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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.026633778
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 ...024175207
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 ...023374123
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 ...027332734
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 ...018344671
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 ...023193131
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 ...024693489
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 ...026567510
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 ...019331757
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 ...026664062
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 ...024473810
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 ...023519190
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).027365962
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 2013.026905233
reply to skalsky et al.: a microrna-like small rna from dengue virus. 025061641
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 ...025317707
zika virus: indian perspectives.the emergence of zika virus (ziv), a mosquito borne flavivirus like dengue (den) and chikungunya (chik), in brazil in 2014 and its spread to various countries have led to a global health emergency. aedes aegypti is the major vector for ziv. fast dissemination of this virus in different geographical areas posses a major threat especially to regions where the population lacks herd immunity against the ziv and there is abundance of aedes mosquitoes. in this review, we focus on current global scenar ...027487998
zika virus infection after travel to tahiti, december 2013. 025062427
the burden of dengue and chikungunya worldwide: implications for the southern united states and california.dengue virus (denv) spreads to humans through the bite of an infected aedes aegypti or aedes albopictus mosquito and is a growing public health threat to both industrialized and developing nations worldwide. outbreaks of autochthonous dengue in the united states occurred extensively in the past but over the past 3 decades have again taken place in florida, hawaii, and texas as well as in american samoa, guam, northern mariana islands, puerto rico, and the us virgin islands. as the aedes vectors ...025960096
larvicidal & ovicidal efficacy of pithecellobium dulce (roxb.) benth. (fabaceae) against anopheles stephensi liston & aedes aegypti linn. (diptera: culicidae).in view of the recently increased interest in developing plant origin insecticides as an alternative to chemical insecticide, this study was undertaken to assess the larvicidal and ovicidal potential of the crude hexane, benzene, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol solvent extracts from the medicinal plant pithecellobium dulce against the mosquito vectors, anopheles stephensi and aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae).024056567
preliminary findings on bagaza virus (flavivirus: flaviviridae) growth kinetics, transmission potential & transovarial transmission in three species of mosquitoes.bagaza virus (bagv), a flavivirus synonymous with israel turkey meningoencephalitis virus, has been found to circulate in india. bagv has recently been held responsible for inducing febrile illness in humans and causing unusually high mortality to wild birds in spain. a study was therefore, undertaken to determine its replication kinetics in certain mosquitoes and to determine vector competence and potential of the mosquitoes to transmit bagv experimentally.024056604
neurological infections in the returning international traveler.clinicians may encounter international travelers returning with exotic infections, emerging infectious diseases, or resurgent old-world infections. many of these infectious diseases can affect the nervous system directly or indirectly. the contemporary neurologist should therefore be cognizant of the clinical manifestations, potential complications, and appropriate management of common travel-related infections. this chapter focuses on five important infections that affect the central nervous sy ...025147444
larvicidal efficacy of ethiopian ethnomedicinal plant juniperus procera essential oil against afrotropical malaria vector anopheles arabiensis (diptera: culicidae).to screen the essential oil of juniperus procera (j. procera) (cupressaceae) for larvicidal activity against late third instar larvae of anopheles arabiensis (an. arabiensis) patton, the principle malaria vector in ethiopia.025183156
health economics of dengue: a systematic literature review and expert panel's assessment.dengue vaccines are currently in development and policymakers need appropriate economic studies to determine their potential financial and public health impact. we searched five databases (pubmed, embase, lilac, econlit, and wholis) to identify health economics studies of dengue. forty-three manuscripts were identified that provided primary data: 32 report economic burden of dengue and nine are comparative economic analyses assessing various interventions. the remaining two were a willingness-to ...021363989
