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Magallanes S, Llorente F, Ruiz-López MJ, la Puente JMD, Ferraguti M, Gutiérrez-López R, Soriguer R, Aguilera-Sepúlveda P, Fernández-Delgado R, Jímenez-Clavero MÁ, Figuerola J. Warm winters are associated to more intense West Nile virus circulation in southern Spain. Emerg Microbes Infect 2024; 13:2348510. [PMID: 38686545 PMCID: PMC11073421 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2348510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is the most widely distributed mosquito-borne flavivirus in the world. This flavivirus can infect humans causing in some cases a fatal neurological disease and birds are the main reservoir hosts. WNV is endemic in Spain, and human cases have been reported since 2004. Although different studies analyse how climatic conditions can affect the dynamics of WNV infection, very few use long-term datasets. Between 2003 and 2020 a total of 2,724 serum samples from 1,707 common coots (Fulica atra) were analysed for the presence of WNV-specific antibodies. Mean (SD) annual seroprevalence was 24.67% (0.28) but showed high year-to-year variations ranging from 5.06% (0.17) to 68.89% (0.29). Significant positive correlations (p < 0.01) were observed between seroprevalence and maximum winter temperature and mean spring temperature. The unprecedented WNV outbreak in humans in the south of Spain in 2020 was preceded by a prolonged period of escalating WNV local circulation. Given current global and local climatic trends, WNV circulation is expected to increase in the next decades. This underscores the necessity of implementing One Health approaches to reduce the risk of future WNV outbreaks in humans. Our results suggest that higher winter and spring temperatures may be used as an early warning signal of more intense WNV circulation among wildlife in Spain, and consequently highlight the need of more intense vector control and surveillance in human inhabited areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Magallanes
- Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD), CSIC, Seville, Spain
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Llorente
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), CSIC, Valdeolmos, Spain
| | - María José Ruiz-López
- Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD), CSIC, Seville, Spain
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD), CSIC, Seville, Spain
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Martina Ferraguti
- Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD), CSIC, Seville, Spain
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Gutiérrez-López
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER of Infectious Diseases (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ramón Soriguer
- Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD), CSIC, Seville, Spain
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Miguel Ángel Jímenez-Clavero
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), CSIC, Valdeolmos, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD), CSIC, Seville, Spain
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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Bhowmick S, Fritz ML, Smith RL. Host-feeding preferences and temperature shape the dynamics of West Nile virus: A mathematical model to predict the impacts of vector-host interactions and vector management on R 0. Acta Trop 2024; 258:107346. [PMID: 39111645 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is prevalent across the United States, but its transmission patterns and spatio-temporal intensity vary significantly, particularly in the Eastern United States. For instance, Chicago has long been a hotspot for WNV cases due to its high cumulative incidence of infection, with the number of cases varying considerably from year to year. The abilities of host species to maintain and disseminate WNV, along with eco-epidemiological factors that influence vector-host contact rates underlie WNV transmission potential. There is growing evidence that several vectors exhibit strong feeding preferences towards different host communities. In our research study, we construct a process based weather driven ordinary differential equation (ODE) model to understand the impact of one vector species (Culex pipiens), its preferred avian and non-preferred human hosts on the basic reproduction number (R0). In developing this WNV transmission model, we account for the feeding index, which is defined as the relative preference of the vectors for taking blood meals from a competent avian host versus a non-competent mammalian host. We also include continuous introduction of infected agents into the model during the simulations as the introduction of WNV is not a single event phenomenon. We derive an analytic form of R0 to predict the conditions under which there will be an outbreak of WNV and the relationship between the feeding index and the efficacy of adulticide is highly nonlinear. In our mechanistic model, we also demonstrate that adulticide treatments produced significant reductions in the Culex pipiens population. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that feeding index and rate of introduction of infected agents are two important factors beside the efficacy of adulticide. We validate our model by comparing simulations to surveillance data collected for the Culex pipiens complex in Cook County, Illinois, USA. Our results reveal that the interaction between the feeding index and mosquito abatement strategy is intricate, especially considering the fluctuating temperature conditions. This induces heterogeneous transmission patterns that need to be incorporated when modelling multi-host, multi-vector transmission models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suman Bhowmick
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA.
