |
| male mating biology. | before sterile mass-reared mosquitoes are released in an attempt to control local populations, many facets of male mating biology need to be elucidated. large knowledge gaps exist in how both sexes meet in space and time, the correlation of male size and mating success and in which arenas matings are successful. previous failures in mosquito sterile insect technique (sit) projects have been linked to poor knowledge of local mating behaviours or the selection of deleterious phenotypes during colo ... | 2009 | 19917078 |
| comparative analysis of the global transcriptome of anopheles funestus from mali, west africa. | anopheles funestus is a principal vector of malaria across much of tropical africa and is considered one of the most efficient of its kind, yet studies of this species have lagged behind those of its broadly sympatric congener, an. gambiae. in aid of future genomic sequencing of an. funestus, we explored the whole body transcriptome, derived from mixed stage progeny of wild-caught females from mali, west africa. | 2009 | 19936243 |
| behavioural and insecticidal effects of organophosphate-, carbamate- and pyrethroid-treated mosquito nets against african malaria vectors. | three insecticides - the pyrethroid deltamethrin, the carbamate carbosulfan and the organophosphate chlorpyrifos-methyl - were tested on mosquito nets in experimental huts to determine their potential for introduction as malaria control measures. their behavioural effects and efficacy were examined in anopheles gambiae giles s.s. (diptera: culicidae) and anopheles funestus giles s.s. in muheza, tanzania, and in anopheles arabiensis patton and culex quinquefasciatus say in moshi, tanzania. a stan ... | 2009 | 19941597 |
| malaria vector composition and insecticide susceptibility status in guinea conakry, west africa. | this study provides data on malaria vector species composition and insecticide susceptibility status from three localities in guinea conakry. a total of 497 mosquitoes were collected resting indoors and morphologically identified as belonging to the anopheles gambiae complex. the majority of these were an. gambiae s.s. (99.6%), but a small percentage (0.4%) were identified as anopheles arabiensis. thirty-four anopheles funestus s.s. were also collected. the molecular s form of an. gambiae s.s. w ... | 2009 | 19941598 |
| environmental factors associated with the malaria vectors anopheles gambiae and anopheles funestus in kenya. | the anopheles gambiae and anopheles funestus mosquito species complexes are the primary vectors of plasmodium falciparum malaria in sub-saharan africa. to better understand the environmental factors influencing these species, the abundance, distribution and transmission data from a south-eastern kenyan study were retrospectively analysed, and the climate, vegetation and elevation data in key locations compared. | 2009 | 19941637 |
| ranking malaria risk factors to guide malaria control efforts in african highlands. | malaria is re-emerging in most of the african highlands exposing the non immune population to deadly epidemics. a better understanding of the factors impacting transmission in the highlands is crucial to improve well targeted malaria control strategies. | 2009 | 19946627 |
| sugar deprivation reduces insemination of anopheles gambiae (diptera: culicidae), despite daily recruitment of adults, and predicts decline in model populations. | our research tests the hypothesis that the inability to sugar-feed reduces the insemination rate in mosquito populations. to test this, we measured the effects of sugar availability on cumulative insemination performance of male anopheles gambiae giles s.s. (diptera: culicidae) during 10-d periods of continual emergence of equal numbers of both sexes, and we evaluated the implications at the population level with a matrix population model. on each day of each of four replicates, 20 newly emerged ... | 2009 | 19960677 |
| land use and land cover changes and spatiotemporal dynamics of anopheline larval habitats during a four-year period in a highland community of africa. | spatial and temporal variations in the distribution of anopheline larval habitats and land use and land cover (lulc) changes can influence malaria transmission intensity. this information is important for understanding the environmental determinants of malaria transmission heterogeneity, and it is critical to the study of the effects of environmental changes on malaria transmission. in this study, we investigated the spatial and temporal variations in the distribution of anopheline larval habita ... | 2009 | 19996440 |
