Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year(sorted ascending) Filter | PMID Filter |
|---|
| policy development in malaria vector management in mozambique, south africa and zimbabwe. | indoor residual spraying (irs) and insecticide-treated nets (itns), two principal malaria control strategies, are similar in cost and efficacy. we aimed to describe recent policy development regarding their use in mozambique, south africa and zimbabwe. | 2010 | 20176574 |
| investigating portable fluorescent microscopy (cyscope) as an alternative rapid diagnostic test for malaria in children and women of child-bearing age. | prompt and correct diagnosis of malaria is crucial for accurate epidemiological assessment and better case management, and while the gold standard of light microscopy is often available, it requires both expertise and time. portable fluorescent microscopy using the cyscope offers a potentially quicker, easier and more field-applicable alternative. this article reports on the strengths, limitations of this methodology and its diagnostic performance in cross-sectional surveys on young children and ... | 2010 | 20799940 |
| which family members use the best nets? an analysis of the condition of mosquito nets and their distribution within households in tanzania. | household ownership of insecticide-treated mosquito nets (itns) is increasing, and coverage targets have been revised to address universal coverage with itns. however, many households do not have enough nets to cover everyone, and the nets available vary in physical condition and insecticide treatment status. since 2004, the government of tanzania has been implementing the tanzania national voucher scheme (tnvs), which distributes vouchers for itns through antenatal clinics to target pregnant wo ... | 2010 | 20663143 |
| principal component analysis of socioeconomic factors and their association with malaria in children from the ashanti region, ghana. | the socioeconomic and sociodemographic situation are important components for the design and assessment of malaria control measures. in malaria endemic areas, however, valid classification of socioeconomic factors is difficult due to the lack of standardized tax and income data. the objective of this study was to quantify household socioeconomic levels using principal component analyses (pca) to a set of indicator variables and to use a classification scheme for the multivariate analysis of chil ... | 2010 | 20626839 |
| the vector population monitoring tool (vpmt): high-throughput dna-based diagnostics for the monitoring of mosquito vector populations. | regular monitoring of mosquito vector populations is an integral component of most vector control programmes. contemporary data on mosquito species composition, infection status, and resistance to insecticides are a prerequisite for effective intervention. for this purpose we, with funding from the innovative vector control consortium (ivcc), have developed a suite of high-throughput assays based on a single "closed-tube" platform that collectively comprise the "vector population monitoring tool ... | 2010 | 22347668 |
| an insight into the sialome of blood-feeding nematocera. | within the diptera and outside the suborder brachycera, the blood-feeding habit occurred at least twice, producing the present day sand flies, and the culicomorpha, including the mosquitoes (culicidae), black flies (simulidae), biting midges (ceratopogonidae) and frog feeding flies (corethrellidae). alternatives to this scenario are also discussed. successful blood-feeding requires adaptations to antagonize the vertebrate's mechanisms of blood clotting, platelet aggregation, vasoconstriction, pa ... | 2010 | 20728537 |
| tissue-specific transcriptomics of the exotic invasive insect pest emerald ash borer (agrilus planipennis). | the insect midgut and fat body represent major tissue interfaces that deal with several important physiological functions including digestion, detoxification and immune response. the emerald ash borer (agrilus planipennis), is an exotic invasive insect pest that has killed millions of ash trees (fraxinus spp.) primarily in the midwestern united states and ontario, canada. however, despite its high impact status little knowledge exists for a. planipennis at the molecular level. | 2010 | 21060843 |
| insecticide resistance and the future of malaria control in zambia. | in line with the global trend to improve malaria control efforts a major campaign of insecticide treated net distribution was initiated in 1999 and indoor residual spraying with ddt or pyrethroids was reintroduced in 2000 in zambia. in 2006, these efforts were strengthened by the president's malaria initiative. this manuscript reports on the monitoring and evaluation of these activities and the potential impact of emerging insecticide resistance on disease transmission. | 2011 | 21915314 |
| localization of two na(+)- or k(+)-h(+) antiporters, agnha1 and agnha2, in anopheles gambiae larval malpighian tubules and the functional expression of agnha2 in yeast. | the newly identified metazoan na(+)/h(+) antiporter (nha) family is represented by two paralogues, agnha1 and agnha2, in the genome of the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae. both antiporters are postulated to be electrophoretic i.e. voltage-driven. agnha1 was first cloned from an. gambiae larvae and immunolocalized with respect to the h(+) v-atpase by the harvey laboratory. little is known about the properties of nha1s; attempts to characterize agnha1 in na(+)/h(+) exchanger (nhe)-lack ... | 2011 | 22206887 |
| Prevalence of Malaria among Patients Attending Public Health Facilities in Maputo City, Mozambique. | Abstract. We conducted a health facility-based survey to estimate the prevalence of malaria among febrile patients at health facilities (HFs) in Maputo City. Patients answered a questionnaire on malaria risk factors and underwent malaria testing. A malaria case was defined as a positive result for malaria by microscopy in a patient with fever or history of fever in the previous 24 hours. Among 706 patients with complete information, 111 (15.7%) cases were identified: 105 were positive for Plasmo ... | 2011 | 22144434 |
| microbiome influences on insect host vector competence. | insect symbioses lack the complexity and diversity of those associated with higher eukaryotic hosts. symbiotic microbiomes are beneficial to their insect hosts in many ways, including dietary supplementation, tolerance to environmental perturbations and maintenance and/or enhancement of host immune system homeostasis. recent studies have also highlighted the importance of the microbiome in the context of host pathogen transmission processes. here we provide an overview of the relationship betwee ... | 2011 | 21697014 |
| Bionomics of sympatric chromosomal forms of Anopheles funestus (Diptera: Culicidae). | Anopheles funestus is one of the major vectors of malaria in Africa. Cytogenetic studies conducted on populations from West Africa have shown variable degrees of polymorphism with a genetic structure leading to the description of two chromosomal forms called "Folonzo" and "Kiribina" that exhibit limited gene flow. Because studies on allopatric populations showed bionomical heterogeneities, the present study was undertaken during three consecutive years (2006, 2007, and 2008) in an area of sympat ... | 2011 | 22129405 |
