Publications

peripheral olfactory signaling in insects.	olfactory signaling is a crucial component in the life history of insects. the development of precise and parallel mechanisms to analyze the tremendous amount of chemical information from the environment and other sources has been essential to their evolutionary success. considerable progress has been made in the study of insect olfaction fueled by bioinformatics- based utilization of genomics along with rapid advances in functional analyses. here we review recent progress in our rapidly emergin ...	25584200
the enigmatic reception of deet - the gold standard of insect repellents.	repellents are important prophylactic tools for travelers and populations living in endemic areas of malaria, dengue, encephalitis, and other vector-borne diseases. deet is a safe, broad spectrum repellent, which provides complete protection over a long period of time. despite its low cost, more affordable alternatives are highly desirable, particularly for those in endemic areas where cost is an impediment. alternative compounds like ir 3535 and picaridin have been developed using molecular mod ...	25530943
oral delivery of double-stranded rna in larvae of the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti: implications for pest mosquito control.	rna interference has already proven itself to be a highly versatile molecular biology tool for understanding gene function in a limited number of insect species, but its widespread use in other species will be dependent on the development of easier methods of double-stranded rna (dsrna) delivery. this study demonstrates that rna interference can be induced in the mosquito aedes aegypti l. (diptera: culicidae) simply by soaking larvae in a solution of dsrna for two hours. the mrna transcripts for ...	24224468
evolution of mosquito preference for humans linked to an odorant receptor.	female mosquitoes are major vectors of human disease and the most dangerous are those that preferentially bite humans. a 'domestic' form of the mosquito aedes aegypti has evolved to specialize in biting humans and is the main worldwide vector of dengue, yellow fever, and chikungunya viruses. the domestic form coexists with an ancestral, 'forest' form that prefers to bite non-human animals and is found along the coast of kenya. we collected the two forms, established laboratory colonies, and docu ...	25391959
shotgun analysis on the peritrophic membrane of the silkworm bombyx mori.	the insect midgut epithelium is generally lined with a unique chitin and protein structure, the peritrophic membrane (pm), which facilitates food digestion and protects the gut epithelium. we used gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to identify the extracted proteins from the silkworm pm to obtain an in-depth understanding of the biological function of the silkworm pm components. a total of 305 proteins, with molecular weights ranging from 8.02 kda to 788.52 kda and the isoelectric points ...	23187007
studies on the post-oviposition blood-feeding behaviour of aedes aegypti (l.) (diptera: culicidae) in the laboratory.	the blood-feeding behaviour of the trinidad strain of aedes aegypti was studied, under laboratory conditions, using one female per cage and monitoring blood feeding immediately, 12, and 24 hours after oviposition. to get large numbers of females that had newly completed their first gonotrophic cycle, the diel oviposition periodicity was conducted using single females per cage and monitoring at 2-hour intervals. the diel oviposition periodicity showed a small morning peak (8%) during the first 2 ...	23265613
silencing of the hsf gene, the transcriptional regulator of a. gambiae male accessory glands, inhibits the formation of the mating plug in mated females and disrupts their monogamous behaviour.	discovering the molecular factors that shape the mating behaviour and the fertility of the mosquito anopheles gambiae, the principal vector of human malaria, is regarded as critical to better understand its reproductive success as well as for identifying new leads for malaria control measures. in a. gambiae mating induces complex behavioural and physiological changes in the females, including refractoriness to subsequent mating and induction of egg-laying. in other insects including drosophila a ...	23265612
efficacy of three formulations of diflubenzuron, an insect growth regulator, against culex quinquefasciatus say, the vector of bancroftian filariasis in india.	insect growth regulators (igrs) offer alternatives to conventional chemical larvicides that pose problem of resistance and environmental safety. however, only a limited number of igrs have been approved for use in mosquito control. in the present study, two new formulations of the igr diflubenzuron, 2 per cent granular (gr) and 2 per cent tablet (dt) were tested for its efficacy against culex quinquefasciatus, in comparison to its 25 per cent wettable powder (wp) formulation.	23287125
need for an efficient adult trap for the surveillance of dengue vectors.	the emergence and re-emergence of arboviral diseases transmitted by aedes aegypti and ae. albopictus continue to be a major threat in the tropics and subtropics. associations between currently used indices and dengue transmission have not been proven to be satisfactorily predictive of dengue epidemics. classical larval indices in dengue surveillance have limited use in assessing transmission risk and are a poor proxy for measuring adult emergence. besides, collection of larval indices is labour ...	23287120
seroprevalence of antibodies against chikungunya, dengue, and rift valley fever viruses after febrile illness outbreak, madagascar.	in october 2009, two-3 months after an outbreak of a febrile disease with joint pain on the eastern coast of madagascar, we assessed serologic markers for chikungunya virus (chikv), dengue virus (denv), and rift valley fever virus (rvfv) in 1,244 pregnant women at 6 locations. in 2 eastern coast towns, igg seroprevalence against chikv was 45% and 23%; igm seroprevalence was 28% and 5%. igg seroprevalence against denv was 17% and 11%. no anti-denv igm was detected. at 4 locations, 450-1,300 m hig ...	23092548
sources of dengue viruses imported into queensland, australia, 2002-2010.	to assess risk for importation of dengue virus (denv) into queensland, australia, and sources of imported viruses, we sequenced the envelope region of denv isolates from symptomatic patients with a history of travel during 2002-2010. the number of imported dengue cases greatly increased over the surveillance period, some of which were associated with domestic outbreaks. patients reported traveling to (in order) asia, papua new guinea, pacific island countries, and non-asia-pacific countries. by ...	23092682