| development of multiplex real-time pcr assays for identification of members of the anopheles funestus species group. | the malaria vector and non-vector species of the anopheles funestus group are morphologically very similar and accurate identification is required as part of effective control strategies. in the past, this has relied on morphological and cytogenetic methods but these have been largely superseded by a robust allele-specific pcr (as-pcr). one disadvantage of as-pcr is the requirement for post-pcr processing by gel electrophoresis of pcr products. in this study, three new high-throughput 'closed-tu ... | 2009 | 20003184 |
| the effects of zooprophylaxis and other mosquito control measures against malaria in nouna, burkina faso. | in the absence of large scale, organized vector control programmes, individual protective measures against mosquitoes are essential for reducing the transmission of diseases like malaria. knowledge of the types and effectiveness of mosquito control methods used by households can aid in the development and promotion of preventive measures. | 2009 | 20003189 |
| insecticide resistance in anopheles gambiae: data from the first year of a multi-country study highlight the extent of the problem. | insecticide resistance in malaria vectors is a growing concern in many countries which requires immediate attention because of the limited chemical arsenal available for vector control. the current extent and distribution of this resistance in many parts of the continent is unknown and yet such information is essential for the planning of effective malaria control interventions. | 2009 | 20015411 |
| cultured skin microbiota attracts malaria mosquitoes. | host-seeking of the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae sensu stricto, is guided by human odours. the precise nature of the odours, and the composition of attractive blends of volatiles, remains largely unknown. skin microbiota plays an important role in the production of human body odours. it is hypothesized that host attractiveness and selection of an. gambiae is affected by the species composition, density, and metabolic activity of the skin microbiota. a study is presented in which t ... | 2009 | 20017925 |
| habitat suitability and ecological niche profile of major malaria vectors in cameroon. | suitability of environmental conditions determines a species distribution in space and time. understanding and modelling the ecological niche of mosquito disease vectors can, therefore, be a powerful predictor of the risk of exposure to the pathogens they transmit. in africa, five anophelines are responsible for over 95% of total malaria transmission. however, detailed knowledge of the geographic distribution and ecological requirements of these species is to date still inadequate. | 2009 | 20028559 |
| plasmodium infection and its risk factors in eastern uganda. | malaria is a leading cause of disease burden in uganda, although surprisingly few contemporary, age-stratified data exist on malaria epidemiology in the country. this report presents results from a total population survey of malaria infection and intervention coverage in a rural area of eastern uganda, with a specific focus on how risk factors differ between demographic groups in this population. | 2010 | 20044942 |
| local scale prediction of plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission in an endemic region using temperature and rainfall. | to support malaria control strategies, prior knowledge of disease risk is necessary. developing a model to explain the transmission of malaria, in endemic and epidemic regions, is of high priority in developing health system interventions. we develop, fit and validate a non-spatial dynamic model driven by meteorological conditions that can capture seasonal malaria transmission dynamics at the village level in a malaria holoendemic area of north-western burkina faso. | 2009 | 20052379 |
| field, genetic, and modeling approaches show strong positive selection acting upon an insecticide resistance mutation in anopheles gambiae s.s. | alleles subject to strong, recent positive selection will be swept toward fixation together with contiguous sections of the genome. whether the genomic signatures of such selection will be readily detectable in outbred wild populations is unclear. in this study, we employ haplotype diversity analysis to examine evidence for selective sweeps around knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations associated with resistance to dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and pyrethroid insecticides in the mosquito anophel ... | 2010 | 20056691 |
| [epidemiological baseline situation before the construction of a small dam in five villages of bouaké, central côte-d'ivoire]. | abstract from june 2007 to june 2008, entomological, malacological and parasitological investigations were carried out in five villages in close proximity to a small dam of raf-fierkro in bouaké, central côte-d'ivoire. the objective of the study was to identify vectors and intermediate host snails of parasitic diseases related to water, and to assess the prevalence of malaria, schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis before dam construction. mosquitoes were caught by human landing catc ... | 2010 | 20084484 |