| repellent plants provide affordable natural screening to prevent mosquito house entry in tropical rural settings--results from a pilot efficacy study. | sustained malaria control is underway using a combination of vector control, prompt diagnosis and treatment of malaria cases. progress is excellent, but for long-term control, low-cost, sustainable tools that supplement existing control programs are needed. conventional vector control tools such as indoor residual spraying and house screening are highly effective, but difficult to deliver in rural areas. therefore, an additional means of reducing mosquito house entry was evaluated: the screening ... | 2011 | 22022471 |
| large-scale use of mosquito larval source management for malaria control in africa: a cost analysis. | at present, large-scale use of two malaria vector control methods, long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins) and indoor residual spraying (irs) is being scaled up in africa with substantial funding from donors. a third vector control method, larval source management (lsm), has been historically very successful and is today widely used for mosquito control globally, except in africa. with increasing risk of insecticide resistance and a shift to more exophilic vectors, lsm is now under re-evaluation ... | 2011 | 22067606 |
| Multimodal pyrethroid resistance in malaria vectors, Anopheles gambiae s.s., Anopheles arabiensis, and Anopheles funestus s.s. in western Kenya. | Anopheles gambiae s.s., Anopheles arabiensis, and Anopheles funestus s.s. are the most important species for malaria transmission. Pyrethroid resistance of these vector mosquitoes is one of the main obstacles against effective vector control. The objective of the present study was to monitor the pyrethroid susceptibility in the 3 major malaria vectors in a highly malaria endemic area in western Kenya and to elucidate the mechanisms of pyrethroid resistance in these species. Gembe East and West, ... | 2011 | 21853038 |
| a review of mixed malaria species infections in anopheline mosquitoes. | in patients with malaria mixed species infections are common and under reported. in pcr studies conducted in asia mixed infection rates often exceed 20%. in south-east asia, approximately one third of patients treated for falciparum malaria experience a subsequent plasmodium vivax infection with a time interval suggesting relapse. it is uncertain whether the two infections are acquired simultaneously or separately. to determine whether mixed species infections in humans are derived from mainly f ... | 2011 | 21880138 |
| variations of insecticide residual bio-efficacy on different types of walls: results from a community-based trial in south cameroon. | determination of residual activity of insecticides is essential information for the selection of appropriate indoor spraying operation. the present study was undertaken to evaluate the residual effect of three candidate insecticide formulations on different indoor surfaces in order to guide future interventions, in the context of cameroon and other african countries. | 2011 | 22047173 |
| new highland distribution records of multiple anopheles species in the ecuadorian andes. | several recent climate change reviews have stressed the possibility of some malaria vectors occupying regions of higher altitudes than previously recorded. indeed, highland malaria has been observed in several african nations, possibly attributable to changes in land use, vector control and local climate. this study attempts to expand the current knowledge of the distribution of common anopheles species in ecuador, with particular attention to highland regions (> 500 m) of the andes. | 2011 | 21835004 |
| sialome of a generalist lepidopteran herbivore: identification of transcripts and proteins from helicoverpa armigera labial salivary glands. | although the importance of insect saliva in insect-host plant interactions has been acknowledged, there is very limited information on the nature and complexity of the salivary proteome in lepidopteran herbivores. we inspected the labial salivary transcriptome and proteome of helicoverpa armigera, an important polyphagous pest species. to identify the majority of the salivary proteins we have randomly sequenced 19,389 expressed sequence tags (ests) from a normalized cdna library of salivary glan ... | 2011 | 22046331 |
| evaluation of two methods of estimating larval habitat productivity in western kenya highlands. | malaria vector intervention and control programs require reliable and accurate information about vector abundance and their seasonal distribution. the availability of reliable information on the spatial and temporal productivity of larval vector habitats can improve targeting of larval control interventions and our understanding of local malaria transmission and epidemics. the main objective of this study was to evaluate two methods of estimating larval habitat productivity in the western kenyan ... | 2011 | 21682875 |
| molecular analysis of nutritional and hormonal regulation of female reproduction in the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum. | female reproduction includes maturation of oocytes and the synthesis of yolk proteins (vitellogenin, vg) in the fat body and their deposition into the oocytes. our recent studies showed that juvenile hormone (jh) regulates vg synthesis and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20e) regulates oocyte maturation in the red flour beetle (tribolium castaneum). here, we report on the role of nutritional signaling on vitellogenesis and oogenesis. comparison of gene expression between fed and starved beetles by microarra ... | 2011 | 21288489 |
| impact of malaria at the end of pregnancy on infant mortality and morbidity. | there is some consensus that malaria in pregnancy may negatively affect infant's mortality and malaria morbidity, but there is less evidence concerning the factors involved. | 2011 | 21199881 |
| composition of human skin microbiota affects attractiveness to malaria mosquitoes. | the african malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae sensu stricto continues to play an important role in malaria transmission, which is aggravated by its high degree of anthropophily, making it among the foremost vectors of this disease. in the current study we set out to unravel the strong association between this mosquito species and human beings, as it is determined by odorant cues derived from the human skin. microbial communities on the skin play key roles in the production of human body odour. ... | 2011 | 22216154 |
| a de novo transcriptome of the asian tiger mosquito, aedes albopictus, to identify candidate transcripts for diapause preparation. | many temperate insects survive the harsh conditions of winter by undergoing photoperiodic diapause, a pre-programmed developmental arrest initiated by short day lengths. despite the well-established ecological significance of photoperiodic diapause, the molecular basis of this crucial adaptation remains largely unresolved. the asian tiger mosquito, aedes albopictus (skuse), represents an outstanding emerging model to investigate the molecular basis of photoperiodic diapause in a well-defined eco ... | 2011 | 22185595 |