mathematical models as aids for design and development of experiments: the case of transgenic mosquitoes.	we demonstrate the utility of models as aids in the design and development of experiments aimed at measuring the effects of proposed vector population control strategies. we describe the exploration of a stochastic, age-structured model that simulates field cage experiments that test the ability of a female-killing strain of the mosquito aedes aegypti (l.) to suppress a wild-type population. model output predicts that choices of release ratio and population size can impact mean extinction time a ...	23270145
gene flow networks among american aedes aegypti populations.	the mosquito aedes aegypti, the dengue virus vector, has spread throughout the tropics in historical times. while this suggests man-mediated dispersal, estimating contemporary connectivity among populations has remained elusive. here, we use a large mtdna dataset and a bayesian coalescent framework to test a set of hypotheses about gene flow among american ae. aegypti populations. we assessed gene flow patterns at the continental and subregional (amazon basin) scales. for the americas, our data ...	23144654
anopheles nf-κb-regulated splicing factors direct pathogen-specific repertoires of the hypervariable pattern recognition receptor agdscam.	insects rely on innate immune responses controlled by the immune deficiency (imd), toll, and other immune signaling pathways to combat infection by a broad spectrum of pathogens. these pathways signal to downstream nf-κb family transcription factors that control specific antipathogen action via direct transcriptional control of immune effectors, hematopoiesis, and melanization. here we show that in the anopheles malaria vector, imd and toll pathways mediate species-specific defenses against plas ...	23084919
pyrethroid resistance in aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus from port-au-prince, haiti.	in port-au-prince, haiti, the status of insecticide resistance has not recently been evaluated for aedes aegypti (l) and aedes albopictus (skuse) populations. no prophylactics exist for dengue, so prevention is only through vector control methods. an earthquake occurred in haiti on january 12, 2010, with a magnitude of 7.0 mw that devastated the area. dengue became a major concern for the humanitarian relief workers that entered the country. bottle bioassays were conducted in the field on adult ...	23181855
lessons from malaria control to help meet the rising challenge of dengue.	achievements in malaria control could inform efforts to control the increasing global burden of dengue. better methods for quantifying dengue endemicity-equivalent to parasite prevalence surveys and endemicity mapping used for malaria-would help target resources, monitor progress, and advocate for investment in dengue prevention. success in controlling malaria has been attributed to widespread implementation of interventions with proven efficacy. an improved evidence base is needed for large-sca ...	23174383
application of eco-friendly tools and eco-bio-social strategies to control dengue vectors in urban and peri-urban settings in thailand.	dengue is considered one of the most important vector-borne diseases in thailand. its incidence is increasing despite routine implementation of national dengue control programmes. this study, conducted during 2010, aimed to demonstrate an application of integrated, community-based, eco-bio-social strategies in combination with locally-produced eco-friendly vector control tools in the dengue control programme, emphasizing urban and peri-urban settings in eastern thailand.	23318236
community mobilization and household level waste management for dengue vector control in gampaha district of sri lanka; an intervention study.	waste management through community mobilization to reduce breeding places at household level could be an effective and sustainable dengue vector control strategy in areas where vector breeding takes place in small discarded water containers. the objective of this study was to assess the validity of this assumption.	23318240
introduction.		23318233
community-based control of aedes aegypti by adoption of eco-health methods in chennai city, india.	dengue is highly endemic in chennai city, south india, in spite of continuous vector control efforts. this intervention study was aimed at establishing the efficacy as well as the favouring and limiting factors relating to a community-based environmental intervention package to control the dengue vector aedes aegypti.	23318241
estimating dengue vector abundance in the wet and dry season: implications for targeted vector control in urban and peri-urban asia.	research has shown that the classical stegomyia indices (or "larval indices") of the dengue vector aedes aegypti reflect the absence or presence of the vector but do not provide accurate measures of adult mosquito density. in contrast, pupal indices as collected in pupal productivity surveys are a much better proxy indicator for adult vector abundance. however, it is unknown when it is most optimal to conduct pupal productivity surveys, in the wet or in the dry season or in both, to inform contr ...	23318235
eco-bio-social research on dengue in asia: a multicountry study on ecosystem and community-based approaches for the control of dengue vectors in urban and peri-urban asia.	this article provides an overview of methods and cross-site insights of a 5-year research and capacity building initiative conducted between 2006 and 2011 in six countries of south asia (india, sri lanka) and south-east asia (indonesia, myanmar, philippines, thailand).the initiative managed an interdisciplinary investigation of ecological, biological, and social (i.e., eco-bio-social) dimensions of dengue in urban and peri-urban areas, and developed community-based interventions aimed at reducin ...	23318234
genetically modified insects as a public health tool: discussing the different bio-objectification within genetic strategies.		23275331
promoting health and advancing development through improved housing in low-income settings.	there is major untapped potential to improve health in low-income communities through improved housing design, fittings, materials and construction. adverse effects on health from inadequate housing can occur through a range of mechanisms, both direct and indirect, including as a result of extreme weather, household air pollution, injuries or burns, the ingress of disease vectors and lack of clean water and sanitation. collaborative action between public health professionals and those involved i ...	23271143