knowledge and use of personal protective measures against mosquito borne diseases in a resettlement colony of delhi.mosquito borne diseases (mbds) are major public health problem in india. state of delhi is endemic for dengue and other mbds. the increasing incidence of mbds in delhi in recent years warrants a pro-active approach for their prevention. knowledge and use of personal protective measures (ppms) presents an effective strategy for prevention and control of mbds.024761243
novel and viable acetylcholinesterase target site for developing effective and environmentally safe insecticides.insect pests are responsible for human suffering and financial losses worldwide. new and environmentally safe insecticides are urgently needed to cope with these serious problems. resistance to current insecticides has resulted in a resurgence of insect pests, and growing concerns about insecticide toxicity to humans discourage the use of insecticides for pest control. the small market for insecticides has hampered insecticide development; however, advances in genomics and structural genomics of ...022280344
zika virus: epidemiology, current phobia and preparedness for upcoming mass gatherings, with examples from world olympics and pilgrimage.to describe zika virus (zikv) epidemiology, current phobia, and the required preparedness for its prevention during the upcoming mass gathering (mg) events.027648063
mayaro virus and dengue virus 1 and 4 natural infection in culicids from cuiabá, state of mato grosso, brazil.this study aimed to verify the diversity of culicidae species and their frequency of infection with flaviviruses and alphaviruses in cuiabá, state of mato grosso, brazil. mosquitoes were captured with nasci aspirators and hand net in 200 census tracts, identified alive at species level and pooled in one-20 (11,090 mosquitoes, 14 species). female pools (n = 610) were subjected to multiplex seminested-reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) for 11 flavivirus and five alphavirus. p ...026784852
culex mosquitoes are experimentally unable to transmit zika virus.we report that two laboratory colonies of culex quinquefasciatus and culex pipiens mosquitoes were experimentally unable to transmit zikv either up to 21 days post an infectious blood meal or up to 14 days post intrathoracic inoculation. infectious viral particles were detected in bodies, heads or saliva by a plaque forming unit assay on vero cells. we therefore consider it unlikely that culex mosquitoes are involved in the rapid spread of zikv.027605159
epidemic infections and their relevance to the gulf and other arabian peninsula countries. 024019727
preliminary analysis of several attractants and spatial repellents for the mosquito, aedes albopictus using an olfactometer.mosquito attractants and spatial repellents hold great promise in controlling mosquito pests. in assessing the effectiveness of mosquito attractants and repellents, a good olfactometer system, and optimized testing conditions, are essential. in this research, we demonstrated the usefulness of an olfactometer system, and optimized testing conditions for aedes albopictus (diptera: culicidae). we found no significant difference in the biting activity of the insect between 8:00 and 22:00. furthermor ...023418948
diversity of wolbachia pipientis strain wpip in a genetically admixtured, above-ground culex pipiens (diptera: culicidae) population: association with form molestus ancestry and host selection patterns.analysis of molecular genetic diversity in nine marker regions of five genes within the bacteriophage wo genomic region revealed high diversity of the wolbachia pipentis strain wpip in a population of culex pipiens l. sampled in metropolitan chicago, il. from 166 blood fed females, 50 distinct genetic profiles of wpip were identified. rarefaction analysis suggested a maximum of 110 profiles out of a possible 512 predicted by combinations of the nine markers. a rank-abundance curve showed that fe ...022679853
effects of temperature on emergence and seasonality of west nile virus in california.temperature has played a critical role in the spatiotemporal dynamics of west nile virus transmission throughout california from its introduction in 2003 through establishment by 2009. we compared two novel mechanistic measures of transmission risk, the temperature-dependent ratio of virus extrinsic incubation period to the mosquito gonotrophic period (bt), and the fundamental reproductive ratio (r(0)) based on a mathematical model, to analyze spatiotemporal patterns of receptivity to viral ampl ...022556092
public health response to aedes aegypti and ae. albopictus mosquitoes invading california, usa.aedes aegypti and ae. albopictus mosquitoes, primary vectors of dengue and chikungunya viruses, were recently detected in california, usa. the threat of potential local transmission of these viruses increases as more infected travelers arrive from affected areas. public health response has included enhanced human and mosquito surveillance, education, and intensive mosquito control.026401891
regulation of physiological processes by micrornas in insects.micrornas (mirnas) are small non-coding rnas that function in gene regulatory processes in plants and animals by targeting sites within messenger rna. in insects, mirnas have been shown to regulate a variety of physiological processes throughout insect development, including molting, metamorphosis, oogenesis, embryogenesis, behavior and host-pathogen interactions. the roles of mirnas in the model organism, drosophila melanogaster, have been studied extensively due to the conserved nature of mirn ...026251827