| | - Megan Lindsay Fritz
- Department of Entomology, Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, University of Maryland, USA
| | - Rebecca Lee Smith
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA; Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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3
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Ippoliti C, Bonicelli L, De Ascentis M, Tora S, Di Lorenzo A, d’Alessio SG, Porrello A, Bonanni A, Cioci D, Goffredo M, Calderara S, Conte A. Spotting Culex pipiens from satellite: modeling habitat suitability in central Italy using Sentinel-2 and deep learning techniques. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1383320. [PMID: 39027906 PMCID: PMC11256216 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1383320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Culex pipiens, an important vector of many vector borne diseases, is a species capable to feeding on a wide variety of hosts and adapting to different environments. To predict the potential distribution of Cx. pipiens in central Italy, this study integrated presence/absence data from a four-year entomological survey (2019-2022) carried out in the Abruzzo and Molise regions, with a datacube of spectral bands acquired by Sentinel-2 satellites, as patches of 224 × 224 pixels of 20 meters spatial resolution around each site and for each satellite revisit time. We investigated three scenarios: the baseline model, which considers the environmental conditions at the time of collection; the multitemporal model, focusing on conditions in the 2 months preceding the collection; and the MultiAdjacency Graph Attention Network (MAGAT) model, which accounts for similarities in temperature and nearby sites using a graph architecture. For the baseline scenario, a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) analyzed a single multi-band Sentinel-2 image. The DCNN in the multitemporal model extracted temporal patterns from a sequence of 10 multispectral images; the MAGAT model incorporated spatial and climatic relationships among sites through a graph neural network aggregation method. For all models, we also evaluated temporal lags between the multi-band Earth Observation datacube date of acquisition and the mosquito collection, from 0 to 50 days. The study encompassed a total of 2,555 entomological collections, and 108,064 images (patches) at 20 meters spatial resolution. The baseline model achieved an F1 score higher than 75.8% for any temporal lag, which increased up to 81.4% with the multitemporal model. The MAGAT model recorded the highest F1 score of 80.9%. The study confirms the widespread presence of Cx. pipiens throughout the majority of the surveyed area. Utilizing only Sentinel-2 spectral bands, the models effectively capture early in advance the temporal patterns of the mosquito population, offering valuable insights for directing surveillance activities during the vector season. The methodology developed in this study can be scaled up to the national territory and extended to other vectors, in order to support the Ministry of Health in the surveillance and control strategies for the vectors and the diseases they transmit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Ippoliti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Bonicelli
- Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Matteo De Ascentis
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| | - Susanna Tora
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| | - Alessio Di Lorenzo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| | | | - Angelo Porrello
- Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Americo Bonanni
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| | - Daniela Cioci
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| | - Maria Goffredo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| | - Simone Calderara
- Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Annamaria Conte
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
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Krol L, Remmerswaal L, Groen M, van der Beek JG, Sikkema RS, Dellar M, van Bodegom PM, Geerling GW, Schrama M. Landscape level associations between birds, mosquitoes and microclimates: possible consequences for disease transmission? Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:156. [PMID: 38532512 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06239-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mosquito-borne diseases are on the rise. While climatic factors have been linked to disease occurrences, they do not explain the non-random spatial distribution in disease outbreaks. Landscape-related factors, such as vegetation structure, likely play a crucial but hitherto unquantified role. METHODS We explored how three critically important factors that are associated with mosquito-borne disease outbreaks: microclimate, mosquito abundance and bird communities, vary at the landscape scale. We compared the co-occurrence of these three factors in two contrasting habitat types (forest versus grassland) across five rural locations in the central part of the Netherlands between June and September 2021. RESULTS Our results show that forest patches provide a more sheltered microclimate, and a higher overall abundance of birds. When accounting for differences in landscape characteristics, we also observed that the number of mosquitoes was higher in isolated forest patches. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that, at the landscape scale, variation in tree cover coincides with suitable microclimate and high Culex pipiens and bird abundance. Overall, these factors can help understand the non-random spatial distribution of mosquito-borne disease outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louie Krol
