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Environmental Science and Pollution... Jun 2020Global warming and the associated climate changes are predictable. They are enhanced by burning of fossil fuels and the emission of huge amounts of CO gas which resulted... (Review)
Review
Global warming and the associated climate changes are predictable. They are enhanced by burning of fossil fuels and the emission of huge amounts of CO gas which resulted in greenhouse effect. It is expected that the average global temperature will increase with 2-5 °C in the next decades. As a result, the earth will exhibit marked climatic changes characterized by extremer weather events in the coming decades, such as the increase in temperature, rainfall, summertime, droughts, more frequent and stronger tornadoes and hurricanes. Epidemiological disease cycle includes host, pathogen and in certain cases intermediate host/vector. A complex mixture of various environmental conditions (e.g. temperature and humidity) determines the suitable habitat/ecological niche for every vector host. The availability of suitable vectors is a precondition for the emergence of vector-borne pathogens. Climate changes and global warming will have catastrophic effects on human, animal and environmental ecosystems. Pathogens, especially neglected tropical disease agents, are expected to emerge and re-emerge in several countries including Europe and North America. The lives of millions of people especially in developing countries will be at risk in direct and indirect ways. In the present review, the role of climate changes in the spread of infectious agents and their vectors is discussed. Examples of the major emerging viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases are also summarized.
Topics: Animals; Climate Change; Disease Vectors; Ecosystem; Europe; Humans; North America
PubMed: 32347486
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-08896-w -
Nature Reviews. Microbiology Sep 2023Haematophagous arthropods, including mosquitoes, ticks, flies, triatomine bugs and lice (here referred to as vectors), are involved in the transmission of various... (Review)
Review
Haematophagous arthropods, including mosquitoes, ticks, flies, triatomine bugs and lice (here referred to as vectors), are involved in the transmission of various pathogens to mammals on whom they blood feed. The diseases caused by these pathogens, collectively known as vector-borne diseases (VBDs), threaten the health of humans and animals. Although the vector arthropods differ in life histories, feeding behaviour as well as reproductive strategies, they all harbour symbiotic microorganisms, known as microbiota, on which they depend for completing essential aspects of their biology, such as development and reproduction. In this Review, we summarize the shared and unique key features of the symbiotic associations that have been characterized in the major vector taxa. We discuss the crosstalks between microbiota and their arthropod hosts that influence vector metabolism and immune responses relevant for pathogen transmission success, known as vector competence. Finally, we highlight how current knowledge on symbiotic associations is being explored to develop non-chemical-based alternative control methods that aim to reduce vector populations, or reduce vector competence. We conclude by highlighting the remaining knowledge gaps that stand to advance basic and translational aspects of vector-microbiota interactions.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Arthropod Vectors; Mosquito Vectors; Arthropods; Culicidae; Microbiota; Mammals
PubMed: 37217793
DOI: 10.1038/s41579-023-00901-6 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2021
Topics: Animals; Disease Vectors; Evolution, Molecular; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans; Immune System; Parasitic Diseases
PubMed: 34367192
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.729415 -
Trends in Parasitology Nov 2021The contribution of vector transmission to pathogen establishment is largely underrated. For Leishmania, transmission by sand flies is critical to early survival... (Review)
Review
The contribution of vector transmission to pathogen establishment is largely underrated. For Leishmania, transmission by sand flies is critical to early survival involving an irreproducible myriad of parasite, vector, and host molecules acting in concert to promote infection at the bite site. Here, we review recent breakthroughs that provide consequential insights into how vector transmission of Leishmania unfolds. We focus on recent work pertaining to the effect of gut microbiota, sand fly immunity, and changes in metacyclogenesis upon multiple blood meals, on Leishmania development and transmission. We also explore how sand fly saliva, egested parasite molecules and vector gut microbiota, and bleeding have been implicated in modulating the early innate host response to Leishmania, affecting the phenotype of neutrophils and monocytes arriving at the bite site.
Topics: Animals; Disease Vectors; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Leishmania; Leishmaniasis; Psychodidae
PubMed: 34389215
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2021.07.003 -
Trends in Parasitology Nov 2020Sleep is a phenomenon conserved across the animal kingdom, where studies on Drosophila melanogaster have revealed that sleep phenotypes and molecular underpinnings are... (Review)
Review
Sleep is a phenomenon conserved across the animal kingdom, where studies on Drosophila melanogaster have revealed that sleep phenotypes and molecular underpinnings are similar to those in mammals. However, little is known about sleep in blood-feeding arthropods, which have a critical role in public health as disease vectors. Specifically, sleep studies in mosquitoes are lacking despite considerable focus on how circadian processes, which have a central role in regulating sleep/wake cycles, impact activity, feeding, and immunity. Here, we review observations which suggest that sleep-like states likely occur in mosquitoes and discuss the potential role of sleep in relation to mosquito biology and their ability to function as disease vectors.