factors associated with dengue mortality in latin america and the caribbean, 1995-2009: an ecological study.	in this study, we aimed to estimate the effect that environmental, demographic, and socioeconomic factors have on dengue mortality in latin america and the caribbean. to that end, we conducted an observational ecological study, analyzing data collected between 1995 and 2009. dengue mortality rates were highest in the caribbean (spanish-speaking and non-spanish-speaking). multivariate analysis through poisson regression revealed that the following factors were independently associated with dengue ...	22302870
making designer mutants in model organisms.	recent advances in the targeted modification of complex eukaryotic genomes have unlocked a new era of genome engineering. from the pioneering work using zinc-finger nucleases (zfns), to the advent of the versatile and specific talen systems, and most recently the highly accessible crispr/cas9 systems, we now possess an unprecedented ability to analyze developmental processes using sophisticated designer genetic tools. in this review, we summarize the common approaches and applications of these s ...	25336735
papaya, dengue fever and ayurveda.		24501439
seroprevalence of chikungunya in southern odisha.	the emergence of chikungunya (chik) infection was observed in odisha, india in 2006. thereafter many cases with symptoms suggestive of chik were reported from different districts of southern-odisha. this study was aimed to know the seroprevalence, clinical presentations and seasonal trends of chik infection in this region.	24479040
effects of the botanical insecticide, toosendanin, on blood digestion and egg production by female aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae): topical application and ingestion.	botanical insecticides offer novel chemistries and actions that may provide effective mosquito control. toosendanin (tsn, 95% purity) is one such insecticide used to control crop pests in china, and in this study, it was evaluated for lethal and sublethal effects on larvae and females of the yellowfever mosquito, aedes aegypti (l.). tsn was very toxic to first instar larvae after a 24 h exposure (lc50 = 60.8 microg/ml) and to adult females up to 96 h after topical treatment (ld50 = 4.3 microg/fe ...	23427659
roles of pkc and phospho-adducin in transepithelial fluid secretion by malpighian tubules of the yellow fever mosquito.	the diuretic hormone aedeskinin-iii is known to increase the paracellular cl(-) conductance in malpighian (renal) tubules of the mosquito aedes aegypti via a g protein-coupled receptor. the increase serves the blood-meal-initiated diuresis and is associated with elevated levels of ca(2+) and phosphorylated adducin in the cytosol of tubule. in the present study we have cloned adducin in aedes malpighian tubules and investigated its physiological roles. immunolabeling experiments are consistent wi ...	24062972
hemoperitoneum in dengue fever with normal coagulation profile.	a 43-year-old male living in bengaluru sought emergency services due to high-grade fever, headache, myalgia, abdominal pain and distension. platelet count (except the first-96,000/mm(3)) and coagulation profile was in normal limits. the dengue serology was positive for igm and ig g (immunoglobulin m and g) antibodies. ultrasound abdomen showed gross ascites, mild bilateral pleural effusion and hepatosplenomegaly. the patient continued to have abdominal pain and progressive distention ascitic tap ...	23599615
the phospholipase c isozymes and their regulation.	the physiological effects of many extracellular neurotransmitters, hormones, growth factors, and other stimuli are mediated by receptor-promoted activation of phospholipase c (plc) and consequential activation of inositol lipid signaling pathways. these signaling responses include the classically described conversion of phosphatidylinositol(4,5)p(2) to the ca(2+)-mobilizing second messenger inositol(1,4,5)p(3) and the protein kinase c-activating second messenger diacylglycerol as well as alterat ...	22403074
dengue antibodies in blood donors.	dengue is an urban arbovirus whose etiologic agent is a virus of the genus flavorius with four distinct antigen serotypes (denv-1, denv-2, denv-3 and denv-4) that is transmitted to humans through the bite of the mosquito aedes aegypti. the campo mourão region in brazil is endemic for dengue fever. obtective: the aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of igg and igm antibodies specific to the four serotypes of dengue in donors of the blood donor service in the city of campo mourão.	23049418
microsatellite-based parentage analysis of aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) using nonlethal dna sampling.	to track aedes aegypti (l.) egg-laying behavior in the field in iquitos, peru, we developed methods for 1) sampling dna from live mosquitoes and 2) high through-put parentage analysis using microsatellite markers. we were able to amplify dna extracted from a single hind leg, but not from the pupal exuvia. removal of a leg from teneral females caused no significant changes in female behavioral or life history traits (e.g., longevity, blood feeding frequency, fecundity, egg hatch rate, gonotrophic ...	22308775
daily newspaper view of dengue fever epidemic, athens, greece, 1927-1931.	during the late summers of 1927 and 1928, a biphasic dengue epidemic affected the athens, greece, metropolitan area; >90% of the population became sick, and >1,000 persons (1,553 in the entire country) died. this epidemic was the most recent and most serious dengue fever epidemic in europe. review of all articles published by one of the most influential greek daily newspapers (i kathimerini) during the epidemic and the years that followed it did not shed light on the controversy about whether th ...	22257469
the harmonic convergence of fathers predicts the mating success of sons in aedes aegypti.	during courtship males often communicate information about their fitness to females. the matching of harmonic components of flight tone in male-female pairs of flying mosquitoes, or harmonic convergence, was recently described. this behaviour occurs prior to mating and has been suggested to function in mate selection. we investigated the hypothesis that harmonic convergence is a component of mosquito courtship. a key prediction of this hypothesis is that harmonic convergence should provide infor ...	22003255
dengue infection: an emerging cause of neuromuscular weakness.		22346179
