bims-mosdis 2020-10-11 papers

bims-mosdis

Biomed News

on Mosquito distribution and disease

Issue of 2020‒10‒11
twenty-six papers selected by
Richard Halfpenny
Staffordshire University

Simulation models of dengue transmission in Funchal, Madeira Island: Influence of seasonality.
First confirmed occurrence of the yellow fever virus and dengue virus vector Aedes (Stegomyia) luteocephalus (Newstead, 1907) in Mozambique.
Permethrin Resistance Status and Associated Mechanisms in Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) From Chiapas, Mexico.
A survey of tire-breeding mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Dominican Republic: Considerations about a pressing issue.
Modeling the potential of wAu-Wolbachia strain invasion in mosquitoes to control Aedes-borne arboviral infections.
The TIRS trial: protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial assessing the efficacy of preventive targeted indoor residual spraying to reduce Aedes-borne viral illnesses in Merida, Mexico.
Biological larviciding against malaria vector mosquitoes with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) - Long term observations and assessment of repeatability during an additional intervention year of a large-scale field trial in rural Burkina Faso.
Assessing the acoustic behaviour of Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) dsxF mutants: implications for vector control.
Field performance of sterile male mosquitoes released from an uncrewed aerial vehicle.
Wolbachia in Native Populations of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) From Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.
Essential Oil Compositions of Three Invasive Conyza Species Collected in Vietnam and Their Larvicidal Activities against Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus.
Mechanisms associated with pyrethroid resistance in populations of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) from the Caribbean coast of Colombia.
Climate variability, socio-ecological factors and dengue transmission in tropical Queensland, Australia: A Bayesian spatial analysis.
Short-Term, Large-Area Survey of Container Aedes spp. (Diptera: Culicidae): Presence and Abundance is Associated with Fine-scale Landscape Factors in North Carolina, USA.
Process Evaluation of a Community-Based Microbial Larviciding Intervention for Malaria Control in Rural Tanzania.
Role of Abandoned and Vacant Houses on Aedes aegypti Productivity.
Detection of West Nile virus in a common whitethroat (Curruca communis) and Culex mosquitoes in the Netherlands, 2020.
Fitness cost of insecticide resistance on the life-traits of a Anopheles coluzzii population from the city of Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Neighbor danger: Yellow fever virus epizootics in urban and urban-rural transition areas of Minas Gerais state, during 2017-2018 yellow fever outbreaks in Brazil.
Lure, retain, and catch malaria mosquitoes. How heat and humidity improve odour-baited trap performance.
Dissolved organic matter protects mosquito larvae from damaging solar UV radiation.
The Mayaro virus and its potential epidemiological consequences in Colombia: an exploratory biomathematics analysis.
Rift Valley Fever - epidemiological update and risk of introduction into Europe.
Yes, Irradiated Sterile Male Mosquitoes Can Be Sexually Competitive!
Dengue Infections in Colombia: Epidemiological Trends of a Hyperendemic Country.
Warming temperatures could expose more than 1.3 billion new people to Zika virus risk by 2050.

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020 Oct 05. 14(10): e0008679

Simulation models of dengue transmission in Funchal, Madeira Island: Influence of seasonality.

Donald Salami, César Capinha, Carla Alexandra Sousa, Maria do Rosário Oliveira Martins, Cynthia Lord.

The recent emergence and established presence of Aedes aegypti in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal, was responsible for the first autochthonous outbreak of dengue in Europe. The island has not reported any dengue cases since the outbreak in 2012. However, there is a high risk that an introduction of the virus would result in another autochthonous outbreak given the presence of the vector and permissive environmental conditions. Understanding the dynamics of a potential epidemic is critical for targeted local control strategies. Here, we adopt a deterministic model for the transmission of dengue in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The model integrates empirical and mechanistic parameters for virus transmission, under seasonally varying temperatures for Funchal, Madeira Island. We examine the epidemic dynamics as triggered by the arrival date of an infectious individual; the influence of seasonal temperature mean and variation on the epidemic dynamics; and performed a sensitivity analysis on the following quantities of interest: the epidemic peak size, time to peak, and the final epidemic size. Our results demonstrate the potential for summer and autumn season transmission of dengue, with the arrival date significantly affecting the distribution of the timing and peak size of the epidemic. Late-summer arrivals were more likely to produce large epidemics within a short peak time. Epidemics within this favorable period had an average of 11% of the susceptible population infected at the peak, at an average peak time of 95 days. We also demonstrated that seasonal temperature variation dramatically affects the epidemic dynamics, with warmer starting temperatures producing large epidemics with a short peak time and vice versa. Overall, our quantities of interest were most sensitive to variance in the date of arrival, seasonal temperature, transmission rates, mortality rate, and the mosquito population; the magnitude of sensitivity differs across quantities. Our model could serve as a useful guide in the development of effective local control and mitigation strategies for dengue fever in Madeira Island.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008679
Parasit Vectors. 2020 Jul 14. 13(1): 350

First confirmed occurrence of the yellow fever virus and dengue virus vector Aedes (Stegomyia) luteocephalus (Newstead, 1907) in Mozambique.

Ana Paula Abílio, Ayubo Kampango, Eliseu J Armando, Eduardo S Gudo, Luís C B das Neves, Ricardo Parreira, Mohsin Sidat, José M Fafetine, António Paulo G de Almeida.