habitat segregation of mosquito arbovirus vectors in south florida.oviposition traps set in rural to urban environments in three south florida counties were colonized predominantly by culex quinquefasciatus say (35.1%), aedes albopictus (skuse) (34.5%), aedes aegypti (l.) (23.8%), and culex nigripalpus theobald (6.6%) during 1 yr of monthly sampling. significant differences were detected among counties for abundances of cx. quinquefasciatus and for percentage composition of that species and ae. albopictus. aerial images of habitats around each collection site w ...017162945
high degree of single nucleotide polymorphisms in california culex pipiens (diptera: culicidae) sensu lato.resolution of systematic relationships among members of the culex pipiens (l.) complex has important implications for public health as well as for studies on the evolution of sibling species. currently held views contend that in california considerable genetic introgression occurs between cx. pipiens and cx. quinquefasciatus say, and as such, these taxa behave as if they are a single species. development of high throughput snp genotyping tools for the analysis of cx. pipiens complex population s ...022493847
genomic screening with rnai: results and challenges.rna interference (rnai) is an effective tool for genome-scale, high-throughput analysis of gene function. in the past five years, a number of genome-scale rnai high-throughput screens (htss) have been done in both drosophila and mammalian cultured cells to study diverse biological processes, including signal transduction, cancer biology, and host cell responses to infection. results from these screens have led to the identification of new components of these processes and, importantly, have also ...020367032
virus evolution and transmission in an ever more connected world.the frequency and global impact of infectious disease outbreaks, particularly those caused by emerging viruses, demonstrate the need for a better understanding of how spatial ecology and pathogen evolution jointly shape epidemic dynamics. advances in computational techniques and the increasing availability of genetic and geospatial data are helping to address this problem, particularly when both information sources are combined. here, we review research at the intersection of evolutionary biolog ...026702033
microhabitat partitioning of aedes simpsoni (diptera: culicidae).yellow fever virus is a reemerging infection responsible for widespread, sporadic outbreaks across africa. although aedes aegypti (l.) is the most important vector globally, in east africa, epidemics may be vectored by aedes bromeliae (theobald), a member of the aedes simpsoni (theobald) species complex. the ae. simpsoni complex contains 10 subspecies, of which ae. bromeliae alone has been incriminated as a vector of yellow fever virus. however, morphological markers cannot distinguish ae. brome ...024897852
climate and human health: the impact of climate change on vector-borne diseases, paphos, cyprus (17-19 october 2012). 024428826
a case of yellow fever vaccine-associated viscerotropic disease in ecuador.we report the first case of viscerotropic syndrome in ecuador. because of similarities between yellow fever and viscerotropic syndrome, the incidence of this recently described complication of vaccination with the 17d yellow fever vaccine is not known. there is a large population in south america that is considered at risk for possible reemergence of urban yellow fever. knowledge of potentially fatal complications of yellow fever vaccine should temper decisions to vaccinate populations where the ...020348528
clinicohematological profiles of hospitalized patients with dengue in kolkata in 2012 epidemic, west bengal.dengue usually presents itself with subclinical or mild infection to full blown dengue fever (df) to dengue hemorrhagic fever (dhf) and dengue shock syndrome (dss). in kolkata, dengue started in 1824 followed by five epidemics that occurred in 1836, 1906, 1911, 1923 and 2005. the aim of this investigation is to study the clinicohematological correlation of all patients with respect to their gender that were admitted to "kali pada chowdhury medical college and hospital" during 2012 epidemic. amon ...025242847
the deadly ebola threat in the midst of an overwhelming dengue epidemic.the recent death tolls and morbidities associated with two deadly viral haemorrhagic fevers (vhfs), i.e., ebola and dengue, are simply shocking. by the end of august 2014, 65 672 people were afflicted with dengue fever (df) in malaysia, with 9505 from kelantan, and there were 128 reported deaths. more astounding are the death tolls associated with ebola: 3091 deaths from 6574 reported cases so far. it is not difficult to imagine the potential disaster if ebola spreads beyond africa. vhfs are cha ...025897277
reconstructing historical changes in the force of infection of dengue fever in singapore: implications for surveillance and control.to reconstruct the historical changes in force of dengue infection in singapore, and to better understand the relationship between control of aedes mosquitoes and incidence of classic dengue fever.018368205
dengue: an escalating problem. 012089096
