Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted descending) Filter |
|---|
| the mitochondrial genome of elodia flavipalpis aldrich (diptera: tachinidae) and the evolutionary timescale of tachinid flies. | tachinid flies are natural enemies of many lepidopteran and coleopteran pests of forests, crops, and fruit trees. in order to address the lack of genetic data in this economically important group, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of the palaearctic tachinid fly elodia flavipalpis aldrich, 1933. usually found in northern china and japan, this species is one of the primary natural enemies of the leaf-roller moths (tortricidae), which are major pests of various fruit trees. the 14,932 ... | 2013 | 23626734 |
| six novel y chromosome genes in anopheles mosquitoes discovered by independently sequencing males and females. | y chromosomes are responsible for the initiation of male development, male fertility, and other male-related functions in diverse species. however, y genes are rarely characterized outside a few model species due to the arduous nature of studying the repeat-rich y. | 2013 | 23617698 |
| review of the malaria epidemiology and trends in zambia. | a comprehensive desk review of malaria trends was conducted between 2000-2010 in zambia to study malaria epidemiology and trends to guide strategies and approaches for effective malaria control. this review considered data from the national health information management system, malaria surveys and programme review reports and analyzed malaria in-patient cases and deaths in relation to intervention coverage for all ages. data showed three distinct epidemiological strata after a notable malaria re ... | 0 | 23593585 |
| wild anopheles funestus mosquito genotypes are permissive for infection with the rodent malaria parasite, plasmodium berghei. | malaria parasites undergo complex developmental transitions within the mosquito vector. a commonly used laboratory model for studies of mosquito-malaria interaction is the rodent parasite, p. berghei. anopheles funestus is a major malaria vector in sub-saharan africa but has received less attention than the sympatric species, anopheles gambiae. the imminent completion of the a. funestus genome sequence will provide currently lacking molecular tools to describe malaria parasite interactions in th ... | 2013 | 23593423 |
| stable and fluctuating temperature effects on the development rate and survival of two malaria vectors, anopheles arabiensis and anopheles funestus. | understanding the biology of malaria vector mosquitoes is crucial to understanding many aspects of the disease, including control and future outcomes. the development rates and survival of two afrotropical malaria vectors, anopheles arabiensis and anopheles funestus, are investigated here under conditions of constant and fluctuating temperatures. these data can provide a good starting point for modelling population level consequences of temperature change associated with climate change. for comp ... | 2013 | 23590860 |
| asymptomatic plasmodium infection and cognition among primary schoolchildren in a high malaria transmission setting in uganda. | asymptomatic parasitemia is common among schoolchildren living in areas of high malaria transmission, yet little is known about its effect on cognitive function in these settings. to investigate associations between asymptomatic parasitemia, anemia, and cognition among primary schoolchildren living in a high malaria transmission setting, we studied 740 children enrolled in a clinical trial in tororo, uganda. parasitemia, measured by thick blood smears, was present in 30% of the children. infecte ... | 2013 | 23589533 |
| a second chance to tackle african malaria vector mosquitoes that avoid houses and don't take drugs. | 2013 | 23589532 | |
| entomological surveillance of behavioural resilience and resistance in residual malaria vector populations. | the most potent malaria vectors rely heavily upon human blood so they are vulnerable to attack with insecticide-treated nets (itns) and indoor residual spraying (irs) within houses. mosquito taxa that can avoid feeding or resting indoors, or by obtaining blood from animals, mediate a growing proportion of the dwindling transmission that persists as itns and irs are scaled up. | 2013 | 23577656 |
| evaluation of alternative mosquito sampling methods for malaria vectors in lowland south--east zambia. | sampling malaria vectors and measuring their biting density is of paramount importance for entomological surveys of malaria transmission. human landing catch (hlc) has been traditionally regarded as a gold standard method for surveying human exposure to mosquito bites. however, due to the risk of human participant exposure to mosquito-borne parasites and viruses, a variety of alternative, exposure-free trapping methods were compared in lowland, south-east zambia. | 2013 | 23570257 |
| the role of innate versus adaptive immune responses in a mouse model of o'nyong-nyong virus infection. | o'nyong-nyong virus (onnv), an alphavirus closely related to chikungunya virus (chikv), has caused three major epidemics in africa since 1959. both onnv and chikv produce similar syndromes with fever, rash, and debilitating arthralgia. to determine the roles of the innate and adaptive immune responses, we infected different knockout mice with two strains of onnv (sg650 and mp30). wild-type, rag1 ko, and ifnγr ko mice showed no signs of illness or viremia. the stat1 ko and a129 mice exhibited 50- ... | 2013 | 23568285 |
| impact of home-based management of malaria combined with other community-based interventions: what do we learn from rwanda? | this study aimed to evaluate the impact of home-based management of malaria (hbm) strategy on time to treatment and reported presumed malaria morbidity in children aged less than 5 years in rwanda. | 2013 | 23560133 |
| integrin triplets of marine sponges in the murine and human mhci-cd8 interface and in the interface of human neural receptor heteromers and subunits. | based on our theory, main triplets of amino acid residues have been discovered in cell-adhesion receptors (integrins) of marine sponges, which participate as homologies in the interface between two major immune molecules, mhc class i (mhci) and cd8αβ. they appear as homologies also in several human neural receptor heteromers and subunits. the obtained results probably mean that neural and immune receptors also utilize these structural integrin triplets to form heteromers and ion channels, which ... | 2013 | 23556147 |
| extensive circadian and light regulation of the transcriptome in the malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae. | mosquitoes exhibit 24 hr rhythms in flight activity, feeding, reproduction and development. to better understand the molecular basis for these rhythms in the nocturnal malaria vector anopheles gambiae, we have utilized microarray analysis on time-of-day specific collections of mosquitoes over 48 hr to explore the coregulation of gene expression rhythms by the circadian clock and light, and compare these with the 24 hr rhythmic gene expression in the diurnal aedes aegypti dengue vector mosquito. | 2013 | 23552056 |
