Publications

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
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
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
driven to extremes health effects of climate change.		17450206
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
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
culex torrentium mosquito role as major enzootic vector defined by rate of sindbis virus infection, sweden, 2009.	we isolated sindbis virus (sinv) from the enzootic mosquito vectors culex torrentium, cx. pipiens, and culiseta morsitans collected in an area of sweden where sinv disease is endemic. the infection rate in cx. torrentium mosquitoes was exceptionally high (36 infections/1,000 mosquitoes), defining cx. torrentium as the main enzootic vector of sinv in scandinavia.	25898013
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
relationships between infection, dissemination, and transmission of west nile virus rna in culex pipiens quinquefasciatus (diptera: culicidae).	culex pipiens quinquefasciatus say fed blood containing 6.8 +/- 0.3 logs (mean +/- se) plaque-forming units of west nile virus (wnv)/ml were maintained at 28 degrees c for incubation periods (ip) of 7, 14, or 21 d. several attributes of vector competence were determined at each ip using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to estimate plaque forming unit equivalents including: infection rate (wnv-positive abdomens), dissemination rate (wnv-positive legs or thora ...	22308781
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
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
comparison of enzootic risk measures for predicting west nile disease, los angeles, california, usa, 2004-2010.	in los angeles, california, usa, 2 epidemics of west nile virus (wnv) disease have occurred since wnv was recognized in 2003. to assess which measure of risk was most predictive of human cases, we compared 3 measures: the california mosquito-borne virus surveillance and response plan assessment, the vector index, and the dynamic continuous-area space-time system. a case-crossover study was performed by using symptom onset dates from 384 persons with wnv infection to determine their relative envi ...	22840314
sources of error in the estimation of mosquito infection rates used to assess risk of arbovirus transmission.	infection rate is an estimate of the prevalence of arbovirus infection in a mosquito population. it is assumed that when infection rate increases, the risk of arbovirus transmission to humans and animals also increases. we examined some of the factors that can invalidate this assumption. first, we used a model to illustrate how the proportion of mosquitoes capable of virus transmission, or infectious, is not a constant fraction of the number of infected mosquitoes. thus, infection rate is not al ...	20519620
monitoring of west nile virus in mosquitoes between 2011-2012 in hungary.	west nile virus (wnv) is a widely distributed mosquito-borne flavivirus. wnv strains are classified into several genetic lineages on the basis of phylogenetic differences. whereas lineage 1 viruses are distributed worldwide, lineage 2 wnv was first detected outside of africa in hungary in 2004. since then, wnv-associated disease and mortality in animal and human hosts have been documented periodically in hungary. after the first detection of wnv from a pool of culex pipiens mosquitoes in 2010, s ...	25229703
phylogenetic analysis of west nile virus genome, iran.		25061976
human infection with west nile virus, xinjiang, china, 2011.		25062043
evidence that implicit assumptions of 'no evolution' of disease vectors in changing environments can be violated on a rapid timescale.	projected impacts of climate change on vector-borne disease dynamics must consider many variables relevant to hosts, vectors and pathogens, including how altered environmental characteristics might affect the spatial distributions of vector species. however, many predictive models for vector distributions consider their habitat requirements to be fixed over relevant time-scales, when they may actually be capable of rapid evolutionary change and even adaptation. we examine the genetic signature o ...	25688024
climate change impacts on west nile virus transmission in a global context.	west nile virus (wnv), the most widely distributed virus of the encephalitic flaviviruses, is a vector-borne pathogen of global importance. the transmission cycle exists in rural and urban areas where the virus infects birds, humans, horses and other mammals. multiple factors impact the transmission and distribution of wnv, related to the dynamics and interactions between pathogen, vector, vertebrate hosts and environment. hence, among other drivers, weather conditions have direct and indirect i ...	25688020
close relationship between west nile virus from turkey and lineage 1 strain from central african republic.	we sequenced west nile viruses (wnvs) from turkey and found close relationships to wnv lineage 1 strain arb310/67 from the central african republic, distinct from other wnvs circulating in the mediterranean basin, eastern europe, and the middle east. these findings suggest independent introductions of wnv strains from africa to the middle east.	25625703
travel medicine for the extreme traveler.		17101310