rnai: antiviral therapy against dengue virus.dengue virus infection has become a global threat affecting around 100 countries in the world. currently, there is no licensed antiviral agent available against dengue. thus, there is a strong need to develop therapeutic strategies that can tackle this life threatening disease. rna interference is an important and effective gene silencing process which degrades targeted rna by a sequence specific process. several studies have been conducted during the last decade to evaluate the efficiency of si ...023620845
dengue fever presenting as acute pancreatitis.a 56-year-old non-alcoholic male was admitted with complaints of severe abdominal pain and was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis after blood investigations and a computed tomography scan of the abdomen. he developed a high-grade fever on the third day of admission, and serology tested positive for dengue. treatment for dengue was instituted, leading to a good response and complete resolution of pancreatitis. the patient has been doing well and has had no recurrence of pancreatitis at the end of ...025610147
molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of dengue viruses imported into taiwan during 2008-2010.we present our surveillance results on imported dengue cases in taiwan during 2008-2010. a total of 734 imported dengue patients were identified. the travelers were arriving from 18 countries, including southeast asia, the indian subcontinent, south pacific islands, and latin america. gene sequences from 358 dengue virus (denv) isolates were used to perform phylogenetic analyses, thus, providing an updated view of the geographic distribution and dynamic transmission of denv strains circulating i ...022855770
molecular insight into dengue virus pathogenesis and its implications for disease control.dengue virus (denv) is a mosquito-transmitted rna virus that infects an estimated 390 million humans each year. here, we review recent advances in our understanding of the biology of denv and describe knowledge gaps that have impacted the development of effective vaccines and therapeutics.026232221
dengue in india.dengue virus belongs to family flaviviridae, having four serotypes that spread by the bite of infected aedes mosquitoes. it causes a wide spectrum of illness from mild asymptomatic illness to severe fatal dengue haemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (dhf/dss). approximately 2.5 billion people live in dengue-risk regions with about 100 million new cases each year worldwide. the cumulative dengue diseases burden has attained an unprecedented proportion in recent times with sharp increase in the ...023041731
dengue: profile of hematological and biochemical dynamics.the objective of this study was to correlate laboratory tests during the evolution of dengue fever, comparing frequencies between the different clinical forms in order to use test results to predict the severity of the disease.023049382
dengue fever treatment with carica papaya leaves extracts.the main objective of the current study is to investigate the potential of carica papaya leaves extracts against dengue fever in 45 year old patient bitten by carrier mosquitoes. for the treatment of dengue fever the extract was prepared in water. 25 ml of aqueous extract of c. papaya leaves was administered to patient infected with dengue fever twice daily i.e. morning and evening for five consecutive days. before the extract administration the blood samples from patient were analyzed. platelet ...023569787
dual role of commensal bacteria in viral infections.with our abilities to culture and sequence the commensal bacteria that dwell on and within a host, we can now study the host in its entirety, as a supraorganism that must be navigated by the pathogen invader. at present, the majority of studies have focused on the interaction between the host's microbiota and bacterial pathogens. this is not unwarranted, given that bacterial pathogens must compete with commensal organisms for the limited territory afforded by the host. however, viral pathogens a ...023947358
global consensus sequence development and analysis of dengue ns3 conserved domains.the dengue virus (denv) genome encodes 10 different genes including the ns3 gene, which has a protease and helicase domain used in virus replication. this domain is a potential target for antiviral agents against dengue. due to a high mutation rate, denv is classified into four major serotypes (denv1-denv4). this study was designed to perform conservancy analysis of all four serotypes by drawing a consensus sequence for each serotype and then drawing a global consensus sequence to study conserve ...024083095
cell phone-based system (chaak) for surveillance of immatures of dengue virus mosquito vectors.capture of surveillance data on mobile devices and rapid transfer of such data from these devices into an electronic database or data management and decision support systems promote timely data analyses and public health response during disease outbreaks. mobile data capture is used increasingly for malaria surveillance and holds great promise for surveillance of other neglected tropical diseases. we focused on mosquito-borne dengue, with the primary aims of: 1) developing and field-testing a ce ...023926788