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Deltares, Daltonlaan 600, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Laure Remmerswaal
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marvin Groen
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jordy G van der Beek
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Reina S Sikkema
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martha Dellar
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Deltares, Daltonlaan 600, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter M van Bodegom
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gertjan W Geerling
- Deltares, Daltonlaan 600, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Schrama
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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5
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Ferraguti M, Martínez-de la Puente J, Ruiz S, Soriguer RC, Figuerola J. Landscape and mosquito community impact the avian Plasmodium infection in Culex pipiens. iScience 2024; 27:109194. [PMID: 38433892 PMCID: PMC10906513 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Avian malaria parasites provide an important model for studying host-pathogen interactions, yet understanding their dynamics in vectors under natural conditions is limited. We investigated the effect of vector abundance, species richness and diversity, and habitat characteristics on avian Plasmodium prevalence and lineage richness in Culex pipiens across 45 urban, natural, and rural localities in southern Spain. Analyzing 16,574 mosquitoes grouped in 768 mosquito pools, 32.7% exhibited parasite presence. 13 different Plasmodium lineages were identified, with the lineage SYAT05 being the most commonly found. Parasite prevalence positively correlated with the distance to saltmarshes and rivers, but negatively with the distance to total water source. Parasite lineage diversity was higher in natural than in rural areas and positively correlated with mosquito species richness. These results emphasize the complex dynamics of avian Plasmodium in the wild, with habitat characteristics and vector community driving the parasite transmission by mosquito vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Ferraguti
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación y Cambio Global, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD), CSIC, C/Américo Vespucio, 26, 41092 Seville, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Santiago Ruiz
- Servicio de Control de Mosquitos, Diputación de Huelva, Huelva, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ramón C. Soriguer
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación y Cambio Global, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD), CSIC, C/Américo Vespucio, 26, 41092 Seville, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación y Cambio Global, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD), CSIC, C/Américo Vespucio, 26, 41092 Seville, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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6
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Blom R, Krol L, Langezaal M, Schrama M, Trimbos KB, Wassenaar D, Koenraadt CJM. Blood-feeding patterns of Culex pipiens biotype pipiens and pipiens/molestus hybrids in relation to avian community composition in urban habitats. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:95. [PMID: 38424573 PMCID: PMC10902945 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06186-9] [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: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Culex pipiens sensu stricto (s.s.) is considered the primary vector of Usutu virus and West Nile virus, and consists of two morphologically identical but behaviourally distinct biotypes (Cx. pipiens biotype pipiens and Cx. pipiens biotype molestus) and their hybrids. Both biotypes are expected to differ in their feeding behaviour, and pipiens/molestus hybrids are presumed to display intermediate feeding behaviour. However, the evidence for distinct feeding patterns is scarce, and to date no studies have related differences in feeding patterns to differences in host abundance. METHODS Mosquitoes were collected using CO2-baited traps. We collected blood-engorged Cx. pipiens/torrentium specimens from 12 contrasting urban sites, namely six city parks and six residential areas. Blood engorged Cx. pipiens/torrentium mosquitoes were identified to the species and biotype/hybrid level via real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We performed blood meal analysis via PCR and Sanger sequencing. Additionally, avian host communities were surveyed via vocal sounds and/or visual observation. RESULTS We selected 64 blood-engorged Cx. pipiens/torrentium mosquitoes of which we successfully determined the host origin of 55 specimens. Of these, 38 belonged to biotype pipiens, 14 were pipiens/molestus hybrids and the identity of three specimens could not be determined. No blood-engorged biotype molestus or Cx. torrentium specimens were collected. We observed no differences in feeding patterns