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Rauhöft L, Șuleșco T, Martins Afonso SM, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Jöst H, Sauer FG, Lühken R. Large-scale performance assessment of the BG-Counter 2 used with two different mosquito traps. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:273. [PMID: 38937756 PMCID: PMC11209956 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06338-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mosquitoes are important vectors of pathogens. They are usually collected with CO2-baited traps and subsequently identified by morphology. This procedure is very time-consuming. Automatic counting traps could facilitate timely evaluation of the local risk for mosquito-borne pathogen transmission or decision-making on vector control measures, but the counting accuracy of such devices has rarely been validated in the field. METHODS The Biogents (BG)-Counter 2 automatically counts mosquitoes by discriminating the size of captured objects directly in the field and transmits the data to a cloud server. To assess the accuracy of this counting device, 27 traps were placed at 19 sampling sites across Germany and used in daily, weekly or bimonthly intervals from April until October 2021. The BG-Counter 2 was attached to a CO2-trap (BG-Pro trap = CO2-Pro) and the same trap was converted to also attract gravid mosquitoes (upside-down BG-Pro trap with a water container beneath = CO2-Pro-gravid). All captured mosquitoes were identified by morphology. The number of females (unfed and gravid), mosquito diversity and the number of identified specimens in relation to the counting data of the BG-Counter were compared between the two trapping devices to evaluate sampling success and counting accuracy. RESULTS In total 26,714 mosquitoes were collected during 854 trap days. The CO2-Pro-gravid trap captured significantly more mosquitoes per trap day for all specimens, gravid females and non-gravid females, while there was no difference in the mosquito diversity. The linear model with the captured mosquitoes as a response and the counted specimens as a predictor explained only a small degree of the variation within the data (R2 = 0.16), but per individual trap the value could reach up to 0.62 (mean R2 = 0.23). The counting accuracy for the daily samples had a significant positive correlation with sample size, resulting in higher accuracy for the CO2-Pro-gravid trap and higher accuracy for sites and sampling months with high mosquito abundance. CONCLUSIONS While the accuracy of the BG-Counter 2 is quite low, the device is able to depict mosquito phenology and provide information about local population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leif Rauhöft
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Tatiana Șuleșco
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Universität Hamburg, 22609, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hanna Jöst
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Felix G Sauer
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Renke Lühken
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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Brown JJ, Pascual M, Wimberly MC, Johnson LR, Murdock CC. Humidity - The overlooked variable in the thermal biology of mosquito-borne disease. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1029-1049. [PMID: 37349261 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases cause significant financial and human loss, with billions of dollars spent on control. Arthropod vectors experience a complex suite of environmental factors that affect fitness, population growth and species interactions across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Temperature and water availability are two of the most important abiotic variables influencing their distributions and abundances. While extensive research on temperature exists, the influence of humidity on vector and pathogen parameters affecting disease dynamics are less understood. Humidity is often underemphasized, and when considered, is often treated as independent of temperature even though desiccation likely contributes to declines in trait performance at warmer temperatures. This Perspectives explores how humidity shapes the thermal performance of mosquito-borne pathogen transmission. We summarize what is known about its effects and propose a conceptual model for how temperature and humidity interact to shape the range of temperatures across which mosquitoes persist and achieve high transmission potential. We discuss how failing to account for these interactions hinders efforts to forecast transmission dynamics and respond to epidemics of mosquito-borne infections. We outline future research areas that will ground the effects of humidity on the thermal biology of pathogen transmission in a theoretical and empirical framework to improve spatial and temporal prediction of vector-borne pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel J Brown
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Mercedes Pascual
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Michael C Wimberly
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Leah R Johnson
- Department of Statistics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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Hribar LJ, Boehmler MB, Murray HL, Pruszynski CA, Leal AL. Mosquito Surveillance and Insecticide Resistance Monitoring Conducted by the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, Monroe County, Florida, USA. INSECTS 2022; 13:927. [PMID: 36292875 PMCID: PMC9603856 DOI: 10.3390/insects13100927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Mosquito control programs in the State of Florida are charged with protecting human and animal health, fostering economic development of the State, permitting enjoyment of the natural attractions in Florida, and improving the quality of life of citizens. Mosquito control programs must accomplish these tasks in such a manner as will protect the environment and terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems. The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District provides a science-based Integrated Pest Management mosquito control program to the residents of the Florida Keys, Monroe County, Florida. Operational decisions are based on surveillance of adult and immature mosquitoes. Mosquito populations are monitored by means of carbon dioxide-baited light traps BG Sentinel traps, truck traps, gravid traps, oviposition traps, and human landing rate counts. Larvae and pupae are monitored by inspections of natural and human-made immature habitats. Due to past and current reliance on chemical pesticides for control of mosquitoes, the District maintains a pesticide resistance detection program consisting of CDC bottle bioassays and larval bioassays, challenging local mosquito species with currently used adulticides and larvicides.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Heidi L. Murray
- Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, Marathon, FL 33030, USA
| | | | - Andrea L. Leal
- Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, Marathon, FL 33030, USA
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Lai Z, Wu J, Xiao X, Xie L, Liu T, Zhou J, Xu Y, Cai Y, Lin F, Li B, Gan L, James AA, Chen XG. Development and evaluation of an efficient and real-time monitoring system for the vector mosquitoes, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010701. [PMID: 36074773 PMCID: PMC9455839 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
The surveillance of vector mosquitoes is essential for prevention and control of mosquito-borne diseases. In this study, we developed an internet-based vector mosquito monitor, MS-300, and evaluated its efficiency for the capture of the important vector mosquitoes, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus, in laboratory and field trials.