food availability alters the effects of larval temperature on aedes aegypti growth.	variation in temperature and food availability in larval habitats can influence the abundance, body size, and vector competence of the mosquito aedes aegypti. although increased temperature has energetic costs for growing larvae, how food resources influence the developmental response of this mosquito species to thermal conditions is unknown. we explored how rearing temperature and food affect allometric scaling between wing size and epidermal cell size in ae. aegypti. mosquitoes were reared at ...	21936315
south-to-north, cross-disciplinary training in global health practice: ten years of lessons learned from an infectious disease field course in jamaica.	global commerce, travel, and emerging and resurging infectious diseases have increased awareness of global health threats and opportunities for collaborative and service learning. we review course materials, knowledge archives, data management archives, and student evaluations for the first 10 years of an intensive summer field course in infectious disease epidemiology and surveillance offered in jamaica. we have trained 300 students from 28 countries through collaboration between the university ...	21896794
behavioral observations and sound recordings of free-flight mating swarms of ae. aegypti (diptera: culicidae) in thailand.	sound plays an important role in the mating behavior of mosquitoes, including aedes aegypti (l). males orient to the fundamental wing beat frequency of females, and both sexes actively modulate their flight tone before mating to converge at harmonic frequencies. the majority of studies on mosquito mating acoustics have been conducted in the laboratory using tethered individuals. in this study, we present the first free-flight recording of naturally forming ae. aegypti swarms in thailand. we desc ...	21845959
newer approaches to malaria control.	malaria is the third leading cause of death due to infectious diseases affecting around 243 million people, causing 863,000 deaths each year, and is a major public health problem. most of the malarial deaths occur in children below 5 years and is a major contributor of under-five mortality. as a result of environmental and climatic changes, there is a change in vector population and distribution, leading to resurgence of malaria at numerous foci. resistance to antimalarials is a major challenge ...	23508211
distributions of competing container mosquitoes depend on detritus types, nutrient ratios, and food availability.	coexistence of competitors may result if resources are sufficiently abundant to render competition unimportant, or if species differ in resource requirements. detritus type has been shown to affect interspecific competitive outcomes between aedes albopictus (skuse) and aedes aegypti (l.) larvae under controlled conditions. we assessed the relationships among spatial distributions of detritus types, nutrients, and aquatic larvae of these species in nature. we collected mosquitoes, water, and detr ...	22707761
the world of pulmonary vascular disease.		22140619
direct targets of the d. melanogaster dsxf protein and the evolution of sexual development.	uncovering the direct regulatory targets of doublesex (dsx) and fruitless (fru) is crucial for an understanding of how they regulate sexual development, morphogenesis, differentiation and adult functions (including behavior) in drosophila melanogaster. using a modified damid approach, we identified 650 dsx-binding regions in the genome from which we then extracted an optimal palindromic 13 bp dsx-binding sequence. this sequence is functional in vivo, and the base identity at each position is imp ...	21652649
tagetes erecta linn. and its mosquitocidal potency against culex quinquefasciatus.	to investigate mosquitocidal effects of ethanolic extract of flowers of tagetes erecta (t. erecta) and its chloroform and petroleum ether soluble fractions against the larvae of culex quinquefasciatus (cx. quinquefasciatus).	23569756
interlocked feedforward loops control cell-type-specific rhodopsin expression in the drosophila eye.	how complex networks of activators and repressors lead to exquisitely specific cell-type determination during development is poorly understood. in the drosophila eye, expression patterns of rhodopsins define at least eight functionally distinct though related subtypes of photoreceptors. here, we describe a role for the transcription factor gene defective proventriculus (dve) as a critical node in the network regulating rhodopsin expression. dve is a shared component of two opposing, interlocked ...	21663797
toxicological effects of sphaeranthus indicus linn. (asteraceae) leaf essential oil against human disease vectors, culex quinquefasciatus say and aedes aegypti linn., and impacts on a beneficial mosquito predator.	use of environmentally friendly, decomposable natural products for effective vector control has gained considerable momentum in modern society. in this study, essential oil of sphaeranthus indicus (si-eo) was extracted and further phytochemical screening revealed fourteen compounds with prominent peak area percentage of 24.9 and 22.54% in 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and benzene,2-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1,4-dimethoxy, respectively. the si-eo was further evaluated for their larvicidal res ...	28455566
larval feeding behavior of three co-occurring species of container mosquitoes.	interspecific differences in foraging behavior may help to determine whether the outcome of interspecific competition is coexistence or exclusion. mosquitoes in the genus culex are commonly described as foraging primarily by filtering the water column. this behavior contrasts with that of other container-dwelling genera, such as aedes and ochlerotatus, that are thought to forage primarily by browsing on container and detritus surfaces. we compared the feeding behavior of cx. pipiens, ae. albopic ...	15707290
identification of mosquito avian-derived blood meals by polymerase chain reaction-heteroduplex analysis.	a polymerase chain reaction (pcr) heteroduplex assay (hda) was developed to identify avian derived mosquito blood meals to the species level. the assay used primers amplifying a fragment of the cytochrome b gene from vertebrate but not invertebrate species. in culex tarsalis fed on quail, pcr products derived from the quail cytochrome b gene were detected seven days post-engorgement. in an analysis of wild-caught mosquitoes, 85% of blood-fed mosquitoes produced detectable pcr products. heterodup ...	12201598
