| the genetic architecture of degenerin/epithelial sodium channels in drosophila. | degenerin/epithelial sodium channels (deg/enac) represent a large family of animal-specific membrane proteins. although the physiological functions of most family members are not known, some have been shown to act as nonvoltage gated, amiloride-sensitive sodium channels. the deg/enac family is exceptionally large in genomes of drosophila species relative to vertebrates and other insects. to elucidate the evolutionary history of the deg/enac family in drosophila, we took advantage of the genomic ... | 2013 | 23449991 |
| identifying permethrin resistance loci in malaria vectors by genetic mapping. | identification of the major loci responsible for insecticide resistance in malaria vectors would aid the development and implementation of effective resistance management strategies, which are urgently needed to tackle the growing threat posed by resistance to the limited insecticides available for malaria control. genome-wide association studies in the major malaria vector, anopheles gambiae, have been hindered by the high degree of within-population structuring and very low levels of linkage d ... | 2013 | 23448678 |
| malariometric indices among nigerian children in a rural setting. | malaria contributes to high childhood morbidity and mortality in nigeria. to determine its endemicity in a rural farming community in the south-south of nigeria, the following malariometric indices, namely, malaria parasitaemia, spleen rates, and anaemia were evaluated in children aged 2-10 years. this was a descriptive cross-sectional survey among school-age children residing in a rubber plantation settlement. the children were selected from six primary schools using a multistaged stratified cl ... | 2013 | 23533951 |
| profile of janet hemingway. | | 2013 | 23440199 |
| plasmodium species occurrence, temporal distribution and interaction in a child-aged population in rural burkina faso. | malaria can be caused by five plasmodium species. due to their higher prevalence, much of the research concentrates on plasmodium falciparum and plasmodium vivax. in burkina faso, where p. falciparum co-exists with plasmodium malariae and plasmodium ovale, there is not much data about the prevalence of the latter two species across human population. moreover, interactions between co-infecting plasmodium species are not documented. the aim of the current research is to determine species-specific ... | 2013 | 23421809 |
| factors associated with high heterogeneity of malaria at fine spatial scale in the western kenyan highlands. | the east african highlands are fringe regions between stable and unstable malaria transmission. what factors contribute to the heterogeneity of malaria exposure on different spatial scales within larger foci has not been extensively studied. in a comprehensive, community-based cross-sectional survey an attempt was made to identify factors that drive the macro- and micro epidemiology of malaria in a fringe region using parasitological and serological outcomes. | 2016 | 27259286 |
| crowdsourcing vector surveillance: using community knowledge and experiences to predict densities and distribution of outdoor-biting mosquitoes in rural tanzania. | lack of reliable techniques for large-scale monitoring of disease-transmitting mosquitoes is a major public health challenge, especially where advanced geo-information systems are not regularly applicable. we tested an innovative crowd-sourcing approach, which relies simply on knowledge and experiences of residents to rapidly predict areas where disease-transmitting mosquitoes are most abundant. guided by community-based resource persons, we mapped boundaries and major physical features in three ... | 2016 | 27253869 |
| application of serological tools and spatial analysis to investigate malaria transmission dynamics in highland areas of southwest uganda. | serological markers, combined with spatial analysis, offer a comparatively more sensitive means by which to measure and detect foci of malaria transmission in highland areas than traditional malariometric indicators. plasmodium falciparum parasite prevalence, seroprevalence, and seroconversion rate to p. falciparum merozoite surface protein-119 (msp-119) were measured in a cross-sectional survey to determine differences in transmission between altitudinal strata. clusters of p. falciparum parasi ... | 2016 | 27022156 |
| olfactory channels associated with the drosophila maxillary palp mediate short- and long-range attraction. | the vinegar fly drosophila melanogaster is equipped with two peripheral olfactory organs, antenna and maxillary palp. the antenna is involved in finding food, oviposition sites and mates. however, the functional significance of the maxillary palp remained unknown. here, we screened the olfactory sensory neurons of the maxillary palp (mp-osns) using a large number of natural odor extracts to identify novel ligands for each mp-osn type. we found that each type is the sole or the primary detector f ... | 2016 | 27213519 |
| the epidemiology of residual plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission and infection burden in an african city with high coverage of multiple vector control measures. | in the tanzanian city of dar es salaam, high coverage of long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins), larvicide application (la) and mosquito-proofed housing, was complemented with improved access to artemisinin-based combination therapy and rapid diagnostic tests by the end of 2012. | 2016 | 27216734 |
| knowledge and awareness of malaria and mosquito biting behaviour in selected sites within morogoro and dodoma regions tanzania. | in tanzania there has been a downward trend in malaria prevalence partly due to use of insecticide-treated bed nets for protection against anopheles mosquitoes. however, residual malaria transmission attributed to early biting behaviour of malaria vectors is being reported. knowledge of mosquito feeding behaviour is key to improvements in control approaches. the present study aimed to assess knowledge and awareness on malaria and malaria vectors in-morogoro and dodoma regions of tanzania. | 2016 | 27216605 |
| an evolutionary approach to identify potentially protective b cell epitopes involved in naturally acquired immunity to malaria and the role of eba-175 in protection amongst denizens of bolifamba, cameroon. | the search for a vaccine against malaria caused by plasmodium falciparum has lasted for more than 100 years, with considerable progress in the identification of a number of vaccine candidates. the post-genomic era offers new opportunities for an expedited search using rational vaccine design and prioritization of key b-cell epitopes involved in natural acquired immunity. | 2016 | 27207101 |
| field evaluation of two novel sampling devices for collecting wild oviposition site seeking malaria vector mosquitoes: oviart gravid traps and squares of electrocuting nets. | new sampling tools are needed for collecting exophilic malaria mosquitoes in sub-saharan africa to monitor the impact of vector control interventions. the oviart gravid trap and squares of electrocuting nets (e-nets) were recently developed under semi-field conditions for collecting oviposition site seeking anopheles gambiae (sensu stricto) (s.s.). this study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of these traps for sampling malaria vectors under field conditions. | 2016 | 27165292 |