the roles of mosquito and bird communities on the prevalence of west nile virus in urban wetland and residential habitats.	this study investigated the impacts of urban wetlands and their adjacent residential environments on the transmission dynamics of west nile virus (wnv) within the state of new jersey (usa). a working hypothesis was that urban wetlands decrease the local prevalence of wnv through the dilution effect from increased bird diversity, and through relative reductions in the numbers of competent avian host and mosquito species commonly associated with wnv. surveys of mosquito and bird communities were u ...	25484570
insecticide susceptibility of field-collected populations of culex tritaeniorhynchus in the republic of korea.	the toxicities of 10 insecticides were examined against late third instar culex tritaeniorhynchus giles (diptera: culicidae) using the direct-contact mortality bioassay. six geospatially-distant field mosquitoes were collected from chuncheon-si, hwaseong, seosan. jeonju, daegu, and busan in the republic of korea. marked regional variations of insecticide susceptibility were observed. field populations of seosan, jeonju, and daegu from agricultural areas showed higher to extremely higher insectic ...	23879898
does autocthonous primary production influence oviposition by aedes japonicus japonicus (diptera: culicidae) in container habitats?	aedes (finlaya) japonicus japonicus (theobald) (diptera: culicidae) is recently invasive in north america and has expanded its range rapidly since 1998. throughout its native and expanded range, ae. j. japonicus larvae are commonly observed in many types of natural and artificial water-filled containers that vary in organic matter content and exposure to sunlight. larvae are most often found in containers with decaying leaf material or algae, and we postulated that the added autocthonous primary ...	23427654
culicidae (diptera) selection of humans, chickens and rabbits in three different environments in the province of chaco, argentina.	studies were conducted to determine the selection of humans, chickens and rabbits by culicidae in three different environments in the province of chaco, argentina. mosquitoes were collected fortnightly using cylindrical metal traps containing animal bait (chickens and rabbits). the mosquitoes were collected between june 2001-may 2002. during the same period and with the same frequency, mosquitoes biting the human operators of the traps were collected during the first 15 min of exposure within di ...	23903970
west nile virus: review of the literature.	since its introduction in north america in 1999, west nile virus has produced the 3 largest arboviral neuroinvasive disease outbreaks ever recorded in the united states.	23860989
larvicidal and histopathological effects of cassia siamea leaf extract against culex quinquefasciatus.	a traditional thai medicinal extract from cassia siamea was evaluated with respect to its larvicidal properties by determining the median lethal concentration (lc50) at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h against the fourth instar larvae of culex quinquefasciatus, which is a carrier of mosquito-borne diseases, by studying the histopathological alterations. the 24, 48, 72 and 96 h lc50 values were 394.29, 350.24, 319.17 and 272.42 ppm, respectively. the histopathological lesions after exposure to 25% of the 24-h ...	26868707
interspecific larval competition between aedes albopictus and aedes japonicus (diptera: culicidae) in northern virginia.	aedes albopictus (skuse) and aedes japonicus (theobald) are two of the most recent and widespread invasive mosquito species to have become established in the united states. the two species co-occur in water-filled artificial containers, where crowding and limiting resources are likely to promote inter- or intraspecific larval competition. the performance of northern virginia populations of ae. japonicus and ae. albopictus competing as larvae under field conditions was evaluated. per capita rates ...	18714861
rainfall influences survival of culex pipiens (diptera: culicidae) in a residential neighborhood in the mid-atlantic united states.	measurement of the survival and dispersal rates of mosquito vectors is an important step in designing and implementing control strategies. vector survival plays a key role in determining the intensity of pathogen transmission, and vector movement determines the spatial scale on which control efforts must operate to be effective. we provide the first estimates of field survival and dispersal rates for culex pipiens l. in north america, an important enzootic and bridge vector for west nile virus ( ...	22679852
regulation of cell survival and death during flavivirus infections.	flaviviruses, ss(+) rna viruses, include many of mankind's most important pathogens. their pathogenicity derives from their ability to infect many types of cells including neurons, to replicate, and eventually to kill the cells. flaviviruses can activate tumor necrosis factor α and both intrinsic (bax-mediated) and extrinsic pathways to apoptosis. thus they can use many approaches for activating these pathways. infection can lead to necrosis if viral load is extremely high or to other types of c ...	24921001
west nile virus: a re-emerging pathogen revisited.	west nile virus (wnv), a flavivirus of the flaviviridae family, is maintained in nature in an enzootic transmission cycle between avian hosts and ornithophilic mosquito vectors, although the virus occasionally infects other vertebrates. wnv causes sporadic disease outbreaks in horses and humans, which may result in febrile illness, meningitis, encephalitis and flaccid paralysis. until recently, its medical and veterinary health concern was relatively low; however, the number, frequency and sever ...	24175211
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 ...	22280344