risk of transmission of viral haemorrhagic fevers and the insecticide susceptibilitystatus of aedes aegypti (linnaeus) in some sites in accra, ghana.	dengue is one of the emerging diseases that can mostly only be controlled by vector control since there is no vaccine for the disease. although, dengue has not been reported in ghana, movement of people from neighbouring countries where the disease has been reported can facilitate transmission of the disease.	27752187
arbovirus infections.	arbovirus (arthropod-borne virus) infections are increasingly important causes of neurologic disease in the united states through both endemic transmission and travel-associated infections. this article reviews the major arbovirus infections that can cause neurologic disease likely to be encountered in the united states.	26633778
chikungunya vaccines in development.	chikungunya virus has become a global health threat, spreading to the industrial world of europe and the americas; no treatment or prophylactic vaccine is available. since the late 1960s much effort has been put into the development of a vaccine, and several heterogeneous strategies have already been explored. only two candidates have recently qualified to enter clinical phase ii trials, a chikungunya virus-like particle-based vaccine and a recombinant live attenuated measles virus-vectored vacc ...	26554522
climate, environmental and socio-economic change: weighing up the balance in vector-borne disease transmission.	arguably one of the most important effects of climate change is the potential impact on human health. while this is likely to take many forms, the implications for future transmission of vector-borne diseases (vbds), given their ongoing contribution to global disease burden, are both extremely important and highly uncertain. in part, this is owing not only to data limitations and methodological challenges when integrating climate-driven vbd models and climate change projections, but also, perhap ...	25688012
barriers to success: how baculoviruses establish efficient systemic infections.	the mechanisms used by baculoviruses to exit the midgut and cause systemic infection of their insect hosts have been debated for decades. after being ingested, baculoviruses reach the midgut, where several host barriers need to be overcome in order to establish successful infection. one of these barriers is the basal lamina, a presumably virus-impermeable extracellular layer secreted by the epithelial cells lining the midgut and trachea. this review discusses new evidence that demonstrates how t ...	21300392
biological transmission of arboviruses: reexamination of and new insights into components, mechanisms, and unique traits as well as their evolutionary trends.	among animal viruses, arboviruses are unique in that they depend on arthropod vectors for transmission. field research and laboratory investigations related to the three components of this unique mode of transmission, virus, vector, and vertebrate host, have produced an enormous amount of valuable information that may be found in numerous publications. however, despite many reviews on specific viruses, diseases, or interests, a systematic approach to organizing the available information on all f ...	16223950
emerging and re-emerging viruses: a global challenge illustrated by chikungunya virus outbreaks.	in recent decades, the issue of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, especially those related to viruses, has become an increasingly important area of concern in public health. it is of significance to anticipate future epidemics by accumulating knowledge through appropriate research and by monitoring their emergence using indicators from different sources. the objective is to alert and respond effectively in order to reduce the adverse impact on the general populations. most of the eme ...	24175207
protective and pathogenic responses to chikungunya virus infection.	chikungunya virus (chikv) is an arbovirus responsible for causing epidemic outbreaks of human disease characterized by painful and often debilitating arthralgia. recently chikv has moved into the caribbean and the americas resulting in massive outbreaks in naïve human populations. given the importance of chikv as an emerging disease, a significant amount of effort has gone into interpreting the virus-host interactions that contribute to protection or virus-induced pathology following chikv infec ...	26366337
factors shaping the adaptive landscape for arboviruses: implications for the emergence of disease.	many examples of the emergence or re-emergence of infectious diseases involve the adaptation of zoonotic viruses to new amplification hosts or to humans themselves. these include several instances of simple mutational adaptations, often to hosts closely related to the natural reservoirs. however, based on theoretical grounds, arthropod-borne viruses, or arboviruses, may face several challenges for adaptation to new hosts. here, we review recent findings regarding adaptive evolution of arboviruse ...	23374123
chikungunya virus and prospects for a vaccine.	in 2004, chikungunya virus (chikv) re-emerged from east africa to cause devastating epidemics of debilitating and often chronic arthralgia that have affected millions of people in the indian ocean basin and asia. more limited epidemics initiated by travelers subsequently occurred in italy and france, as well as human cases exported to most regions of the world, including the americas where chikv could become endemic. because chikv circulates during epidemics in an urban mosquito-human cycle, con ...	23151166
the role of environmental variables on aedes albopictus biology and chikungunya epidemiology.	aedes albopictus is a vector of dengue and chikungunya viruses in the field, along with around 24 additional arboviruses under laboratory conditions. as an invasive mosquito species, ae. albopictus has been expanding in geographical range over the past 20 years, although the poleward extent of mosquito populations is limited by winter temperatures. nonetheless, population densities depend on environmental conditions and since global climate change projections indicate increasing temperatures and ...	23916332
innate antiviral immunity in drosophila.	the study of drosophila, and other genetically tractable insects, has expanded our understanding of innate immunity and more recently antiviral innate mechanisms. the drosophila antiviral program includes inflammatory signaling cascades as well as antiviral rna silencing and autophagy. this review will highlight the recent discoveries in antiviral immunity in insects and will reveal some of the lessons learned.	20137906