| reproductive isolation and local adaptation quantified for a chromosome inversion in a malaria mosquito. | chromosome inversions have long been thought to be involved in speciation and local adaptation. we have little quantitative information, however, about the effects that inversion polymorphisms have on reproductive isolation and viability. here we provide the first estimates from any organism for the total amount of reproductive isolation associated with an inversion segregating in natural populations. we sampled chromosomes from 751 mosquitoes of the malaria vector anopheles funestus along a 142 ... | 2012 | 23550747 |
| genetic diversity and signatures of selection of drug resistance in plasmodium populations from both human and mosquito hosts in continental equatorial guinea. | in plasmodium, the high level of genetic diversity and the interactions established by co-infecting parasite populations within the same host may be a source of selection on pathogen virulence and drug resistance. as different patterns have already been described in humans and mosquitoes, parasite diversity and population structure should be studied in both hosts to properly assess their effects on infection and transmission dynamics. this study aimed to characterize the circulating populations ... | 2013 | 23537170 |
| diversity of culturable bacteria including pantoea in wild mosquito aedes albopictus. | the microbiota has been shown to play an important role in the biology of insects. in recent decades, significant efforts have been made to better understand the diversity of symbiotic bacteria associated with mosquitoes and assess their influence on pathogen transmission. here, we report the bacterial composition found in field-caught aedes albopictus populations by using culture-dependent methods. | 2013 | 23537168 |
| malariometric indices among nigerian children in a rural setting. | malaria contributes to high childhood morbidity and mortality in nigeria. to determine its endemicity in a rural farming community in the south-south of nigeria, the following malariometric indices, namely, malaria parasitaemia, spleen rates, and anaemia were evaluated in children aged 2-10 years. this was a descriptive cross-sectional survey among school-age children residing in a rubber plantation settlement. the children were selected from six primary schools using a multistaged stratified cl ... | 2013 | 23533951 |
| the benefits or otherwise of managing malaria cases with or without laboratory diagnosis: the experience in a district hospital in ghana. | this study was conducted at the kintampo municipal hospital in ghana to determine whether there was any benefit (or otherwise) in basing the management of cases of suspected malaria solely on laboratory confirmation (microscopy or by rdt) as compared with presumptive diagnosis. | 2013 | 23505457 |
| a need for better housing to further reduce indoor malaria transmission in areas with high bed net coverage. | the suppression of indoor malaria transmission requires additional interventions that complement the use of insecticide treated nets (itns) and indoor residual spraying (irs). previous studies have examined the impact of house structure on malaria transmission in areas of low transmission. this study was conducted in a high transmission setting and presents further evidence about the association between specific house characteristics and the abundance of endophilic malaria vectors. | 2013 | 23497471 |
| netting barriers to prevent mosquito entry into houses in southern mozambique: a pilot study. | one of the best ways to control the transmission of malaria is by breaking the vector-human link, either by reducing the effective population size of mosquitoes or avoiding infective bites. reducing house entry rates in endophagic vectors by obstructing openings is one simple way of achieving this. mosquito netting has previously been shown to have this effect. more recently different materials that could also be used have come onto the market. therefore, a pilot study was conducted to investiga ... | 2013 | 23497325 |
| dose-response tests and semi-field evaluation of lethal and sub-lethal effects of slow release pyriproxyfen granules (sumilarv®0.5g) for the control of the malaria vectors anopheles gambiae sensu lato. | recently research has shown that larviciding can be an effective tool for integrated malaria vector control. nevertheless, the uptake of this intervention has been hampered by the need to re-apply larvicides frequently. there is a need to explore persistent, environmentally friendly larvicides for malaria vector control to reduce intervention efforts and costs by reducing the frequency of application. in this study, the efficacy of a 0.5% pyriproxyfen granule (surmilarv®0.5g, sumitomo chemicals) ... | 2013 | 23497149 |
| bed bugs evolved unique adaptive strategy to resist pyrethroid insecticides. | recent advances in genomic and post-genomic technologies have facilitated a genome-wide analysis of the insecticide resistance-associated genes in insects. through bed bug, cimex lectularius transcriptome analysis, we identified 14 molecular markers associated with pyrethroid resistance. our studies revealed that most of the resistance-associated genes functioning in diverse mechanisms are expressed in the epidermal layer of the integument, which could prevent or slow down the toxin from reachin ... | 0 | 23492626 |
| sustained activation of akt elicits mitochondrial dysfunction to block plasmodium falciparum infection in the mosquito host. | the overexpression of activated, myristoylated akt in the midgut of female transgenic anopheles stephensi results in resistance to infection with the human malaria parasite plasmodium falciparum but also decreased lifespan. in the present study, the understanding of mitochondria-dependent midgut homeostasis has been expanded to explain this apparent paradox in an insect of major medical importance. given that akt signaling is essential for cell growth and survival, we hypothesized that sustained ... | 2013 | 23468624 |
| impact of indoor residual spraying of lambda-cyhalothrin on malaria prevalence and anemia in an epidemic-prone district of muleba, north-western tanzania. | the government of tanzania introduced indoor residual spraying (irs) in muleba district in north-western tanzania after frequent malaria epidemics. malaria parasitological baseline and two cross-sectional follow-up surveys were conducted in villages under the irs program and those not under irs to assess the impact of irs intervention. after two rounds of irs intervention there was a significant reduction of malaria parasitological indices in both two villages. in irs villages overall, parasitem ... | 2013 | 23458959 |
| the effect of indoor residual spraying on malaria and anemia in a high-transmission area of northern uganda. | indoor residual spraying (irs) with insecticide is now recommended for malaria control in high-transmission settings. however, concerns about insecticide resistance have increased. we conducted a cross-sectional household survey in high-transmission northern uganda in two districts previously sprayed with pyrethroids before documentation of pyrethroid resistance and at least one round of carbamates and in one contiguous district that was not sprayed. parasitemia prevalence among children < 5 yea ... | 2013 | 23458956 |