| what drives community adherence to indoor residual spraying (irs) against malaria in manhiça district, rural mozambique: a qualitative study. | malaria control remains a challenge in sub-saharan africa. in 2006, the world health organization (who) reinforced the recommendation of indoor residual spraying (irs) with dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (ddt) to reduce malaria transmission. the national malaria control programme has been reporting high coverage rates of irs in mozambique. it is important to establish to what extent these rates are a reflection of community acceptability, and to explore the factors associated with adherence, in ... | 2011 | 22111698 |
| identification and functional characterization of two orphan g-protein-coupled receptors for adipokinetic hormones from silkworm bombyx mori. | adipokinetic hormones (akhs) are the best studied insect neuropeptides with the function of mobilizing lipids and carbohydrates during energy-expensive activities and modulating fundamental physiological processes, such as sugar homeostasis, lipid metabolism, and reproduction. three distinct cdnas encoding the prepro-bombyx akh1-3 have been cloned and confirmed by mass spectrometric methods. our previous research suggested the bombyx akh receptor is activated by akh1 and akh2 with high affinity ... | 2011 | 22009754 |
| a malaria transmission-directed model of mosquito life cycle and ecology. | malaria is a major public health issue in much of the world, and the mosquito vectors which drive transmission are key targets for interventions. mathematical models for planning malaria eradication benefit from detailed representations of local mosquito populations, their natural dynamics and their response to campaign pressures. | 2011 | 21999664 |
| progress towards understanding the ecology and epidemiology of malaria in the western kenya highlands: opportunities and challenges for control under climate change risk. | following severe malaria epidemics in the western kenya highlands after the late 1980s it became imperative to undertake eco-epidemiological assessments of the disease and determine its drivers, spatial-temporal distribution and control strategies. extensive research has indicated that the major biophysical drivers of the disease are climate change and variability, terrain, topography, hydrology and immunity. vector distribution is focalized at valley bottoms and abundance is closely related wit ... | 2011 | 22015426 |
| imaginal discs--a new source of chromosomes for genome mapping of the yellow fever mosquito aedes aegypti. | the mosquito aedes aegypti is the primary global vector for dengue and yellow fever viruses. sequencing of the ae. aegypti genome has stimulated research in vector biology and insect genomics. however, the current genome assembly is highly fragmented with only ~31% of the genome being assigned to chromosomes. a lack of a reliable source of chromosomes for physical mapping has been a major impediment to improving the genome assembly of ae. aegypti. | 2011 | 21991400 |
| knickkopf protein protects and organizes chitin in the newly synthesized insect exoskeleton. | during each molting cycle of insect development, synthesis of new cuticle occurs concurrently with the partial degradation of the overlying old exoskeleton. protection of the newly synthesized cuticle from molting fluid enzymes has long been attributed to the presence of an impermeable envelope layer that was thought to serve as a physical barrier, preventing molting fluid enzymes from accessing the new cuticle and thereby ensuring selective degradation of only the old one. in this study, using ... | 2011 | 21930896 |
| combining indoor residual spraying and insecticide-treated nets for malaria control in africa: a review of possible outcomes and an outline of suggestions for the future. | insecticide-treated nets (itns) and indoor residual spraying (irs) are currently the preferred methods of malaria vector control. in many cases, these methods are used together in the same households, especially to suppress transmission in holoendemic and hyperendemic scenarios. though widespread, there has been limited evidence suggesting that such co-application confers greater protective benefits than either itns or irs when used alone. since both methods are insecticide-based and intradomici ... | 2011 | 21798053 |
| relationship between care-givers' misconceptions and non-use of itns by under-five nigerian children. | malaria has been a major public health problem in nigeria and many other sub-saharan african countries. insecticide-treated nets have shown to be cost-effective in the prevention of malaria, but the number of people that actually use these nets has remained generally low. studies that explore the determinants of use of itn are desirable. | 2011 | 21696622 |
| target product profile choices for intra-domiciliary malaria vector control pesticide products: repel or kill? | the most common pesticide products for controlling malaria-transmitting mosquitoes combine two distinct modes of action: 1) conventional insecticidal activity which kills mosquitoes exposed to the pesticide and 2) deterrence of mosquitoes away from protected humans. while deterrence enhances personal or household protection of long-lasting insecticidal nets and indoor residual sprays, it may also attenuate or even reverse communal protection if it diverts mosquitoes to non-users rather than kill ... | 2011 | 21798023 |
| malaria control in malawi: current status and directions for the future. | the last decade has seen an increase in investment and concerted efforts by the malawi ministry of health and partners to control malaria disease. this report summarizes what is known about the burden of malaria and the strategies being implemented to control it in malawi. over the past 5 years, roll out of treatment and prevention efforts have been successful in the country, as demonstrated by increased use of insecticide treated nets, improved access to prompt and effective treatment and the i ... | 2011 | 21763670 |
| preventing the reintroduction of malaria in mauritius: a programmatic and financial assessment. | sustaining elimination of malaria in areas with high receptivity and vulnerability will require effective strategies to prevent reestablishment of local transmission, yet there is a dearth of evidence about this phase. mauritius offers a uniquely informative history, with elimination of local transmission in 1969, re-emergence in 1975, and second elimination in 1998. towards this end, mauritius's elimination and prevention of reintroduction (por) programs were analyzed via a comprehensive review ... | 2011 | 21912645 |