| benchmarking vector arthropod culture: an example using the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae (diptera: culicidae). | numerous important characteristics of adult arthropods are related to their size; this is influenced by conditions experienced as immatures. arthropods cultured in the laboratory for research, or mass-reared for novel control methods, must therefore be of a standard size range and known quality so that results are reproducible. | 2016 | 27160438 |
| plasmodium falciparum malaria parasitaemia among indigenous batwa and non-indigenous communities of kanungu district, uganda. | the indigenous batwa of southwestern uganda are among the most highly impoverished populations in uganda, yet there is negligible research on the prevalence of malaria in this population. plasmodium falciparum malaria parasitaemia prevalence was estimated in an indigenous batwa and a non-indigenous neighbouring population, and an exploration of modifiable risk factors was carried out to identify potential entry points for intervention. additionally, evidence of zooprophylaxis was assessed, hypot ... | 2016 | 27146298 |
| insecticide resistance status of the anopheles funestus population in central african republic: a challenge in the war. | in the central african republic, malaria is a major public health problem and the leading cause of death among children. this disease appears to be hyperendemic but no substantial entomological data, including data on anopheles spp. susceptibility to insecticides, is available. this study evaluates, for the first time in the car, the status of insecticide resistance in the anopheles funestus population, the second major vector of malaria in africa. | 2016 | 27113956 |
| malaria parasitaemia and the use of insecticide-treated nets (ints) for malaria control amongst under-5 year old children in calabar, nigeria. | malaria remains a major cause of febrile illness in nigeria and interventions to reduce malaria burden in nigeria focus on the use of insecticide-treated nets. this study determined the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia and the use of insecticide-treated nets (itns) for the control of malaria amongst under-five year old children in calabar, nigeria. | 2016 | 27080122 |
| malaria hotspots defined by clinical malaria, asymptomatic carriage, pcr and vector numbers in a low transmission area on the kenyan coast. | targeted malaria control interventions are expected to be cost-effective. clinical, parasitological and serological markers of malaria transmission have been used to detect malaria transmission hotspots, but few studies have examined the relationship between the different potential markers in low transmission areas. the present study reports on the relationships between clinical, parasitological, serological and entomological markers of malaria transmission in an area of low transmission intensi ... | 2016 | 27075879 |
| cuticle thickening in a pyrethroid-resistant strain of the common bed bug, cimex lectularius l. (hemiptera: cimicidae). | thickening of the integument as a mechanism of resistance to insecticides is a well recognised phenomenon in the insect world and, in recent times, has been found in insects exhibiting pyrethroid-resistance. resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in the common bed bug, cimex lectularius l., is widespread and has been frequently inferred as a reason for the pest's resurgence. overexpression of cuticle depositing proteins has been demonstrated in pyrethroid-resistant bed bugs although, to date, no ... | 2016 | 27073871 |
| correlations between household occupancy and malaria vector biting risk in rural tanzanian villages: implications for high-resolution spatial targeting of control interventions. | fine-scale targeting of interventions is increasingly important where epidemiological disease profiles depict high geographical stratifications. this study verified correlations between household biomass and mosquito house-entry using experimental hut studies, and then demonstrated how geographical foci of mosquito biting risk can be readily identified based on spatial distributions of household occupancies in villages. | 2016 | 27067147 |
| key traveller groups of relevance to spatial malaria transmission: a survey of movement patterns in four sub-saharan african countries. | as malaria prevalence declines in many parts of the world due to widescale control efforts and as drug-resistant parasites begin to emerge, a quantitative understanding of human movement is becoming increasingly relevant to malaria control. however, despite its importance, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding human movement, particularly in sub-saharan africa. | 2016 | 27068686 |
| reduction in malaria incidence following indoor residual spraying with actellic 300 cs in a setting with pyrethroid resistance: mutasa district, zimbabwe. | more than half of malaria cases in zimbabwe are concentrated in manicaland province, where seasonal malaria epidemics occur despite intensified control strategies. recently, high levels of pyrethroid and carbamate resistance were detected in anopheles funestus, the major malaria vector in eastern zimbabwe. in response, a single round of indoor residual spraying (irs) using pirimiphos-methyl (an organophosphate) was implemented in four high burden districts of manicaland province from november 1, ... | 2016 | 27018893 |
| silencing of the olfactory co-receptor gene in dendroctonus armandi leads to eag response declining to major host volatiles. | in this study, a polymerase chain reaction (pcr) based on homology genes of orco was utilized to identify darmorco, which is essential for olfaction in d. armandi. the results showed that darmorco shares significant sequence homology with orco proteins had known in other insects. quantitative real-time pcr (qrt-pcr) analysis suggested that darmorco was abundantly expressed in adult d. armandi; by contrast, darmorco showed trace amounts of expression level in other stages. of different tissues, d ... | 2016 | 26979566 |
| comparative performance of three experimental hut designs for measuring malaria vector responses to insecticides in tanzania. | experimental huts are simplified, standardized representations of human habitations that provide model systems to evaluate insecticides used in indoor residual spray (irs) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins) to kill disease vectors. hut volume, construction materials and size of entry points impact mosquito entry and exposure to insecticides. the performance of three standard experimental hut designs was compared to evaluate insecticide used in llins. | 2016 | 26979404 |
| the role of oxidative stress in the longevity and insecticide resistance phenotype of the major malaria vectors anopheles arabiensis and anopheles funestus. | oxidative stress plays numerous biological roles, both functional and pathological. the role of oxidative stress in various epidemiologically relevant biological traits in anopheles mosquitoes is not well established. in this study, the effects of oxidative stress on the longevity and insecticide resistance phenotype in the major malaria vector species an. arabiensis and an. funestus were examined. responses to dietary copper sulphate and hydrogen peroxide were used as proxies for the oxidative ... | 2016 | 26964046 |