| evaluation of permanet 3.0 a deltamethrin-pbo combination net against anopheles gambiae and pyrethroid resistant culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes: an experimental hut trial in tanzania. | combination mosquito nets incorporating two unrelated insecticides or insecticide plus synergist are designed to control insecticide resistant mosquitoes. permanet 3.0 is a long-lasting combination net incorporating deltamethrin on the side panels and a mixture of deltamethrin and synergist piperonyl butoxide (pbo) on the top panel. pbo is an inhibitor of mixed function oxidases implicated in pyrethroid resistance. | 2010 | 20085631 |
| population structure of anopheles gambiae along the kenyan coast. | in the tropics, anopheles mosquito abundance is greatest during the wet season and decline significantly during the dry season as larval habitats shrink. population size fluctuations between wet and dry seasons may lead to variation in distribution of specific alleles within natural anopheles populations, and a possible effect on the population genetic structure. we used 11 microsatellite markers to examine the effect of seasonality on population genetic structure of anopheles gambiae s.s. at tw ... | 2010 | 20122886 |
| development and field evaluation of a synthetic mosquito lure that is more attractive than humans. | disease transmitting mosquitoes locate humans and other blood hosts by identifying their characteristic odor profiles. using their olfactory organs, the mosquitoes detect compounds present in human breath, sweat and skins, and use these as cues to locate and obtain blood from the humans. these odor compounds can be synthesized in vitro, then formulated to mimic humans. while some synthetic mosquito lures already exist, evidence supporting their utility is limited to laboratory settings, where lo ... | 2010 | 20126628 |
| population structure of newly established anopheles funestus populations in the senegal river basin using paracentric chromosomal inversions. | anopheles funestus is one of the major vectors of malaria in sub-saharan africa. because of several cycles of recurrent drought events that have occurred in the sahelian zone, this species had disappeared from this area since the 1970s following a disappearance of its specific breeding sites. its comeback was, however, recently observed particularly in the senegal river basin following the implementation of two dams. because the implementation of hydro-agricultural and irrigation settings are su ... | 2010 | 20171155 |
| anopheles gambiae: historical population decline associated with regional distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets in western nyanza province, kenya. | high coverage of insecticide-treated bed nets in asembo and low coverage in seme, two adjacent communities in western nyanza province, kenya; followed by expanded coverage of bed nets in seme, as the kenya national malaria programme rolled out; provided a natural experiment for quantification of changes in relative abundance of two primary malaria vectors in this holoendemic region. both belong to the anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) species complex, namely a. gambiae sensu stricto (s.s.) and ... | 2010 | 20187956 |
| attracting, trapping and killing disease-transmitting mosquitoes using odor-baited stations - the ifakara odor-baited stations. | abstract: | 2010 | 20193085 |
| high resolution niche models of malaria vectors in northern tanzania: a new capacity to predict malaria risk? | malaria transmission rates in africa can vary dramatically over the space of a few kilometres. this spatial heterogeneity reflects variation in vector mosquito habitat and presents an important obstacle to the efficient allocation of malaria control resources. malaria control is further complicated by combinations of vector species that respond differently to control interventions. recent modelling innovations make it possible to predict vector distributions and extrapolate malaria risk continen ... | 2010 | 20195366 |
| community-wide benefits of targeted indoor residual spray for malaria control in the western kenya highland. | interest in indoor residual spray (irs) has been rekindled in recent years, as it is increasingly considered to be a key component of integrated malaria management. regular spraying of each human dwelling becomes less and less practical as the control area increases. where malaria transmission is concentrated around focal points, however, targeted irs may pose a feasible alternative to mass spraying. here, the impact of targeted irs was assessed in the highlands of western kenya. | 2010 | 20199674 |