Methodology/Principal findings
The linear sizes of adult Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus were measured and an infrared window was designed based on these data. A device to specifically attract these two species and automatically transmit the number of captured mosquitoes to the internet was developed. The efficiency of the device in capturing the two species was tested in laboratory, semi-field and open field trials. The efficiency results for MS-300 for catching and identifying Ae. albopictus in laboratory mosquito-net cages were 98.5% and 99.3%, and 95.8% and 98.6%, respectively, for Cx. quinquefasciatus. In a wire-gauze screened house in semi-field trials, the efficiencies of MS-300 baited with a lure in catching Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus were 54.2% and 51.3%, respectively, which were significantly higher than 4% and 4.2% without the lure. The real-time monitoring data revealed two daily activity peaks for Ae. albopictus (8:00–10:00 and 17:00–19:00), and one peak for Cx. quinquefasciatus (20:00–24:00). During a 98-day surveillance trial in the field, totals of 1,118 Ae. albopictus and 2,302 Cx. quinquefasciatus were captured by MS-300. There is a close correlation between the number of captured mosquitoes and the temperature in the field, and a positive correlation in the species composition of the captured samples among the mosquitoes using MS-300, BioGents Sentinel traps and human landing catches.
Conclusions/Significance
The data support the conclusion that MS-300 can specifically and efficiently capture Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus, and monitor their density automatically in real-time. Therefore, MS-300 has potential for use as a surveillance tool for prevention and control of vector mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zetian Lai
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Wu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaolin Xiao
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lihua Xie
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tong Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingni Zhou
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ye Xu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiquan Cai
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng Lin
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bin Li
- Guangzhou NewVision Electronic and Technology Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu Gan
- Guangdong Huilimin Pest Control Engineering Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, China
| | - Anthony A. James
- Departments of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics and Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Xiao-Guang Chen
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail:
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Maquart PO, Sokha C, Boyer S. Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) diversity and medical importance in Koh Kong mangrove forests, Cambodia. ASIAN BIOMED 2022; 16:121-129. [PMID: 37551380 PMCID: PMC10321176 DOI: 10.2478/abm-2022-0015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Background Mangroves are an ecosystem interface between land and sea, forming distinctive shallow-water marine communities in tropical and subtropical waters. The mangrove forest surface in Cambodia is being reduced due to deforestation. Because the mangrove type of ecosystem generally hosts a great diversity of mosquitoes, the urbanization of these ecosystems will increase interactions between humans and wild mosquitoes, and might thus serve as a potential source of new infectious diseases. Understanding mosquito diversity and analyzing their virome is critical to estimate the risk of emergence or future outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases. Objective To understand the mosquito diversity of mangrove forests of Koh Kong province (Cambodia). Methods In 2019, the mosquito fauna was sampled for 3 consecutive days using BG-Sentinel and light traps, in 3 locations in the mangrove forests of Koh Kong province (Cambodia) during both dry and rainy seasons. Results A total of 3107 samples were collected, belonging to 10 genera for 34 species. The Culex genus was the most diverse, accounting for 10 species. One species, Culex sitiens, represented over 60% of all collected mosquitoes. A total of 12 medically important species were recorded, 2 species, Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus and Culex vishnui, were collected in all sites and during both the dry and rainy seasons, highlighting a potential risk of these species acting as bridge vectors. Conclusions If new arboviruses were to be recorded in this peculiar area, it would indicate that the mosquito species found have the potential to act as a bridge between sylvatic and anthropogenic arboviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-Olivier Maquart
- Medical and Veterinary Entomology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh12201, Cambodia
| | - Chea Sokha
- Wildlife Health Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Sangkat Tonle Bassac, Phnom Penh12000, Cambodia
| | - Sébastien Boyer
- Medical and Veterinary Entomology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh12201, Cambodia