| the genetic architecture of degenerin/epithelial sodium channels in drosophila. | degenerin/epithelial sodium channels (deg/enac) represent a large family of animal-specific membrane proteins. although the physiological functions of most family members are not known, some have been shown to act as nonvoltage gated, amiloride-sensitive sodium channels. the deg/enac family is exceptionally large in genomes of drosophila species relative to vertebrates and other insects. to elucidate the evolutionary history of the deg/enac family in drosophila, we took advantage of the genomic ... | 2013 | 23449991 |
| identifying permethrin resistance loci in malaria vectors by genetic mapping. | identification of the major loci responsible for insecticide resistance in malaria vectors would aid the development and implementation of effective resistance management strategies, which are urgently needed to tackle the growing threat posed by resistance to the limited insecticides available for malaria control. genome-wide association studies in the major malaria vector, anopheles gambiae, have been hindered by the high degree of within-population structuring and very low levels of linkage d ... | 2013 | 23448678 |
| why so many unknown genes? partitioning orphans from a representative transcriptome of the lone star tick amblyomma americanum. | genomic resources within the phylum arthropoda are largely limited to the true insects but are beginning to include unexplored subphyla, such as the crustacea and chelicerata. investigations of these understudied taxa uncover high frequencies of orphan genes, which lack detectable sequence homology to genes in pre-existing databases. the ticks (acari: chelicerata) are one such understudied taxon for which genomic resources are urgently needed. ticks are obligate blood-feeders that vector major d ... | 2013 | 23445305 |
| profile of janet hemingway. | 2013 | 23440199 | |
| comparative field evaluation of combinations of long-lasting insecticide treated nets and indoor residual spraying, relative to either method alone, for malaria prevention in an area where the main vector is anopheles arabiensis. | long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins) and indoor residual spraying (irs) are commonly used together in the same households to improve malaria control despite inconsistent evidence on whether such combinations actually offer better protection than nets alone or irs alone. | 2013 | 23433393 |
| blood meal sources and entomological inoculation rates of anophelines along a highland altitudinal transect in south-central ethiopia. | the role of anophelines in transmitting malaria depends on their distribution, preference to feed on humans and also their susceptibility to plasmodium gametocytes, all of which are affected by local environmental conditions. blood meal source and entomological inoculation rate of anophelines was assessed along a highland altitudinal transect in south- central ethiopia. | 2013 | 23433348 |
| plasmodium species occurrence, temporal distribution and interaction in a child-aged population in rural burkina faso. | malaria can be caused by five plasmodium species. due to their higher prevalence, much of the research concentrates on plasmodium falciparum and plasmodium vivax. in burkina faso, where p. falciparum co-exists with plasmodium malariae and plasmodium ovale, there is not much data about the prevalence of the latter two species across human population. moreover, interactions between co-infecting plasmodium species are not documented. the aim of the current research is to determine species-specific ... | 2013 | 23421809 |
| mitochondrial genome sequences reveal deep divergences among anopheles punctulatus sibling species in papua new guinea. | members of the anopheles punctulatus group (ap group) are the primary vectors of human malaria in papua new guinea. the ap group includes 13 sibling species, most of them morphologically indistinguishable. understanding why only certain species are able to transmit malaria requires a better comprehension of their evolutionary history. in particular, understanding relationships and divergence times among anopheles species may enable assessing how malaria-related traits (e.g. blood feeding behavio ... | 2013 | 23405960 |
| spatio-temporal malaria transmission patterns in navrongo demographic surveillance site, northern ghana. | the relationship between entomological measures of malaria transmission intensity and mortality remains uncertain. this is partly because transmission is heterogeneous even within small geographical areas. studying this relationship requires high resolution, spatially structured, longitudinal entomological data. geostatistical models that have been used to analyse the spatio-temporal heterogeneity have not considered the uncertainty in both sporozoite rate (sr) and mosquito density data. this st ... | 2013 | 23405912 |
| consistently high estimates for the proportion of human exposure to malaria vector populations occurring indoors in rural africa. | insecticide-treated nets (itns) and indoor residual spraying (irs) are highly effective tools for controlling malaria transmission in africa because the most important vectors, from the anopheles gambiae complex and the a. funestus group, usually prefer biting humans indoors at night. | 2013 | 23396849 |
| addressing malaria vector control challenges in south sudan: proposed recommendations. | upon the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement in 2005, the republic of south sudan (rss) has faced a lot of challenges, such as a lack of infrastructure, human resources and an enormous burden of vector borne diseases including malaria. while a national malaria strategic plan 2006-2011 was developed, the vector control component has remained relatively weak. the strategy endorses the distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins) as the frontline intervention with other intervent ... | 2013 | 23394124 |
| dissecting the mechanisms responsible for the multiple insecticide resistance phenotype in anopheles gambiae s.s., m form, from vallée du kou, burkina faso. | with the exception of target site mutations, insecticide resistance mechanisms in the principle malaria vector anopheles gambiae, remains largely uncharacterized in burkina faso. here we detected high prevalence of resistance in vallée du kou (vk) to pyrethroids, ddt and dieldrin, moderate level for carbamates and full susceptibility to organophosphates. high frequencies of l1014f kdr (75%) and rdl (87%) mutations were observed showing strong correlation with pyrethroids/ddt and dieldrin resista ... | 2013 | 23380570 |
| physical condition and maintenance of mosquito bed nets in kwale county, coastal kenya. | despite the extensive ownership and use of insecticide-treated nets (itns) over the last decade, the effective lifespan of these nets, especially their physical integrity, under true operational conditions is not well-understood. usefulness of nets declines primarily due to physical damage or loss of insecticidal activity. | 2013 | 23374429 |
