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Parasites & Vectors Aug 2018Mosquito-borne diseases cause major human diseases in almost every part of the world. In West Africa, and notably in Mali, vector control measures help reduce the impact... (Review)
Review
Mosquito-borne diseases cause major human diseases in almost every part of the world. In West Africa, and notably in Mali, vector control measures help reduce the impact of mosquito-borne diseases, although malaria remains a threat to both morbidity and mortality. The most recent overview article on mosquitoes in Mali was published in 1961, with a total of 88 species. Our present review focuses on mosquitoes of medical importance among which the Anopheles vectors of Plasmodium and filaria, as well as the Culex and Aedes vectors of arboviruses. It aims to provide a concise update of the literature on Culicidae, covering the ecological areas in which the species are found but also the transmitted pathogens and recent innovative tools for vector surveys. This review highlights the recent introduction of invasive mosquito species, including Aedes albopictus and Culex neavei. The comprehensive list of mosquito species currently recorded includes 106 species (28 species of the Anophelinae and 78 species of the Culicinae). There are probable gaps in our knowledge concerning mosquitoes of the subfamily Culicinae and northern half of Mali because most studies have been carried out on the genus Anopheles and have taken place in the southern part of the country. It is hoped that this review may be useful to decision makers responsible for vector control strategies and to researchers for future surveys on mosquitoes, particularly the vectors of emerging arboviruses.
Topics: Animals; Culicidae; Humans; Mali; Mosquito Vectors
PubMed: 30103823
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3045-8 -
Heliyon Dec 2023In the department of Córdoba, 21 widely distributed species have been described, of which , , , and are the most abundant species, and the last three play a vectorial...
In the department of Córdoba, 21 widely distributed species have been described, of which , , , and are the most abundant species, and the last three play a vectorial role in Malaria transmission in Colombia. A correct taxonomic identification of malaria insect vectors is of vital importance for the development of effective vector control strategies. However, the identification of individuals from the genus presents difficulties due to the loss of relevant morphological characters during the transport and preservation of the collected specimens. In addition to the interspecific variations, and the intraspecific similarities of the species belonging to the subgenus since itpresents species complexes and cryptic species that difficults identification based only in morphological characteristics. The objective of this study was to characterize the barcode fragment of the COI gene and its genetic diversity for the identification of . and . in areas of high malaria transmission from the department of Córdoba. 67 individuals belonging to the species cytotype and 22 were identified, and additionally, 9 haplotypes were obtained for and 14 for distributed in the study areas. The values obtained in the and estimators indicate a low or null genetic differentiation and a high gene flow between most of the studied populations because they share the most frequent haplotypes of these two species. The maximum likelihood trees for these species showed that the specimens from Córdoba belong to the same mitochondrial lineage as those previously reported from Antioquia, Choco, and Norte de Santander.
PubMed: 38076053
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23006 -
Frontiers in Genetics 2014Chromosomal inversions have been repeatedly involved in local adaptation in a large number of animals and plants. The ecological and behavioral plasticity of Anopheles... (Review)
Review
Chromosomal inversions have been repeatedly involved in local adaptation in a large number of animals and plants. The ecological and behavioral plasticity of Anopheles species-human malaria vectors-is mirrored by high amounts of polymorphic inversions. The adaptive significance of chromosomal inversions has been consistently attested by strong and significant correlations between their frequencies and a number of phenotypic traits. Here, we provide an extensive literature review of the different adaptive traits associated with chromosomal inversions in the genus Anopheles. Traits having important consequences for the success of present and future vector control measures, such as insecticide resistance and behavioral changes, are discussed.
PubMed: 24904633
DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00129 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Nov 2017Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) that recently caused outbreaks in the Americas. Over the past 60 years, this virus has been observed... (Review)
Review
Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) that recently caused outbreaks in the Americas. Over the past 60 years, this virus has been observed circulating among African, Asian, and Pacific Island populations, but little attention has been paid by the scientific community until the discovery that large-scale urban ZIKV outbreaks were associated with neurological complications such as microcephaly and several other neurological malformations in fetuses and newborns. This paper is a systematic review intended to list all mosquito species studied for ZIKV infection or for their vector competence. We discuss whether studies on ZIKV vectors have brought enough evidence to formally exclude other mosquitoes than Aedes species (and particularly Aedes aegypti) to be ZIKV vectors. From 1952 to August 15, 2017, ZIKV has been studied in 53 mosquito species, including 6 Anopheles, 26 Aedes, 11 Culex, 2 Lutzia, 3 Coquillettidia, 2 Mansonia, 2 Eretmapodites, and 1 Uranotaenia. Among those, ZIKV was isolated from 16 different Aedes species. The only species other than Aedes genus for which ZIKV was isolated were Anopheles coustani, Anopheles gambiae, Culex perfuscus, and Mansonia uniformis. Vector competence assays were performed on 22 different mosquito species, including 13 Aedes, 7 Culex, and 2 Anopheles species with, as a result, the discovery that A. aegypti and Aedes albopictus were competent for ZIKV, as well as some other Aedes species, and that there was a controversy surrounding Culex quinquefasciatus competence. Although Culex, Anopheles, and most of Aedes species were generally observed to be refractory to ZIKV infection, other potential vectors transmitting ZIKV should be explored.