host inflammatory response to mosquito bites enhances the severity of arbovirus infection.	aedes aegypti mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting many medically important viruses such as those that cause zika and dengue. the inoculation of viruses into mosquito bite sites is an important and common stage of all mosquito-borne virus infections. we show, using semliki forest virus and bunyamwera virus, that these viruses use this inflammatory niche to aid their replication and dissemination in vivo. mosquito bites were characterized by an edema that retained virus at the inoculation ...	27332734
rna interference-mediated antiviral defense in insects.	small interfering rna (sirna)-mediated rna interference (rnai) pathways are critical for the detection and inhibition of rna virus replication in insects. recent work has also implicated rnai pathways in the establishment of persistent virus infections and in the control of dna virus replication. accumulating evidence suggests that diverse double-stranded rnas produced by rna and dna viruses can trigger rnai responses yet many viruses have evolved mechanisms to inhibit rnai defenses. therefore, ...	26034705
mosquito immune responses to arbovirus infections.	the principal mosquito innate immune response to virus infections, rna interference (rnai), differs substantially from the immune response to bacterial and fungal infections. the exo-sirna pathway constitutes the major anti-arboviral rnai response and its essential genetic components have been identified. recent research has also implicated the piwi-interacting rna pathway in mosquito anti-arboviral immunity, but piwi gene-family components involved are not well-defined. arboviruses must evade o ...	25401084
a genome-wide rnai screen reveals that mrna decapping restricts bunyaviral replication by limiting the pools of dcp2-accessible targets for cap-snatching.	bunyaviruses are an emerging group of medically important viruses, many of which are transmitted from insects to mammals. to identify host factors that impact infection, we performed a genome-wide rnai screen in drosophila and identified 131 genes that impacted infection of the mosquito-transmitted bunyavirus rift valley fever virus (rvfv). dcp2, the catalytic component of the mrna decapping machinery, and two decapping activators, ddx6 and lsm7, were antiviral against disparate bunyaviruses in ...	23824541
rna interference in infectious tropical diseases.	introduction of double-stranded rna (dsrna) into some cells or organisms results in degradation of its homologous mrna, a process called rna interference (rnai). the dsrnas are processed into short interfering rnas (sirnas) that subsequently bind to the rna-induced silencing complex (risc), causing degradation of target mrnas. because of this sequence-specific ability to silence target genes, rnai has been extensively used to study gene functions and has the potential to control disease pathogen ...	18344671
transgene-mediated suppression of the rna interference pathway in aedes aegypti interferes with gene silencing and enhances sindbis virus and dengue virus type 2 replication.	rna interference (rnai) is the major innate antiviral pathway in aedes aegypti that responds to replicating arboviruses such as dengue virus (denv) and sindbis virus (sinv). on the one hand, the mosquito's rnai machinery is capable of completely eliminating denv2 from ae. aegypti. on the other, transient silencing of key genes of the rnai pathway increases replication of sinv and denv2, allowing the viruses to temporally overcome dose-dependent midgut infection and midgut escape barriers (meb) m ...	23331493
specificity of resistance to dengue virus isolates is associated with genotypes of the mosquito antiviral gene dicer-2.	in contrast to the prevailing view that invertebrate immunity relies on broad-spectrum recognition and effector mechanisms, intrinsic genetic compatibility between invertebrate hosts and their pathogens is often highly specific in nature. solving this puzzle requires a better understanding of the molecular basis underlying observed patterns of invertebrate host-pathogen genetic specificity, broadly referred to as genotype-by-genotype interactions. here, we identify an invertebrate immune gene in ...	23193131
tackling the most difficult diseases. genetics and genomics open new strategies to fight vector-borne diseases.		11600446
wing shape as an indicator of larval rearing conditions for aedes albopictus and aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae).	estimating a mosquito's vector competence, or likelihood of transmitting disease, if it takes an infectious bloodmeal, is an important aspect of predicting when and where outbreaks of infectious diseases will occur. vector competence can be affected by rearing temperature and inter- and intraspecific competition experienced by the individual mosquito during its larval development. this research investigates whether a new morphological indicator of larval rearing conditions, wing shape, can be us ...	22897054
mechanisms of arthropod transmission of plant and animal viruses.	a majority of the plant-infecting viruses and many of the animal-infecting viruses are dependent upon arthropod vectors for transmission between hosts and/or as alternative hosts. the viruses have evolved specific associations with their vectors, and we are beginning to understand the underlying mechanisms that regulate the virus transmission process. a majority of plant viruses are carried on the cuticle lining of a vector's mouthparts or foregut. this initially appeared to be simple mechanical ...	10066833
larval food quantity affects the capacity of adult mosquitoes to transmit human malaria.	adult traits of holometabolous insects are shaped by conditions experienced during larval development, which might impact interactions between adult insect hosts and parasites. however, the ecology of larval insects that vector disease remains poorly understood. here, we used anopheles stephensi mosquitoes and the human malaria parasite plasmodium falciparum, to investigate whether larval conditions affect the capacity of adult mosquitoes to transmit malaria. we reared larvae in two groups; one ...	27412284
antiviral defense mechanisms in honey bees.	honey bees are significant pollinators of agricultural crops and other important plant species. high annual losses of honey bee colonies in north america and in some parts of europe have profound ecological and economic implications. colony losses have been attributed to multiple factors including rna viruses, thus understanding bee antiviral defense mechanisms may result in the development of strategies that mitigate colony losses. honey bee antiviral defense mechanisms include rna-interference ...	26273564