| evaluation of discovar de novo using a mosquito sample for cost-effective short-read genome assembly. | de novo reference assemblies that are affordable, practical to produce, and of sufficient quality for most downstream applications, remain an unattained goal for many taxa. insects, which may yield too little dna from individual specimens for long-read sequencing library construction and often have highly heterozygous genomes, can be particularly hard to assemble using inexpensive short-read sequencing data. the large number of insect species with medical or economic importance makes this a crit ... | 2016 | 26944054 |
| increase in cases of malaria in mozambique, 2014: epidemic or new endemic pattern? | to describe the increase in cases of malaria in mozambique. | 2016 | 26982961 |
| spatially aggregated clusters and scattered smaller loci of elevated malaria vector density and human infection prevalence in urban dar es salaam, tanzania. | malaria transmission, primarily mediated by anopheles gambiae, persists in dar es salaam (dsm) despite high coverage with bed nets, mosquito-proofed housing and larviciding. new or improved vector control strategies are required to eliminate malaria from dsm, but these will only succeed if they are delivered to the minority of locations where residual transmission actually persists. hotspots of spatially clustered locations with elevated malaria infection prevalence or vector densities were, the ... | 2016 | 26931372 |
| contact bioassays with phenoxybenzyl and tetrafluorobenzyl pyrethroids against target-site and metabolic resistant mosquitoes. | mosquito strains that exhibit increased tolerance to the chemical class of compounds with a sodium channel modulator mode of action (pyrethroids and pyrethrins) are typically described as "pyrethroid resistant". resistance to pyrethroids is an increasingly important challenge in the control of mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria or dengue, because one of the main interventions (the distribution of large numbers of long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets) currently relies entirely on long- ... | 2016 | 26930058 |
| analysis of esterase enzyme activity in adults of the major malaria vector anopheles funestus. | anopheles funestus is a major vector of malaria in sub-saharan africa. in order to apply effective control measures against this vector, it is necessary to understand the underlying physiological factors that play a critical role in its development, reproduction, fertility and susceptibility to insecticides. one enzyme family involved in the above mentioned biological pathways is the esterases. the aim of this study was to analyse esterase activity levels at different ages during the life-span o ... | 2016 | 26920365 |
| small-scale land-use variability affects anopheles spp. distribution and concomitant plasmodium infection in humans and mosquito vectors in southeastern madagascar. | deforestation and land-use change have the potential to alter human exposure to malaria. a large percentage of madagascar's original forest cover has been lost to slash-and-burn agriculture, and malaria is one of the top causes of mortality on the island. in this study, the influence of land-use on the distribution of plasmodium vectors and concomitant plasmodium infection in humans and mosquito vectors was examined in the southeastern rainforests of madagascar. | 2016 | 26944051 |
| incremental impact upon malaria transmission of supplementing pyrethroid-impregnated long-lasting insecticidal nets with indoor residual spraying using pyrethroids or the organophosphate, pirimiphos methyl. | long-lasting, insecticidal nets (llins) and indoor residual spraying (irs) are the most widely accepted and applied malaria vector control methods. however, evidence that incremental impact is achieved when they are combined remains limited and inconsistent. | 2016 | 26893012 |
| identification of blood meal sources in the main african malaria mosquito vector by maldi-tof ms. | the identification of blood meal sources in malaria vectors is critical to better understanding host/vector interactions and malaria epidemiology and control. currently, the identification of mosquito blood meal origins is based on time-consuming and costly techniques such as precipitin tests, elisa and molecular tools. although these tools have been validated to identify the blood meal and trophic preferences of female anopheles mosquitoes, they present several limitations. recently, matrix-ass ... | 2016 | 26872451 |
| evolution of the levels of human leukocyte antigen g (hla-g) in beninese infant during the first year of life in a malaria endemic area: using latent class analysis. | hla-g, a non-classical hla class i antigen, is of crucial interest during pregnancy by inhibiting maternal immune response. its role during infections is discussed, and it has been described that high levels of soluble hla-g during childhood increase the risk of malaria. to explore more precisely interactions between soluble hla-g and malaria, latent class analysis was used to test whether distinct sub-populations of children, each with distinctive soluble hla-g evolutions may suggest the existe ... | 2016 | 26862036 |
| malaria vectors and their blood-meal sources in an area of high bed net ownership in the western kenya highlands. | blood-meal sources of malaria vectors affect their capacity to transmit the disease. most efficient malaria vectors prefer human hosts. however, with increasing personal protection measures it becomes more difficult for them to find human hosts. here recent malaria vector blood-meal sources in western kenya highlands were investigated. | 2016 | 26857915 |
| partitioning the contributions of alternative malaria vector species. | in many locations malaria is transmitted by more than one vector species. some vector control interventions, in particular those using genetic approaches, are likely to be targeted against a single species or species complex, at least initially, and it would therefore be useful to be able to predict the epidemiological impact of controlling a single species when multiple vector species are present. | 2016 | 26847084 |
| the risk of malaria in ghanaian infants born to women managed in pregnancy with intermittent screening and treatment for malaria or intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine. | several studies have reported an association between malaria infection of the placenta and the risk of malaria in young children in the first year of life, but it is not known if this is causal, or influenced by malaria control measures during pregnancy. this paper compares the incidence of malaria in infants born to mothers who received either intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (iptp-sp) or screening with a rapid diagnostic test and treatment with artemether-lumefa ... | 2016 | 26821532 |
| detectmite: a novel approach to detect miniature inverted repeat transposable elements in genomes. | miniature inverted repeat transposable elements (mites) are prevalent in eukaryotic genomes, including plants and animals. classified as a type of non-autonomous dna transposable elements, they play important roles in genome organization and evolution. comprehensive and accurate genome-wide detection of mites in various eukaryotic genomes can improve our understanding of their origins, transposition processes, regulatory mechanisms, and biological relevance with regard to gene structures, expres ... | 2016 | 26795595 |
| combining synthetic human odours and low-cost electrocuting grids to attract and kill outdoor-biting mosquitoes: field and semi-field evaluation of an improved mosquito landing box. | on-going malaria transmission is increasingly mediated by outdoor-biting vectors, especially where indoor insecticidal interventions such as long-lasting insecticide treated nets (llins) are widespread. often, the vectors are also physiologically resistant to insecticides, presenting major obstacles for elimination. we tested a combination of electrocuting grids with synthetic odours as an alternative killing mechanism against outdoor-biting mosquitoes. | 2016 | 26789733 |