Topics: Aedes; Americas; Animals; Anopheles; Culex; Disease Outbreaks; Humans; Microcephaly; Mosquito Vectors; Saliva; Zika Virus; Zika Virus Infection
PubMed: 29145400
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005933 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2021Exposure of mosquitoes to numerous eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbes in their associated microbiomes has probably helped drive the evolution of the innate immune...
Exposure of mosquitoes to numerous eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbes in their associated microbiomes has probably helped drive the evolution of the innate immune system. To our knowledge, a metagenomic catalog of the eukaryotic microbiome has not been reported from any insect. Here we employ a novel approach to preferentially deplete host 18S ribosomal RNA gene amplicons to reveal the composition of the eukaryotic microbial communities of larvae sampled in Kenya, Burkina Faso and Republic of Guinea (Conakry). We identified 453 eukaryotic operational taxonomic units (OTUs) associated with larvae in nature, but an average of 45% of the 18S rRNA sequences clustered into OTUs that lacked a taxonomic assignment in the Silva database. Thus, the microbiome contains a striking proportion of novel eukaryotic taxa. Using sequence similarity matching and phylogenetic placement, the fraction of unassigned sequences was reduced to an average of 4%, and many unclassified OTUs were assigned as relatives of known taxa. A novel taxon of the genus in the phylum Apicomplexa (which also includes ) is widespread in larvae from East and West Africa. Notably, is present at fluctuating abundance among larval breeding sites, consistent with the expected pattern of an epidemic pathogen. Species richness of the eukaryotic microbiome was not significantly different across sites from East to West Africa, while species richness of the prokaryotic microbiome was significantly lower in West Africa. Laboratory colonies of harbor 26 eukaryotic OTUs, of which 38% ( = 10) are shared with wild populations, while 16 OTUs are unique to the laboratory colonies. Genetically distinct colonies co-housed in the same facility maintain different prokaryotic microbiome profiles, suggesting a persistent host genetic influence on microbiome composition. These results provide a foundation to understand the role of the eukaryotic microbiome in vector immunity and pathogen transmission. We hypothesize that prevalent apicomplexans such as associated with could induce interference or competition against within the vector. This and other members of the eukaryotic microbiome may offer candidates for new vector control tools.
PubMed: 34054746
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.635772 -
BioMed Research International 2022Malaria parasites are only transmitted by female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles; hence, the disease's distribution is linked to that of the vector mosquitoes. As...
Malaria parasites are only transmitted by female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles; hence, the disease's distribution is linked to that of the vector mosquitoes. As such, the goal of this study was to find out the spatial and temporal distribution of Anopheles mosquito adults in the research sites. This was a repeated cross-sectional ecological study that took place in Morogoro and Dodoma, Tanzania. Vacuum aspiration was used to collect mosquitoes both outside and inside human dwellings. All mosquito-related data was collected and entered into appropriate data collection forms. Female mosquitoes were recognized morphologically using Gillies and Coetzee morphological criteria, followed by PCR. In total, about 2742 mosquitoes with an average collection of 18.21 ± 1.12 per day were collected outside human houses of which 1717 (10.51 ± 1.17) and 1025 (8.42 ± 1.41) were collected from Morogoro and Dodoma, respectively. Of the captured mosquitoes, 89.0%, 10.0%, and 1.0% were recognized as , , and , respectively. The distribution varied significantly with seasons, whereby 302 (4.72 ± 1.04) and 2440 (12.96 ± 1.52) mosquitoes were captured in the cold-dry and warm-wet season, respectively ( < 0.0001). Of the captured mosquitoes, 42.33%, 16.33%, 14.96%, and 4.27 were found on the ceiling, stored junks, verandas, and barks/tree, respectively. In malaria-endemic countries, vector control forms an important component of the malaria control efforts. This study found significant variation of Anopheles mosquito abundance in time and space with being the most predominant malaria vector. This signifies the need to introduce mosquito control methods that will target the less anthropophilic or the immature aquatic stages. The study further found that underbeds, store room/piled bags, and undisturbed curtains were the most preferred resting places by mosquitoes signifying to be the most effective strategic sites for spraying insecticides during the implementation of indoor residual spraying (IRS).
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; Female; Humans; Malaria; Mosquito Control; Mosquito Vectors; Tanzania
PubMed: 35047638
DOI: 10.1155/2022/6098536 -
Microbial Genomics Apr 2022is a genus of obligate bacterial endosymbionts that infect a diverse range of arthropod species as well as filarial nematodes, with its single described species, ,...