  BACKGROUND: Mozambique, same as many other tropical countries, is at high risk of arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) diseases and recently two dengue virus (DENV) outbreaks occurred in the northern part of the country. The occurrence of some important vector species, such as Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus) and Ae. (Stg.) albopictus (Skuse), besides several other sylvatic vectors, have been reported in the country, which may indicate that the transmission of some arboviruses of public health importance may involve multiple-vector systems. Therefore, knowing the occurrence and distribution of existing and the new important vectors species, is crucial for devising systematic transmission surveillance and vector control approaches. The aim of this study was to map the occurrence and distribution of mosquito species with potential for transmitting arboviruses of human and veterinary relevance in Niassa Province, Northern Mozambique.METHODS: Field entomological surveys were undertaken in April 2016 in Lago District, Niassa Province, northern Mozambique. Breeding sites of mosquitoes were inspected and immature stages were collected and reared into adult. Mosquitoes in the adult stages were morphologically identified using taxonomic keys. Morphological identification of Aedes (Stegomyia) luteocephalus (Newstead) were later confirmed using dissected male genitalia and molecular based on the phylogenetic analyses of the sequenced barcode (cox1 mtDNA) gene.
RESULTS: A total of 92 mosquito larvae collected developed into adults. Of these, 16 (17.39%) were morphologically identified as Ae. luteocephalus. The remaining specimens belonged to Ae. (Stg.) aegypti (n = 4, 4.35%), Ae. (Aedimorphus) vittatus (n = 24, 26.09%), Anopheles garnhami (n = 1, 1.09%), Culex (Culiciomyia) nebulosus (n = 28, 30.43%), Eretmapodites subsimplicipes (n = 18, 19.57%) and Toxorhynchites brevipalpis (n = 1, 1.09%), taxa already known to the country. Male genitalia and phylogenetic analyses confirmed the identity of Ae. luteocephalus specimens collected in this study.
CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first detection of Ae. luteocephalus in Mozambican territory, a vector species of yellow fever virus (YFV), Zika virus (ZIKV) and dengue virus (DENV) in Africa. Further studies are encouraged to investigate the role of Ae. luteocephalus in the transmission of arboviral diseases in Mozambique.

Keywords:  Aedine; Arthropod-borne; Mosquito; New record; Vector; Virus

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-04217-9
J Med Entomol. 2020 Oct 09. pii: tjaa197. [Epub ahead of print]

Permethrin Resistance Status and Associated Mechanisms in Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) From Chiapas, Mexico.

Ashley J Janich, Karla Saavedra-Rodriguez, Farah Z Vera-Maloof, Rebekah C Kading, Américo D Rodríguez, Patricia Penilla-Navarro, Alma D López-Solis, Francisco Solis-Santoyo, Rushika Perera, William C Black.

  There are major public health concerns regarding the spread of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, which are mainly controlled by using insecticides against the vectors, Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse). Pyrethroids are the primary class of insecticides used for vector control, due to their rapid knockdown effect and low toxicity to vertebrates. Unfortunately, continued use of pyrethroids has led to widespread insecticide resistance in Ae. aegypti; however, we lack information for Ae. albopictus-a sympatric species in Chiapas since 2002. In this study, we evaluated the permethrin resistance status of Ae. albopictus collected from Mexico and Texas. We also selected for permethrin resistance in the laboratory and investigated the potential mechanisms conferring resistance in this species. Knockdown resistance mutations, specifically F1534C, in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene, and increased activity of detoxifying enzymes were evaluated. Low levels of permethrin resistance (<2.4-fold) were observed in our field populations of Ae. albopictus and the F1534C mutation was not detected in any of the sites. Low levels of resistance were also observed in the artificially selected strain. There was significantly higher cytochrome P450 activity in our permethrin-selected and nonselected strains from Mexico compared to the control strain. Our results suggest the Ae. albopictus sampled from 2016 are mostly susceptible to pyrethroids. These results contrast with the high levels of permethrin resistance (>58-fold) found in Ae. aegypti from the same sites in Mexico. This research indicates the importance of continued monitoring of Ae. albopictus populations to prevent resistance from developing in the future.

Keywords:  mosquitoes; permethrin; resistance

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjaa197
Biomedica. 2020 Sep 01. 40(3): 507-515

A survey of tire-breeding mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Dominican Republic: Considerations about a pressing issue.

Mikel A González, María Altagracia Rodríguez-Sosa, Yohan Enmanuel Vásquez-Bautista, Elizabeth Del Carmen Rosario, Jesús Confesor Durán-Tiburcio, Pedro María Alarcón-Elbal.

INTRODUCTION: Discarded vehicle tires represent a serious threat both to the environment and to public health as they have the potential to harbor important mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) vectors.OBJECTIVE: To assess the importance of used vehicle tires as larval habitats for mosquito fauna that colonize these artificial reservoirs in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Used tires were sampled with pipettes at specialized tire fitting shops and scattered stockpiles of tires between June and August, 2018.
RESULTS: We sampled 396 tires; 57 (Container Index=14.4%) were positive for immature stages and contained 2,400 specimens, 11 species, and four genera (Anopheles, Aedes, Culex, and Toxorhynchites). The most abundant species was Aedes albopictus (42.3%) followed by Aedes aegypti (34.3%), and Culex quinquefasciatus (14.0%) while other species (9.4%) were less abundant. The container index varied significantly among the different tire sizes (χ2=13.4; p≤0.05). The highest infestation levels were found in the largest tires. A low positive correlation (r=0.38, n=396; p≤0.001) between the tire size and the prevalence of immature stages was recorded. The presence of organic matter had an overall positive effect on the infestation levels (U=11,430.0; p≤0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: These rubber residues, usually located nearby human populations, represent suitable breeding sites for arboviruses vectors such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and West Nile.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7705/biomedica.5200
Sci Rep. 2020 Oct 08. 10(1): 16812

Modeling the potential of wAu-Wolbachia strain invasion in mosquitoes to control Aedes-borne arboviral infections.

Samson T Ogunlade, Adeshina I Adekunle, Michael T Meehan, Diana P Rojas, Emma S McBryde.

Arboviral infections such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya are fast spreading diseases that pose significant health problems globally. In order to control these infections, an intracellular bacterium called Wolbachia has been introduced into wild-type mosquito populations in the hopes of replacing the vector transmitting agent, Aedes aegypti with one that is incapable of transmission. In this study, we developed a Wolbachia transmission model for the novel wAu strain which possesses several favourable traits (e.g., enhanced viral blockage and maintenance at higher temperature) but not cyctoplasmic incompatibility (CI)-when a Wolbachia-infected male mosquito mates with an uninfected female mosquito, producing no viable offspring. This model describes the competitive dynamics between wAu-Wolbachia-infected and uninfected mosquitoes and the role of imperfect maternal transmission. By analysing the system via computing the basic reproduction number(s) and stability properties, the potential of the wAu strain as a viable strategy to control arboviral infections is established. The results of this work show that enhanced maintenance of Wolbachia infection at higher temperatures can overcome the lack of CI induction to support wAu-Wolbachia infected mosquito invasion. This study will support future arboviral control programs, that rely on the introduction of new Wolbachia variants.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-73819-1
Trials. 2020 Oct 08. 21(1): 839

The TIRS trial: protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial assessing the efficacy of preventive targeted indoor residual spraying to reduce Aedes-borne viral illnesses in Merida, Mexico.