dengue vaccine: a valuable asset for the future.dengue has emerged as one of the major global public health problems. the disease has broken out of its shell and has spread due to increased international travel and climatic changes. globally, over 2.5 billion people accounting for >40% of the world's population are at risk from dengue. since the 1940s, dengue vaccines have been under investigation. a live-attenuated tetravalent vaccine based on chimeric yellow fever-dengue virus (cyd-tdv) has progressed to phase iii efficacy studies. dengue v ...025424928
dengue in costa rica: the gap in local scientific research. 017316494
waiting for chikungunya fever in argentina: spatio-temporal risk maps.chikungunya virus (chikv) transmission has been detected in america in 2013 and recently reached south up to bolivia, brazil and paraguay, bordering countries of argentina. the presence of the mosquito aedes aegypti in half of the country together with the regional context drove us to make a rapid assessment of transmission risk. temperature thresholds for vector breeding and for virus transmission, together with adult activity from the literature, were mapped on a monthly basis to estimate risk ...025946252
genomes to hits in silico - a country path today, a highway tomorrow: a case study of chikungunya.these are exciting times for bioinformaticians, computational biologists and drug designers with the genome and proteome sequences and related structural databases growing at an accelerated pace. the post-genomic era has triggered high expectations for a rapid and successful treatment of diseases. however, in this biological information rich and functional knowledge poor scenario, the challenges are indeed grand, no less than the assembly of the genome of the whole organism. these include functi ...023260020
outbreak of chikungunya virus infection, vanimo, papua new guinea.in june 2012, health authorities in papua new guinea detected an increase in febrile illnesses in vanimo. chikungunya virus of the eastern/central/southern african genotype harboring the e1:a226v mutation was identified. this ongoing outbreak has spread to ≥8 other provinces and has had a harmful effect on public health.023965757
a comparative study of clinical features between monotypic and dual infection cases with chikungunya virus and dengue virus in west bengal, india.chikungunya virus (chikv) and dengue virus (denv) are circulating individually in the state of west bengal, india. however, after 1965 the dual-infection caused by both viruses had not been recorded until 2010. in 2010, an investigation of the febrile cases was carried out to confirm the involvement of both viruses simultaneously. a total of 550 blood samples were tested for the detection of immunoglobulin m (igm) antibody against both chikv and denv. serology by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent ...022492160
the chikungunya virus: an emerging us pathogen.the chikungunya (chik) virus was recently reported by the cdc to have spread to the united states. we report an early documented case of chik from the state of pennsylvania after a patient recently returned from haiti in june of 2014.027006742
two disciplines, one priority: the seamless integration of human and veterinary microbiology is urgent. 026038422
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 ...028455566
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 ...012201598
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 ...026366337
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.020137906
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, ...026034705
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 ...025401084
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 ...023331493
tackling the most difficult diseases. genetics and genomics open new strategies to fight vector-borne diseases. 011600446
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 ...027869592
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 ...023984962
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 ...024781826
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 ...022302871
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.025061762
small bite, big threat: the burden of vector-borne diseases. 025909072
dengue antibody prevalence in german travelers.we studied 2,259 german citizens after they returned from dengue-endemic countries from 1996 to 2004. serotype-specific dengue antibodies indicated acute infections in 51 (4.7%) travelers with recent fever and 13 (1.1%) travelers with no recent fever, depending largely on destination and epidemic activity in the countries visited.015890135
assessment of arbovirus surveillance 13 years after introduction of west nile virus, united states.before 1999, the united states had no appropriated funding for arboviral surveillance, and many states conducted no such surveillance. after emergence of west nile virus (wnv), federal funding was distributed to state and selected local health departments to build wnv surveillance systems. the council of state and territorial epidemiologists conducted assessments of surveillance capacity of resulting systems in 2004 and in 2012; the assessment in 2012 was conducted after a 61% decrease in federa ...026079471