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Johnson BJ, Manby R, Devine GJ. The Use of Automated Traps to Assess the Efficacy of Insecticide Barrier Treatments Against Abundant Mosquitoes in Remote Environments. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:384-389. [PMID: 34748002 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Commercially available 'smart' trap technology has not yet been widely used to evaluate interventions against mosquitoes despite potential benefits. These benefits include the ability to capture data continuously at fine temporal scales without the human resources usually required for conventional trap deployment. Here, we used a commercially available smart trap (BG-Counter, Biogents) to assess the efficacy of an insecticide barrier treatment (BiFlex AquaMax) in reducing mosquito nuisance in a logistically challenging coastal environment in Queensland, Australia. Adoption of smart trap technology permitted us to conduct a uniquely detailed assessment of barrier treatments, ultimately allowing us to demonstrate significant reductions in mosquito collections from treated properties over all temporal scales. On average, daily mosquito collections from treated properties were reduced by 74.6% for the duration of the post-treatment period (56 d). This observation was supported by similar reductions (73.3%) in mosquito collections across all hours of the day. It was further found that underlying mosquito population dynamics were comparable across all study sites as evidenced by the high congruence in daily collection patterns among traps (Pearson r = 0.64). Despite limitations related to trap costs and replication, the results demonstrate that smart traps offer new precision tools for the assessment of barrier treatments and other mosquito control interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Johnson
- Mosquito Control Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Russell Manby
- Pest Management, Redland City Council, Redland City Council, Cleveland, QLD, Australia
| | - Gregor J Devine
- Mosquito Control Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Ong OTW, Skinner EB, Johnson BJ, Old JM. Mosquito-Borne Viruses and Non-Human Vertebrates in Australia: A Review. Viruses 2021; 13:265. [PMID: 33572234 PMCID: PMC7915788 DOI: 10.3390/v13020265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquito-borne viruses are well recognized as a global public health burden amongst humans, but the effects on non-human vertebrates is rarely reported. Australia, houses a number of endemic mosquito-borne viruses, such as Ross River virus, Barmah Forest virus, and Murray Valley encephalitis virus. In this review, we synthesize the current state of mosquito-borne viruses impacting non-human vertebrates in Australia, including diseases that could be introduced due to local mosquito distribution. Given the unique island biogeography of Australia and the endemism of vertebrate species (including macropods and monotremes), Australia is highly susceptible to foreign mosquito species becoming established, and mosquito-borne viruses becoming endemic alongside novel reservoirs. For each virus, we summarize the known geographic distribution, mosquito vectors, vertebrate hosts, clinical signs and treatments, and highlight the importance of including non-human vertebrates in the assessment of future disease outbreaks. The mosquito-borne viruses discussed can impact wildlife, livestock, and companion animals, causing significant changes to Australian ecology and economy. The complex nature of mosquito-borne disease, and challenges in assessing the impacts to non-human vertebrate species, makes this an important topic to periodically review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oselyne T. W. Ong
- Children’s Medical Research Institute, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia;
- Mosquito Control Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia;
| | - Eloise B. Skinner
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia;
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Brian J. Johnson
- Mosquito Control Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia;
| | - Julie M. Old
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury, Locked bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
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Johnson BJ, Manby R, Devine GJ. Further Evidence that Development and Buffer Zones Do Little To Reduce Mosquito Nuisance from Neighboring Habitat. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MOSQUITO CONTROL ASSOCIATION 2020; 36:204-207. [PMID: 33600590 DOI: 10.2987/20-6951.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Little is known regarding the comparative source-sink relationships between primary mosquito breeding sites (source) and neighboring (sink) environments in heterogeneous landscapes. An exploration of those relationships may provide unique insights into the utility of open-space buffer zone mitigation strategies currently being considered by urban planners to reduce contact between mosquitoes and humans. We investigated the source-sink relationships between a highly productive mosquito habitat and adjacent residential (developed) and rural (undeveloped) coastal environments. Our results suggest that source-sink relationships are unaffected by environment. This conclusion is supported by the high level of synchronicity in daily saltmarsh mosquito abundance observed among all surveyed environments (β = 0.67-0.79, P < 0.001). This synchronicity occurred despite the uniqueness of each surveyed environment and the considerable distances of open water and land (2.2-2.6 km) between them. Trap catches, which we interpret as expected mosquito biting nuisance, were high in both residential and rural coastal landscapes (309.4 ± 52.84 and 405.3 ± 62.41 mosquitoes/day, respectively). These observations suggest that existing and planned open-space buffer zones will do little to reduce the biting burden caused by highly vagile saltmarsh mosquitoes. This strengthens the need for empirically informed planning guidelines that alert urban planners to the real risks of human residential encroachment on land that is close to highly vagile mosquito habitat.
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