| the effect of larval nutritional deprivation on the life history and ddt resistance phenotype in laboratory strains of the malaria vector anopheles arabiensis. | anopheles arabiensis is a major malaria vector in africa. it thrives in agricultural areas and has been associated with increased malaria incidence in areas under rice and maize cultivation. this effect may be due to increased adult size and abundance as a consequence of optimal larval nutrition. the aim of this study was to examine the effect of larval nutrition on the life history and expression of insecticide resistance in adults of laboratory reared an. arabiensis. | 2013 | 23368928 |
| o'nyong nyong virus molecular determinants of unique vector specificity reside in non-structural protein 3. | o'nyong nyong virus (onnv) and chikungunya virus (chikv) are two closely related alphaviruses with very different infection patterns in the mosquito, anopheles gambiae. onnv is the only alphavirus transmitted by anopheline mosquitoes, but specific molecular determinants of infection of this unique vector specificity remain unidentified. fifteen distinct chimeric viruses were constructed to evaluate both structural and non-structural regions of the genome and infection patterns were determined th ... | 2013 | 23359824 |
| intrinsically disordered regions of p53 family are highly diversified in evolution. | proteins of the p53 family are expressed in vertebrates and in some invertebrate species. the main function of these proteins is to control and regulate cell cycle in response to various cellular signals, and therefore to control the organism's development. the regulatory functions of the p53 family members originate mostly from their highly-conserved and well-structured dna-binding domains. many human diseases (including various types of cancer) are related to the missense mutations within this ... | 2013 | 23352836 |
| de novo transcriptome characterization of vitis vinifera cv. corvina unveils varietal diversity. | plants such as grapevine (vitis spp.) display significant inter-cultivar genetic and phenotypic variation. the genetic components underlying phenotypic diversity in grapevine must be understood in order to disentangle genetic and environmental factors. | 2013 | 23331995 |
| geographic coincidence of increased malaria transmission hazard and vulnerability occurring at the periphery of two tanzanian villages. | the goal of malaria elimination necessitates an improved understanding of any fine-scale geographic variations in transmission risk so that complementary vector control tools can be integrated into current vector control programmes as supplementary measures that are spatially targeted to maximize impact upon residual transmission. this study examines the distribution of host-seeking malaria vectors at households within two villages in rural tanzania. | 2013 | 23331947 |
| trends in multiplicity of plasmodium falciparum infections among asymptomatic residents in the middle belt of ghana. | malaria is the most important cause of mortality and morbidity in children living in the kintampo districts in the middle part of ghana. this study has investigated the multiplicity of infection (moi) within asymptomatic residents of the kintampo districts, and the influence of age and seasonality on moi, by studying the distribution of the polymorphic plasmodium falciparum antigen merozoite surface protein 2 (msp2). | 2013 | 23327681 |
| mathematical evaluation of community level impact of combining bed nets and indoor residual spraying upon malaria transmission in areas where the main vectors are anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes. | indoor residual insecticide spraying (irs) and long-lasting insecticide treated nets (llins) are commonly used together even though evidence that such combinations confer greater protection against malaria than either method alone is inconsistent. | 2013 | 23324456 |
| topographic models for predicting malaria vector breeding habitats: potential tools for vector control managers. | identification of malaria vector breeding sites can enhance control activities. although associations between malaria vector breeding sites and topography are well recognized, practical models that predict breeding sites from topographic information are lacking. we used topographic variables derived from remotely sensed digital elevation models (dems) to model the breeding sites of malaria vectors. we further compared the predictive strength of two different dems and evaluated the predictability ... | 2013 | 23324389 |
| response of anopheles gambiae s.l. (diptera: culicidae) to larval habitat age in western kenya highlands. | larval control is of paramount importance in the reduction of vector populations. previous observations have suggested that, larvae of anopheles gambiae s.l occur more often in small temporary habitats while other studies showed that long-lasting stable habitats are more productive than unstable habitats. in addition, the physical and biological conditions and stability of larval habitats can change rapidly in natural conditions. therefore, we examined the effect of larval habitat age on product ... | 2013 | 23324330 |
| novel selective and irreversible mosquito acetylcholinesterase inhibitors for controlling malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. | we reported previously that insect acetylcholinesterases (aches) could be selectively and irreversibly inhibited by methanethiosulfonates presumably through conjugation to an insect-specific cysteine in these enzymes. however, no direct proof for the conjugation has been published to date, and doubts remain about whether such cysteine-targeting inhibitors have desirable kinetic properties for insecticide use. here we report mass spectrometric proof of the conjugation and new chemicals that irrev ... | 2013 | 23323211 |
| molecular systematics and insecticide resistance in the major african malaria vector anopheles funestus. | anopheles funestus is one of three major african vectors of malaria. its distribution extends over much of the tropics and subtropics wherever suitable swampy breeding habitats are present. as with members of the anopheles gambiae complex, an. funestus shows marked genetic heterogeneity across its range. currently, two unnamed species are recognized in the group, with molecular and cytogenetic data indicating that more may be present. the control of malaria vectors in africa has received increas ... | 2013 | 23317045 |
| geographical factors affecting bed net ownership, a tool for the elimination of anopheles-transmitted lymphatic filariasis in hard-to-reach communities. | vector control, including the use of bed nets, is recommended as a possible strategy for eliminating lymphatic filariasis (lf) in post-conflict countries such as the democratic republic of congo (drc). this study examined the geographical factors that influence bed net ownership in drc in order to identify hard-to-reach communities that need to be better targeted. in particular, urban/rural differences and the influence of population density, proximity to cities and health facilities, plus acces ... | 2013 | 23308281 |
| behavioral adaptation of anopheles funestus to long-lasting insecticide-treated nets. | 2013 | 23307935 | |