Pablo Manrique-Saide, Natalie E Dean, M Elizabeth Halloran, Ira M Longini, Matthew H Collins, Lance A Waller, Hector Gomez-Dantes, Audrey Lenhart, Thomas J Hladish, Azael Che-Mendoza, Oscar D Kirstein, Yamila Romer, Fabian Correa-Morales, Jorge Palacio-Vargas, Rosa Mendez-Vales, Pilar Granja Pérez, Norma Pavia-Ruz, Guadalupe Ayora-Talavera, Gonzalo M Vazquez-Prokopec.

  BACKGROUND: Current urban vector control strategies have failed to contain dengue epidemics and to prevent the global expansion of Aedes-borne viruses (ABVs: dengue, chikungunya, Zika). Part of the challenge in sustaining effective ABV control emerges from the paucity of evidence regarding the epidemiological impact of any Aedes control method. A strategy for which there is limited epidemiological evidence is targeted indoor residual spraying (TIRS). TIRS is a modification of classic malaria indoor residual spraying that accounts for Aedes aegypti resting behavior by applying residual insecticides on exposed lower sections of walls (< 1.5 m), under furniture, and on dark surfaces.METHODS/DESIGN: We are pursuing a two-arm, parallel, unblinded, cluster randomized controlled trial to quantify the overall efficacy of TIRS in reducing the burden of laboratory-confirmed ABV clinical disease (primary endpoint). The trial will be conducted in the city of Merida, Yucatan State, Mexico (population ~ 1million), where we will prospectively follow 4600 children aged 2-15 years at enrollment, distributed in 50 clusters of 5 × 5 city blocks each. Clusters will be randomly allocated (n = 25 per arm) using covariate-constrained randomization. A "fried egg" design will be followed, in which all blocks of the 5 × 5 cluster receive the intervention, but all sampling to evaluate the epidemiological and entomological endpoints will occur in the "yolk," the center 3 × 3 city blocks of each cluster. TIRS will be implemented as a preventive application (~ 1-2 months prior to the beginning of the ABV season). Active monitoring for symptomatic ABV illness will occur through weekly household visits and enhanced surveillance. Annual sero-surveys will be performed after each transmission season and entomological evaluations of Ae. aegypti indoor abundance and ABV infection rates monthly during the period of active surveillance. Epidemiological and entomological evaluation will continue for up to three transmission seasons.
DISCUSSION: The findings from this study will provide robust epidemiological evidence of the efficacy of TIRS in reducing ABV illness and infection. If efficacious, TIRS could drive a paradigm shift in Aedes control by considering Ae. aegypti behavior to guide residual insecticide applications and changing deployment to preemptive control (rather than in response to symptomatic cases), two major enhancements to existing practice.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04343521 . Registered on 13 April 2020. The protocol also complies with the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (Additional file 1).
PRIMARY SPONSOR: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH/NIAID).

Keywords:  Aedes aegypti; Chikungunya; Cluster randomized; Dengue; Indoor; Insecticide; Urban; Zika

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-020-04780-7
Glob Health Action. 2020 Dec 31. 13(1): 1829828

Biological larviciding against malaria vector mosquitoes with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) - Long term observations and assessment of repeatability during an additional intervention year of a large-scale field trial in rural Burkina Faso.

Peter Dambach, Volker Winkler, Till Bärnighausen, Issouf Traoré, Saidou Ouedraogo, Ali Sié, Rainer Sauerborn, Norbert Becker, Valérie R Louis.

  The first line of malaria vector control to date mainly relies on the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS). For integrated vector management, targeting the vector larvae with biological larvicides such as Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) can be an effective additional mainstay. This study presents data from the second intervention year of a large-scale trial on biological larviciding with Bti that was carried out in 127 rural villages and a semi-urban town in Burkina Faso. Here we present the reductions in malaria mosquitoes that were achieved by continuing the initial interventions for an additional year, important to assess sustainability and repeatability of the results from the first intervention year. Larviciding was performed applying two different larviciding choices ((a) treatment of all environmental breeding sites, and (b) selective treatment of those that were most productive for Anopheles larvae indicated by remote sensing based risk maps). Adult Anopheles spp. mosquito abundance was reduced by 77.4% (full treatment) and 63.5% (guided treatment) compared to the baseline year. The results showed that malaria vector abundance can be dramatically reduced using biological larviciding and that this effect can be achieved and maintained over several consecutive transmission seasons.

Keywords:  Biological vector control; large scale intervention trial; malaria control; sub-Saharan Africa

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2020.1829828
Parasit Vectors. 2020 Oct 07. 13(1): 507

Assessing the acoustic behaviour of Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) dsxF mutants: implications for vector control.

Matthew P Su, Marcos Georgiades, Judit Bagi, Kyros Kyrou, Andrea Crisanti, Joerg T Albert.

  BACKGROUND: Release of gene-drive mutants to suppress Anopheles mosquito reproduction is a promising method of malaria control. However, many scientific, regulatory and ethical questions remain before transgenic mosquitoes can be utilised in the field. At a behavioural level, gene-drive carrying mutants should be at least as sexually attractive as the wildtype populations they compete against, with a key element of Anopheles copulation being acoustic courtship. We analysed sound emissions and acoustic preference in a doublesex mutant previously used to collapse Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) cages.METHODS: Anopheles rely on flight tones produced by the beating of their wings for acoustic mating communication. We assessed the impact of disrupting a female-specific isoform of the doublesex gene (dsxF) on the wing beat frequency (WBF; measured as flight tone) of males (XY) and females (XX) in homozygous dsxF- mutants (dsxF-/-), heterozygous dsxF- carriers (dsxF+/-) and G3 dsxF+ controls (dsxF+/+). To exclude non-genetic influences, we controlled for temperature and wing length. We used a phonotaxis assay to test the acoustic preferences of mutant and control mosquitoes.
RESULTS: A previous study showed an altered phenotype only for dsxF-/- females, who appear intersex, suggesting that the female-specific dsxF allele is haplosufficient. We identified significant, dose-dependent increases in the WBF of both dsxF-/- and dsxF+/- females compared to dsxF+/+ females. All female WBFs remained significantly lower than male equivalents, though. Males showed stronger phonotactic responses to the WBFs of control dsxF+/+ females than to those of dsxF+/- and dsxF-/- females. We found no evidence of phonotaxis in any female genotype. No male genotypes displayed any deviations from controls.
CONCLUSIONS: A prerequisite for anopheline copulation is the phonotactic attraction of males towards female flight tones within mating swarms. Reductions in mutant acoustic attractiveness diminish their mating efficiency and thus the efficacy of population control efforts. Caged population assessments may not successfully reproduce natural mating scenarios. We propose to amend existing testing protocols to better reflect competition between mutants and target populations. Our findings confirm that dsxF disruption has no effect on males; for some phenotypic traits, such as female WBFs, the effects of dsxF appear dose-dependent rather than haplosufficient.