| challenges and prospects for malaria elimination in the southern africa region. | the burden of malaria has decreased dramatically within the past several years in parts of sub-saharan africa, including regions of southern africa. important to effective regional malaria control in southern africa is the appreciation that the reductions in malaria have not been achieved uniformly, with some countries experiencing resurgence. understanding the reasons for sustained low-level malaria transmission in the face of control efforts, why malaria control efforts have not been successfu ... | 2011 | 21871864 |
| field evaluation of the intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy (iptp) in benin: evolution of the coverage rate since its implementation. | malaria is an important public health problem in africa. pregnant women are a vulnerable population and this disease can underlie an increased risk of low-birth weight newborns (< 2500 g); these women therefore need management during pregnancy. this was previously provided by chloroquine treatment, which, because of compliance problems and drug resistance, was replaced by intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (itpp-sp) with two single doses taken after 16 weeks of amen ... | 2011 | 21679439 |
| scanranker: quality assessment of tandem mass spectra via sequence tagging. | in shotgun proteomics, protein identification by tandem mass spectrometry relies on bioinformatics tools. despite recent improvements in identification algorithms, a significant number of high quality spectra remain unidentified for various reasons. here we present scanranker, an open-source tool that evaluates the quality of tandem mass spectra via sequence tagging with reliable performance in data from different instruments. the superior performance of scanranker enables it not only to find un ... | 2011 | 21520941 |
| contribution of anopheles funestus, an. gambiae and an. nili (diptera: culicidae) to the perennial malaria transmission in the southern and western forest areas of côte d'ivoire. | the involvement of members of the anopheles gambiae complex giles and an. funestus giles and an. nili theobald groups in the transmission of plasmodium falciparum was recently investigated in the villages of gbatta and kpéhiri, which lie, respectively, in forest areas in the west and south of côte d'ivoire. adult female mosquitoes were collected, using human landing catches, inside and outside dwellings. after identification and dissection, the heads and thoraces of all the anopheline mosquitoes ... | 2011 | 21294945 |
| vectorial status and insecticide resistance of anopheles funestus from a sugar estate in southern mozambique. | the dual problems of rising insecticide resistance in the malaria vectors and increasing human malaria cases since 2001 in southern mozambique are cause for serious concern. the selection of insecticides for use in indoor residual spraying (irs) programmes is highly dependent on the extent to which local mosquitoes are susceptible to the approved classes of insecticides. the insecticide resistance status and role in malaria transmission of anopheles funestus was evaluated at the maragra sugar es ... | 2011 | 21306631 |
| genome-wide profiling of diel and circadian gene expression in the malaria vector anopheles gambiae. | anopheles gambiae, the primary african vector of malaria parasites, exhibits numerous rhythmic behaviors including flight activity, swarming, mating, host seeking, egg laying, and sugar feeding. however, little work has been performed to elucidate the molecular basis for these daily rhythms. to study how gene expression is regulated globally by diel and circadian mechanisms, we have undertaken a dna microarray analysis of an. gambiae under light/dark cycle (ld) and constant dark (dd) conditions. ... | 2011 | 21715657 |
| development of a new version of the liverpool malaria model. i. refining the parameter settings and mathematical formulation of basic processes based on a literature review. | a warm and humid climate triggers several water-associated diseases such as malaria. climate- or weather-driven malaria models, therefore, allow for a better understanding of malaria transmission dynamics. the liverpool malaria model (lmm) is a mathematical-biological model of malaria parasite dynamics using daily temperature and precipitation data. in this study, the parameter settings of the lmm are refined and a new mathematical formulation of key processes related to the growth and size of t ... | 2011 | 21314922 |
| dry season ecology of anopheles gambiae complex mosquitoes at larval habitats in two traditionally semi-arid villages in baringo, kenya. | pre-adult stages of malaria vectors in semi-arid areas are confronted with highly variable and challenging climatic conditions. the objective of this study was to determine which larval habitat types are most productive in terms of larval densities in the dry and wet seasons within semi-arid environments, and how vector species productivity is partitioned over time. | 2011 | 21352608 |
| chromosomal and environmental determinants of morphometric variation in natural populations of the malaria vector anopheles funestus in cameroon. | anopheles funestus is one of the most proficient malaria vectors in the world, mainly because of its remarkable ability to populate a wide range of ecological settings across africa. its formidable environmental plasticity has been primarily associated to high amounts of genetic and inversion polymorphisms. however, very little is known about the morphological changes that this ecological adaptation entails. here, we report on wing morphometric variations in karyotyped specimens of this species ... | 2011 | 21414420 |
| humoral response to the anopheles gambiae salivary protein gsg6: a serological indicator of exposure to afrotropical malaria vectors. | salivary proteins injected by blood feeding arthropods into their hosts evoke a saliva-specific humoral response which can be useful to evaluate exposure to bites of disease vectors. however, saliva of hematophagous arthropods is a complex cocktail of bioactive factors and its use in immunoassays can be misleading because of potential cross-reactivity to other antigens. toward the development of a serological marker of exposure to afrotropical malaria vectors we expressed the anopheles gambiae g ... | 2011 | 21437289 |
| genetic and phenotypic variation of the malaria vector anopheles atroparvus in southern europe. | there is a growing concern that global climate change will affect the potential for pathogen transmission by insect species that are vectors of human diseases. one of these species is the former european malaria vector, anopheles atroparvus. levels of population differentiation of an. atroparvus from southern europe were characterized as a first attempt to elucidate patterns of population structure of this former malaria vector. results are discussed in light of a hypothetical situation of re-es ... | 2011 | 21223582 |
| arm-specific dynamics of chromosome evolution in malaria mosquitoes. | abstract: | 2011 | 21473772 |
| increased proportions of outdoor feeding among residual malaria vector populations following increased use of insecticide-treated nets in rural tanzania. | abstract: | 2011 | 21477321 |
| the emergence of insecticide resistance in central mozambique and potential threat to the successful indoor residual spraying malaria control programme. | abstract: | 2011 | 21535872 |