how to make evolution-proof insecticides for malaria control.	insecticides are one of the cheapest, most effective, and best proven methods of controlling malaria, but mosquitoes can rapidly evolve resistance. such evolution, first seen in the 1950s in areas of widespread ddt use, is a major challenge because attempts to comprehensively control and even eliminate malaria rely heavily on indoor house spraying and insecticide-treated bed nets. current strategies for dealing with resistance evolution are expensive and open ended, and their sustainability has ...	19355786
putative new west nile virus lineage in uranotaenia unguiculata mosquitoes, austria, 2013.	west nile virus (wnv) is becoming more widespread and markedly effecting public health. we sequenced the complete polyprotein gene of a divergent wnv strain newly detected in a pool of uranotaenia unguiculata mosquitoes in austria. phylogenetic analyses suggest that the new strain constitutes a ninth wnv lineage or a sublineage of wnv lineage 4.	25418009
arthropod-borne disease in canada: a clinician's perspective from the 'cold zone'.	arthropod-borne diseases do not occur commonly in canada. nevertheless, canadians run the risk of contracting certain infections within the country during arthropod season, as well as when travelling abroad. therefore, it is important that clinicians are aware of the possible occurrence of arthropod-borne diseases, and consider them in their differential diagnoses. the present review is divided into two sections: arthropod-borne diseases or disease agents documented in canada, and imported arthr ...	20177520
a model to assess the accuracy of detecting arboviruses in mosquito pools.	vigilant surveillance of virus prevalence in mosquitoes is essential for risk assessment and outbreak prediction. accurate virus detection methods are essential for arbovirus surveillance. we have developed a model to estimate the probability of accurately detecting a virus-positive mosquito from pooled field collections using standard molecular techniques. we discuss several factors influencing the probability of virus detection, including the number of virions in the sample, the total sample v ...	19852231
nest mosquito trap quantifies contact rates between nesting birds and mosquitoes.	accurate estimates of host-vector contact rates are required for precise determination of arbovirus transmission intensity. we designed and tested a novel mosquito collection device, the nest mosquito trap (nmt), to collect mosquitoes as they attempt to feed on unrestrained nesting birds in artificial nest boxes. in the laboratory, the nmt collected nearly one-third of the mosquitoes introduced to the nest boxes. we then used these laboratory data to estimate our capture efficiency of field-coll ...	22548555
emerging viral diseases.		18491811
susceptibility of carrion crows to experimental infection with lineage 1 and 2 west nile viruses.	west nile virus (wnv) outbreaks in north america have been characterized by substantial die-offs of american crows (corvus brachyrhynchos). in contrast, a low incidence of bird deaths has been observed during wnv epidemic activity in europe. to examine the susceptibility of the western european counterpart of american crows, we inoculated carrion crows (corvus corone) with wnv strains isolated in greece (gr-10), italy (fin and ita09), and hungary (578/10) and with the highly virulent north ameri ...	26197093
invasion biology of aedes japonicus japonicus (diptera: culicidae).	aedes japonicus japonicus (theobald) (diptera: culicidae) has recently expanded beyond its native range of japan and korea into large parts of north america and central europe. population genetic studies begun immediately after the species was detected in north america revealed genetically distinct introductions that subsequently merged, likely contributing to the successful expansion. interactions, particularly in the larval stage, with other known disease vectors give this invasive subspecies ...	24397520
community ecology of container mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) in virginia following invasion by aedes japonicus.	the success of an invasive species in a new region depends on its interactions with ecologically similar resident species. invasions by disease vector mosquitoes are important as they may have ecological and epidemiological consequences. potential interactions of a recent invasive mosquito, aedes japonicus theobald, with resident species in virginia were evaluated by sampling larvae from containers and trapping adults. distinct species compositions were observed for artificial containers and roc ...	23270159
predicted and observed mortality from vector-borne disease in small songbirds.	numerous diseases of wildlife have recently emerged due to trade and travel. however, the impact of disease on wild animal populations has been notoriously difficult to detect and demonstrate, due to problems of attribution and the rapid disappearance of bodies after death. determining the magnitude of avian mortality from west nile virus (wnv) is emblematic of these challenges. although correlational analyses may show population declines coincident with the arrival of the virus, strong inferenc ...	23956457
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.	27605159
experimental investigation of the susceptibility of italian culex pipiens mosquitoes to zika virus infection.	we investigated the susceptibility of an italian population of culex pipiens mosquitoes to zika virus (zikv) infection, tested in parallel with aedes aegypti, as a positive control. we analysed mosquitoes at 0, 3, 7, 10, 14, 20 and 24 days after an infectious blood meal. viral rna was detected in the body of cx. pipiens up to three days post-infection, but not at later time points. our results indicate that cx. pipiens is not susceptible to zikv infection.	27605056