| the effect of indoor residual spraying on the prevalence of malaria parasite infection, clinical malaria and anemia in an area of perennial transmission and moderate coverage of insecticide treated nets in western kenya. | insecticide treated nets (itns) and indoor residual spraying (irs) have been scaled up for malaria prevention in sub-saharan africa. however, there are few studies on the benefit of implementing irs in areas with moderate to high coverage of itns. we evaluated the impact of an irs program on malaria related outcomes in western kenya, an area of intense perennial malaria transmission and moderate itn coverage (55-65% use of any net the previous night). | 2016 | 26731524 |
| spatially variable risk factors for malaria in a geographically heterogeneous landscape, western kenya: an explorative study. | large reductions in malaria transmission and mortality have been achieved over the last decade, and this has mainly been attributed to the scale-up of long-lasting insecticidal bed nets and indoor residual spraying with insecticides. despite these gains considerable residual, spatially heterogeneous, transmission remains. to reduce transmission in these foci, researchers need to consider the local demographical, environmental and social context, and design an appropriate set of interventions. ex ... | 2016 | 26729363 |
| factors associated with malaria infection in honde valley, mutasa district, zimbabwe, 2014: a case control study. | in january of 2014, an outbreak of malaria was declared in the honde valley region of mutasa district in zimbabwe. the area has a hot, temperate climate and high rainfall pattern ideal for vector breeding and malaria transmission. gravity fed irrigation channels span the valley creating a number of breeding sites for malaria vectors, mosquitoes. malaria outbreaks have been a common occurrence in the district over the past few years despite the district meeting set targets for prevention interven ... | 2015 | 26715520 |
| delineation of the population genetic structure of culicoides imicola in east and south africa. | culicoides imicola kieffer, 1913 is the main vector of bluetongue virus (btv) and african horse sickness virus (ahsv) in sub-saharan africa. understanding the population genetic structure of this midge and the nature of barriers to gene flow will lead to a deeper understanding of bluetongue epidemiology and more effective vector control in this region. | 2015 | 26704134 |
| de novo assembly and transcriptome characterization of canine retina using high-throughput sequencing. | we performed transcriptome sequencing of canine retinal tissue by 454 gs-flx and ion torrent pgm platforms. rna-seq analysis by clc genomics workbench mapped expression of 10,360 genes. gene ontology analysis of retinal transcriptome revealed abundance of transcripts known to be involved in vision associated processes. the de novo assembly of the sequences using cap3 generated 29,683 contigs with mean length of 560.9 and n50 of 619 bases. further analysis of contigs predicted 3,827 full-length c ... | 2015 | 26788372 |
| development and evaluation of mosquito-electrocuting traps as alternatives to the human landing catch technique for sampling host-seeking malaria vectors. | the human landing catch (hlc) is the gold standard method for sampling host-seeking malaria vectors. however, the hlc is ethically questionable because it requires exposure of humans to potentially infectious mosquito bites. | 2015 | 26670881 |
| predictive malaria risk and uncertainty mapping in nchelenge district, zambia: evidence of widespread, persistent risk and implications for targeted interventions. | malaria risk maps may be used to guide policy decisions on whether vector control interventions should be targeted and, if so, where. active surveillance for malaria was conducted through household surveys in nchelenge district, zambia from april 2012 through december 2014. households were enumerated based on satellite imagery and randomly selected for study enrollment. at each visit, participants were administered a questionnaire and a malaria rapid diagnostic test (rdt). logistic regression mo ... | 2015 | 26416106 |
| acceptability and effectiveness of a monofilament, polyethylene insecticide-treated wall lining for malaria control after six months in dwellings in vhembe district, limpopo province, south africa. | south africa uses indoor residual spraying (irs) for vector control in its malaria control programme (mcp). insecticide-treated wall linings (itwls) offer possible advantages over irs and long-lasting, insecticide-treated nets (llins). this study assessed the user acceptability and perceived effectiveness, and the durability, including efficacy through bioassays, of a newly developed, monofilament polyethylene itwl. | 2015 | 26628275 |
| epsilon glutathione transferases possess a unique class-conserved subunit interface motif that directly interacts with glutathione in the active site. | epsilon class glutathione transferases (gsts) have been shown to contribute significantly to insecticide resistance. we report a new epsilon class protein crystal structure from drosophila melanogaster for the glutathione transferase dmgste6. the structure reveals a novel epsilon clasp motif that is conserved across hundreds of millions of years of evolution of the insect diptera order. this histidine-serine motif lies in the subunit interface and appears to contribute to quaternary stability as ... | 2015 | 26487708 |
| the effectiveness of long-lasting, insecticide-treated nets in a setting of pyrethroid resistance: a case-control study among febrile children 6 to 59 months of age in machinga district, malawi. | the escalating level of mosquito resistance to pyrethroid insecticides threatens the effectiveness of insecticide-treated nets (itns) for malaria control in malawi. an evaluation of the effectiveness of itns for preventing malaria in children aged 6-59 months old, after 1 year of mass distribution of llins was conducted in machinga district, malawi, an area of moderate pyrethroid resistance. | 2015 | 26577571 |
| transcription analysis of neonicotinoid resistance in mediterranean (med) populations of b. tabaci reveal novel cytochrome p450s, but no nachr mutations associated with the phenotype. | bemisia tabaci is one of the most damaging agricultural pests world-wide. although its control is based on insecticides, b. tabaci has developed resistance against almost all classes of insecticides, including neonicotinoids. | 2015 | 26573457 |
| molecular tools for studying the major malaria vector anopheles funestus: improving the utility of the genome using a comparative poly(a) and ribo-zero rnaseq analysis. | next-generation sequencing (ngs) offers great opportunities for studying the biology of insect vectors of disease. prerequisites for successful analyses include high quality annotated genome assemblies and that techniques designed for use with model organisms be tested and optimised for use with these insects. we aimed to test and improve genomic tools for studying the major malaria vector anopheles funestus. | 2015 | 26573092 |