transcriptional pausing controls a rapid antiviral innate immune response in drosophila.	innate immune responses are characterized by precise gene expression whereby gene subsets are temporally induced to limit infection, although the mechanisms involved are incompletely understood. we show that antiviral immunity in drosophila requires the transcriptional pausing pathway, including negative elongation factor (nelf) that pauses rna polymerase ii (pol ii) and positive elongation factor b (p-tefb), which releases paused pol ii to produce full-length transcripts. we identify a set of g ...	23084920
novel genetic and molecular tools for the investigation and control of dengue virus transmission by mosquitoes.	aedes aegypti is the principal vector of dengue virus (denv) throughout the tropical world. this anthropophilic mosquito species needs to be persistently infected with denv before it can transmit the virus through its saliva to a new vertebrate host. in the mosquito, denv is confronted with several innate immune pathways, among which rna interference is considered the most important. the ae. aegypti genome project opened the doors for advanced molecular studies on pathogen-vector interactions in ...	24693489
microbiota-dependent priming of antiviral intestinal immunity in drosophila.	enteric pathogens must overcome intestinal defenses to establish infection. in drosophila, the erk signaling pathway inhibits enteric virus infection. the intestinal microflora also impacts immunity but its role in enteric viral infection is unknown. here we show that two signals are required to activate antiviral erk signaling in the intestinal epithelium. one signal depends on recognition of peptidoglycan from the microbiota, particularly from the commensal acetobacter pomorum, which primes th ...	26567510
mayaro virus infection, amazon basin region, peru, 2010-2013.	during 2010-2013, we recruited 16 persons with confirmed mayaro virus infection in the peruvian amazon to prospectively follow clinical symptoms and serologic response over a 12-month period. mayaro virus infection caused long-term arthralgia in more than half, similar to reports of other arthritogenic alphaviruses.	24210165
the status of infectious disease in the amazon region.	the amazon river basin region is a vast territory with an area >7 million km2, encompassing parts of 9 south american countries: bolivia, brazil, colombia, ecuador, french guiana, guyana, peru, suriname, and venezuela. the amazon river, the longest river in the world, traverses the region from west to east, fed by multiple tributaries. the region also contains the largest tropical rainforest in the world, situated on a massive plain whose altitude is near sea level. with a climate characterized ...	19331757
assessing the epidemic potential of rna and dna viruses.	many new and emerging rna and dna viruses are zoonotic or have zoonotic origins in an animal reservoir that is usually mammalian and sometimes avian. not all zoonotic viruses are transmissible (directly or by an arthropod vector) between human hosts. virus genome sequence data provide the best evidence of transmission. of human transmissible virus, 37 species have so far been restricted to self-limiting outbreaks. these viruses are priorities for surveillance because relatively minor changes in ...	27869592
molecular modeling and docking study to elucidate novel chikungunya virus nsp2 protease inhibitors.	chikungunya is one of the tropical viral infections that severely affect the asian and african countries. absence of any suitable drugs or vaccines against chikungunya virus till date makes it essential to identify and develop novel leads for the same. recently, nsp2 cysteine protease has been classified as a crucial drug target to combat infections caused by alphaviruses including chikungunya virus due to its involvement viral replication. here in, we investigated the structural aspects of the ...	26664062
can horton hear the whos? the importance of scale in mosquito-borne disease.	the epidemiology of vector-borne pathogens is determined by mechanisms and interactions at different scales of biological organization, from individual-level cellular processes to community interactions between species and with the environment. most research, however, focuses on one scale or level with little integration between scales or levels within scales. understanding the interactions between levels and how they influence our perception of vector-borne pathogens is critical. here two examp ...	24724278
coi barcode versus morphological identification of culex (culex) (diptera: culicidae) species: a case study using samples from argentina and brazil.	sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit i (coi) mitochondrial gene from adults of 22 culex (culex) species from argentina and brazil were employed to assess species identification and to test the usefulness of coi for barcoding using the best close match (bcm) algorithm. a pairwise kimura two-parameter distance matrix including the mean intra and interspecific distances for 71 coi barcode sequences was constructed. of the 12 coi lineages recovered in the neighbour-joining topology, five co ...	24473810
dengue vaccines: recent developments, ongoing challenges and current candidates.	dengue is among the most prevalent and important arbovirus diseases of humans. to effectively control this rapidly spreading disease, control of the vector mosquito and a safe and efficacious vaccine are critical. despite considerable efforts, the development of a successful vaccine has remained elusive. multiple factors have complicated the creation of a successful vaccine, not the least of which are the complex, immune-mediated responses against four antigenically distinct serotypes necessitat ...	23984962
aedes taeniorhynchus vectorial capacity informs a pre-emptive assessment of west nile virus establishment in galápagos.	increased connectivity with the mainland has led to the arrival of many invasive species to the galápagos islands, including novel pathogens, threatening the archipelago's unique fauna. here we consider the potential role of the mosquito aedes taeniorhynchus in maintaining the flavivirus west nile virus [wnv] should it reach the islands. we report on three components of vectorial capacity - vector competency, distributional abundance and host-feeding. in contrast to usa strains, galápagos a. tae ...	23519190