between biotype pipiens and pipiens/molestus hybrids across different habitats. Avian community composition differed between city parks and residential areas, whereas overall avian abundance did not differ between the two habitat types. CONCLUSIONS Our results show the following: (1) Cx. pipiens s.s. feeding patterns did not differ between city parks and residential areas, regardless of whether individuals were identified as biotype pipiens or pipiens/molestus hybrids. (2) We detected differences in host availability between city parks and residential areas. (3) We show that in both urban habitat types, biotype pipiens and pipiens/molestus hybrids fed on both mammalian and avian hosts. This underscores the potential role in arbovirus transmission of biotype pipiens and pipiens/molestus hybrids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rody Blom
- Laboratory of Entomology, Plant Sciences Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Louie Krol
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Deltares, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Melissa Langezaal
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Schrama
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Krijn B Trimbos
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Daan Wassenaar
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Constantianus J M Koenraadt
- Laboratory of Entomology, Plant Sciences Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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7
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Ferraguti M, Dimas Martins A, Artzy-Randrup Y. Quantifying the invasion risk of West Nile virus: Insights from a multi-vector and multi-host SEIR model. One Health 2023; 17:100638. [PMID: 38024254 PMCID: PMC10665159 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The invasion of vector-borne diseases depends on the type of specific features of the vector and hosts at play. Within the Culex pipiens complex, differences in ecology, biology, and vector competence can influence the risk of West Nile virus (WNV) outbreaks. To determine which life-history traits affect WNV invasion into susceptible communities the most, we constructed an epidemiological Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered model with three vector (eco)types, Culex pipiens pipiens, Cx. pip. molestus, and their hybrids, and two vertebrate hosts, birds (as amplifying hosts) and humans (as dead-end hosts). We investigated how differences in feeding preferences and transmission rates influenced WNV transmission across different habitats and two seasons (Spring versus Summer), to investigate the impact of increasing mosquitoes on the WNV transmission risk. Our results showed that vector feeding preferences and the transmission rate between mosquitoes and birds were the parameters that most influenced WNV invasion risk. Even though our model did not predict WNV invasion across any of the studied environments, we found that natural habitats displayed the highest susceptibility to WNV invasion. Pipiens (eco)type acted as the primary vector in all habitats. Hybrids, contrary to common opinion, showed minimal involvement in WNV transmission. However, it is important to interpret our study results with caution due to the possibility of idealized spring and summer seasons being reflected in the field-collected data. Our study could be a tool to enhance current vector surveillance and control programs by targeting specific vector types in specific environments, especially in natural habitat, which are most responsive to environmental shifts. The joint approach based on epidemiological modelling based on field collected data can help to reduce wasted time and economic costs while maximizing the efficiency of local public health authorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Ferraguti
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación y Cambio Global, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD), CSIC, C/Américo Vespucio, 26, E-41092 Seville, Spain
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Ecology (TCE), Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Afonso Dimas Martins
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Utrecht, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Yael Artzy-Randrup
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Ecology (TCE), Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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8
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González MA, Goiri F, Cevidanes A, Hernández-Triana LM, Barandika JF, García-Pérez AL. Mosquito community composition in two major stopover aquatic ecosystems used by migratory birds in northern Spain. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 37:616-629. [PMID: 37134155 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are common bloodsucking Diptera frequently found in aquatic environments, which are valuable ecosystems for many animal species, particularly migrating birds. Therefore, interactions between these animal species and mosquitoes may play a critical role in pathogen transmission. During 2018-2019, mosquitoes were collected from two aquatic ecosystems in northern Spain using different methodologies and identified using classical morphology and molecular tools. A total of 1529 males and females of 22 native mosquito species (including eight new records for the region) were trapped using CO2 -baited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) traps and sweep netting. Among the blood-fed female mosquitoes, 11 vertebrate host species-six mammals and five birds-were identified using DNA barcoding. The developmental sites of eight mosquito species were determined across nine microhabitats, and 11 mosquito species were caught landing on humans. The flight period varied among mosquito species, with some peaking in the spring and others in the summer. Our study highlights the advantages of mosquito sampling using various techniques to comprehensively characterise species composition and abundance. Information on the trophic preferences, biting behaviour and influence of climatic variables on the ecology of mosquitoes is also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikel A González