| malaria prevalence and incidence in an isolated, meso-endemic area of mozambique. | isolated areas, such as the 2 × 7 km peninsula of linga linga in mozambique, are the places where malaria might be most easily eliminated. currently available control strategies include long-lasting insecticidal bednets impregnated with pyrethroid insecticides (llins), rapid diagnostic tests (rdts) for diagnosis and artemisinin based combination therapy (act) for treatment and these were applied on the peninsula. in 2007, following a census of the population and mapping of 500 households, five a ... | 2015 | 26587341 |
| domestic larval control practices and malaria prevalence among under-five children in burkina faso. | larval source management has contributed to malaria decline over the past years. however, little is known about the impact of larval control practices undertaken at the household level on malaria transmission. | 2015 | 26517727 |
| allelic variation of cytochrome p450s drives resistance to bednet insecticides in a major malaria vector. | scale up of long lasting insecticide nets (llins) has massively contributed to reduce malaria mortality across africa. however, resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in malaria vectors threatens its continued effectiveness. deciphering the detailed molecular basis of such resistance and designing diagnostic tools is critical to implement suitable resistance management strategies. here, we demonstrated that allelic variation in two cytochrome p450 genes is the most important driver of pyrethroid ... | 2015 | 26517127 |
| use of different transmission metrics to describe malaria epidemiology in the highlands of western kenya. | monitoring and evaluation of malaria programmes may require a combination of approaches to detect any effects of control. this is particularly true at lower transmission levels where detecting both infection and exposure to infection will provide additional evidence of any change. this paper describes use of three transmission metrics to explore the malaria epidemiology in the highlands of western kenya. | 2015 | 26502920 |
| genome-wide dna methylome variation in two genetically distinct chicken lines using methylc-seq. | dna cytosine methylation is an important epigenetic modification that has significant effects on a variety of biological processes in animals. avian species hold a crucial position in evolutionary history. in this study, we used whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (methylc-seq) to generate single base methylation profiles of lungs in two genetically distinct and highly inbred chicken lines (fayoumi and leghorn) that differ in genetic resistance to multiple pathogens, and we explored the potential ... | 2015 | 26497311 |
| altered gene expression in the schistosome-transmitting snail biomphalaria glabrata following exposure to niclosamide, the active ingredient in the widely used molluscicide bayluscide. | in view of the call by the world health organization (who) for elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem by 2025, use of molluscicides in snail control to supplement chemotherapy-based control efforts is likely to increase in the coming years. the mechanisms of action of niclosamide, the active ingredient in the most widely used molluscicides, remain largely unknown. a better understanding of its toxicology at the molecular level will both improve our knowledge of snail biology a ... | 2015 | 26452273 |
| nutrition-dependent control of insect development by insulin-like peptides. | in metazoans, members of the insulin-like peptide (ilp) family play a role in multiple physiological functions in response to the nutritional status. ilps have been identified and characterized in a wide variety of insect species. insect ilps that are mainly produced by several pairs of medial neurosecretory cells in the brain circulate in the hemolymph and act systemically on target tissues. physiological and biochemical studies in lepidoptera and genetic studies in the fruit fly have greatly e ... | 0 | 26664828 |
| associations between urbanicity and malaria at local scales in uganda. | sub-saharan africa is expected to show the greatest rates of urbanization over the next 50 years. urbanization has shown a substantial impact in reducing malaria transmission due to multiple factors, including unfavourable habitats for anopheles mosquitoes, generally healthier human populations, better access to healthcare, and higher housing standards. statistical relationships have been explored at global and local scales, but generally only examining the effects of urbanization on single mala ... | 2015 | 26415959 |
| bio-efficacy of new long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets against anopheles funestus and anopheles gambiae from central and northern mozambique. | long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (llins) are one of the main methods used for controlling malaria transmission in mozambique. the proliferation of several types of llins and the re-emergence of insecticide resistance in the local vector populations poses challenges to the local malaria control programme on selecting suitable insecticide-based vector control products. therefore, this study evaluated the insecticide susceptibility and bio-efficacy of selected new llins against wild population ... | 2015 | 26377825 |
| comparative evaluation of the sticky-resting-box-trap, the standardised resting-bucket-trap and indoor aspiration for sampling malaria vectors. | understanding mosquito resting behaviour is important for the control of vector-borne diseases, but this remains a challenge because of the paucity of efficient sampling tools. we evaluated two novel sampling methods in the field: the sticky resting box (srb) and the resting bucket trap (rbu) to test their efficiency for sampling malaria vectors resting outdoors and inside houses in rural tanzania. the performance of rbu and srb was compared outdoors, while indoors srb were compared with the bac ... | 2015 | 26383620 |
| prevalence of the dhfr and dhps mutations among pregnant women in rural burkina faso five years after the introduction of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. | the emergence and spread of drug resistance represents one of the biggest challenges for malaria control in endemic regions. sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (sp) is currently deployed as intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (iptp) to prevent the adverse effects of malaria on the mother and her offspring. nevertheless, its efficacy is threatened by sp resistance which can be estimated by the prevalence of dihydropteroate synthase (dhps) and dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) mutations. this was m ... | 2015 | 26368675 |
| antimalarial drug resistance: literature review and activities and findings of the icemr network. | antimalarial drugs are key tools for the control and elimination of malaria. recent decreases in the global malaria burden are likely due, in part, to the deployment of artemisinin-based combination therapies. therefore, the emergence and potential spread of artemisinin-resistant parasites in southeast asia and changes in sensitivities to artemisinin partner drugs have raised concerns. in recognition of this urgent threat, the international centers of excellence for malaria research (icemrs) are ... | 2015 | 26259943 |