spatial variation in host feeding patterns of culex tarsalis and the culex pipiens complex (diptera: culicidae) in california.	west nile virus (family flaviviridae, genus flavivirus, wnv) is now endemic in california across a variety of ecological regions that support a wide diversity of potential avian and mammalian host species. because different avian hosts have varying competence for wnv, determining the blood-feeding patterns of culex (diptera: culicidae) vectors is a key component in understanding the maintenance and amplification of the virus as well as tangential transmission to humans and horses. we investigate ...	22897051
vector competence of argentine mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) for west nile virus (flaviviridae: flavivirus).	we examined the ability of culex pipiens l. complex mosquitoes from argentina to vector west nile virus (wnv) to assess their role in the transmission of wnv in south america. several egg rafts of culex spp. were collected from different breeding sites in the suburbs of the city of la plata, argentina, and a subset of each progeny was scored with morphological and genetic species indicators. surprisingly, we did not find cx. pipiens form pipiens, but found evidence of genetic hybrids of culex qu ...	23926785
overwintering biology of culex (diptera: culicidae) mosquitoes in the sacramento valley of california.	at temperate latitudes, culex (diptera: culicidae) mosquitoes typically overwinter as adult females in reproductive arrest and also may serve as reservoir hosts for arboviruses when cold temperatures arrest viral replication. to evaluate their role in the persistence of west nile virus (wnv) in the sacramento valley of california, the induction and termination of diapause were investigated for members of the culex pipiens (l.) complex, culex tarsalis coquillett, and culex stigmatosoma dyar under ...	23926775
effects of blood meal source on the reproduction of culex pipiens quinquefasciatus (diptera: culicidae).	culex pipiens quinquefasciatus were fed blood meals from a live chicken (lc), chicken blood in alsever's (ac) solution, defibrinated bovine blood (db), or bovine blood in citrate (cb) and incubated at 28° c. the effects of different blood meal sources were evaluated with respect to rates of blood feeding and reproduction (i.e., fecundity and fertility) over two gonotrophic cycles. mosquitoes that fed on the first blood meal were subjected to a second blood meal as follows (first blood meal / sec ...	22548531
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 ...	22679853
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 ...	22556092
origin of the old testament plagues: explications and implications.	analyses of past disasters may supply insights to mitigate the impact of recurrences. in this context, we offer a unifying causative theory of old testament plagues, which has present day public health implications. we propose the root cause to have been an aberrant el niño-southern oscillation teleconnection that brought unseasonable and progressive climate warming along the ancient mediterranean littoral, including the coast of biblical egypt, which, in turn, initiated the serial catastrophes ...	18604309
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 ...	24820564
detection of oropouche virus segment s in patients and inculex quinquefasciatus in the state of mato grosso, brazil.	this study aimed to investigate the circulation of orthobunyavirus species in the state of mato grosso (mt) brazil. during a dengue outbreak in 2011/2012, 529 serum samples were collected from patients with acute febrile illness with symptoms for up to five days and 387 pools of female culex quinquefasciatus captured in 2013 were subjected to nested-reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for segment s of the simbu serogroup followed by nucleotide sequencing and virus isolation in vero c ...	26517653
host selection patterns of culex tarsalis (diptera: culicidae) at wetlands near the salton sea, coachella valley, california, 1998-2002.	the bloodmeal hosts used by culex tarsalis coquillett collected along the salton sea in coachella valley, ca, during 1998-2002 were identified using sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase i gene identified from barcode of life database. overall, 265 (83.3%) of 318 bloodmeals were identified, of which 76.6% fed on birds, 18.1% on mammals, and 5.3% on reptiles. forty-seven different hosts were identified, none of which comprised > 12.5% of the total. although cx. tarsalis exhibits specific host-see ...	24180112
evaluation of seasonal feeding patterns of west nile virus vectors in bernalillo county, new mexico, united states: implications for disease transmission.	many mosquito species take bloodmeals predominantly from either birds or mammals. other mosquito species are less host-specific and feed readily on both. furthermore, some species tend to alter their feeding patterns over the course of the year; early in the mosquito season such species may feed primarily on a particular host type, and subsequently take an increasingly larger proportion of their bloodmeals from an alternative host type as the season progresses. we have examined the feeding patte ...	24605477
the effect of temperature on life history traits of culex mosquitoes.	climatic changes forecasted in the coming years are likely to result in substantial alterations to the distributions and populations of vectors of arthropod-borne pathogens. characterization of the effect of temperature shifts on the life history traits of specific vectors is needed to more accurately define how such changes could impact the epidemiological patterns of vector-borne disease. here, we determined the effect of temperatures including 16, 20, 24, 28, and 32 degreec on development tim ...	24605453
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 ...	17162945
host group formation decreases exposure to vector-borne disease: a field experiment in a 'hotspot' of west nile virus transmission.	animals can decrease their individual risk of predation by forming groups. the encounter-dilution hypothesis extends the potential benefits of gregariousness to biting insects and vector-borne disease by predicting that the per capita number of insect bites should decrease within larger host groups. although vector-borne diseases are common and can exert strong selective pressures on hosts, there have been few tests of the encounter-dilution effect in natural systems. we conducted an experimenta ...	25339722
nesting bird "host funnel" increases mosquito-bird contact rate.	increases in vector-host contact rates can enhance arbovirus transmission intensity. we investigated weekly fluctuations in contact rates between mosquitoes and nesting birds using the recently described nest mosquito trap (nmt). the number of mosquitoes per nestling increased from < 1 mosquito per trap night to 36.2 in the final 2 wk of the nesting season. our evidence suggests the coincidence of the end of the avian nesting season and increasing mosquito abundances may have caused a "host funn ...	23540137
west nile virus lineage 2 from blood donor, greece.		22469502
weather variability affects abundance of larval culex (diptera: culicidae) in storm water catch basins in suburban chicago.	culex pipiens l. (diptera: culicidae) and culex restuans theobald are the primary enzootic and bridge vectors of west nile virus in the eastern united states north of 36 degrees latitude. recent studies of the natural history of these species have implicated catch basins and underground storm drain systems as important larval development sites in urban and suburban locales. although the presence of larvae in these habitats is well-documented, the influence of abiotic factors on the ecology of cu ...	22493843
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 ...	22493847
experimental assessment of the impacts of northern long-eared bats on ovipositing culex (diptera: culicidae) mosquitoes.	the importance of predation as a mortality factor in adult mosquitoes has received only limited attention in the scientific literature. despite the lack of consensus among researchers as to whether bats are important predators of mosquitoes, there have been no attempts to directly document the effect of bats on mosquito populations or behavior. we conducted an enclosure experiment to test the hypothesis that bats reduce the local abundance of ovipositing female mosquitoes by examining whether th ...	19769034
passive prophylaxis with permethrin-treated tents reduces mosquito bites among north american summer campers.	over 2 million adolescents participate in summer-camp experiences, placing themselves at risk for mosquito-borne illness. insect repellent is recommended but often not used. it is unknown whether permethrin treatment of a location, such as a campsite, provides passive prophylaxis reducing mosquito bites among all persons in the immediate vicinity.	15813141
delineating west nile virus transmission cycles at various scales: the nearest neighbor distance-time model.	various approaches are used to identify west nile virus (wnv) exposure areas, including unusual sightings of infected dead birds, mosquito pools or human cases both prospectively and retrospectively. a significant and largely unmet need in wnv research is to incorporate the temporal characterization of virus spread and locational information of the three components of transmission cycle-i.e., birds (reservoir), mosquitoes (vector), and humans (host)-on a localized scale. exposure areas containin ...	23144590
facts and ideas from anywhere.		16369660
comparison of the efficiency and cost of west nile virus surveillance methods in california.	surveillance systems for west nile virus (wnv) combine several methods to determine the location and timing of viral amplification. the value of each surveillance method must be measured against its efficiency and costs to optimize integrated vector management and suppress wnv transmission to the human population. here we extend previous comparisons of wnv surveillance methods by equitably comparing the most common methods after standardization on the basis of spatial sampling density and costs, ...	25700046
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 ...	25653422
evaluation of a stable isotope method to mark naturally-breeding larval mosquitoes for adult dispersal studies.	understanding mosquito dispersal is critically important for vector-borne disease control and prevention. mark-release-recapture methods using various marking techniques have made substantial contributions to the study of mosquito biology. however, the ability to mark naturally breeding mosquitoes noninvasively and with life-long retention has remained problematic. here, we describe a method to mark naturally breeding mosquitoes with stable isotopes. culex pipiens f. molestus mosquitoes were pro ...	22308772