Keywords:  Acoustic communication; Anopheles coluzzii; Anopheles gambiae (s.l.); Doublesex; Flight tone; Gene drive; Hearing; Mosquito; Phonotaxis; Vector control; Wing beat frequency

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-04382-x
Sci Robot. 2020 Jun 15. pii: eaba6251. [Epub ahead of print]5(43):

Field performance of sterile male mosquitoes released from an uncrewed aerial vehicle.

J Bouyer, N J Culbert, A H Dicko, M Gomez Pacheco, J Virginio, M C Pedrosa, L Garziera, A T Macedo Pinto, A Klaptocz, J Germann, T Wallner, G Salvador-Herranz, R Argiles Herrero, H Yamada, F Balestrino, M J B Vreysen.

Genetic control methods of mosquito vectors of malaria, dengue, yellow fever, and Zika are becoming increasingly popular due to the limitations of other techniques such as the use of insecticides. The sterile insect technique is an effective genetic control method to manage insect populations. However, it is crucial to release sterile mosquitoes by air to ensure homogeneous coverage, especially in large areas. Here, we report a fully automated adult mosquito release system operated from an uncrewed aerial vehicle or drone. Our system, developed and tested in Brazil, enabled a homogeneous dispersal of sterile male Aedes aegypti while maintaining their quality, leading to a homogeneous sterile-to-wild male ratio due to their aggregation in the same sites. Our results indicate that the released sterile males were able to compete with the wild males in mating with the wild females; thus, the sterile males were able to induce sterility in the native female population. The use of drones to implement the sterile insect technique will lead to improvements in areal coverage and savings in operational costs due to the requirement of fewer release sites and field staff.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/scirobotics.aba6251
J Insect Sci. 2020 Sep 01. pii: 16. [Epub ahead of print]20(5):

Wolbachia in Native Populations of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) From Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

Henry Puerta-Guardo, Yamili Contreras-Perera, Silvia Perez-Carrillo, Azael Che-Mendoza, Guadalupe Ayora-Talavera, Gonzalo Vazquez-Prokopec, Abdiel Martin-Park, Dongjing Zhang, Pablo Manrique-Saide, .

  This study reports the results of a molecular screening for Wolbachia (Wb) infection in Aedes albopictus (Skuse) populations recently established in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. To do so, collections of free-flying adults with BG traps and emerged adults from eggs after ovitrap field collections were performed in three suburban localities of the city of Merida, Yucatan. Overall, local populations of Ae. albopictus present a natural Wb infection rate of ~40% (18 of 45). Wb infection was detected in both field-collected adults (76.5%, 13 of 17) and eggs reared (17.8%, 5 of 28) and in 37.9% (11/29) of females and 43.7% (7/16) of male Ae. albopictus mosquitoes. An initial screening for Wolbachia strain typing showed that native Ae. albopictus were naturally coinfected with both wAlbA and wAlbB strains. The knowledge of the prevalence and diversity of Wolbachia strains in local populations of Aedes mosquitoes is part of the baseline information required for current and future Wolbachia-based vector control approaches to be conducted in Mexico.

Keywords:   Aedes aegypti ; Aedes albopictus ; Wolbachia ; wAlbA; wAlbB

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/ieaa096
Molecules. 2020 Oct 07. pii: E4576. [Epub ahead of print]25(19):

Essential Oil Compositions of Three Invasive Conyza Species Collected in Vietnam and Their Larvicidal Activities against Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus.

Tran Minh Hoi, Le Thi Huong, Hoang Van Chinh, Dang Viet Hau, Prabodh Satyal, Thieu Anh Tai, Do Ngoc Dai, Nguyen Huy Hung, Vu Thi Hien, William N Setzer.

  Mosquito-borne infectious diseases are a persistent problem in tropical regions of the world, including Southeast Asia. Vector control has relied principally on synthetic insecticides, but these have detrimental environmental effects and there is an increasing demand for plant-based agents to control insect pests. Invasive weedy plant species may be able to serve as readily available sources of essential oils, some of which may be useful as larvicidal agents for control of mosquito populations. We hypothesize that members of the genus Conyza (Asteraceae) may produce essential oils that may have mosquito larvicidal properties. The essential oils from the aerial parts of Conyza bonariensis, C. canadensis, and C. sumatrensis were obtained by hydrodistillation, analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and screened for mosquito larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus. The essential oils of C. canadensis and C. sumatrensis, both rich in limonene (41.5% and 25.5%, respectively), showed notable larvicidal activities against Ae. aegypti (24-h LC50 = 9.80 and 21.7 μg/mL, respectively) and Ae. albopictus (24-h LC50 = 18.0 and 19.1 μg/mL, respectively). These two Conyza species may, therefore, serve as sources for alternative, environmentally-benign larvicidal control agents.

Keywords:  Conyza bonariensis; Conyza canadensis; Conyza sumatrensis; Erigeron; mosquito; vector control

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25194576
PLoS One. 2020 ;15(10): e0228695

Mechanisms associated with pyrethroid resistance in populations of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) from the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

Paula X Pareja-Loaiza, Liliana Santacoloma Varon, Gabriela Rey Vega, Doris Gómez-Camargo, Ronald Maestre-Serrano, Audrey Lenhart.