- Department of Animal Health, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development. Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
- Applied Zoology and Animal Conservation Research Group (ZAP), Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Fátima Goiri
- Department of Animal Health, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development. Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Aitor Cevidanes
- Department of Animal Health, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development. Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Luis M Hernández-Triana
- Vector-Borne Diseases Research Group, Virology Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, UK
| | - Jesús F Barandika
- Department of Animal Health, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development. Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Ana L García-Pérez
- Department of Animal Health, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development. Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
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9
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Fesce E, Marini G, Rosà R, Lelli D, Cerioli MP, Chiari M, Farioli M, Ferrari N. Understanding West Nile virus transmission: Mathematical modelling to quantify the most critical parameters to predict infection dynamics. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0010252. [PMID: 37126524 PMCID: PMC10174579 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile disease is a vector-borne disease caused by West Nile virus (WNV), involving mosquitoes as vectors and birds as maintenance hosts. Humans and other mammals can be infected via mosquito bites, developing symptoms ranging from mild fever to severe neurological infection. Due to the worldwide spread of WNV, human infection risk is high in several countries. Nevertheless, there are still several knowledge gaps regarding WNV dynamics. Several aspects of transmission taking place between birds and mosquitoes, such as the length of the infectious period in birds or mosquito biting rates, are still not fully understood, and precise quantitative estimates are still lacking for the European species involved. This lack of knowledge affects the precision of parameter values when modelling the infection, consequently resulting in a potential impairment of the reliability of model simulations and predictions and in a lack of the overall understanding of WNV spread. Further investigations are thus needed to better understand these aspects, but field studies, especially those involving several wild species, such as in the case of WNV, can be challenging. Thus, it becomes crucial to identify which transmission processes most influence the dynamics of WNV. In the present work, we propose a sensitivity analysis to investigate which of the selected epidemiological parameters of WNV have the largest impact on the spread of the infection. Based on a mathematical model simulating WNV spread into the Lombardy region (northern Italy), the basic reproduction number of the infection was estimated and used to quantify infection spread into mosquitoes and birds. Then, we quantified how variations in four epidemiological parameters representing the duration of the infectious period in birds, the mosquito biting rate on birds, and the competence and susceptibility to infection of different bird species might affect WNV transmission. Our study highlights that knowledge gaps in WNV epidemiology affect the precision in several parameters. Although all investigated parameters affected the spread of WNV and the modelling precision, the duration of the infectious period in birds and mosquito biting rate are the most impactful, pointing out the need of focusing future studies on a better estimate of these parameters at first. In addition, our study suggests that a WNV outbreak is very likely to occur in all areas with suitable temperatures, highlighting the wide area where WNV represents a serious risk for public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Fesce
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (DiVAS), Wildlife Health management & One Health Lab, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi (LO), Italy
| | - Giovanni Marini
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Trento (TN), Italy
| | - Roberto Rosà
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Trento (TN), Italy
- Center Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, San Michele all'Adige, Trento (TN), Italy
| | - Davide Lelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini" (IZSLER), Brescia (BS), Italy