dengue virus infection: current concepts in immune mechanisms and lessons from murine models.dengue viruses (denv), a group of four serologically distinct but related flaviviruses, are responsible for one of the most important emerging viral diseases. this mosquito-borne disease has a great impact in tropical and subtropical areas of the world in terms of illness, mortality and economic costs, mainly due to the lack of approved vaccine or antiviral drugs. infections with one of the four serotypes of denv (denv-1-4) result in symptoms ranging from an acute, self-limiting febrile illness, ...024182427
zika virus: a roar after years of whispering. 027168917
a search for mosquito larvicidal compounds by blocking the sterol carrying protein, aescp-2, through computational screening and docking strategies.sterol is a very vital compound for most of the insects and mosquitoes to complete their life cycle. unfortunately mosquitoes cannot synthesize the sterol, it depends on mammals for the same. mosquitoes take the sterol from the plant decays during their larval stage in the form of phytosterol, which is then converted to cholesterol for further growth and reproduction. this conversion occurs with the help of the sterol carrier protein 2(scp2).021808576
neurological manifestations of zika virus infection.zika virus (zikv) is a flavivirus (flaviviridae family) transmitted mainly by aedes mosquitoes. the virus was restricted to the african continent until its spread to south-east asia in the 1980's, the micronesia in 2007, the french polynesia in 2013 and, more recently in the americas in 2015, where, up to date, the world health organization (who) has estimated about 3-4 million total cases of zikv infection. during outbreaks in the french polynesia and brazil in 2013 and 2015, respectively, nati ...027878100
dengue fever in travelers to the tropics, 1998 and 1999.dengue fever (df) has become common in western travelers to the tropics. to improve the basis for travel advice, risk factors and dengue manifestations were assessed in 107 swedish patients for whom df was diagnosed after return from travel in 1998 and 1999. patient data were compared with data on a sample of all swedish travelers to dengue-endemic countries in the same years. only three of the patients had received pretravel advice concerning df from their physicians. hemorrhagic manifestations ...012702223
is transfusion-transmitted dengue fever a potential public health threat?dengue is an arboviruses due to single-stranded enveloped ribonucleic acid viruses, named dengue viruses (denv), that include four serotypes and are mainly transmitted via the bite of mosquitoes of the genus aedes (a. aegypti and a. albopictus). the distribution of the disease was historically limited to intertropical areas; however, during the last thirty years, the perimeter of the disease extended considerably and temperate areas are now at risk of outbreaks. the present global burden of deng ...025964876
advances and controversies in yellow fever vaccination.ever since its development in 1937, the live-attenuated 17d yellow fever (yf) vaccine has been one of the most effective vaccines available to man. in this review we highlight the major steps in the development of 17d yf vaccine. we discuss the use of neutralizing antibodies as a surrogate marker for protection, and explore the strengths and weaknesses of the current plaque reduction neutralization test (prnt), a technique developed in the 1960s that continues to be superior to every modern test ...024757521
geographic variation in adult survival and reproductive tactics of the mosquito aedes albopictus.climate differences across latitude can result in seasonal constraints and selection on life history characters. since aedes albopictus (skuse) invaded north america in the mid-1980s, it has spread across a range of approximately 14 degrees latitude and populations in the north experience complete adult mortality due to cold winter temperatures that are absent in the south. life table experiments were conducted to test for differences in the adult survival and reproductive schedules of ae. albop ...018402136
contribution of dengue fever to the burden of acute febrile illnesses in papua new guinea: an age-specific prospective study.malaria is a major contributor to the burden of febrile illnesses in papua new guinea (png). dengue fever (df) is likely to contribute; however, its epidemiology in png is poorly understood. we performed a prospective age-stratified study in outpatient clinics investigating the prevalence of df; 578 patients were enrolled, and 317 patients with a negative rapid diagnostic test (rdt) for malaria were tested for dengue. malaria was confirmed in 52% (301/578, 95% confidence interval [ci] = 48-56%), ...021734138
mosquitocidal properties of igg targeting the glutamate-gated chloride channel in three mosquito disease vectors (diptera: culicidae).the glutamate-gated chloride channel (glucl) is a highly sensitive insecticide target of the avermectin class of insecticides. as an alternative to using chemical insecticides to kill mosquitoes, we tested the effects of purified immunoglobulin g (igg) targeting the extracellular domain of glucl from anopheles gambiae (agglucl) on the survivorship of three key mosquito disease vectors: anopheles gambiae s.s., aedes aegypti and culex tarsalis. when administered through a single blood meal, anti-a ...025994632