| continuing intense malaria transmission in northern uganda. | abstract. recent reports of reductions in malaria transmission in several african countries have resulted in optimism that malaria can be eliminated in parts of africa where it is currently endemic. it is not known whether these trends are global or whether they are also present in areas where political instability has hindered effective malaria control. we determined malaria parasite carriage and age-dependent antibody responses to plasmodium falciparum antigens in cross-sectional surveys in ap ... | 2011 | 21540398 |
| productivity of malaria vectors from different habitat types in the western kenya highlands. | mosquito larval source management (lsm) could be a valuable additional tool for integrated malaria vector control especially in areas with focal transmission like the highlands of western kenya if it were not for the need to target all potential habitats at frequent intervals. the ability to determine the productivity of malaria vectors from identified habitats might be used to target lsm only at productive ones. | 2011 | 21559301 |
| plasmodium falciparum transmission and aridity: a kenyan experience from the dry lands of baringo and its implications for anopheles arabiensis control. | abstract: background: the ecology of malaria vectors particularly in semi-arid areas of africa is poorly understood. accurate knowledge on this subject will boost current efforts to reduce the burden of malaria in sub-saharan africa. the objective of this study was to describe the dynamics of malaria transmission in two model semi-arid sites (kamarimar and tirion) in baringo in kenya. methods: adult mosquitoes were collected indoors by pyrethrum spray collections (psc) and outdoors by centers fo ... | 2011 | 21569546 |
| changing patterns of malaria epidemiology between 2002 and 2010 in western kenya: the fall and rise of malaria. | the impact of insecticide treated nets (itns) on reducing malaria incidence is shown mainly through data collection from health facilities. routine evaluation of long-term epidemiological and entomological dynamics is currently unavailable. in kenya, new policies supporting the provision of free itns were implemented nationwide in june 2006. to evaluate the impacts of itns on malaria transmission, we conducted monthly surveys in three sentinel sites with different transmission intensities in wes ... | 2011 | 21629783 |
| the contribution of aestivating mosquitoes to the persistence of anopheles gambiae in the sahel. | abstract: background: persistence of african anophelines throughout the long dry season (4-8 months) when no surface waters are available remains one of the enduring mysteries of medical entomology. recent studies demonstrated that aestivation (summer diapause) is one mechanism that allows the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae, to persist in the sahel. however, migration from distant localities - where reproduction continues year-round - might also be involved. methods: to assess the c ... | 2011 | 21645385 |
| calpain chronicle--an enzyme family under multidisciplinary characterization. | calpain is an intracellular ca2+-dependent cysteine protease (ec 3.4.22.17; clan ca, family c02) discovered in 1964. it was also called canp (ca2+-activated neutral protease) as well as casf, cdp, kaf, etc. until 1990. calpains are found in almost all eukaryotes and a few bacteria, but not in archaebacteria. calpains have a limited proteolytic activity, and function to transform or modulate their substrates' structures and activities; they are therefore called, "modulator proteases." in the huma ... | 2011 | 21670566 |
| a cryptic subgroup of anopheles gambiae is highly susceptible to human malaria parasites. | population subgroups of the african malaria vector anopheles gambiae have not been comprehensively characterized owing to the lack of unbiased sampling methods. in the arid savanna zone of west africa, where potential oviposition sites are scarce, widespread collection from larval pools in the peridomestic human habitat yielded a comprehensive genetic survey of local a. gambiae population subgroups, independent of adult resting behavior and ecological preference. a previously unknown subgroup of ... | 2011 | 21292978 |
| evaluating the potential of the sterile insect technique for malaria control: relative fitness and mating compatibility between laboratory colonized and a wild population of anopheles arabiensis from the kruger national park, south africa. | the successful suppression of a target insect population using the sterile insect technique (sit) partly depends on the premise that the laboratory insects used for mass rearing are genetically compatible with the target population, that the mating competitiveness of laboratory reared males is at least comparable to that of their wild counterparts, and that mass rearing and sterilization processes do not in themselves compromise male fitness to a degree that precludes them from successfully comp ... | 2011 | 22041133 |
| anopheles gambiae odorant binding protein crystal complex with the synthetic repellent deet: implications for structure-based design of novel mosquito repellents. | insect odorant binding proteins (obps) are the first components of the olfactory system to encounter and bind attractant and repellent odors emanating from various sources for presentation to olfactory receptors, which trigger relevant signal transduction cascades culminating in specific physiological and behavioral responses. for disease vectors, particularly hematophagous mosquitoes, repellents represent important defenses against parasitic diseases because they effect a reduction in the rate ... | 2011 | 21671117 |
| divergent transcriptional response to thermal stress by anopheles gambiae larvae carrying alternative arrangements of inversion 2la. | the african malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae is polymorphic for chromosomal inversion 2la, whose frequency strongly correlates with degree of aridity across environmental gradients. recent physiological studies have associated 2la with resistance to desiccation in adults and thermal stress in larvae, consistent with its proposed role in aridity tolerance. however, the genetic basis of these traits remains unknown. to identify genes that could be involved in the differential response to thermal ... | 2011 | 21535279 |
| hdv-like self-cleaving ribozymes. | hdv ribozymes catalyze their own scission from the transcript during rolling circle replication of the hepatitis delta virus. in vitro selection of self-cleaving ribozymes from a human genomic library revealed an hdv-like ribozyme in the second intron of the human cpeb3 gene and recent results suggest that this rna affects episodic memory performance. bioinformatic searches based on the secondary structure of the hdv/cpeb3 fold yielded numerous functional ribozymes in a wide variety of organisms ... | 2011 | 21734469 |