| distribution of the main malaria vectors in kenya. | a detailed knowledge of the distribution of the main anopheles malaria vectors in kenya should guide national vector control strategies. however, contemporary spatial distributions of the locally dominant anopheles vectors including anopheles gambiae, anopheles arabiensis, anopheles merus, anopheles funestus, anopheles pharoensis and anopheles nili are lacking. the methods and approaches used to assemble contemporary available data on the present distribution of the dominant malaria vectors in k ... | 2010 | 20202199 |
| diversity in anopheline larval habitats and adult composition during the dry and wet seasons in ouagadougou (burkina faso). | several cases of malaria are frequently recorded during the dry period in ouagadougou town (burkina faso). this has led to the design of a series of studies focusing on both parasitological and entomological investigations intended to provide relevant health data on the risk of local malaria transmission according to the way of urbanisation. | 2010 | 20298619 |
| tissue and life stage specificity of glutathione s-transferase expression in the hessian fly, mayetiola destructor: implications for resistance to host allelochemicals. | two new delta and sigma glutathione s-transferases (gsts) in the hessian fly, mayetiola destructor (diptera: cecidomyiidae), were characterized and transcription profiles described. the deduced amino acid sequences for the two m. destructor delta gsts (mdesgst-1 and mdesgst-3) showed high similarity with other insect delta gsts including the conserved catalytic serine residue. the deduced amino acid sequence for the m. destructor sigma gst (mdesgst-2) showed high similarity with other insect sig ... | 2007 | 20307234 |
| status of insecticide susceptibility in anopheles gambiae sensu lato and anopheles funestus mosquitoes from western kenya. | the status of resistance was investigated in anopheles gambiae sensu lato and an. funestus (diptera: culicidae) mosquitoes from western kenya to four classes of insecticides approved by world health organization for indoor residual spraying. the prevalence of the knockdown-resistance (kdr) mutation associated with resistance to pyrethroids and ddt was determined in an. gambiae s.l.. standard world health organization diagnostic bioassay kits for ddt (an organochlorine), fenitrothion (an organoph ... | 2008 | 20345290 |
| spatio-temporal patterns in kdr frequency in permethrin and ddt resistant anopheles gambiae s.s. from uganda. | the planned upscaling of vector control strategies requires insight into the epidemiological consequences of vector resistance. therefore, the pyrethroid and ddt resistance status of anopheles gambiae s.l. was assessed in uganda from 2004 to 2006, and spatial and seasonal variations in knockdown resistance (kdr) frequencies were analyzed in terms of epidemiological significance. anopheles gambiae s.l. was ddt and pyrethroid resistant in central and eastern uganda. the l1014s kdr allele frequenci ... | 2010 | 20348500 |
| bayesian geostatistical modeling of malaria indicator survey data in angola. | the 2006-2007 angola malaria indicator survey (amis) is the first nationally representative household survey in the country assessing coverage of the key malaria control interventions and measuring malaria-related burden among children under 5 years of age. in this paper, the angolan mis data were analyzed to produce the first smooth map of parasitaemia prevalence based on contemporary nationwide empirical data in the country. bayesian geostatistical models were fitted to assess the effect of in ... | 2010 | 20351775 |
| environmental factors associated with the distribution of anopheles gambiae s.s in ghana; an important vector of lymphatic filariasis and malaria. | anopheles gambiae s.s mosquitoes are important vectors of lymphatic filariasis (lf) and malaria in ghana. to better understand their ecological aspects and influence on disease transmission, we examined the spatial distribution of the an. gambiae (m and s) molecular forms and associated environmental factors, and determined their relationship with disease prevalence. published and current data available on the an. gambiae species in ghana were collected in a database for analysis, and the study ... | 2010 | 20360950 |
| biological cost of tolerance to heavy metals in the mosquito anopheles gambiae. | the global rate of heavy metal pollution is rapidly increasing in various habitats. anopheles malaria vector species (diptera: culicidae) appear to tolerate many aquatic habitats with metal pollutants, despite their normal proclivity for 'clean' water (i.e. low levels of organic matter). investigations were conducted to establish whether there are biological costs for tolerance to heavy metals in anopheles gambiae giles sensu stricto and to assess the potential impact of heavy metal pollution on ... | 2010 | 20374478 |