| identifying genomic changes associated with insecticide resistance in the dengue mosquito aedes aegypti by deep targeted sequencing. | the capacity of mosquitoes to resist insecticides threatens the control of diseases such as dengue and malaria. until alternative control tools are implemented, characterizing resistance mechanisms is crucial for managing resistance in natural populations. insecticide biodegradation by detoxification enzymes is a common resistance mechanism; however, the genomic changes underlying this mechanism have rarely been identified, precluding individual resistance genotyping. in particular, the role of ... | 2015 | 26206155 |
| nuclear receptor signaling atlas: opening access to the biology of nuclear receptor signaling pathways. | signaling pathways involving nuclear receptors (nrs), their ligands and coregulators, regulate tissue-specific transcriptomes in diverse processes, including development, metabolism, reproduction, the immune response and neuronal function, as well as in their associated pathologies. the nuclear receptor signaling atlas (nursa) is a consortium focused around a hub website (www.nursa.org) that annotates and integrates diverse 'omics datasets originating from the published literature and nursa-fund ... | 2015 | 26325041 |
| pesticide exposures in a malarious and predominantly farming area in central ghana. | in areas where malaria is endemic, pesticides are widely deployed for vector control, which has contributed to reductions in malaria deaths. pesticide use for agrarian purposes reduces pest populations, thus improving crop production and post-harvest losses. however, adverse health effects have been associated with pesticide exposure, ranging from skin irritation to neurotoxicity and carcinogenicity. though misuse of these pesticides can lead to widespread potential dangers, the debilitating eff ... | 2015 | 27239261 |
| nano-enabled delivery of diverse payloads across complex biological barriers. | complex biological barriers are major obstacles for preventing and treating disease. nanocarriers are designed to overcome such obstacles by enhancing drug delivery through physiochemical barriers and improving therapeutic indices. this review critically examines both biological barriers and nanocarrier payloads for a variety of drug delivery applications. a spectrum of nanocarriers is discussed that have been successfully developed for improving tissue penetration for preventing or treating a r ... | 2015 | 26315817 |
| chloroquine sensitivity: diminished prevalence of chloroquine-resistant gene marker pfcrt-76 13 years after cessation of chloroquine use in msambweni, kenya. | plasmodium falciparum resistance to chloroquine (cq) denied healthcare providers access to a cheap and effective anti-malarial drug. resistance has been proven to be due to point mutations on the parasite's pfcrt gene, particularly on codon 76, resulting in an amino acid change from lysine to threonine. this study sought to determine the prevalence of the pfcrt k76t mutation 13 years after cq cessation in msambweni, kenya. | 2015 | 26296743 |
| effectiveness and safety of artemether-lumefantrine versus artesunate-amodiaquine for unsupervised treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in patients of all age groups in nanoro, burkina faso: a randomized open label trial. | several studies have reported high efficacy and safety of artemisinin-based combination therapy (act) mostly under strict supervision of drug intake and limited to children less than 5 years of age. patients over 5 years of age are usually not involved in such studies. thus, the findings do not fully reflect the reality in the field. this study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of act in routine treatment of uncomplicated malaria among patients of all age groups in nanoro, burkina fas ... | 2015 | 26289949 |
| spatial patterns of incident malaria cases and their household contacts in a single clinic catchment area of chongwe district, zambia. | reactive case detection (racd) for malaria is a strategy that may be used to complement passive surveillance, as passive surveillance fails to identify infections that are asymptomatic or do not seek care. the spatial and seasonal patterns of incident (index) cases reported at a single clinic in chongwe district were explored. | 2015 | 26246383 |
| the impact of six annual rounds of mass drug administration on wuchereria bancrofti infections in humans and in mosquitoes in mali. | wuchereria bancrofti prevalence and transmission were assessed in six endemic villages in sikasso, mali prior to and yearly during mass drug administration (mda) with albendazole and ivermectin from 2002 to 2007. microfilaremia was determined by calibrated thick smear of night blood in adult volunteers and circulating filarial antigen was measured using immunochromatographic card test in children < 5 years of age. mosquitoes were collected by human landing catch from july to december. none of th ... | 2015 | 26033027 |
| strengthening tactical planning and operational frameworks for vector control: the roadmap for malaria elimination in namibia. | namibia has made tremendous gains in malaria control and the epidemiological trend of the disease has changed significantly over the past years. in 2010, the country reoriented from the objective of reducing disease morbidity and mortality to the goal of achieving malaria elimination by 2020. this manuscript outlines the processes undertaken in strengthening tactical planning and operational frameworks for vector control to facilitate expeditious malaria elimination in namibia. | 2015 | 26242587 |
| functional development of carbon dioxide detection in the maxillary palp of anopheles gambiae. | olfactory information drives several behaviours critical for the survival and persistence of insect pests and vectors. insect behaviour is variable, linked to their biological needs, and regulated by physiological dynamics. for mosquitoes, co2 is an important cue that signifies the presence of a host, and which elicits activation and attraction. to investigate the genetic basis of olfactory modulation in mosquitoes, we assayed changes in co2 detection from receptor gene expression through physio ... | 2015 | 26056246 |
| malaria eradication and elimination: views on how to translate a vision into reality. | although global efforts in the past decade have halved the number of deaths due to malaria, there are still an estimated 219 million cases of malaria a year, causing more than half a million deaths. in this forum article, we asked experts working in malaria research and control to discuss the ways in which malaria might eventually be eradicated. their collective views highlight the challenges and opportunities, and explain how multi-factorial and integrated processes could eventually make malari ... | 2015 | 26208740 |
| high nucleotide diversity and limited linkage disequilibrium in helicoverpa armigera facilitates the detection of a selective sweep. | insecticides impose extreme selective pressures on populations of target pests and so insecticide resistance loci of these species may provide the footprints of 'selective sweeps'. to lay the foundation for future genome-wide scans for selective sweeps and inform genome-wide association study designs, we set out to characterize some of the baseline population genomic parameters of one of the most damaging insect pests in agriculture worldwide, helicoverpa armigera. to this end, we surveyed nine ... | 2015 | 26174024 |
| dynamical malaria models reveal how immunity buffers effect of climate variability. | assessing the influence of climate on the incidence of plasmodium falciparum malaria worldwide and how it might impact local malaria dynamics is complex and extrapolation to other settings or future times is controversial. this is especially true in the light of the particularities of the short- and long-term immune responses to infection. in sites of epidemic malaria transmission, it is widely accepted that climate plays an important role in driving malaria outbreaks. however, little is known a ... | 2015 | 26124134 |