Aedes aegypti is the main vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, which are of great public health importance in Colombia. Aedes control strategies in Colombia rely heavily on the use of organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides, providing constant selection pressure and the emergence of resistant populations. In recent years, insecticide use has increased due to the increased incidence of dengue and recent introductions of chikungunya and Zika. In the present study, pyrethroid resistance was studied across six populations of Ae. aegypti from the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Susceptibility to λ-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, and permethrin was assessed, and resistance intensity was determined. Activity levels of enzymes associated with resistance were measured, and the frequencies of three kdr alleles (V1016I, F1534C, V410L) were calculated. Results showed variations in pyrethroid susceptibility across Ae. aegypti populations and altered enzyme activity levels were detected. The kdr alleles were detected in all populations, with high variations in frequencies: V1016I (frequency ranging from 0.15-0.70), F1534C (range 0.94-1.00), and V410L (range 0.05-0.72). In assays of phenotyped individuals, associations were observed between the presence of V1016I, F1534C, and V410L alleles and resistance to the evaluated pyrethroids, as well as between the VI1016/CC1534/VL410 tri-locus genotype and λ-cyhalothrin and permethrin resistance. The results of the present study contribute to the knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the resistance to key pyrethroids used to control Ae. aegypti along the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228695
Environ Res. 2020 Oct 04. pii: S0013-9351(20)31182-8. [Epub ahead of print] 110285

Climate variability, socio-ecological factors and dengue transmission in tropical Queensland, Australia: A Bayesian spatial analysis.

Rokeya Akter, Wenbiao Hu, Michelle Gatton, Hilary Bambrick, Jian Cheng, Shilu Tong.

  BACKGROUND: Dengue is a wide-spread mosquito-borne disease globally with a likelihood of becoming endemic in tropical Queensland, Australia. The aim of this study was to analyse the spatial variation of dengue notifications in relation to climate variability and socio-ecological factors in the tropical climate zone of Queensland, Australia.METHODS: Data on the number of dengue cases and climate variables including minimum temperature, maximum temperature and rainfall for the period of January 1st, 2010 to December 31st, 2015 were obtained for each statistical local area (SLA) from Queensland Health and Australian Bureau of Meteorology, respectively. Socio-ecological data including estimated resident population, percentage of Indigenous population, housing structure (specifically terrace house), socio-economic index and land use types for each SLA were obtained from Australian Bureau of Statistics, and Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, respectively. To quantify the relationship between dengue, climate and socio-ecological factors, multivariate Poisson regression models in a Bayesian framework were developed with a conditional autoregressive prior structure. Posterior parameters were estimated using Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation with Gibbs sampling.
RESULTS: In the tropical climate zone of Queensland, the estimated number of dengue cases was predicted to increase by 85% [95% Credible Interval (CrI): 25%, 186%] and 7% (95% CrI: 0.1%, 14%) for a 1-mm increase in average annual rainfall and 1% increase in the proportion of terrace houses, respectively. The estimated spatial variation (structured random effects) was small compared to the remaining unstructured variation, suggesting that the inclusion of covariates resulted in no residual spatial autocorrelation in dengue data.
CONCLUSIONS: Climate and socio-ecological factors explained much of the heterogeneity of dengue transmission dynamics in the tropical climate zone of Queensland. Results will help to further understand the risk factors of dengue transmission and will provide scientific evidence in designing effective local dengue control programs in the most needed areas.

Keywords:  Bayesian analysis; Dengue; Spatial analysis; Tropical climate zone

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.110285
Environ Health Insights. 2020 ;14 1178630220952806

Short-Term, Large-Area Survey of Container Aedes spp. (Diptera: Culicidae): Presence and Abundance is Associated with Fine-scale Landscape Factors in North Carolina, USA.

Michael H Reiskind, Diane M Styers, Isaac Hayes, Stephanie L Richards, Michael S Doyle, Emily Mx Reed, Brandon Hollingsworth, Brian D Byrd.

  Container Aedes mosquitoes are responsible for the transmission of anthroponotic and zoonotic viruses to people. The surveillance and control of these mosquitoes is an important part of public health protection and prevention of mosquito-borne disease. In this study, we surveyed 327 sites over 2 weeks in late June and early July in 2017 in North Carolina, USA for the presence and abundance of Aedes spp. eggs in an effort to better target potential Ae. aegypti collections. We examined the ability of 2 types of landscape data, Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) and National Land Cover Database (NLCD) to explain the presence and abundance of eggs using principal component analysis to deal with collinearity, followed by generalized linear regression. We explained variation of both egg presence and abundance for Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Aedes triseriatus (Say) using both NLCD and LIDAR data. However, the ability to make robust predictions was limited by variation in the data. Increased sampling time and better landscape data would likely improve the predictive ability of our models, as would a better understanding of oviposition behavior.

Keywords:  Aedes albopictus; LIDAR; Light detection and ranging; mosquito ecology

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/1178630220952806
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Oct 07. pii: E7309. [Epub ahead of print]17(19):

Process Evaluation of a Community-Based Microbial Larviciding Intervention for Malaria Control in Rural Tanzania.

Nina Berlin Rubin, Leonard E G Mboera, Adriane Lesser, Marie Lynn Miranda, Randall Kramer.

  Microbial larviciding can be an effective component of integrated vector management malaria control schemes, although it is not commonly implemented. Moreover, quality control and evaluation of intervention activities are essential to evaluate the potential of community-based larviciding interventions. We conducted a process evaluation of a larval source management intervention in rural Tanzania where local staff were employed to apply microbial larvicide to mosquito breeding habitats with the aim of long-term reductions in malaria transmission. We developed a logic model to guide the process evaluation and then established quantitative indicators to measure intervention success. Quantitative analysis of intervention reach, exposure, and fidelity was performed to assess larvicide application, and interviews with larviciding staff were reviewed to provide context to quantitative results. Results indicate that the intervention was successful in terms of reach, as staff applied microbial larvicide at 80% of identified mosquito breeding habitats. However, the dosage of larvicide applied was sufficient to ensure larval elimination at only 26% of sites, which does not meet the standard set for intervention fidelity. We propose that insufficient training and protocol adaptation, environment and resource issues, and human error contributed to low larvicide application rates. This demonstrates how several small, context-specific details in sum can result in meaningful differences between intervention blueprint and execution. These findings may serve the design of other larval source management interventions by demonstrating the value of additional training, supervision, and measurement and evaluation of protocol adherence.

Keywords:  Tanzania; implementation assessment; larval source management; malaria; microbial larvicide; process evaluation; vector control

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197309
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Oct 05.

Role of Abandoned and Vacant Houses on Aedes aegypti Productivity.

Roberto Barrera, Veronica Acevedo, Manuel Amador.