| | - Monica Pierangela Cerioli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini" (IZSLER), Brescia (BS), Italy
| | - Mario Chiari
- Regional Veterinary Authority of Lombardy, Direzione Generale Welfare, Milano (MI), Italy
| | - Marco Farioli
- Regional Veterinary Authority of Lombardy, Direzione Generale Welfare, Milano (MI), Italy
| | - Nicola Ferrari
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (DiVAS), Wildlife Health management & One Health Lab, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi (LO), Italy
- Centro di Ricerca Coordinata Epidemiologia e Sorveglianza Molecolare delle Infezioni, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano (MI), Italy
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10
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Giatropoulos A, Koliopoulos G, Pantelakis PN, Papachristos D, Michaelakis A. Evaluating the Sublethal Effects of Origanum vulgare Essential Oil and Carvacrol on the Biological Characteristics of Culex pipiens biotype molestus (Diptera: Culicidae). INSECTS 2023; 14:400. [PMID: 37103215 PMCID: PMC10146918 DOI: 10.3390/insects14040400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Culex pipiens is a mosquito species complex spread worldwide that poses a serious threat to human health as the primary vector of West Nile virus. Its control is mainly based on larvicidal applications with synthetic insecticides on mosquito breeding sites. However, the excessive use of synthetic larvicides may provoke mosquito resistance issues and negative side effects to the aquatic environment and human health. Plant-derived essential oils, including those from the Lamiaceae family, can be eco-friendly alternative larvicidal agents causing acute larval toxicity and/or growth inhibitory effects on the developmental stages of mosquitoes through different modes of action. In the current laboratory study, we evaluated the sublethal effects of carvacrol-rich oregano essential oil and pure carvacrol on Cx. pipiens biotype molestus, the autogenous member of the Cx. pipiens species complex, after the exposure of 3rd-4th instar larvae to LC50 concentrations. The short-term (24 h) larvicidal treatment with the sublethal concentrations of both tested materials exhibited an acute lethal effect on the exposed larvae as well as significant delayed mortality for surviving larvae and pupae. Larvicidal treatment with carvacrol reduced the longevity of the emerged males. In addition, the morphological abnormalities that were observed at the larval and pupal stage along with failed adult emergence indicate the potential growth inhibitory properties of the tested bioinsecticides. Our findings suggest that carvacrol and carvacrol-rich oregano oil are effective plant-based larvicides at doses lower than the acute lethal ones, thus promoting an environmentally friendly and more affordable perspective for their use against the WNV vector Cx. pipiens biotype molestus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasios Giatropoulos
- Laboratory of Efficacy Control of Pesticides, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 14561 Kifissia, Greece
| | - George Koliopoulos
- Laboratory of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Pavlos-Nektarios Pantelakis
- Laboratory of Efficacy Control of Pesticides, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 14561 Kifissia, Greece
- Laboratory of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Papachristos
- Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 14561 Kifissia, Greece
| | - Antonios Michaelakis
- Laboratory of Insects and Parasites of Medical Importance, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 14561 Kifissia, Greece
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11
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Worldwide transmission and infection risk of mosquito vectors of West Nile, St. Louis encephalitis, Usutu and Japanese encephalitis viruses: a systematic review. Sci Rep 2023; 13:308. [PMID: 36609450 PMCID: PMC9822987 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-27236-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing trend of mosquito-borne pathogens demands more accurate global estimations of infection and transmission risks between mosquitoes. Here, we systematically review field and laboratory studies to assess the natural field infection and experimental laboratory transmission risk in Culex mosquitoes. We studied four worldwide flaviviruses: West Nile, Usutu, Japanese encephalitis, and St. Louis encephalitis, belonging to the Japanese encephalitis Serocomplex (JES). The PRISMA statement was carried out for both approaches. The Transmission-Infection Risk of the diverse mosquito species for the different viruses was estimated through seven variables. We considered 130 and 95 articles for field and experimental approach, respectively. We identified 30 species naturally infected, and 23 species capable to transmit some of the four flaviviruses. For the JES, the highest Transmission-Infection Risk estimate was recorded in Culex quinquefasciatus (North America). The maximum Infection-Transmission Risk values for West Nile was Culex restuans, for Usutu it was Culex pipiens (Europe), for St. Louis encephalitis Culex quinquefasciatus (North America), and for Japanese encephalitis Culex gelidus (Oceania). We conclude that on a worldwide scale, a combination of field and experimental data offers a better way of understanding natural infection and transmission risks between mosquito populations.