urban mosquito fauna in mérida city, méxico: immatures collected from containers and storm-water drains/catch basins.	we examined the species composition and temporal occurrence of immature mosquitoes in containers and storm-water drains/catch basins from november 2011 to june 2013 in mérida city, méxico. a wide range of urban settings were examined, including residential premises, vacant lots, parking lots, and streets or sidewalks with storm-water drains/catch basins. in total, 111,776 specimens of 15 species were recorded. the most commonly collected species were aedes (stegomyia) aegypti (l.) (n = 60,961) a ...	25429168
dengue: challenges for policy makers and vaccine developers.	because of the increasing incidence, geographic expansion and economic burden of dengue transmission, dengue poses major challenges to policy makers. a vaccine against dengue is urgently needed, but vaccine development has been hampered by the lack of an appropriate animal model, poor understanding of correlates of successful human immunity, the fear of immune enhancement, and viral interference in tetravalent combinations. the most suitable target epitopes for vaccines, as well as the role of n ...	24781826
molecular detection and typing of dengue viruses from archived tissues of fatal cases by rt-pcr and sequencing: diagnostic and epidemiologic implications.	diagnosis of dengue virus (denv) infection in fatal cases is challenging because of the frequent unavailability of blood or fresh tissues. for formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (ffpe) tissues immunohistochemistry (ihc) can be used; however, it may not be as sensitive and serotyping is not possible. the application of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) for the detection of denv in ffpe tissues has been very limited. we evaluated ffpe autopsy tissues of 122 patients with susp ...	22302871
deadly intracranial bleed in patients with dengue fever: a series of nine patients and review of literature.	dengue fever is a global pandemic threat with increasing incidence. to date, there are no cures and the effectiveness of dengue vaccines is still uncertain. world heath organization introduced expanded dengue syndrome to include unusual presentations of dengue fever including severe neurologic complications. one of the deadly complications is intracranial hemorrhage (ich).	27365962
molecular epidemiology and phylogenetic analysis of dengue virus type-1 and 2 isolated in malaysia.	detection of different serotypes of dengue virus and provide information on origin, distribution and genotype of the virus.	26150855
re-emergence of dengue virus serotype 2 strains in the 2013 outbreak in nepal.	epidemiological interventions and mosquito control are the available measures for dengue control. the former approach uses serotype and genetic information on the circulating virus strains. dengue has been frequently reported from nepal, but this information is mostly lacking. the present study was done to generate a comprehensive clinical and virological picture of a dengue outbreak in nepal during 2013.	26905233
reemergence and autochthonous transmission of dengue virus, eastern china, 2014.	in 2014, 20 dengue cases were reported in the cities of wenzhou (5 cases) and wuhan (15 cases), china, where dengue has rarely been reported. dengue virus 1 was detected in 4 patients. although most of these cases were likely imported, epidemiologic analysis provided evidence for autochthonous transmission.	26292098
co-circulation of dengue and chikungunya viruses, al hudaydah, yemen, 2012.	we investigated 400 cases of dengue-like illness in persons hospitalized during an outbreak in al hudaydah, yemen, in 2012. overall, 116 dengue and 49 chikungunya cases were diagnosed. dengue virus type 2 was the predominant serotype. the co-circulation of these viruses indicates that mosquitoborne infections represent a public health threat in yemen.	25061762
reply to skalsky et al.: a microrna-like small rna from dengue virus.		25061641
vertical transmission of dengue virus in aedes aegypti collected in puerto iguazú, misiones, argentina.	a finding of vertical transmission of the den 3 virus in male specimens of aedes aegypti, collected in the 2009 fall-winter period, in puerto iguazú city, misiones, argentina, using the rt-pcr technique in a 15-specimen pool is reported. this result is analyzed within the context of the epidemiological situation of argentina's northeast border.	24626420
phylogeography of dengue virus serotype 4, brazil, 2010-2011.	dengue virus serotype 4 (denv-4) reemerged in roraima state, brazil, 28 years after it was last detected in the country in 1982. to study the origin and evolution of this reemergence, full-length sequences were obtained for 16 denv-4 isolates from northern (roraima, amazonas, pará states) and northeastern (bahia state) brazil during the 2010 and 2011 dengue virus seasons and for an isolate from the 1982 epidemic in roraima. spatiotemporal dynamics of denv-4 introductions in brazil were applied t ...	23092706
mosquito larvicidal properties of mirabilis jalapa (nyctaginaceae) against anopheles stephensi, aedes aegypti & culex quinquefasciatus (diptera: culicidae).		25366214
updating the geographical distribution and frequency of aedes albopictus in brazil with remarks regarding its range in the americas.	the geographical distribution of aedes albopictus in brazil was updated according to the data recorded across the country over the last eight years. countrywide house indexes (hi) for ae. albopictus in urban and suburban areas were described for the first time using a sample of brazilian municipalities. this mosquito is currently present in at least 59% of the brazilian municipalities and in 24 of the 27 federal units (i.e., 26 states and the federal district). in 34 brazilian municipalities, th ...	25317707
imported dengue fever in tuscany, italy, in the period 2006 to 2012.	this report focuses on epidemiological and clinical features of dengue fever (df) in tuscany (italy) between 2006 and 2012. sixty-one df cases were diagnosed, 32 of which were in the period of aedes albopictus activity. some clinical (arthralgia/myalgia, nausea/vomiting, and skin rash), laboratory (leukopenia and thrombocytopenia), and epidemiological characteristics (travel in a continent other than africa) significantly distinguished df cases from other febrile illnesses. our data stress the i ...	25155927
small bite, big threat: the burden of vector-borne diseases.		25909072
clinical applicability of various dengue diagnostic tests in resource-limited endemic settings.	dengue is one of the most important arboviral infections caused by one of the four dengue serotypes, 1-4.	25191051