| the impact of host species and vector control measures on the fitness of african malaria vectors. | many malaria vector mosquitoes in africa have an extreme preference for feeding on humans. this specialization allows them to sustain much higher levels of transmission than elsewhere, but there is little understanding of the evolutionary forces that drive this behaviour. in tanzania, we used a semi-field system to test whether the well-documented preferences of the vectors, anopheles arabiensis and anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (s.s.) for cattle and humans, respectively, are predicted by the ... | 2013 | 23303548 |
| operational scale entomological intervention for malaria control: strategies, achievements and challenges in zambia. | while consensus on malaria vector control policy and strategy has stimulated unprecedented political-will, backed by international funding organizations and donors, vector control interventions are expansively being implemented based on assumptions with unequaled successes. this manuscript reports on the strategies, achievements and challenges of the past and contemporary malaria vector control efforts in zambia. | 2013 | 23298401 |
| shifts in malaria vector species composition and transmission dynamics along the kenyan coast over the past 20 years. | over the past 20 years, numerous studies have investigated the ecology and behaviour of malaria vectors and plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission on the coast of kenya. substantial progress has been made to control vector populations and reduce high malaria prevalence and severe disease. the goal of this paper was to examine trends over the past 20 years in anopheles species composition, density, blood-feeding behaviour, and p. falciparum sporozoite transmission along the coast of kenya. | 2013 | 23297732 |
| comparative genomics of odorant binding proteins in anopheles gambiae, aedes aegypti, and culex quinquefasciatus. | about 1 million people in the world die each year from diseases spread by mosquitoes, and understanding the mechanism of host identification by the mosquitoes through olfaction is at stake. the role of odorant binding proteins (obps) in the primary molecular events of olfaction in mosquitoes is becoming an important focus of biological research in this area. here, we present a comprehensive comparative genomics study of obps in the three disease-transmitting mosquito species anopheles gambiae, a ... | 0 | 23292137 |
| optimized pan-species and speciation duplex real-time pcr assays for plasmodium parasites detection in malaria vectors. | an accurate method for detecting malaria parasites in the mosquito's vector remains an essential component in the vector control. the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay specific for circumsporozoite protein (elisa-csp) is the gold standard method for the detection of malaria parasites in the vector even if it presents some limitations. here, we optimized multiplex real-time pcr assays to accurately detect minor populations in mixed infection with multiple plasmodium species in the african malaria ... | 2012 | 23285168 |
| increase in malaria prevalence and age of at risk population in different areas of gabon. | following the deployment of new recommendations for malaria control according to the world health organization, an estimation of the real burden of the disease is needed to better identify populations at risk and to adapt control strategies. the aim of the present study was to estimate the clinical burden of malaria among febrile children aged less than 11 years, before and after six-year of deployment of malaria control strategies in different areas of gabon. | 2013 | 23282198 |
| assessment of anopheles salivary antigens as individual exposure biomarkers to species-specific malaria vector bites. | malaria transmission occurs during the blood feeding of infected anopheline mosquitoes concomitant with a saliva injection into the vertebrate host. in sub-saharan africa, most malaria transmission is due to anopheles funestus s.s and to anopheles gambiae s.l. (mainly anopheles gambiae s.s. and anopheles arabiensis). several studies have demonstrated that the immune response against salivary antigens could be used to evaluate individual exposure to mosquito bites. the aim of this study was to as ... | 2012 | 23276246 |
| evidence for population-specific positive selection on immune genes of anopheles gambiae. | host-pathogen interactions can be powerful drivers of adaptive evolution, shaping the patterns of molecular variation at the genes involved. in this study, we sequenced alleles from 28 immune-related loci in wild samples of multiple genetic subpopulations of the african malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae, obtaining unprecedented sample sizes and providing the first opportunity to contrast patterns of molecular evolution at immune-related loci in the recently discovered goundry population to thos ... | 2012 | 23275874 |
| anopheline larval habitats seasonality and species distribution: a prerequisite for effective targeted larval habitats control programmes. | larval control is of paramount importance in the reduction of malaria vector abundance and subsequent disease transmission reduction. understanding larval habitat succession and its ecology in different land use managements and cropping systems can give an insight for effective larval source management practices. this study investigated larval habitat succession and ecological parameters which influence larval abundance in malaria epidemic prone areas of western kenya. | 2012 | 23272215 |
| sustainable malaria control: transdisciplinary approaches for translational applications. | with the adoption of the global malaria action plan, several countries are moving from malaria control towards elimination and eradication. however, the sustainability of some of the approaches taken may be questionable. here, an overview of malaria control and elimination strategies is provided and the sustainability of each in context of vector- and parasite control is assessed. from this, it can be concluded that transdisciplinary approaches are essential for sustained malaria control and eli ... | 2012 | 23268712 |
| the fitness of african malaria vectors in the presence and limitation of host behaviour. | host responses are important sources of selection upon the host species range of ectoparasites and phytophagous insects. however little is known about the role of host responses in defining the host species range of malaria vectors. this study aimed to estimate the relative importance of host behaviour to the feeding success and fitness of african malaria vectors, and assess its ability to predict their known host species preferences in nature. | 2012 | 23253167 |
| the feasibility of malaria elimination in south africa. | following the last major malaria epidemic in 2000, malaria incidence in south africa has declined markedly. the decrease has been so emphatic that south africa now meets the world health organization (who) threshold for malaria elimination. given the millennium development goal of reversing the spread of malaria by 2015, south africa is being urged to adopt an elimination agenda. this study aimed to determine the appropriateness of implementing a malaria elimination programme in present day sout ... | 2012 | 23253091 |