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12
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Host selection and forage ratio in West Nile virus-transmitting Culex mosquitoes: Challenges and knowledge gaps. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010819. [PMID: 36301825 PMCID: PMC9612463 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To date, no specific therapy or vaccination is available for West Nile virus (WNV) infections in humans; preventive strategies represent the only possibility to control transmission. To focus these strategies, detailed knowledge of the virus dynamics is of paramount importance. However, several aspects of WNV transmission are still unclear, especially regarding the role of potential vertebrate host species. Whereas mosquitoes' intrinsic characteristics cause them to favour certain hosts (host preference), absolute selection is impossible in natural settings. Conversely, the selection carried out among available hosts and influenced from hosts' availability and other ecological/environmental factors is defined as host selection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In July 2022, we searched PubMed database for original articles exploring host selection among WNV-transmitting Culex mosquitoes, the main WNV vector. We considered only original field studies estimating and reporting forage ratio. This index results from the ratio between the proportion of blood meals taken by mosquitoes on potential host species and the hosts' relative abundance. From the originally retrieved 585 articles, 9 matched the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. All but one of the included studies were conducted in the Americas, six in the United States, and one each in Mexico and Colombia. The remaining study was conducted in Italy. American Robin, Northern Cardinal, and House Finch were the most significantly preferred birds in the Americas, Common Blackbird in Italy. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Although ornithophilic, all observed WNV-transmitting mosquitoes presented opportunistic feeding behaviour. All the observed species showed potential to act as bridges for zoonotic diseases, feeding also on humans. All the observed mosquitoes presented host selection patterns and did not feed on hosts as expected by chance alone. The articles observe different species of mosquitoes in different environments. In addition, the way the relative host abundance was determined differed. Finally, this review is not systematic. Therefore, the translation of our results to different settings should be conducted cautiously.
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13
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Giatropoulos A, Bellini R, Pavlopoulos DT, Balatsos G, Karras V, Mourafetis F, Papachristos DP, Karamaouna F, Carrieri M, Veronesi R, Haroutounian SA, Michaelakis A. Efficacy Evaluation of Oregano Essential Oil Mixed with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis and Diflubenzuron against Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus in Road Drains of Italy. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13110977. [PMID: 36354801 PMCID: PMC9698153 DOI: 10.3390/insects13110977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Mosquito management programs in the urban environment of Italian cities mainly rely on larval control with conventional insecticides, primarily targeting the road drains that constitute the principal mosquito breeding sites encountered in public. The repeated utilization of synthetic insecticides may have adverse effects on non-targets and lead to resistance development issues, while the performance of biopesticides encounters limitations in field use. Botanical insecticides as single larval control agents or in binary mixtures with conventional insecticides have been extensively studied in the laboratory as an effective and eco-friendly alternative mosquito control method with promising results. The study herein concerns the investigation, for the first time under realistic conditions in the field, of the joint action of a carvacrol-rich oregano Essential Oil (EO) with two conventional insecticides, namely, the insect growth regulator diflubenzuron and the bio-insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (B.t.i.), in road drains in Crevalcore city, Italy, against Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus. According to the obtained results, the application of both plain EO and its mixtures with diflubenzuron and B.t.i. exerted very high efficacy in terms of immature mosquito population reduction over a two-week period. Three weeks after treatment, the performance of the oil and its mixtures diminished but remained high, while the addition of diflubenzuron potentiated the persistent action of the oil against Cx. pipiens. These findings are indicative of the potential of mixing carvacrol-rich EO with diflubenzuron and B.t.i. as an efficient eco-friendly alternative to mono-insecticide applications in road drains against Cx. pipiens and Ae. albopictus larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Romeo Bellini
- Centro Agricoltura Ambiente “G. Nicoli”, Via Sant’Agata 835, 40014 Crevalcore, Italy
| | - Dionysios T. Pavlopoulos
- Faculty of Animal Sciences, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - George Balatsos
- Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 Stefanou Delta Street, