TrapTech R-Octenol Lure Does Not Improve the Capture Rates of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) and Other Container-Inhabiting Species in Biogents Sentinel Traps
This study evaluated the effectiveness of the TrapTech lure (TT lure), containing R-octenol, alone or in combination with the human skin lure in a BGS trap to capture Ae. albopictus and other species. BGS traps with human skin lures or a combination of the two lures collected approximately twice as many Ae. albopictus females compared to those with TT lures. Unlike previous studies, baiting BGS traps with TT lures did not result in increased diversity of mosquito species, or in higher numbers of other container-inhabiting Aedes species. Although human skin lures were clearly superior to TT R-octenol lures in BGS traps, R-o...
Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - June 29, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Unlu, I., Faraji, A., Indelicato, N., Rochlin, I. Tags: Short Communication Source Type: research
Isolation of the Pathogen Rickettsia sp. Strain Atlantic Rainforest From Its Presumed Tick Vector, Amblyomma ovale (Acari: Ixodidae), From Two Areas of Brazil
In this study, Amblyomma ovale Koch ticks were collected from domestic dogs in two localities of the Atlantic rainforest biome of Brazil: 1) the Paty Valley of the Chapada Diamantina National Park, Bahia state (northeastern Brazil), and 2) Adrianópolis, Paraná state (southern Brazil). Ticks were screened for the presence of Rickettsia-like structures by the hemolymph test with Giménez staining, and then processed for isolation of rickettsiae in Vero cell culture by the shell-vial technique. Rickettsiae were isolated from one A. ovale tick of each of the two localities. The two isolates were successfull...
Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - June 29, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Nieri-Bastos, F. A., Horta, M. C., Barros-Battesti, D. M., Moraes-Filho, J., Ramirez, D. G., Martins, T. F., Labruna, M. B. Tags: Short Communication Source Type: research
Three Taxa in One: Cryptic Diversity in the Black Fly Simulium nobile (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Southeast Asia
We access the molecular diversity of the black fly Simulium nobile De Mejiere, using the universal cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcoding gene, across its distributional range in Southeast Asia. Our phylogenetic analyses recovered three well-supported mitochondrial lineages of S. nobile, suggesting the presence of cryptic species. Lineage A is composed of a population from Sabah, East Malaysia (Borneo); lineage B represents the type population from Java, Indonesia; and lineage C includes populations from the mainland of Southeast Asia (Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand). The genetic variation of lineage C on the mai...
Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - June 29, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Low, V. L., Takaoka, H., Pramual, P., Adler, P. H., Yacob, Z., Chen, C. D., Yotopranoto, S., Zaid, A., Hadi, U. K., Lardizabal, M. L., Nasruddin-Roshidi, A., Sofian-Azirun, M. Tags: Short Communication Source Type: research
Detection and Distribution of V1016Ikdr Mutation in the Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Gene in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Populations From Sergipe State, Northeast Brazil
Aedes aegypti (L.) resistance to pyrethroids was recorded in Brazil few years after its introduction as the adulticide in the National Dengue Control Program campaigns. Altered susceptibility to pyrethroids had been reported in the state of Sergipe, northeast Brazil, through biological assays, even before its use against Ae. aegypti in the state. Metabolic and target-site resistance mechanisms were also revealed in samples from Aracaju, the capital of Sergipe. Herein, we investigated the presence and distribution of the kdr mutation V1016Ikdr in Ae. aegypti populations from different municipalities of the state. Aedes aegy...
Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - June 29, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Dolabella, S. S., Santos, R. L. C., Silva, M. C. N., Steffler, L. M., Ribolla, P. E. M., Cavalcanti, S. C. H., Jain, S., Martins, A. J. Tags: Short Communication Source Type: research
First Evidence of an Established Population of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in South Dakota
Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae) is the most important vector of human disease in the United States. Recent efforts by public health officials to determine its presence on a county-by-county basis have been undertaken to assist in Lyme disease risk assessment. Recent modeling efforts show that South Dakota can potentially support populations of I. scapularis based on favorable climatic conditions and presence of suitable hosts to support tick populations within the state. We provide the first documentation of an established population of I. scapularis in Clay County, SD, providing only the third record of the presen...
Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - June 29, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Maestas, L. P., Adams, S. L., Britten, H. B. Tags: Short Communication Source Type: research
Sensory Trichites Associated With the Food Canal of Chrysops callidus (Diptera: Tabanidae)
Twelve pairs of putative sensory trichites (= sensilla) in the food canal of Chrysops callidus Osten Sacken are described. Eight paired trichites are located in the distal half of the food canal of all flies in the sample population (n = 26 females), but paired trichites 9 through 12 were found in variable numbers in the proximal half of the canal. Trichites were more closely spaced in the distal half of the food canal, and more widely spaced in the proximal half of the canal, indicating that monitoring blood flow is more critical in the distal region of the canal. Moreover, trichites were not precisely paired, with mean p...
Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - June 29, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Joy, J. E., Stephens, C. R. Tags: Short Communication Source Type: research
Intestinal Myiasis in a Malaysian Patient Caused by Larvae of Clogmia albipunctatus (Diptera: Psychodidae)
We report a case of human intestinal myiasis in a 41-yr-old female patient presented at a clinic in Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia. Larvae passed out in the patient’s feces were sent to the Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. DNA barcoding confirmed the second case of intestinal myiasis in Malaysia involving the larvae of Clogmia albipunctatus (Duckhouse) (Diptera: Psychodidae). We review reported cases of myiasis and discuss the present case of intestinal myiasis in an urban patient. (Source: Journal of Medical Entomology)
Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - June 29, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Mokhtar, A. S., Braima, K. A. O., Peng Chin, H., Jeffery, J., Mohd Zain, S. N., Rohela, M., Lau, Y. L., Jamaiah, I., Wilson, J.-J., Abdul-Aziz, N. M. Tags: Short Communication Source Type: research
Prevalence of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Host-Seeking Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) and Odocoileus virginianus (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) in Florida
Amblyomma americanum (L.), the lone star tick, is an aggressive tick that is expanding its geographic range within the United States. This tick is the vector for the human and veterinary pathogens Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia ewingii and is associated with other microbes of unspecified pathogenicity including Rickettsia amblyommii, Panola Mountain Ehrlichia, and Borrelia lonestari. In Florida, there has been sparse contemporary data on the prevalence of these organisms in host-seeking lone star ticks. To determine the prevalence of this tick and associated microbes in North Central Florida state parks, ~1,500 lone s...
Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - June 29, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Sayler, K. A., Loftis, A. D., Beatty, S. K., Boyce, C. L., Garrison, E., Clemons, B., Cunningham, M., Alleman, A. R., Barbet, A. F. Tags: Vector-Borne Diseases, Surveillance, Prevention Source Type: research
High Frequency of (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) Type Among (Diptera: Glossinidae) in a Historic Trypanosoma Foci in North-Eastern Gabon: Preliminary Study
This study illustrates the diversity of Trypanosoma species infecting the tsetse flies in the INP. The simultaneous occurrence of Trypanosoma and tsetse from the palpalis group may suggest that the reservoirs of African animal trypanosomiasis should be carefully monitored in this area. (Source: Journal of Medical Entomology)
Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - June 29, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Mbang Nguema, O. A., Mawili-Mboumba, D. P., Chouaibou, M., Mavoungou, J., MBatchi, B., Bouyou Akotet, M. K. Tags: Vector-Borne Diseases, Surveillance, Prevention Source Type: research
Predicting West Nile Virus Infection Risk From the Synergistic Effects of Rainfall and Temperature
Mosquito-based surveillance is a practical way to estimate the risk of transmission of West Nile virus (WNV) to people. Variations in temperature and precipitation play a role in driving mosquito infection rates and transmission of WNV, motivating efforts to predict infection rates based on prior weather conditions. Weather conditions and sequential patterns of meteorological events can have particularly important, but regionally distinctive, consequences for WNV transmission, with high temperatures and low precipitation often increasing WNV mosquito infection. Predictive models that incorporate weather can thus be used to...
Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - June 29, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Shand, L., Brown, W. M., Chaves, L. F., Goldberg, T. L., Hamer, G. L., Haramis, L., Kitron, U., Walker, E. D., Ruiz, M. O. Tags: Vector-Borne Diseases, Surveillance, Prevention Source Type: research
Transmission Capacity of Trypanosoma cruzi (Trypanosomatida: Trypanosomatidae) by Three Subspecies of Meccus phyllosomus (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) and Their Hybrids
Three behaviors of epidemiological importance: the time lapse for the onset of feeding, actual feeding, and defecation time for Meccus phyllosomus pallidipennis (Stål), Meccus phyllosomus longipennis (Usinger), Meccus phyllosomus picturatus (Usinger), and their laboratory hybrids were evaluated in this study. The mean time lapse for the beginning of feeding was between 0.5 and 8.3 min considering all instars in each cohort, with highly significant differences only among fifth-instar nymphs, females, and males of M. p. pallidipennis and M. p. longipennis relative to the hybrid cohorts. Four hybrid (LoPa [M. p. longipe...
Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - June 29, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Martinez-Ibarra, J. A., Nogueda-Torres, B., Salazar-Schettino, P. M., Cabrera-Bravo, M., Vences-Blanco, M. O., Rocha-Chavez, G. Tags: Vector-Borne Diseases, Surveillance, Prevention Source Type: research
Diversity of Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in Two Different Eco-Climatic and Endemic Zones of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Mali, West Africa
Being the only established vectors of the protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania, sand flies have become very important in all countries where leishmaniasis exists. To better understand the sand fly fauna, a taxonomic inventory study was carried out between January and March 2012 in Soudan savannah (Boundioba, Sikasso) and Sahelian (Tieneguebougou, Koulikoro) areas of Mali. CDC light traps were used to collect the sand flies. Collected sand flies specimens were cleaned with lacto-phenol and examined under a light microscope for species identification. In total, 14 species belonging to the genera Phlebotomus and Sergen...
Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - June 29, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Coulibaly, C. A., Sissoko, I., Traore, B., Diallo, A., Samake, S., Traore, S. F., Doumbia, S. Tags: Vector/Pathogen/Host Interaction, Transmission Source Type: research
Socioeconomical Factors Associated With Pediculosis (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae) in Athens, Greece
Pediculosis in humans and especially in children is a very common dermatological disorder caused by the ectoparasite Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer. We investigated the socioeconomic factors affecting the prevalence of pediculosis in the Greek urban area of Athens during 2004–2006. The target population consisted of children from kindergartens. In total, 434 children from single- or two-parent families were investigated with respect to socioeconomic factors such as education, income and family composition, and the prevalence of pediculosis. The overall pediculosis rate was 5.30%. Head louse infestations were signi...
Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - June 29, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Tagka, A., Lambrou, G. I., Braoudaki, M., Panagiotopoulos, T., Papanikolaou, E., Laggas, D. Tags: Vector/Pathogen/Host Interaction, Transmission Source Type: research
Trypanosoma cruzi Infection Prevalence and Bloodmeal Analysis in Triatomine Vectors of Chagas Disease From Rural Peridomestic Locations in Texas, 2013-2014
Protozoan pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas, 1909) is the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, which affects millions of people in Latin America. Recently, the disease has been gaining attention in Texas and the southern United States. Transmission cycle of the parasite involves alternating infection between insect vectors and vertebrate hosts (including humans, wildlife, and domestic animals). To evaluate vector T. cruzi parasite burden and feeding patterns, we tested triatomine vectors from 23 central, southern, and northeastern counties of Texas. Out of the 68 submitted specimens, the majority were genetically identified...
Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - June 29, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Gorchakov, R., Trosclair, L. P., Wozniak, E. J., Feria, P. T., Garcia, M. N., Gunter, S. M., Murray, K. O. Tags: Vector/Pathogen/Host Interaction, Transmission Source Type: research
Regional Comparison of Mosquito Bloodmeals in South Australia: Implications for Ross River Virus Ecology
Ross River virus (RRV) is responsible for the most notifications of human arboviral infection in Australia. Seroprevalence and experimental infection studies have implicated macropods (e.g., kangaroos) as the major reservoir hosts. However, transmission ecology varies spatially, and infections in urban areas have prompted the question of what animals serve as reservoirs in regions where macropods are scarce. In South Australia (SA), human infection rates for RRV vary greatly by region as do vector and reservoir abundance. We hypothesized that mosquito abundance and feeding patterns would vary among ecoregions of SA and cou...
Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - June 29, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Flies, E. J., Flies, A. S., Fricker, S. R., Weinstein, P., Williams, C. R. Tags: Vector/Pathogen/Host Interaction, Transmission Source Type: research