| a community-wide study of malaria reduction: evaluating efficacy and user-acceptance of a low-cost repellent in northern ghana. | no mas (nm) mosquito repellent was evaluated in two farming villages (4 km apart) in the kassena nankana district of northern ghana. we determined its efficacy against local malaria vectors, degree of user acceptance, and its effect on malaria prevalence in households using insecticide-treated bed nets. the average protective efficacy of nm against anopheles mosquitoes over 9 hours was 89.6%. controls averaged 86 bites/person/night versus 9 bites/person/night with the use of nm. use of repellent ... | 2012 | 23249683 |
| directionally selected cytochrome p450 alleles are driving the spread of pyrethroid resistance in the major malaria vector anopheles funestus. | pyrethroid insecticides are critical for malaria control in africa. however, resistance to this insecticide class in the malaria vector anopheles funestus is spreading rapidly across africa, threatening the success of ongoing and future malaria control programs. the underlying resistance mechanisms driving the spread of this resistance in wild populations remain largely unknown. here, we show that increased expression of two tandemly duplicated p450 genes, cyp6p9a and cyp6p9b, is the main mechan ... | 2012 | 23248325 |
| malaria parasite diversity and transmission intensity affect development of parasitological immunity in a mathematical model. | the development of parasitological immunity against malaria affects the ability to detect infection, the efficiency of the local human parasite reservoir at infecting mosquitoes, and the response to reintroduction of parasites to previously cleared areas. observations of similar age-trends in detected prevalence and mean parasitaemia across more than an order-of-magnitude of variation in baseline transmission complicate simple exposure-driven explanations. | 2012 | 23241282 |
| analysis of ovary-specific genes in relation to egg maturation and female nutritional condition in the mosquitoes georgecraigius atropalpus and aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae). | analysis of the reproductive physiology of anautogenous mosquitoes at the molecular level is complicated by the simultaneity of ovarian maturation and the digestion of a blood meal. in contrast to anautogenous mosquitoes, autogenous female mosquitoes can acquire greater nutrient stores as larvae and exhibit higher ovarian production of ecdysteroids at adult eclosion. these features essentially replace the role of a blood meal in provisioning the first batch of eggs and initiating egg development ... | 2012 | 23238126 |
| the effects of urbanization on global plasmodium vivax malaria transmission. | many recent studies have examined the impact of urbanization on plasmodium falciparum malaria endemicity and found a general trend of reduced transmission in urban areas. however, none has examined the effect of urbanization on plasmodium vivax malaria, which is the most widely distributed malaria species and can also cause severe clinical syndromes in humans. in this study, a set of 10,003 community-based p. vivax parasite rate (pvpr) surveys are used to explore the relationships between pvpr i ... | 2012 | 23217010 |
| population genetic structure of the major malaria vector anopheles funestus s.s. and allied species in southern africa. | anopheles funestus s.s., one of the major malaria vectors in sub-saharan africa, belongs to a group of eleven african species that are morphologically similar at the adult stage, most of which do not transmit malaria. the population structure of an. funestus based on mitochondrial dna data led to the description of two cryptic subdivisions, clade i widespread throughout africa and clade ii known only from mozambique and madagascar. in this study, we investigated five common members of the anophe ... | 2012 | 23216696 |
| use of a mixture statistical model in studying malaria vectors density. | vector control is a major step in the process of malaria control and elimination. this requires vector counts and appropriate statistical analyses of these counts. however, vector counts are often overdispersed. a non-parametric mixture of poisson model (npmp) is proposed to allow for overdispersion and better describe vector distribution. mosquito collections using the human landing catches as well as collection of environmental and climatic data were carried out from january to december 2009 i ... | 2012 | 23185626 |
| identification of wolbachia strains in mosquito disease vectors. | wolbachia bacteria are common endosymbionts of insects, and some strains are known to protect their hosts against rna viruses and other parasites. this has led to the suggestion that releasing wolbachia-infected mosquitoes could prevent the transmission of arboviruses and other human parasites. we have identified wolbachia in kenyan populations of the yellow fever vector aedes bromeliae and its relative aedes metallicus, and in mansonia uniformis and mansonia africana, which are vectors of lymph ... | 2012 | 23185484 |
| entomological indices of malaria transmission in chikhwawa district, southern malawi. | although malaria is highly prevalent throughout malawi, little is known of its transmission dynamics. this paper describes the seasonal activity of the different vectors, human biting indices, sporozoite rates and the entomological inoculation rate in a low-lying rural area in southern malawi. | 2012 | 23171123 |
| implications of bio-efficacy and persistence of insecticides when indoor residual spraying and long-lasting insecticide nets are combined for malaria prevention. | bio-efficacy and residual activity of insecticides used for indoor residual spraying (irs) and long-lasting insecticide nets (llins) were assessed against laboratory-reared and wild populations of the malaria vector, anopheles arabiensis in south eastern tanzania. implications of the findings are examined in the context of potential synergies and redundancies where irs and llins are combined. | 2012 | 23164062 |
| biochemical characterization of anopheles gambiae srpn6, a malaria parasite invasion marker in mosquitoes. | serine proteinase inhibitors of the serpin family are well known as negative regulators of hemostasis, thrombolysis and innate immune responses. additionally, non-inhibitory serpins serve functions as chaperones, hormone transporters, or anti-angiogenic factors. in the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae s.s., at least three serpins (srpns) are implicated in the innate immune response against malaria parasites. based on reverse genetic and cell biological analyses, agsrpn6 limits parasit ... | 2012 | 23152794 |
| malaria transmission after five years of vector control on bioko island, equatorial guinea. | malaria is endemic with year-round transmission on bioko island. the bioko island malaria control project (bimcp) started in 2004 with the aim to reduce malaria transmission and to ultimately eliminate malaria. while the project has been successful in reducing overall malaria morbidity and mortality, foci of high malaria transmission still persist on the island. results from the 2009 entomological collections are reported here. | 2012 | 23146423 |