dispersal of culex mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) from a wastewater treatment facility.	a mark-recapture project examined dispersal and flight distances of culex mosquitoes from a wastewater treatment plant in albany, ny, during 2007 and 2008. a self-marking device was constructed to mark egressing mosquitoes with fluorescent marking powder. mosquitoes were recaptured using 30 cdc miniature light traps located within a 2.0 km radius of the marking site. a total of 13 and 10 marked culex mosquitoes were recaptured in 2007 and 2008, respectively. culex mosquitoes traveled a minimum o ...	22308769
horizontal and vertical transmission of west nile virus genotype ny99 by culex salinarius and genotypes ny99 and wn02 by culex tarsalis.	culex tarsalis is a superior horizontal and vertical vector of west nile virus (wnv) compared with culex salinarius. culex salinarius transmitted wnv genotype ny99 (ct 2741-99 strain) horizontally to suckling mice at significantly lower rates than cx. tarsalis on days 8, 9, 10, and 12 post-infection, and cx. salinarius transmitted wnv genotype ny99 to offspring at a lower vertical transmission infection rate than cx. tarsalis. culex tarsalis transmitted wnv genotypes ny99 and wn02 (ct s0084-08 s ...	22232464
volatile phytochemicals as mosquito semiochemicals.	plant biochemical processes result in the release of an array of volatile chemical substances into the environment, some of which are known to play important plant fitness enhancing functions, such as attracting pollinators, thermal tolerance of photosynthesis, and defense against herbivores. cunningly, phytophagous insects have evolved mechanisms to utilize these volatiles to their own advantage, either to colonize a suitable host for feeding, reproduction and oviposition or avoid an unsuitable ...	25383131
peripheral coding of taste.	five canonical tastes, bitter, sweet, umami (amino acid), salty, and sour (acid), are detected by animals as diverse as fruit flies and humans, consistent with a near-universal drive to consume fundamental nutrients and to avoid toxins or other harmful compounds. surprisingly, despite this strong conservation of basic taste qualities between vertebrates and invertebrates, the receptors and signaling mechanisms that mediate taste in each are highly divergent. the identification over the last two ...	24607224
estimating the economic impact of a possible equine and human epidemic of west nile virus infection in belgium.	this study aimed at estimating, in a prospective scenario, the potential economic impact of a possible epidemic of wnv infection in belgium, based on 2012 values for the equine and human health sectors, in order to increase preparedness and help decision-makers. modelling of risk areas, based on the habitat suitable for culex pipiens, the main vector of the virus, allowed us to determine equine and human populations at risk. characteristics of the different clinical forms of the disease based on ...	27526394
symbionts conferring resistance to viruses in insects.		25417905
widespread usutu virus outbreak in birds in the netherlands, 2016.	we report a widespread usutu virus outbreak in birds in the netherlands. viral presence had been detected through targeted surveillance as early as april 2016 and increased mortality in common blackbirds and captive great grey owls was noticed from august 2016 onwards. usutu virus infection was confirmed by post-mortem examination and rt-pcr. extensive usutu virus activity in the netherlands in 2016 underlines the need to monitor mosquito activity and mosquito-borne infections in 2017 and beyond ...	27918257
decapitation improves detection of wolbachia pipientis (rickettsiales: anaplasmataceae) in culex pipiens (diptera: culicidae) mosquitoes by the polymerase chain reaction.	polymerase chain reaction (pcr) is often used to detect microorganisms, pathogens, or both, including the reproductive parasite wolbachia pipientis (rickettsiales: anaplasmataceae), in mosquitoes. natural populations of culex pipiens l. (diptera: culicidae) mosquitoes are infected with one or more strains of w. pipientis, and crosses between mosquitoes harboring different wolbachia strains provide one of the best-known examples of cytoplasmic incompatibililty (ci). when we used pcr to monitor wo ...	23025192
contributions of temporal segregation, oviposition choice, and non-additive effects of competitors to invasion success of aedes japonicus (diptera: culicidae) in north america.	the mosquito aedes japonicus (diptera: culicidae) has spread rapidly through north america since its introduction in the 1990s. the mechanisms underlying its establishment in container communities occupied by competitors aedes triseriatus and aedes albopictus are unclear. possibilities include (a) temporal separation of a. japonicus from other aedes, (b) oviposition avoidance by a. japonicus of sites containing heterospecific aedes larvae, and (c) non-additive competitive effects in assemblages ...	26101466
intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of succession: effects of habitat age and season on an aquatic insect community.	1. classical studies of succession, largely dominated by plant community studies, focus on intrinsic drivers of change in community composition, such as interspecific competition and changes to the abiotic environment. they often do not consider extrinsic drivers of colonization, such as seasonal phenology, that can affect community change. 2. we investigated both intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of succession for dipteran communities that occupy ephemeral pools, such as those in artificial conta ...	24910493