| exploring mechanisms of multiple insecticide resistance in a population of the malaria vector anopheles funestus in benin. | the insecticide resistance status of the malaria vector anopheles funestus and the underlying resistance mechanisms remain uncharacterised in many parts of africa, notably in benin, west africa. to fill this gap in our knowledge, we assessed the susceptibility status of a population of this species in pahou, southern benin and investigated the potential resistance mechanisms. | 2011 | 22110757 |
| development of environmental tools for anopheline larval control. | malaria mosquitoes spend a considerable part of their life in the aquatic stage, rendering them vulnerable to interventions directed to aquatic habitats. recent successes of mosquito larval control have been reported using environmental and biological tools. here, we report the effects of shading by plants and biological control agents on the development and survival of anopheline and culicine mosquito larvae in man-made natural habitats in western kenya. trials consisted of environmental manipu ... | 2011 | 21733150 |
| efficacy of permanet-« 2.0 and permanet-« 3.0 against insecticide-resistant anopheles gambiae in experimental huts in c+¦te d'ivoire. | pyrethroid resistance in vectors could limit the efficacy of long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins) because all llins are currently treated with pyrethroids. the goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and wash resistance of permanet-« 3.0 compared to permanet-« 2.0 in an area of high pyrethroid in c+¦te d'ivoire. permanet-« 3.0 is impregnated with deltamethrin at 85 mg/m2 on the sides of the net and with deltamethrin and piperonyl butoxide on the roof. permanet-« 2.0 is impregnated with ... | 2011 | 21699703 |
| malaria epidemiology in the ahafo area of ghana. | abstract: background: plasmodium falciparum malaria remains endemic in sub-saharan africa including ghana. the epidemiology of malaria in special areas, such as mining areas needs to be monitored and controlled. newmont ghana gold limited is conducting mining activities in the brong ahafo region of ghana that may have an impact on the diseases such as malaria in the mining area. methods: prior to the start of mining activities, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2006/2007 to determine mal ... | 2011 | 21801344 |
| wide cross-reactivity between anopheles gambiae and anopheles funestus sg6 salivary proteins supports exploitation of gsg6 as a marker of human exposure to major malaria vectors in tropical africa. | abstract: background: the anopheles gambiae gsg6 is an anopheline-specific salivary protein which helps female mosquitoes to efficiently feed on blood. besides its role in haematophagy, gsg6 is immunogenic and elicits in exposed individuals an igg response, which may be used as indicator of exposure to the main african malaria vector a. gambiae. however, malaria transmission in tropical africa is sustained by three main vectors (a. gambiae, anopheles arabiensis and anopheles funestus) and a gene ... | 2011 | 21794142 |
| is the current decline in malaria burden in sub-saharan africa due to a decrease in vector population? | abstract: background: in sub-saharan africa (ssa), malaria caused by plasmodium falciparum has historically been a major contributor to morbidity and mortality. recent reports indicate a pronounced decline in infection and disease rates which are commonly ascribed to large-scale bed net programmes and improved case management. however, the decline has also occurred in areas with limited or no intervention. the present study assessed temporal changes in anopheline populations in two highly malari ... | 2011 | 21752273 |
| outdoor host seeking behaviour of anopheles gambiae mosquitoes following initiation of malaria vector control on bioko island, equatorial guinea. | abstract: | 2011 | 21736750 |
| a longitudinal study on anopheles mosquito larval abundance in distinct geographical and environmental settings in western kenya. | abstract: | 2011 | 21477340 |
| Comparative genomics of the anopheline glutathione s-transferase epsilon cluster. | Enzymes of the glutathione S-transferase (GST) family play critical roles in detoxification of xenobiotics across many taxa. While GSTs are ubiquitous both in animals and plants, the GST epsilon class (GSTE) is insect-specific and has been associated with resistance to chemical insecticides. While both Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae GSTE clusters consist of eight members, only four putative orthologs are identifiable between the species, suggesting independent expansions of the class in eac ... | 2011 | 22206003 |
| Lymphatic filariasis in the Democratic Republic of Congo; micro-stratification overlap mapping (MOM) as a prerequisite for control and surveillance. | The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has a significant burden of lymphatic filariasis (LF) caused by the parasite Wuchereria bancrofti. A major impediment to the expansion of the LF elimination programme is the risk of serious adverse events (SAEs) associated with the use of ivermectin in areas co-endemic for onchocerciasis and loiasis. It is important to analyse these and other factors, such as soil transmitted helminths (STH) and malaria co-endemicity, which will impact on LF elimination. | 2011 | 21923949 |
| Analysis of Transcriptome Differences between Resistant and Susceptible Strains of the Citrus Red Mite Panonychus citri (Acari: Tetranychidae). | The citrus red mite is a worldwide citrus pest and a common sensitizing allergen of asthma and rhinitis. It has developed strong resistance to many registered acaricides, However, the molecular mechanisms of resistance remain unknown. we therefore used next generation sequencing technology to investigate the global transcriptomes between resistant strains and susceptible strains. | 2011 | 22162774 |
| Insecticide resistance in malaria vector mosquitoes at four localities in Ghana, West Africa. | ABSTRACT: | 2011 | 21679391 |
| surveillance of vector populations and malaria transmission during the 2009/10 el niño event in the western kenya highlands: opportunities for early detection of malaria hyper-transmission. | abstract: | 2011 | 21781291 |
| studies on the bionomics of male anopheles gambiae giles and male anopheles funestus giles from southern mozambique. | little is known about the fitness of wild male mosquitoes, the females of which are vectors of malaria. the problem of studying male biology has been exacerbated by difficulties associated with catching them. in southern mozambique, however, almost the entire adult population of an. funestus and an. gambiae s.l. rest inside houses. they leave in a dusk exodus, which makes them easy to collect. in 8,348 exit collections from a village from 2003 to 2009, 567,195 male an. funestus and 34,591 male a ... | 2011 | 22129410 |
| the influence of mosquito resting behaviour and associated microclimate for malaria risk. | abstract: | 2011 | 21736735 |
| evaluating rnalater-« as a preservative for using near-infrared spectroscopy to predict anopheles gambiae age and species. | abstract: | 2011 | 21740582 |