| characterization of a chitin synthase encoding gene and effect of diflubenzuron in soybean aphid, aphis glycines. | chitin synthases are critical enzymes for synthesis of chitin and thus for subsequent growth and development in insects. we identified the cdna of chitin synthase gene (chs) in aphis glycines, the soybean aphid, which is a serious pest of soybean. the full-length cdna of chs in a. glycines (aychs) was 5802 bp long with an open reading frame of 4704 bp that encoded for a 1567 amino acid residues protein. the predicted aychs protein had a molecular mass of 180.05 kda and its amino acid sequence co ... | 2012 | 23139631 |
| combining next-generation sequencing and microarray technology into a transcriptomics approach for the non-model organism chironomus riparius. | whole-transcriptome gene-expression analyses are commonly performed in species that have a sequenced genome and for which microarrays are commercially available. to do such analyses in species with no or limited genome data, i.e. non-model organisms, necessary transcriptomics resources, i.e. an annotated transcriptome and a validated gene-expression microarray, must first be developed. the aim of the present study was to establish an advanced approach for developing transcriptomics resources for ... | 2012 | 23133553 |
| patterns of genomic differentiation between ecologically differentiated m and s forms of anopheles gambiae in west and central africa. | anopheles gambiae m and s are thought to be undergoing ecological speciation by adapting to different larval habitats. toward an improved understanding of the genetic determinants and evolutionary processes shaping their divergence, we used a 400,000 single-nucleotide polymorphism (snp) genotyping array to characterize patterns of genomic differentiation between four geographically paired m and s population samples from west and central africa. in keeping with recent studies based on more limite ... | 0 | 23132896 |
| factors contributing to urban malaria transmission in sub-saharan africa: a systematic review. | sub-saharan africa suffers by far the greatest malaria burden worldwide and is currently undergoing a profound demographic change, with a growing proportion of its population moving to urban areas. urbanisation is generally expected to reduce malaria transmission; however the disease still persists in african cities, in some cases at higher levels than in nearby rural areas. objective. this paper aims to collate and analyse risk factors for urban malaria transmission throughout sub-saharan afric ... | 2012 | 23125863 |
| rickettsia species in african anopheles mosquitoes. | there is higher rate of r. felis infection among febrile patients than in healthy people in sub-saharan africa, predominantly in the rainy season. mosquitoes possess a high vectorial capacity and, because of their abundance and aggressiveness, likely play a role in rickettsial epidemiology. | 2012 | 23118963 |
| impact of pyrethroid resistance on operational malaria control in malawi. | the impact of insecticide resistance on insect-borne disease programs is difficult to quantify. the possibility of eliminating malaria in high-transmission settings is heavily dependent on effective vector control reducing disease transmission rates. pyrethroids are the dominant insecticides used for malaria control, with few options for their replacement. their failure will adversely affect our ability to control malaria. pyrethroid resistance has been selected in malawi over the last 3 y in th ... | 2012 | 23118337 |
| multicentre studies of insecticide-treated durable wall lining in africa and south-east asia: entomological efficacy and household acceptability during one year of field use. | indoor residual spraying (irs) is a primary method of malaria vector control, but its potential impact is constrained by several inherent limitations: spraying must be repeated when insecticide residues decay, householders can tire of the annual imposition and campaign costs are recurrent. durable lining (dl) can be considered an advanced form of long-lasting irs where insecticide is gradually released from an aesthetically attractive wall lining material to provide vector control for several ye ... | 2012 | 23107112 |
| simulation of malaria epidemiology and control in the highlands of western kenya. | models of plasmodium falciparum malaria epidemiology that provide realistic quantitative predictions of likely epidemiological outcomes of existing vector control strategies have the potential to assist in planning for the control and elimination of malaria. this work investigates the applicability of mathematical modelling of malaria transmission dynamics in rachuonyo south, a district with low, unstable transmission in the highlands of western kenya. | 2012 | 23107070 |
| the effects of oviposition-site deprivation on anopheles gambiae reproduction. | the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae, depends on availability of suitable surface water for oviposition. short and long dry spells occur throughout the year in many parts of its range that limit its access to oviposition sites. although not well understood, oviposition-site deprivation has been found to rapidly reduce egg batch size and hatch rate of several mosquito species. we conducted laboratory experiments to assess these effects of oviposition-site deprivation on an. gambiae and ... | 2012 | 23072301 |
| a new chromosomal phylogeny supports the repeated origin of vectorial capacity in malaria mosquitoes of the anopheles gambiae complex. | understanding phylogenetic relationships within species complexes of disease vectors is crucial for identifying genomic changes associated with the evolution of epidemiologically important traits. however, the high degree of genetic similarity among sibling species confounds the ability to determine phylogenetic relationships using molecular markers. the goal of this study was to infer the ancestral-descendant relationships among malaria vectors and nonvectors of the anopheles gambiae species co ... | 2012 | 23055932 |
| reconsideration of anopheles rivulorum as a vector of plasmodium falciparum in western kenya: some evidence from biting time, blood preference, sporozoite positive rate, and pyrethroid resistance. | anopheles gambiae, an. arabiensis, and an. funestus are widespread malaria vectors in africa. anopheles rivulorum is the next most widespread species in the an. funestus group. the role of an. rivulorum as a malaria vector has not been fully studied, although it has been found to be a minor or opportunistic transmitter of plasmodium falciparum. | 2012 | 23050856 |
| human antibody response to anopheles saliva for comparing the efficacy of three malaria vector control methods in balombo, angola. | human antibody (ab) response to anopheles whole saliva, used as biomarker of anopheles exposure, was investigated over a period of two years (2008-2009), in children between 2 to 9 years old, before and after the introduction of three different malaria vector control methods; deltamethrin treated long lasting impregnated nets (llin) and insecticide treated plastic sheeting (itps)--zero fly®) (itps-zf), deltamethrin impregnated durable (wall) lining (itps-dl--zerovector®) alone, and indoor residu ... | 2012 | 23028499 |