Topics: Animals; Circadian Rhythm; Culicidae; Mosquito Vectors; Sleep; Vector Borne Diseases
PubMed: 32952061
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.08.004 -
Infectious Diseases of Poverty Apr 2020Chagas disease remains a serious problem for public health due to the high disease burden together with its global spreading patterns. However, current treatment and...
Chagas disease remains a serious problem for public health due to the high disease burden together with its global spreading patterns. However, current treatment and vector control are highly challenged by drug and insecticide resistance. Chemotherapy and vector control have been proved to be effective attempts to minimize the disease burden. Continued efforts are necessary to keep adapting the surveillance-response systems to the dynamic health systems. More attention and investments are needed to improve appropriate strategy and technology in different settings. This may be accomplished by creating effective risk early warning, addressing vulnerability and building resilience systems, implementing a vector surveillance system, as well as innovating research and technology.
Topics: Animals; Chagas Disease; Disease Vectors; Global Health; Humans
PubMed: 32336294
DOI: 10.1186/s40249-020-00658-7 -
Current Opinion in Insect Science Dec 2022
Topics: Animals; Aedes; Disease Vectors; Entomology; Mosquito Vectors; Virus Diseases; Review Literature as Topic
PubMed: 36347465
DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.100989 -
Proceedings. Biological Sciences Dec 2019Gene drive is a naturally occurring phenomenon in which selfish genetic elements manipulate gametogenesis and reproduction to increase their own transmission to the next...
Gene drive is a naturally occurring phenomenon in which selfish genetic elements manipulate gametogenesis and reproduction to increase their own transmission to the next generation. Currently, there is great excitement about the potential of harnessing such systems to control major pest and vector populations. If synthetic gene drive systems can be constructed and applied to key species, they may be able to rapidly spread either modifying or eliminating the targeted populations. This approach has been lauded as a revolutionary and efficient mechanism to control insect-borne diseases and crop pests. Driving endosymbionts have already been deployed to combat the transmission of dengue and Zika virus in mosquitoes. However, there are a variety of barriers to successfully implementing gene drive techniques in wild populations. There is a risk that targeted organisms will rapidly evolve an ability to suppress the synthetic drive system, rendering it ineffective. There are also potential risks of synthetic gene drivers invading non-target species or populations. This Special Feature covers the current state of affairs regarding both natural and synthetic gene drive systems with the aim to identify knowledge gaps. By understanding how natural drive systems spread through populations, we may be able to better predict the outcomes of synthetic drive release.
Topics: Aedes; Animals; Biological Evolution; Culicidae; Dengue; Disease Vectors; Gene Drive Technology; Mosquito Vectors; Reproduction; Wolbachia; Zika Virus; Zika Virus Infection
PubMed: 31847764
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2709 -
Viruses Jun 2021Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a zoonotic pathogen mainly found in East and Southeast Asia and transmitted by mosquitoes. The objective of this review is to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a zoonotic pathogen mainly found in East and Southeast Asia and transmitted by mosquitoes. The objective of this review is to summarize the knowledge on the diversity of JEV mosquito vector species. Therefore, we systematically analyzed reports of JEV found in field-caught mosquitoes as well as experimental vector competence studies. Based on the investigated publications, we classified 14 species as confirmed vectors for JEV due to their documented experimental vector competence and evidence of JEV found in wild mosquitoes. Additionally, we identified 11 mosquito species, belonging to five genera, with an experimentally confirmed vector competence for JEV but lacking evidence on their JEV transmission capacity from field-caught mosquitoes. Our study highlights the diversity of confirmed and potential JEV vector species. We also emphasize the variety in the study design of vector competence investigations. To account for the diversity of the vector species and regional circumstances, JEV vector competence should be studied in the local context, using local mosquitoes with local virus strains under local climate conditions to achieve reliable data. In addition, harmonization of the design of vector competence experiments would lead to better comparable data, informing vector and disease control measures.
Topics: Animals; Disease Vectors; Encephalitis Virus, Japanese; Encephalitis, Japanese; Geography, Medical; Global Health; Humans; Mosquito Vectors; Population Surveillance
PubMed: 34208737
DOI: 10.3390/v13061154 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2022Public and animal health authorities face many challenges in surveillance and control of vector-borne diseases. Those challenges are principally due to the multitude of...
Public and animal health authorities face many challenges in surveillance and control of vector-borne diseases. Those challenges are principally due to the multitude of interactions between vertebrate hosts, pathogens, and vectors in continuously changing environments. VectorNet, a joint project of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) facilitates risk assessments of VBD threats through the collection, mapping and sharing of distribution data for ticks, mosquitoes, sand flies, and biting midges that are vectors of pathogens of importance to animal and/or human health in Europe. We describe the development and maintenance of this One Health network that celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2020 and the value of its most tangible outputs, the vector distribution maps, that are freely available online and its raw data on request. VectorNet encourages usage of these maps by health professionals and participation, sharing and usage of the raw data by the network and other experts in the science community. For the latter, a more complete technical description of the mapping procedure will be submitted elsewhere.
Topics: Animals; Disease Vectors; Europe
PubMed: 35444989
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.809763