is a genus of obligate bacterial endosymbionts that infect a diverse range of arthropod species as well as filarial nematodes, with its single described species, , divided into several ‘supergroups’ based on multilocus sequence typing. strains in mosquitoes have been shown to inhibit the transmission of human pathogens, including malaria parasites and arboviruses. Despite their large host range, strains within the major malaria vectors of the and complexes appear at low density, established solely on PCR-based methods. Questions have been raised as to whether this represents a true endosymbiotic relationship. However, recent definitive evidence for two distinct, high-density strains of supergroup B within and has opened exciting possibilities to explore naturally occurring endosymbionts in for biocontrol strategies to block transmission. Here, we utilize genomic analyses to demonstrate that both strains have retained all key metabolic and transport pathways despite their smaller genome size, with this reduction potentially attributable to degenerated prophage regions. Even with this reduction, we confirmed the presence of cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) factor genes within both strains, with AnD maintaining intact copies of these genes while the gene was interrupted in AnM, so functional analysis is required to determine whether AnM can induce CI. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis indicates that these strains may have been introduced into these two species via horizontal transmission events, rather than by ancestral acquisition and subsequent loss events in the species complex. These are the first genomes, to our knowledge, that enable us to study the relationship between natural strain malaria parasites and their anopheline hosts.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; Prophages; Symbiosis; Wolbachia
PubMed: 35446252
DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000805 -
PloS One 2015The Anopheles genus is a member of the Culicidae family and consists of approximately 460 recognized species. The genus is composed of 7 subgenera with diverse...
The Anopheles genus is a member of the Culicidae family and consists of approximately 460 recognized species. The genus is composed of 7 subgenera with diverse geographical distributions. Despite its huge medical importance, a consensus has not been reached on the phylogenetic relationships among Anopheles subgenera. We assembled a comprehensive dataset comprising the COI, COII and 5.8S rRNA genes and used maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference to estimate the phylogeny and divergence times of six out of the seven Anopheles subgenera. Our analysis reveals a monophyletic group composed of the three exclusively Neotropical subgenera, Stethomyia, Kerteszia and Nyssorhynchus, which began to diversify in the Late Cretaceous, at approximately 90 Ma. The inferred age of the last common ancestor of the Anopheles genus was ca. 110 Ma. The monophyly of all Anopheles subgenera was supported, although we failed to recover a significant level of statistical support for the monophyly of the Anopheles genus. The ages of the last common ancestors of the Neotropical clade and the Anopheles and Cellia subgenera were inferred to be at the Late Cretaceous (ca. 90 Ma). Our analysis failed to statistically support the monophyly of the Anopheles genus because of an unresolved polytomy between Bironella and A. squamifemur.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; Electron Transport Complex IV; Evolution, Molecular; Genetic Variation; Insect Proteins; Mitochondrial Proteins; Phylogeny; Protein Subunits; RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S; Species Specificity; Time Factors
PubMed: 26244561
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134462 -
Parasites & Vectors Jan 2022Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a tool that has revolutionised clinical microbiology and has recently been...
BACKGROUND
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a tool that has revolutionised clinical microbiology and has recently been described as an innovative and effective approach to arthropod identification.
METHODS
In this study, mosquitoes were captured in Vietnam using four different methods (human landing catch, CDC light traps, BG-Sentinel traps, animal-baited net traps). A total of 4215 mosquitoes were captured and morphologically identified as belonging to three genera: Aedes, Anopheles and Culex. We randomly selected 1253 mosquitoes, including 662 specimens of 14 Anopheles species, 200 specimens of two Aedes species and 391 morphologically unidentified Culex specimens, for molecular and MALDI-TOF MS analysis. The DNA from 98 mosquitoes (69 Anopheles specimens, 23 Culex specimens and six Aedes sp. specimens) was subjected to molecular analysis, either to confirm our morphological identification or the MALDI-TOF MS results, as well as to identify the Culex species that were morphologically identified at the genus level and to resolve the discrepancies between the morphological identification and the MALDI-TOF MS identification.
RESULTS
High-quality MS spectra were obtained for 1058 of the 1253 specimens (84%), including 192/200 for Aedes, 589/662 for Anopheles and 277/391 for Culex. The blind test showed that 986/997 (99%) of the specimens were correctly identified by MALDI-TOF MS, with log score values ranging from 1.708 to 2.843. Eleven specimens of Culex could not be identified based on morphological features, MALDI-TOF MS or molecular analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
This study enabled us to identify several species of mosquitoes from Vietnam using MALDI-TOF MS, and to enrich our database of MALDI-TOF MS reference spectra.
Topics: Animals; Culicidae; DNA; Species Specificity; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
PubMed: 35090542
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05149-2 -
Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical... 2023is a genus of parasites that comprises different species. The species and are known to cause a vector-borne illness called malaria, and among these, is known to... (Review)
Review
is a genus of parasites that comprises different species. The species and are known to cause a vector-borne illness called malaria, and among these, is known to cause major complications. The vector, the Anopheles mosquito, is commonly found in warmer regions close to the equator, and hence transmission and numbers of cases tend to be higher in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Central America. The number of cases of malaria in the United States has remained stable over the years with low transmission rates, and the disease is mostly seen in the population with a recent travel history to endemic regions. The main reason behind this besides the weather conditions is that economically developed countries have eliminated mosquitos. However, there have been reports of locally reported cases with in areas such as Florida and Texas in patients with no known travel history. This paper aims to familiarize US physicians with the pathophysiology, clinical features, and diagnostic modalities of malaria, as well as available treatment options.
PubMed: 37829240
DOI: 10.1080/08998280.2023.2255514