| some like it cool: the effect of ambient temperature on the size of anopheles funestus from southern mozambique. | the wing lengths of 3,553 unfed, recently emerged, and 13,256 gravid female anopheles funestus giles from exit collections, undertaken between march 2004 and may 2005, were measured. only in the warmest months were mean wing lengths of unfed females significantly smaller than gravid females. mean wing lengths of unfed, females varied from 2.26 mm (bootstrap 95% ci [2.25-2.27]) in january when mean air temperatures were 24.8 degrees c to 2.70 mm (bootstrap 95% ci [2.68-2.72]) in july when mean te ... | 2012 | 23025198 |
| the development of insecticide-treated durable wall lining for malaria control: insights from rural and urban populations in angola and nigeria. | durable lining (dl) is a deltamethrin-impregnated polyethylene material, which is designed to cover domestic walls that would normally be sprayed with residual insecticide. the operational success of dl as a long-lasting insecticidal substrate will be dependent on a high level of user acceptability as households must maintain correctly installed linings on their walls for several years. preliminary trials were undertaken to identify a material to develop into a marketable wall lining and to asse ... | 2012 | 22989007 |
| changes in anopheles funestus biting behavior following universal coverage of long-lasting insecticidal nets in benin. | behavioral modification of malaria vectors in response to vector control methods is of great concern. we investigated whether full coverage of long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets (llins) may induce a switch in biting behavior in anopheles funestus, a major malaria vector in africa. | 2012 | 22966127 |
| draft genome sequences of enterobacter sp. isolate ag1 from the midgut of the malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae. | an isolate of enterobacter sp. was obtained from the microbial community within the gut of the anopheles gambiae mosquito, a major malaria vector in africa. this genome was sequenced and annotated. the genome sequences will facilitate subsequent efforts to characterize the mosquito gut microbiome. | 0 | 22965099 |
| screening of selected ethnomedicinal plants from south africa for larvicidal activity against the mosquito anopheles arabiensis. | this study was initiated to establish whether any south african ethnomedicinal plants (indigenous or exotic), that have been reported to be used traditionally to repel or kill mosquitoes, exhibit effective mosquito larvicidal properties. | 2012 | 22963538 |
| variation in exposure to anopheles gambiae salivary gland peptide (gsg6-p1) across different malaria transmission settings in the western kenya highlands. | the existing metrics of malaria transmission are limited in sensitivity under low transmission intensity. robust surveillance systems are needed as interventions to monitor reduced transmission and prevention of rapid reintroduction. serological tools based on antibody responses to parasite and vector antigens are potential tools for transmission measurements. the current study sought to evaluate antibody responses to anopheles gambiae salivary gland peptide (gsg6- p1), as a biomarker of human e ... | 2012 | 22963464 |
| population genetic structure of the malaria vector anopheles funestus, in a recently re-colonized area of the senegal river basin and human-induced environmental changes. | anopheles funestus is one of the major malaria vectors in tropical africa. because of several cycles of drought events that occurred during the 1970s, this species had disappeared from many parts of sahelian africa, including the senegal river basin. however, this zone has been re-colonized during the last decade by an. funestus, following the implementation of two dams on the senegal river. previous studies in that area revealed heterogeneity at the biological and chromosomal level among these ... | 2012 | 22950576 |
| positional cloning of rp2 qtl associates the p450 genes cyp6z1, cyp6z3 and cyp6m7 with pyrethroid resistance in the malaria vector anopheles funestus. | pyrethroid resistance in anopheles funestus is threatening malaria control in africa. elucidation of underlying resistance mechanisms is crucial to improve the success of future control programs. a positional cloning approach was used to identify genes conferring resistance in the uncharacterised rp2 quantitative trait locus (qtl) previously detected in this vector using f6 advanced intercross lines (ail). a 113 kb bac clone spanning rp2 was identified and sequenced revealing a cluster of 15 p45 ... | 2012 | 22948188 |
| real-time pcr assay for discrimination of plasmodium ovale curtisi and plasmodium ovale wallikeri in the ivory coast and in the comoros islands. | plasmodium ovale is one of the five malaria species infecting humans. recent data have shown that the name of this neglected species masks two distinct genotypes also called curtisi and wallikeri. some authors show that these species could be sympatric. these two subspecies are not differentiated by microscopy techniques and malaria rapid diagnostic tests. this diagnostic defect is the result of low parasitaemia, antigenic polymorphism and absence of antibodies performance and requires the use o ... | 2012 | 22947418 |
| malaria in east african highlands during the past 30 years: impact of environmental changes. | east african highlands are one of the most populated regions in africa. the population densities in the highlands ranged between 158 persons/km(2) in ethiopia and 410 persons/km(2) in rwanda. according to the united nations population fund, the region has the world's highest population growth rate. these factors are likely behind the high rates of poverty among the populations. as there were no employment opportunities other than agricultural, this demographic pressure of poor populations have i ... | 2012 | 22934065 |
| anticholinesterase insecticide retrospective. | the anticholinesterase (antiche) organophosphorus (op) and methylcarbamate (mc) insecticides have been used very effectively as contact and systemic plant protectants for seven decades. about 90 of these compounds are still in use - the largest number for any insecticide chemotype or mode of action. in both insects and mammals, ache inhibition and acetylcholine accumulation leads to excitation and death. the cholinergic system of insects is located centrally (where it is protected from ionized o ... | 2012 | 22926007 |
| malaria control in south africa 2000-2010: beyond mdg6. | malaria is one of the key targets within goal 6 of the millennium development goals (mdgs), whereby the disease needs to be halted and reversed by the year 2015. several other international targets have been set, however the mdgs are universally accepted, hence it is the focus of this manuscript. | 2012 | 22913727 |
| candidate chemosensory genes in female antennae of the noctuid moth spodoptera littoralis. | chemical senses are crucial for all organisms to detect various environmental information. different protein families, expressed in chemosensory organs, are involved in the detection of this information, such as odorant-binding proteins, olfactory and gustatory receptors, and ionotropic receptors. we recently reported an expressed sequence tag (est) approach on male antennae of the noctuid moth, spodoptera littoralis, with which we could identify a large array of chemosensory genes in a species ... | 2012 | 22904672 |