species interactions among larval mosquitoes: context dependence across habitat gradients.	biotic interactions involving mosquito larvae are context dependent, with effects of interactions on populations altered by ecological conditions. relative impacts of competition and predation change across a gradient of habitat size and permanence. asymmetrical competition is common and ecological context changes competitive advantage, potentially facilitating landscape-level coexistence of competitors. predator effects on mosquito populations sometimes depend on habitat structure and on emerge ...	19067629
characterisation of culex quinquefasciatus (diptera: culicidae) larval habitats at ground level and temporal fluctuations of larval abundance in córdoba, argentina.	the aims of this study were to characterise the ground-level larval habitats of the mosquito culex quinquefasciatus, to determine the relationships between habitat characteristics and larval abundance and to examine seasonal larval-stage variations in córdoba city. every two weeks for two years, 15 larval habitats (natural and artificial water bodies, including shallow wells, drains, retention ponds, canals and ditches) were visited and sampled for larval mosquitoes. data regarding the water dep ...	24037200
behavioral differences among four co-occurring species of container mosquito larvae: effects of depth and resource environments.	mosquito larvae often exhibit different behaviors depending on the aspects of the aquatic environment, including the presence of different physical factors and detrital food sources. regardless of these physical differences, different genera also devote different amounts of time to different behaviors. to determine if differences existed among four focal mosquito species (aedes albopictus (singh), aedes triseriatus (say), culex quinquefasciatus (say), culex coronator dyar & knab), we recorded be ...	24724286
human and animal dirofilariasis: the emergence of a zoonotic mosaic.	dirofilariasis represents a zoonotic mosaic, which includes two main filarial species (dirofilaria immitis and d. repens) that have adapted to canine, feline, and human hosts with distinct biological and clinical implications. at the same time, both d. immitis and d. repens are themselves hosts to symbiotic bacteria of the genus wolbachia, the study of which has resulted in a profound shift in the understanding of filarial biology, the mechanisms of the pathologies that they produce in their hos ...	22763636
leaf species identity and combination affect performance and oviposition choice of two container mosquito species.	1. resource diversity can be an important determinant of individual and population performance in insects. fallen parts of plants form the nutritive base for many aquatic systems, including mosquito habitats, but the effect of plant diversity on mosquito production is poorly understood.2. to determine the effects of diverse plant inputs on larval mosquitoes, experiments were conducted that examined how leaves of vitis aestivalis, quercus virginiana, psychotria nervosa, and nephrolepis exalta aff ...	20161198
population dynamics.	this chapter reviews aspects of population dynamics that may be conceptually important for biological control of mosquitoes. density dependent population regulation among immature stages has important implications for biological control of mosquito populations, primarily because it can lead to compensatory or overcompensatory mortality due to additions of a biological control agent. this can result in control efforts leading to no change in the target population, or actual increases in the targe ...	17853611
temperature effects on the dynamics of aedes albopictus (diptera: culicidae) populations in the laboratory.	we investigated how constant temperatures of 22, 24, and 26 degrees c experienced across the full life cycle affected the dynamics of caged populations of aedes albopictus (skuse). all cages were equipped with plastic beakers that served as sites for oviposition and larval development. we measured the per capita daily mortality and emergence rates of the adults and size of adult females, and estimated the intrinsic rate of increase (r) and asymptotic density (k) for each caged population. popula ...	11476335
hunger-dependent and sex-specific antipredator behaviour of larvae of a size-dimorphic mosquito.	1. modification of behaviors in the presence of predators or predation cues is widespread among animals. costs of a behavioral change in the presence of predators or predation cues depend on fitness effects of lost feeding opportunities and, especially when organisms are sexually dimorphic in size or timing of maturation, these costs are expected to differ between the sexes. 2. larval aedes triseriatus (say) (diptera: culicidae) were used to test the hypothesis that behavioral responses of the s ...	25309025
monitoring resistance to bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis in the field by performing bioassays with each cry toxin separately.	bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (bti) is increasingly used worldwide for mosquito control and is the only larvicide used in the french rhône-alpes region since decades. the artificial selection of mosquitoes with field-persistent bti collected in breeding sites from this region led to a moderate level of resistance to bti, but to relatively high levels of resistance to individual bti cry toxins. based on this observation, we developed a bioassay procedure using each bti cry toxin separ ...	24037105