| gene flow-dependent genomic divergence between anopheles gambiae m and s forms. | anopheles gambiae sensu stricto exists as two often-sympatric races termed the m and s molecular forms, characterized by fixed differences at an x-linked marker. extreme divergence between m and s forms at pericentromeric "genomic islands" suggested that selection on variants therein could be driving interform divergence in the presence of ongoing gene flow, but recent work has detected much more widespread genomic differentiation. whether such genomic islands are important in reproductive isola ... | 2011 | 21836185 |
| age-related pyrethroid resistance is not a function of p450 gene expression in the major african malaria vector, anopheles funestus (diptera: culicidae). | anopheles funestus is a major vector of malaria in most of the african region. resistance to pyrethroid and carbamate insecticides has been recorded in populations of this species in south africa and mozambique. the p450 gene, cyp6p9, has been shown to be highly transcribed in a permethrin (pyrethroid)-resistant laboratory strain, fumoz-r, originating from southern mozambique. we examined the relationship between pyrethroid resistance and gene transcription levels of two closely related ge ... | 2011 | 22194179 |
| spatial and temporal variation in the kdr allele l1014s in anopheles gambiae s.s. and phenotypic variability in susceptibility to insecticides in western kenya. | malaria vector control in africa depends upon effective insecticides in bed nets and indoor residual sprays. this study investigated the extent of insecticide resistance in anopheles gambiae s.l., anopheles gambiae s.s. and anopheles arabiensis in western kenya where ownership of insecticide-treated bed nets has risen steadily from the late 1990s to 2010. temporal and spatial variation in the frequency of a knock down resistance (kdr) allele in a. gambiae s.s. was quantified, as was variation in ... | 2011 | 21235783 |
| analysis of the evolutionary forces shaping mitochondrial genomes of a neotropical malaria vector complex. | many vectors of human malaria belong to complexes of morphologically indistinguishable cryptic species. here we report the analysis of the newly sequenced complete mitochondrial dna molecules from six recognized or putative species of one such group, the neotropical anopheles albitarsis complex. the molecular evolution of these genomes had been driven by purifying selection, particularly strongly acting on the rna genes. directional mutation pressure associated with the strand-asynchronous asymm ... | 2011 | 21241811 |
| comparative genomic analysis of chitinase and chitinase-like genes in the african malaria mosquito (anopheles gambiae). | chitinase is an important enzyme responsible for chitin metabolism in a wide range of organisms including bacteria, yeasts and other fungi, nematodes and arthropods. however, current knowledge on chitinolytic enzymes, especially their structures, functions and regulation is very limited. in this study we have identified 20 chitinase and chitinase-like genes in the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae, through genome-wide searching and transcript profiling. we assigned these genes into eig ... | 2011 | 21611131 |
| mosquito species abundance and diversity in malindi, kenya and their potential implication in pathogen transmission. | mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) are important vectors of human disease-causing pathogens. mosquitoes are found both in rural and urban areas. deteriorating infrastructure, poor access to health, water and sanitation services, increasing population density, and widespread poverty contribute to conditions that modify the environment, which directly influences the risk of disease within the urban and peri-urban ecosystem. the objective of this study was to evaluate the mosquito vector abundance and ... | 2011 | 21626425 |
| identification and distribution of a gaba receptor mutation conferring dieldrin resistance in the malaria vector anopheles funestus in africa. | growing problems of pyrethroid resistance in anopheles funestus have intensified efforts to identify alternative insecticides. many agrochemicals target the gaba receptors, but cross-resistance from dieldrin resistance may preclude their introduction. dieldrin resistance was detected in an. funestus populations from west (burkina faso) and central (cameroon) africa, but populations from east (uganda) and southern africa (mozambique and malawi) were fully susceptible to this insecticide. partial ... | 2011 | 21501685 |
| do developing malaria parasites manipulate their mosquito host? evidence from infected anopheles funestus (giles) from mozambique. | mosquito survival is linked to the activities performed in each oviposition cycle, whilst development of malaria parasites in them is largely temperature dependent. extending the oviposition cycle of the mosquito, even as a side effect of normal development of the parasite, may enhance malaria transmission. a study was therefore undertaken to compare the time spent before returning to feed among infected and uninfected host seeking anopheles funestus from a village in southern mozambique. the st ... | 2011 | 21511315 |
| reactive oxygen species-dependent cell signaling regulates the mosquito immune response to plasmodium falciparum. | reactive oxygen species (ros) have been implicated in direct killing of pathogens, increased tissue damage, and regulation of immune signaling pathways in mammalian cells. available research suggests that analogous phenomena affect the establishment of plasmodium infection in anopheles mosquitoes. we have previously shown that provision of human insulin in a blood meal leads to increased ros levels in anopheles stephensi. here, we demonstrate that provision of human insulin significantly increas ... | 2011 | 21126166 |
| monitoring mosquitoes in urban dar es salaam: evaluation of resting boxes, window exit traps, cdc light traps, ifakara tent traps and human landing catches. | ifakara tent traps (itt) are currently the only sufficiently sensitive, safe, affordable and practical method for routine monitoring host-seeking mosquito densities in dar es salaam. however, it is not clear whether itt catches represent indoors or outdoors biting densities. itt do not yield samples of resting, fed mosquitoes for blood meal analysis. | 2011 | 21418622 |
| identification and characterization of a novel chitinase-like gene cluster (agcht5) possibly derived from tandem duplications in the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae. | insect chitinase 5 (cht5), a well-characterized enzyme found in the molting fluid and/or integument, is classified as a group i chitinase and is usually encoded by a single gene. in this study, a cht5 gene cluster consisting of five different chitinase-like genes (agcht5-1, agcht5-2, agcht5-3, agcht5-4 and agcht5-5) was identified by a bioinformatics search of the genome of anopheles gambiae. the gene models were confirmed by cloning and sequencing of the corresponding cdnas and gene expression ... | 2011 | 21419847 |
| why are anopheline mosquitoes not present in the seychelles? | species of anopheline mosquitoes are largely distributed over emerged lands around the world and, within the tropics, few areas are without these insects, which are vectors of malaria parasites. among the exceptions is the seychelles archipelago in the western indian ocean. however, in the aldabra island group, located in the extreme western portion of the archipelago, anopheles gambiae s.l. was introduced, leading to massive proliferation and then elimination, with the most recent autochthonous ... | 2011 | 21303530 |