The control of container Aedes species by house inspections usually achieves insufficient coverage and impact because a percentage of residents are absent and some residents refuse inspections and treatments. In addition, another fraction of the buildings may be uninhabited, such as those for rent or sale, or abandoned. Although the productivity of Aedes aegypti has been investigated in abandoned lots, less is known about the importance of uninhabited buildings. We investigated Ae. aegypti pupal productivity in inhabited, vacant, and abandoned houses and its interaction with socioeconomic levels (SELs). We found pupae in containers of 386 houses (66 abandoned, 62 vacant, and 258 inhabited) in 19 neighborhoods in southern Puerto Rico from May to August 2017. Using a generalized linear model, we found a significant interaction between the status of the house (abandoned, vacant, and inhabited) and SELs (low, medium) on Ae. aegypti pupal abundance. More pupae were found in abandoned and inhabited houses of low SELs. The lowest productivity was found in vacant houses, regardless of the SEL. Most containers producing Ae. aegypti in low-SEL houses were discarded on backyards, whereas in medium SELs, most productivity came from containers in use. Septic tanks producing Ae. aegypti were found only in houses of low SELs, where most emerging mosquitoes came from inhabited houses. We did not find any pupae of Ae. aegypti on roofs. These results indicate that proper yard management could significantly reduce the production of Ae. aegypti and the risk of dengue infections in low-SEL neighborhoods.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.20-0829
Euro Surveill. 2020 Oct;25(40):

Detection of West Nile virus in a common whitethroat (Curruca communis) and Culex mosquitoes in the Netherlands, 2020.

Reina S Sikkema, Maarten Schrama, Tijs van den Berg, Jolien Morren, Emmanuelle Munger, Louie Krol, Jordy G van der Beek, Rody Blom, Irina Chestakova, Anne van der Linden, Marjan Boter, Tjomme van Mastrigt, Richard Molenkamp, Constantianus Jm Koenraadt, Judith Ma van der Brand, Bas B Oude Munnink, Marion Pg Koopmans, Henk van der Jeugd.

  On 22 August, a common whitethroat in the Netherlands tested positive for West Nile virus lineage 2. The same bird had tested negative in spring. Subsequent testing of Culex mosquitoes collected in August and early September in the same location generated two of 44 positive mosquito pools, providing first evidence for enzootic transmission in the Netherlands. Sequences generated from the positive mosquito pools clustered with sequences that originate from Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Keywords:  Europe; West Nile Virus; West Nile fever; epidemiology; molecular methods, sequencing; outbreaks; surveillance; the Netherlands; viral infections; zoonotic infections

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.40.2001704
Wellcome Open Res. 2020 ;5 171

Fitness cost of insecticide resistance on the life-traits of a Anopheles coluzzii population from the city of Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Diane Leslie Nkahe, Edmond Kopya, Borel Djiappi-Tchamen, Wilson Toussile, Nadege Sonhafouo-Chiana, Sevilor Kekeunou, Remy Mimpfoundi, Parfait Awono-Ambene, Charles Sinclair Wondji, Christophe Antonio-Nkondjio.

  Background: Pyrethroid resistance is rapidly expanding in An. gambiae s.l. populations across Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet there is still not enough information on the fitness cost of insecticide resistance . In the present study, the fitness cost of insecticide resistance on Anopheles coluzzii population from the city of Yaoundé was investigated. Methods: A resistant An. coluzzii colony was established from field collected mosquitoes resistant to both DDT and pyrethroid and selected for 12 generations with deltamethrin 0.05%. The Ngousso laboratory susceptible strain was used as control. A total of 100 females of each strain were blood fed and allowed for individual eggs laying, and then different life traits parameters such as fecundity, fertility, larval development time, emergence rate and longevity were measured. The TaqMan assay was used to screen for the presence of the L1014F and L1014S kdr mutations. Results: Field collected mosquitoes from the F0 generation had a mortality rate of 2.05% for DDT, 34.16% for permethrin and 50.23% for deltamethrin. The mortality rate of the F12 generation was 30.48% for deltamethrin, 1.25% for permethrin and 0% for DDT. The number of eggs laid per female was lower in the resistant colony compared to the susceptible (p <0.0001). Insecticide resistant larvae were found with a significantly long larval development time (10.61±0.33 days) compare to susceptible (7.57±0.35 days). The number of emerging females was significantly high in the susceptible group compared to the resistant . The adults lifespan was also significantly high for susceptible (21.73±1.19 days) compared to resistant (14.63±0.68 days). Only the L1014F- kdr allele was detected in resistant population.. Conclusion: The study suggests that pyrethroid resistance is likely associated with a high fitness cost on An.coluzzii populations. The addition of new tools targeting specifically larval stages could improve malaria vectors control and insecticide resistance management.

Keywords:  An. coluzzii; Cameroon; Yaoundé; fitness cost; insecticide resistance; life-traits

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16039.1
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020 Oct;14(10): e0008658

Neighbor danger: Yellow fever virus epizootics in urban and urban-rural transition areas of Minas Gerais state, during 2017-2018 yellow fever outbreaks in Brazil.

Lívia Sacchetto, Natalia Ingrid Oliveira Silva, Izabela Maurício de Rezende, Matheus Soares Arruda, Thais Alkifeles Costa, Érica Munhoz de Mello, Gabriela Fernanda Garcia Oliveira, Pedro Augusto Alves, Vítor Emídio de Mendonça, Rodolfo German Antonelli Vidal Stumpp, Alaine Izabela Alves Prado, Adriano Pereira Paglia, Fernando Araújo Perini, Maurício Lacerda Nogueira, Erna Geessien Kroon, Benoit de Thoisy, Giliane de Souza Trindade, Betânia Paiva Drumond.

BACKGROUND: From the end of 2016 until the beginning of 2019, Brazil faced a massive sylvatic yellow fever (YF) outbreak. The 2016-2019 YF epidemics affected densely populated areas, especially the Southeast region, causing thousands of deaths of humans and non-human primates (NHP).METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We conducted a molecular investigation of yellow fever virus (YFV) RNA in 781 NHP carcasses collected in the urban, urban-rural interface, and rural areas of Minas Gerais state, from January 2017 to December 2018. Samples were analyzed according to the period of sampling, NHP genera, sampling areas, and sampling areas/NHP genera to compare the proportions of YFV-positive carcasses and the estimated YFV genomic loads. YFV infection was confirmed in 38.1% of NHP carcasses (including specimens of the genera Alouatta, Callicebus, Callithrix, and Sapajus), from the urban, urban-rural interface, and rural areas. YFV RNA detection was positively associated with epidemic periods (especially from December to March) and the rural environment. Higher median viral genomic loads (one million times) were estimated in carcasses collected in rural areas compared to urban ones.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The results showed the wide occurrence of YF in Minas Gerais in epidemic and non-epidemic periods. According to the sylvatic pattern of YF, a gradient of viral dissemination from rural towards urban areas was observed. A high YF positivity was observed for NHP carcasses collected in urban areas with a widespread occurrence in 67 municipalities of Minas Gerais, including large urban centers. Although there was no documented case of urban/Aedes YFV transmission to humans in Brazil during the 2016-2019 outbreaks, YFV-infected NHP in urban areas with high infestation by Aedes aegypti poses risks for YFV urban/Aedes transmission and urbanization.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008658
Malar J. 2020 Oct 07. 19(1): 357

Lure, retain, and catch malaria mosquitoes. How heat and humidity improve odour-baited trap performance.