attractive toxic sugar baits: control of mosquitoes with the low-risk active ingredient dinotefuran and potential impacts on nontarget organisms in morocco.	we evaluated the efficacy of attractive toxic sugar baits (atsb) in the laboratory and field with the low-risk active ingredient dinotefuran against mosquito populations. preliminary laboratory assays indicated that dinotefuran in solution with the sugar baits was ingested and resulted in high mortality of female culex quinquefasciatus say and aedes aegypti linnaeus. field studies demonstrated >70% reduction of mosquito populations at 3 wk post-atsb application. nontarget feeding of seven insect ...	24331613
intron retention in the drosophila melanogaster rieske iron sulphur protein gene generated a new protein.	genomes can encode a variety of proteins with unrelated architectures and activities. it is known that protein-coding genes of de novo origin have significantly contributed to this diversity. however, the molecular mechanisms and evolutionary processes behind these originations are still poorly understood. here we show that the last 102 codons of a novel gene, noble, assembled directly from non-coding dna following an intronic deletion that induced alternative intron retention at the drosophila ...	21610726
vector mosquitoes of filariasis in japan.		22028600
brugian filariasis in japan.		22028598
description of the transcriptomes of immune response-activated hemocytes from the mosquito vectors aedes aegypti and armigeres subalbatus.	mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue, malaria, and lymphatic filariasis, exact a devastating toll on global health and economics, killing or debilitating millions every year (54). mosquito innate immune responses are at the forefront of concerted research efforts aimed at defining potential target genes that could be manipulated to engineer pathogen resistance in vector populations. we aimed to describe the pivotal role that circulating blood cells (called hemocytes) play in immunity by gen ...	15213157
lymphatic filariasis and its control in japan -the background of success-.		22028596
design and testing of a novel, protective human-baited tent trap for the collection of anthropophilic disease vectors.	currently, there exists a deficit of safe, active trapping methods for the collection of host-seeking anopheles and other disease-causing arthropod vectors. the gold-standard approach for mosquito collection is that of human landing catch (hlc), in which an individual exposes bare skin to possibly infected vectors. here, we present the development of a new method for mosquito collection, the infoscitex tent, which uses modern tent materials coupled with a novel trap design. this provides an effi ...	24605476
diversity and convergence of sodium channel mutations involved in resistance to pyrethroids.	pyrethroid insecticides target voltage-gated sodium channels, which are critical for electrical signaling in the nervous system. the intensive use of pyrethroids in controlling arthropod pests and disease vectors has led to many instances of pyrethroid resistance around the globe. in the past two decades, studies have identified a large number of sodium channel mutations that are associated with resistance to pyrethroids. the purpose of this review is to summarize both common and unique sodium c ...	24019556
larval competition between aedes japonicus and aedes atropalpus (diptera: culicidae) in simulated rock pools.	the success of an invasive species becoming established in a new region often depends on its interactions with ecologically similar resident species. the propensity of the newly-established mosquito aedes japonicus to inhabit rock pools throughout the eastern united states provides a natural setting for interspecific larval competition with the native aedes atropalpus. a laboratory experiment conducted in simulated rock pools to evaluate larval interactions between and within these two species s ...	19263842
history of domestication and spread of aedes aegypti--a review.	the adaptation of insect vectors of human diseases to breed in human habitats (domestication) is one of the most important phenomena in medical entomology. considerable data are available on the vector mosquito aedes aegypti in this regard and here we integrate the available information including genetics, behaviour, morphology, ecology and biogeography of the mosquito, with human history. we emphasise the tremendous amount of variation possessed by ae. aegypti for virtually all traits considere ...	24473798
characterisation of potential novel allergens in the fish parasite anisakis simplex.	the parasitic nematode anisakis simplex occurs in fish stocks in temperate seas. a. simplex contamination of fish products is unsavoury and a health concern considering human infection with live larvae (anisakiasis) and allergic reactions to anisakid proteins in seafood. protein extracts of a. simplex produce complex band patterns in gel electrophoresis and ige-immunostaining. in the present study potential allergens have been characterised using sera from a. simplex-sensitised patients and prot ...	27110489
transcriptome sequencing as a platform to elucidate molecular components of the diapause response in the asian tiger mosquito, aedes albopictus.	diapause has long been recognized as a crucial ecological adaptation to spatio-temporal environmental variation. more recently, rapid evolution of the diapause response has been implicated in response to contemporary global warming and during the range expansion of invasive species. although the molecular regulation of diapause remains largely unresolved, rapidly emerging next-generation sequencing (ngs) technologies provide exciting opportunities to address this longstanding question. herein, a ...	23833391