| preventing malaria transmission by indoor residual spraying in malawi: grappling with the challenge of uncertain sustainability. | in the past decade, there has been rapid scale-up of insecticide-based malaria vector control in the context of integrated vector management (ivm) according to world health organization recommendations. endemic countries have deployed indoor residual spraying (irs) and long-lasting insecticidal nets as hallmark vector control interventions. this paper discusses the successes and continued challenges and the way forward for the irs programme in malawi. | 2015 | 26104657 |
| the complete mitochondrial genome of the beet webworm, spoladea recurvalis (lepidoptera: crambidae) and its phylogenetic implications. | the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the beet webworm, spoladea recurvalis has been sequenced. the circular genome is 15,273 bp in size, encoding 13 protein-coding genes (pcgs), two rrna genes, and 22 trna genes and containing a control region with gene order and orientation identical to that of other ditrysian lepidopteran mitogenomes. the nucleotide composition of the mitogenome shows a high a+t content of 80.9%, and the at skewness is slightly negative (-0.023). all pcgs start wi ... | 2015 | 26091291 |
| surveillance of malaria vector population density and biting behaviour in western kenya. | malaria is a great public health burden and africa suffers the largest share of malaria-attributed deaths. despite control efforts targeting indoor malaria transmission, such as insecticide-treated bed nets (itns) and deployment of indoor residual spraying, transmission of the parasite in western kenya is still maintained. this study was carried out to determine the impact of itns on indoor vector densities and biting behaviour in western kenya. | 2015 | 26082138 |
| evaluation of the toxicity and repellence of an organic fatty acids mixture (c8910) against insecticide susceptible and resistant strains of the major malaria vector anopheles funestus giles (diptera: culicidae). | malaria vector control relies principally on the use of insecticides, especially pyrethroids. because of the increasing occurrence of insecticide resistance in target vector populations, the development of new insecticides, particularly those with novel modes of action, is particularly important, especially in terms of managing insecticide resistance. the c8910 formulation is a patented mixture of compounds comprising straight-chain octanoic, nonanoic and decanoic saturated fatty acids. this com ... | 2015 | 26062763 |
| long-lasting insecticidal nets in zambia: a cross-sectional analysis of net integrity and insecticide content. | long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins) are a mainstay of malaria prevention in africa. more llins are available now than in any time previously due to increases in funding for malaria control. llins are expected to last three to five years before they need to be replaced. reports of nets lasting less than three years are frequent in zambia, which, if true, will increase the number of llins needed to maintain universal coverage. | 2015 | 26054336 |
| absence of kdr resistance alleles in the union of the comoros, east africa. | knockdown resistance ( kdr) and cyp9k1 genotypes were detected by a moldi-tof based snp genotyping assay (sequenom iplex) in samples of anopheles gambiae collected at 13 sites throughout the union of the comoros and dar es salaam, tanzania during february and march 2011. all a. gambiae specimens collected in the comoros were homozygous for the susceptible kdr alleles (+/+) while 96% of a. gambiae from dar es salaam were homozygous for the east african kdr resistant genotype (e/e). in contrast, a ... | 2015 | 26339473 |
| characterization of the infectious reservoir of malaria with an agent-based model calibrated to age-stratified parasite densities and infectiousness. | elimination of malaria can only be achieved through removal of all vectors or complete depletion of the infectious reservoir in humans. mechanistic models can be built to synthesize diverse observations from the field collected under a variety of conditions and subsequently used to query the infectious reservoir in great detail. | 2015 | 26037226 |
| evaluation of icon maxx, a long-lasting treatment kit for mosquito nets: experimental hut trials against anopheline mosquitoes in tanzania. | insecticide-treated nets are the primary method of preventing malaria. to remain effective, the pyrethroid insecticide must withstand multiple washes over the lifetime of the net. icon(®) maxx is a 'dip-it-yourself' kit for long-lasting treatment of polyester nets. the twin-sachet kit contains a slow-release capsule suspension of lambda-cyhalothrin plus binding agent. to determine whether icon maxx meets the standards required by the world health organization pesticide evaluation scheme (whopes) ... | 2015 | 26025026 |
| impact of vegetable crop agriculture on anopheline agressivity and malaria transmission in urban and less urbanized settings of the south region of cameroon. | the use of inland valley swamps for vegetable crop agriculture contributes to food security in urban and less urbanized settings in africa. the impact of this agriculture on aggressive mosquitoes' diversity and malaria transmission in central africa is poorly documented. this study is aimed at assessing the impact of vegetable crop agriculture on these entomological parameters in urban and less urbanized settings of the forest area, south of cameroon. | 2015 | 26017900 |
| novel detection of insecticide resistance related p450 genes and transcriptome analysis of the hemimetabolous pest erthesina fullo (thunberg) (hemiptera: heteroptera). | erthesina fullo (thunberg, 1783) is an economically important heteropteran species in china. since only three nucleotide sequences of this species (coi, 16s rrna, and 18s rrna) appear in the genbank database so far, no analysis of the molecular mechanisms underlying e. fullo's resistance to insecticide and environmental stress has been accomplished. we reported a de novo assembled and annotated transcriptome for adult e. fullo using the illumina sequence system. a total of 53,359,458 clean reads ... | 2015 | 25955554 |
| population-wide malaria testing and treatment with rapid diagnostic tests and artemether-lumefantrine in southern zambia: a community randomized step-wedge control trial design. | reducing the human reservoir of malaria parasites is critical for elimination. we conducted a community randomized controlled trial in southern province, zambia to assess the impact of three rounds of a mass test and treatment (mtat) intervention on malaria prevalence and health facility outpatient case incidence using random effects logistic regression and negative binomial regression, respectively. following the intervention, children in the intervention group had lower odds of a malaria infec ... | 2015 | 25802434 |
| molecular epidemiology and seroprevalence in asymptomatic plasmodium falciparum infections of malagasy pregnant women in the highlands. | malaria epidemiology in madagascar is classified into four different areas, ranging from unstable seasonal transmission in the highlands to hyperendemic perennial transmission areas in the costal level. most malaria studies in madagascar are focused on symptomatic children. however, because of the low transmission in some areas with correspondingly low level of semi-immunity, adults are also at risk, in particular pregnant women. the objective of this study was to gain information on the genetic ... | 2015 | 25935753 |