survival of west nile virus-challenged southern house mosquitoes, culex pipiens quinquefasciatus, in relation to environmental temperatures.we investigated the effect of west nile virus (wnv) infection on survival in two colonies of culex pipiens quinquefasciatus say (diptera: culicidae) originating from vero beach and gainesville, fl. mosquitoes were fed west nile virus-infected blood and checked daily for survival. exposure to wnv decreased survival among cx. p. quinquefasciatus from gainesville relative to unexposed individuals at 31° c. in contrast, exposure to wnv enhanced survival among cx. p. quinquefasciatus from vero beach ...024820564
next-generation sequencing in clinical virology: discovery of new viruses.viruses are a cause of significant health problem worldwide, especially in the developing nations. due to different anthropological activities, human populations are exposed to different viral pathogens, many of which emerge as outbreaks. in such situations, discovery of novel viruses is utmost important for deciding prevention and treatment strategies. since last century, a number of different virus discovery methods, based on cell culture inoculation, sequence-independent pcr have been used fo ...026279987
hla class ii allele polymorphism in an outbreak of chikungunya fever in middle andaman, india.a sudden upsurge of fever cases with joint pain was observed in the outpatient department, community health centre, rangat during july-august 2010 in rangat middle andaman, india. the aetiological agent responsible for the outbreak was identified as chikungunya virus (chikv), by using rt-pcr and igm elisa. the study investigated the association of polymorphisms in the human leucocyte antigen class ii genes with susceptibility or protection against chikv. one hundred and one patients with clinica ...023710940
modeling and biological control of mosquitoes.models can be useful at many different levels when considering complex issues such as biological control of mosquitoes. at an early stage, exploratory models are valuable in exploring the characteristics of an ideal biological control agent and for guidance in data collection. when more data are available, models can be used to explore alternative control strategies and the likelihood of success. there are few modeling studies that explicitly consider biological control in mosquitoes; however, t ...017853610
interspecific competition of a new invasive mosquito, culex coronator, and two container mosquitoes, aedes albopictus and cx. quinquefasciatus (diptera: culicidae), across different detritus environments.the mosquito culex coronator (dyar and knab) (diptera: culicidae) has undergone rapid range expansion in the united states since 2003, with its historical distribution in the southwest expanding eastward to the atlantic coast. although cx. coronator nominally use small natural aquatic habitats for development, the use of containers (e.g., tires) makes it potentially important as container invasive. to determine the potential ecological effects of cx. coronator on resident container species, we c ...024605457
effects of ingested vertebrate-derived factors on insect immune responses.during the process of blood feeding insect vectors are exposed to an array of vertebrate-derived blood factors ranging from byproducts of blood meal digestion to naturally occurring products in the blood including growth hormones, cytokines and factors derived from blood-borne pathogens themselves. in this review, we examine the ability of these ingested vertebrate blood factors to alter the innate pathogen defenses of insect vectors. the ability of these factors to modify the immune responses o ...025401083
towards a hybrid agent-based model for mosquito borne disease.agent-based models (abm) are used to simulate the spread of infectious disease through a population. detailed human movement, demography, realistic business location networks, and in-host disease progression are available in existing abms, such as the epidemic simulation system (episims). these capabilities make possible the exploration of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical mitigation strategies used to inform the public health community. there is a similar need for the spread of mosquito bor ...026618203
outsmarting olfaction: the next generation of mosquito repellents. 016002364
functional circadian clock genes are essential for the overwintering diapause of the northern house mosquito, culex pipiens.the short day lengths of late summer are used to program the overwintering adult diapause (dormancy) of the northern house mosquito, culex pipiens. here, we investigated the role of clock genes in initiating this diapause and asked whether the circadian cycling of clock gene expression persists during diapause. we provide evidence that the major circadian clock genes continue to cycle throughout diapause and after diapause has been terminated. rna interference (rnai) was used to knock down the c ...025653422
dengue outbreak in key west, florida, usa, 2009.after 3 dengue cases were acquired in key west, florida, we conducted a serosurvey to determine the scope of the outbreak. thirteen residents showed recent infection (infection rate 5%; 90% ci 2%-8%), demonstrating the reemergence of dengue in florida. increased awareness of dengue among health care providers is needed.022257471
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