Antoine Cribellier, Jeroen Spitzen, Henry Fairbairn, Cedric van de Geer, Johan L van Leeuwen, Florian T Muijres.

BACKGROUND: When seeking a human for a blood meal, mosquitoes use several cues to detect and find their hosts. From this knowledge, counter-flow odour-baited traps have been developed that use a combination of CO2, human-mimicking odour, visual cues and circulating airflow to attract and capture mosquitoes. Initially developed for monitoring, these traps are now also being considered as promising vector control tools. The traps are attractive to host-seeking mosquitoes, but their capture efficiency is low. It has been hypothesized that the lack of short-range host cues, such as heat and increased local humidity, often prevent mosquitoes from getting close enough to get caught; this lack might even trigger avoidance manoeuvres near the capture region.METHODS: This study investigated how close-range host cues affect the flight behaviour of Anopheles female malaria mosquitoes around odour-baited traps, and how this affects trap capture performance. For this, a novel counter-flow odour-baited trap was developed, the M-Tego. In addition to the usual CO2 and odour-blend, this trap can provide the short-range host cues, heat and humidity. Systematically adding or removing these two cues tested how this affected the trap capture percentages and flight behaviour. First, capture percentages of the M-Tego with and without short-range host cues to the BG-Suna trap were compared, in both laboratory and semi-field testing. Then, machine-vision techniques were used to track the three-dimensional flight movements of mosquitoes around the M-Tego.
RESULTS: With heat and humidity present, the M-Tego captured significantly more mosquitoes as capture percentages almost doubled. Comparing the flight behaviour around the M-Tego with variable close-range host cues showed that when these cues were present, flying mosquitoes were more attracted to the trap and spent more time there. In addition, the M-Tego was found to have a better capture mechanism than the BG-Suna, most likely because it does not elicit previously observed upward avoiding manoeuvres.
CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that adding heat and humidity to an odour-baited trap lures more mosquitoes close to the trap and retains them there longer, resulting in higher capture performance. These findings support the development of control tools for fighting mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-020-03403-5
PLoS One. 2020 ;15(10): e0240261

Dissolved organic matter protects mosquito larvae from damaging solar UV radiation.

Nicole L Berry, Erin P Overholt, Thomas J Fisher, Craig E Williamson.

Mosquitoes have increased in their abundance and geographic distribution in northeastern North America, coinciding with an increase in extreme precipitation events and up to a doubling of dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentrations in some inland waters. Increases in DOM can reduce exposure of mosquito larvae to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Although mosquito larvae are most common in shaded habitats, almost nothing is known about their susceptibility to damage by solar UV radiation, or the ability of DOM to create a refuge from damaging UV in their shallow-water habitats. We hypothesize that 1) exposure to solar UV radiation is lethal to mosquito larvae, 2) larvae lack photo-enzymatic repair to fix UV-damaged DNA, and 3) DOM shades larvae from lethal solar UV radiation. We tested these hypotheses with experiments that manipulated UV radiation, the photo-repair radiation necessary for photo-enzymatic DNA repair, and DOM. Exposure to solar UV radiation significantly decreased larval survivorship, while DOM significantly increased it. There was no evidence of photo-enzymatic DNA repair. Our findings confirm that solar UV radiation decreases habitat suitability for mosquito larvae, but DOM provides a refuge from UV. This highlights the need for vector control managers to prioritize high DOM and shaded habitats in their efforts to reduce mosquito populations.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240261
Parasit Vectors. 2020 Oct 08. 13(1): 508

The Mayaro virus and its potential epidemiological consequences in Colombia: an exploratory biomathematics analysis.

Bryan Steven Valencia-Marín, Irene Duarte Gandica, Oscar Alexander Aguirre-Obando.

  BACKGROUND: Mayaro virus (Togaviridae) is an endemic arbovirus of the Americas with epidemiological similarities with the agents of other more prominent diseases such as dengue (Flaviviridae), Zika (Flaviviridae), and chikungunya (Togaviridae). It is naturally transmitted in a sylvatic/rural cycle by Haemagogus spp., but, potentially, it could be incorporated and transmitted in an urban cycle by Aedes aegypti, a vector widely disseminated in the Americas.METHODS: The Mayaro arbovirus dynamics was simulated mathematically in the colombian population in the eight biogeographical provinces, bearing in mind the vector's population movement between provinces through passive transport via truck cargo. The parameters involved in the virus epidemiological dynamics, as well as the vital rates of Ae. aegypti in each of the biogeographical provinces were obtained from the literature. These data were included in a meta-population model in differential equations, represented by a model structured by age for the dynamic population of Ae. aegypti combined with an epidemiological SEI/SEIR-type model. In addition, the model was incorporated with a term of migration to represent the connectivity between the biogeographical provinces.
RESULTS: The vital rates and the development cycle of Ae. aegypti varied between provinces, having greater biological potential between 23 °C and 28 °C in provinces of Imerí, biogeographical Chocó, and Magdalena, with respect to the North-Andean Moorland (9.33-21.38 °C). Magdalena and Maracaibo had the highest flow of land cargo. The results of the simulations indicate that Magdalena, Imerí, and biogeographical Chocó would be the most affected regarding the number of cases of people infected by Mayaro virus over time.
CONCLUSIONS: The temperature in each of the provinces influences the local population dynamics of Ae. aegypti and passive migration via transport of land cargo plays an important role on how the Mayaro virus would be disseminated in the human population. Once this arbovirus begins an urban cycle, the most-affected departments would be Antioquia, Santander, Norte de Santander, Cesar (Provinces of Magdalena), and Valle del Cauca, and Chocó (biogeographical province of Chocó), which is why vector control programmes must aim their efforts at these departments and include some type of vector control to the transport of land cargo to avoid a future Mayaro epidemic.