| crystal structure of native anopheles gambiae serpin-2, a negative regulator of melanization in mosquitoes. | 2011 | 21465556 | |
| malaria antifolate resistance with contrasting plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) polymorphisms in humans and anopheles mosquitoes. | surveillance for drug-resistant parasites in human blood is a major effort in malaria control. here we report contrasting antifolate resistance polymorphisms in plasmodium falciparum when parasites in human blood were compared with parasites in anopheles vector mosquitoes from sleeping huts in rural zambia. dna encoding p. falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (ec 1.5.1.3) was amplified by pcr with allele-specific restriction enzyme digestions. markedly prevalent pyrimethamine-resistant mutants wer ... | 2011 | 22065788 |
| An insight into the sialome of Simulium guianense (DIPTERA:SIMULIIDAE), the main vector of River Blindness Disease in Brazil. | ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Little is known about the composition and function of the saliva in black flies such as Simulium guianense, the main vector of river blindness disease in Brazil. The complex salivary potion of hematophagous arthropods counteracts their host's hemostasis, inflammation, and immunity. RESULTS: Transcriptome analysis revealed ubiquitous salivary protein families - such as the Antigen-5, Yellow, Kunitz domain, and serine proteases--in the S. guianense sialotranscriptome. Insec ... | 2011 | 22182526 |
| Impact of insecticide-treated bed nets on malaria transmission indices on the south coast of Kenya. | ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Besides significantly reducing malaria vector densities, prolonged usage of bed nets has been linked to decline of Anopheles gambiae s.s. relative to Anopheles arabiensis, changes in host feeding preference of malaria vectors, and behavioural shifts to exophagy (outdoor biting) for the two important malaria vectors in Africa, An. gambiae s.l. and Anopheles funestus. In southern coastal Kenya, bed net use was negligible in 1997-1998 when Anopheles funestus and An. gambiae s ... | 2011 | 22165904 |
| Nigeria anopheles vector database: an overview of 100 years' research. | Anopheles mosquitoes are important vectors of malaria and lymphatic filariasis (LF), which are major public health diseases in Nigeria. Malaria is caused by infection with a protozoan parasite of the genus Plasmodium and LF by the parasitic worm Wuchereria bancrofti. Updating our knowledge of the Anopheles species is vital in planning and implementing evidence based vector control programs. To present a comprehensive report on the spatial distribution and composition of these vectors, all publis ... | 2011 | 22162764 |
| requirements for effective malaria control with homing endonuclease genes. | malaria continues to impose a substantial burden on human health. we have previously proposed that biological approaches to control the mosquito vector of disease could be developed using homing endonuclease genes (hegs), a class of selfish or parasitic gene that exists naturally in many microbes. recent lab studies have demonstrated that hegs can function in mosquitoes. we constructed and analyzed a model of mosquito population genetics and malaria epidemiology to determine how well hegs need t ... | 2011 | 21976487 |
| degradation of insecticides used for indoor spraying in malaria control and possible solutions. | the insecticide dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (ddt) is widely used in indoor residual spraying (irs) for malaria control owing to its longer residual efficacy in the field compared to other world health organization (who) alternatives. suitable stabilization to render these alternative insecticides longer lasting could provide a less controversial and more acceptable and effective alternative insecticide formulations than ddt. | 2011 | 22008292 |
| lethal and pre-lethal effects of a fungal biopesticide contribute to substantial and rapid control of malaria vectors. | rapidly emerging insecticide resistance is creating an urgent need for new active ingredients to control the adult mosquitoes that vector malaria. biopesticides based on the spores of entomopathogenic fungi have shown considerable promise by causing very substantial mortality within 7-14 days of exposure. this mortality will generate excellent malaria control if there is a high likelihood that mosquitoes contact fungi early in their adult lives. however, where contact rates are lower, as might r ... | 2011 | 21897846 |
| Dynamics of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors in Benin: first evidence of the presence of L1014S kdr mutation in Anopheles gambiae from West Africa. | Insecticide resistance monitoring is essential to help national programmers to implement more effective and sustainable malaria control strategies in endemic countries. This study reported the spatial and seasonal variations of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors in Benin, West Africa. | 2011 | 21910856 |
| methods to collect anopheles mosquitoes and evaluate malaria transmission: a comparative study in two villages in senegal. | various methods have been studied as replacement of human landing catches (hlc) for mosquito sampling in entomological studies on malaria transmission. conflicting results have been obtained in comparing relative efficiency of alternative methods, according to the area, the species present and their density. the aim of this study was to compare the number and characteristics of mosquitoes sampled in two areas of senegal by three different methods: hlc, light traps adjacent to an occupied bed net ... | 2011 | 21929747 |
| insight into the salivary transcriptome and proteome of dipetalogaster maxima. | dipetalogaster maxima is a blood-sucking hemiptera that inhabits sylvatic areas in mexico. it usually takes its blood meal from lizards, but following human population growth, it invaded suburban areas, feeding also on humans and domestic animals. hematophagous insect salivary glands produce potent pharmacologic compounds that counteract host hemostasis, including anticlotting, antiplatelet, and vasodilatory molecules. to obtain further insight into the salivary biochemical and pharmacologic com ... | 2011 | 21058630 |
| chromosomal inversions, natural selection and adaptation in the malaria vector anopheles funestus. | chromosomal polymorphisms, such as inversions, are presumably involved in the rapid adaptation of populations to local environmental conditions. reduced recombination between alternative arrangements in heterozygotes may protect sets of locally adapted genes, promoting ecological divergence and potentially leading to reproductive isolation and speciation. through a comparative analysis of chromosomal inversions and microsatellite marker polymorphisms, we hereby present biological evidence that s ... | 2011 | 20837604 |