| parasites and vectors of malaria on rusinga island, western kenya. | there is a dearth of information on malaria endemicity in the islands of lake victoria in western kenya. in this study malaria prevalence and plasmodium sporozoite rates on rusinga island were investigated. the contribution of different anopheles species to indoor and outdoor transmission of malaria was also determined. | 2015 | 25928743 |
| lymphatic filariasis baseline survey in two sentinel sites of ogun state, nigeria. | in preparation for mass drug administration by national lymphatic filariasis elimination programme, a baseline epidemiological investigation on lymphatic filariasis (lf) was conducted in two sentinel sites of ogun state, nigeria. the study was carried out in ado-odo ota and abeokuta south local government areas (lgas) to determine lf prevalence, microfilarial density and the abundance of wucheraria bancrofti in the mosquito vectors. | 2015 | 26185587 |
| implementation of the integrated management of childhood illness with parasitological diagnosis of malaria in rural ghana: health worker perceptions. | timely and appropriate management of febrile illness among children under five years of age will contribute to achieving millennium development goal-4. the revised world health organization-global malaria programme's policy on test-based management of malaria must integrate effectively into the integrated management of childhood illness (imci). this study reports on perceptions of health workers on the health system factors influencing effective delivery of test-based diagnosis of malaria with i ... | 2015 | 25899509 |
| identification of candidate mimicry proteins involved in parasite-driven phenotypic changes. | endoparasites with complex life cycles are faced with several biological challenges, as they need to occupy various ecological niches throughout their development. host phenotypes that increase the parasite's transmission rate to the next host have been extensively described, but few mechanistic explanations have been proposed to describe their proximate causes. in this study we explore the possibility that host phenotypic changes are triggered by the production of mimicry proteins from the para ... | 2015 | 25888917 |
| malaria risk in nigeria: bayesian geostatistical modelling of 2010 malaria indicator survey data. | in 2010, the national malaria control programme with the support of roll back malaria partners implemented a nationally representative malaria indicator survey (mis), which assembled malaria burden and control intervention related data. the mis data were analysed to produce a contemporary smooth map of malaria risk and evaluate the control interventions effects on parasitaemia risk after controlling for environmental/climatic, demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. | 2015 | 25880096 |
| natural selection constrains neutral diversity across a wide range of species. | the neutral theory of molecular evolution predicts that the amount of neutral polymorphisms within a species will increase proportionally with the census population size (nc). however, this prediction has not been borne out in practice: while the range of nc spans many orders of magnitude, levels of genetic diversity within species fall in a comparatively narrow range. although theoretical arguments have invoked the increased efficacy of natural selection in larger populations to explain this di ... | 2015 | 25859758 |
| early biting and insecticide resistance in the malaria vector anopheles might compromise the effectiveness of vector control intervention in southwestern uganda. | southwestern uganda has high malaria heterogeneity despite moderate vector control and other interventions. moreover, the early biting transmission and increased resistance to insecticides might compromise strategies relying on vector control. consequently, monitoring of vector behaviour and insecticide efficacy is needed to assess the effectiveness of strategies aiming at malaria control. this eventually led to an entomological survey in two villages with high malaria prevalence in this region. | 2015 | 25879539 |
| baseline malaria vector transmission dynamics in communities in ahafo mining area in ghana. | malaria vector dynamics are relevant prior to commencement of mining activities. a baseline entomology survey was conducted in asutifi and tano (referred to as ahafo) in the brong-ahafo geo-political region of ghana during preparatory stages for mining by newmont ghana gold limited. | 2015 | 25879851 |
| mosquito host preferences affect their response to synthetic and natural odour blends. | the anthropophilic malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (hereafter termed anopheles gambiae) primarily takes blood meals from humans, whereas its close sibling anopheles arabiensis is more opportunistic. previous studies have identified several compounds that play a critical role in the odour-mediated behaviour of an. gambiae. this study determined the effect of natural and synthetic odour blends on mosquitoes with different host preferences to better understand the host-seeking beha ... | 2015 | 25889954 |
| the avecnet trial to assess whether addition of pyriproxyfen, an insect juvenile hormone mimic, to long-lasting insecticidal mosquito nets provides additional protection against clinical malaria over current best practice in an area with pyrethroid-resistant vectors in rural burkina faso: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. | recent reductions in malaria in sub-saharan africa have been associated with increased coverage with long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins). pyrethroids are currently the only insecticide class used for treating nets, and the rapid increase in resistance to pyrethroids in vector mosquitoes may jeopardise future vector control. nets containing a novel combination of permethrin, a pyrethroid, and pyriproxyfen, an insect juvenile hormone mimic, (ppf-llin) may enhance malaria control, as well as red ... | 2015 | 25873089 |
| patient adherence to prescribed artemisinin-based combination therapy in garissa county, kenya, after three years of health care in a conflict setting. | current day malaria cases and deaths are indicative of a lack of access to both methods of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment; an important determinant of treatment efficacy is adherence. this study is a follow up to the baseline study of adherence to artemether-lumefantrine (al) carried out in garissa district in 2010. the study presented evaluates any changes in adherence levels which may have occurred in the area during this period and after nearly three years of sustained use of act across ... | 2015 | 25888895 |
| preliminary survey on anopheles species distribution in botswana shows the presence of anopheles gambiae and anopheles funestus complexes. | botswana is one of the four front line malaria elimination countries in southern africa, with malaria control activities that include routine vector control. past and recent studies have shown that anopheles arabiensis is the only known vector of plasmodium parasites in the country. this report presents a preliminary evaluation on anopheles species composition in seven districts of botswana with some inferences on their vectorial role. | 2017 | 28270213 |