Keywords:  Aedes aegypti; Arbovirus; Biogeographical provinces; Haemagogus; Meta-population model (SEI/SEIR); Passive transport

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-04354-1
EFSA J. 2020 Mar;18(3): e06041

Rift Valley Fever - epidemiological update and risk of introduction into Europe.

Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Julio Alvarez, Dominique Joseph Bicout, Paolo Calistri, Klaus Depner, Julian Ashley Drewe, Bruno Garin-Bastuji, José Luis Gonzales Rojas, Christian Gortázar Schmidt, Virginie Michel, Miguel Ángel Miranda Chueca, Helen Clare Roberts, Liisa Helena Sihvonen, Karl Stahl, Antonio Velarde Calvo, Arvo Viltrop, Christoph Winckler, Bernard Bett, Catherine Cetre-Sossah, Veronique Chevalier, Clazien Devos, Simon Gubbins, Federica Monaco, Antoniou Sotiria-Eleni, Alessandro Broglia, José Cortiñas Abrahantes, Sofie Dhollander, Yves Van Der Stede, Gabriele Zancanaro.

  Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a vector-borne disease transmitted by a broad spectrum of mosquito species, especially Aedes and Culex genus, to animals (domestic and wild ruminants and camels) and humans. Rift Valley fever is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa and in the Arabian Peninsula, with periodic epidemics characterised by 5-15 years of inter-epizootic periods. In the last two decades, RVF was notified in new African regions (e.g. Sahel), RVF epidemics occurred more frequently and low-level enzootic virus circulation has been demonstrated in livestock in various areas. Recent outbreaks in a French overseas department and some seropositive cases detected in Turkey, Tunisia and Libya raised the attention of the EU for a possible incursion into neighbouring countries. The movement of live animals is the most important pathway for RVF spread from the African endemic areas to North Africa and the Middle East. The movement of infected animals and infected vectors when shipped by flights, containers or road transport is considered as other plausible pathways of introduction into Europe. The overall risk of introduction of RVF into EU through the movement of infected animals is very low in all the EU regions and in all MSs (less than one epidemic every 500 years), given the strict EU animal import policy. The same level of risk of introduction in all the EU regions was estimated also considering the movement of infected vectors, with the highest level for Belgium, Greece, Malta, the Netherlands (one epidemic every 228-700 years), mainly linked to the number of connections by air and sea transports with African RVF infected countries. Although the EU territory does not seem to be directly exposed to an imminent risk of RVFV introduction, the risk of further spread into countries neighbouring the EU and the risks of possible introduction of infected vectors, suggest that EU authorities need to strengthen their surveillance and response capacities, as well as the collaboration with North African and Middle Eastern countries.

Keywords:  Rift Valley Fever; introduction; livestock; mosquitoes; transmission; vectors

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6041
Trends Parasitol. 2020 Oct 06. pii: S1471-4922(20)30247-6. [Epub ahead of print]

Yes, Irradiated Sterile Male Mosquitoes Can Be Sexually Competitive!

Jérémy Bouyer, Marc J B Vreysen.

  Adequate sexual competitiveness of sterile males is a prerequisite for genetic control methods, including the sterile insect technique. During the past decade several semi-field and open-field trials demonstrated that irradiated male mosquitoes can be competitive.

Keywords:  Aedes; Anopheles; Fried competitiveness index; dengue; malaria; sterile insect technique

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2020.09.005
Trop Med Infect Dis. 2020 Oct 03. pii: E156. [Epub ahead of print]5(4):

Dengue Infections in Colombia: Epidemiological Trends of a Hyperendemic Country.

Hernando Gutierrez-Barbosa, Sandra Medina-Moreno, Juan C Zapata, Joel V Chua.

  Dengue is a major public health problem in hyperendemic countries like Colombia, the understanding of the epidemiological trends is important for the development of efficient public health policies. We conducted a systematic review of the epidemiologic data on dengue in Colombia from 1971 to 2020. A total of 375 relevant citations were identified, 36 of which fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The data of dengue and severe dengue cases, infection fatality rate, and serotype distribution were used to understand and identify gaps in the epidemiological knowledge in Colombia. The epidemiology of dengue in this country was characterized by five main outbreaks in 1998, 2002, 2010, 2013, and 2019 with high fatality rates in comparison with the average values reported in the Americas. The case fatality rate of severe dengue exceeded 2% and all four serotypes co-circulate throughout the country with some regional variations. Overall, the behavior of dengue in Colombia is influenced by multiple factors including seasonal temperature variation and socioeconomic conditions. Additionally, the most important barriers in the epidemiological surveillance of dengue may be due to the insufficient notification rate in some regions and the low active search for the circulation of different serotypes.

Keywords:  Colombia; dengue virus; endemic diseases; epidemiology

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed5040156
Glob Chang Biol. 2020 Oct 09.

Warming temperatures could expose more than 1.3 billion new people to Zika virus risk by 2050.

Sadie J Ryan, Colin J Carlson, Blanka Tesla, Matthew H Bonds, Calistus N Ngonghala, Erin A Mordecai, Leah R Johnson, Courtney C Murdock.

  In the aftermath of the 2015 pandemic of Zika virus, concerns over links between climate change and emerging arboviruses have become more pressing. Given the potential that much of the world might remain at risk from the virus, we used a previously established temperature-dependent transmission model for Zika virus (ZIKV) to project climate change impacts on transmission suitability risk by mid-century (a generation into the future). Based on these model predictions, in the worst-case scenario, over 1.3 billion new people could face suitable transmission temperatures for ZIKV by 2050. The next generation will face substantially increased ZIKV transmission temperature suitability in North America and Europe, where naïve populations might be particularly vulnerable. Mitigating climate change even to moderate emissions scenarios could significantly reduce global expansion of climates suitable for ZIKV transmission, potentially protecting around 200 million people. Given these suitability risk projections, we suggest an increased priority on research establishing the immune history of vulnerable populations, modeling when and where the next ZIKV outbreak might occur, evaluating the efficacy of conventional and novel intervention measures, and increasing surveillance efforts to prevent further expansion of ZIKV.

Keywords:  Aedes aegypti; Zika virus; arboviruses; climate change; disease risk; vector borne diseases

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15384