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Scientific Reports Dec 2019An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
PubMed: 31811164
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54376-8 -
Journal of Medical Entomology Feb 2020Here we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to reach a consensus on whether infected and uninfected mosquitoes respond differently to repellents. After... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Here we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to reach a consensus on whether infected and uninfected mosquitoes respond differently to repellents. After screening 2,316 published studies, theses, and conference abstracts, we identified 18 studies that tested whether infection status modulated the effectiveness of repellents. Thirteen of these studies had outcomes available for meta-analysis, and overall, seven repellents were tested (typically DEET with 62% of outcomes), six mosquito species had repellence behaviors measured (typically Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes with 71% of outcomes), and a broad diversity of infections were tested including Sindbis virus (Togaviridae: Alphavirus) (33% of outcomes), Dengue (Flaviviridae: Flavivirus) (31%), malaria (Plasmodium berghei Vincke & Lips (Haemospororida: Plasmodiidae) or P. falciparum Welch (Haemospororida: Plasmodiidae); 25%), Zika (Flaviviridae: Flavivirus) (7%), and microsporidia (4%). Pooling all outcomes with meta-analysis, we found that repellents were less effective against infected mosquitoes-marking an average 62% reduction in protective efficacy relative to uninfected mosquitoes (pooled odds ratio = 0.38, 95% confidence interval = 0.22-0.66; k = 96). Older infected mosquitoes were also more likely to show altered responses and loss of sensitivity to repellents, emphasizing the challenge of distinguishing between age or incubation period effects. Plasmodium- or Dengue-infected mosquitoes also did not show altered responses to repellents; however, Dengue-mosquito systems used inoculation practices that can introduce variability in repellency responses. Given our findings that repellents offer less protection against infected mosquitoes and that these vectors are the most dangerous in terms of disease transmission, then trials on repellent effectiveness should incorporate infected mosquitoes to improve predictability in blocking vector-human contact.
Topics: Aedes; Animals; Anopheles; Culex; Insect Repellents; Mosquito Control; Mosquito Vectors
PubMed: 31755530
DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz209 -
American Journal of Primatology Apr 2023The population of West African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) is declining rapidly mostly due to the impact of human activities and habitat loss. Sierra Leone...
The population of West African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) is declining rapidly mostly due to the impact of human activities and habitat loss. Sierra Leone harbors the third largest population of this subspecies, recently reclassified as Critically Endangered in the 2016 IUCN Red List. Population monitoring provides crucial data for planning and evaluating conservation and management policies. Therefore, to assess the status of the population size inhabiting the Loma Mountains National Park (LMNP) in Sierra Leone, we performed a nest count survey and estimated chimpanzee density and abundance using distance sampling. In total, 34 × 2-km-line transects were surveyed, with transects being systematically distributed across the LMNP area (288.5 km ). Concurrently, we compiled environmental data, which were used to model nest distribution and infer the most relevant environmental and anthropogenic drivers of the observed nest abundances. We encountered 10.03 nests/km and estimated a density of 3.47 ± standard error (SE) 0.92 individuals/km (i.e., 1002 ± SE 266 individuals in total). Compared to the figures obtained from a systematic literature review, our results suggest that the density and abundance of chimpanzees in the LMNP is among the highest across Africa. Contrary to expectation, no specific anthropogenic features predicted nest distribution and abundance. However, the nest distribution model indicated preference for elevated and steep areas covered by closed evergreen forest, which could be an indication of human avoidance. Based on these results, we highlight the value of LMNP for the conservation of the chimpanzees in Sierra Leone and the urgent necessity of guarantying long-term funding for this park's management to ensure the survival of this critically endangered subspecies in West Africa.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Pan troglodytes; Sierra Leone; Conservation of Natural Resources; Loma; Parks, Recreational
PubMed: 36710071
DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23469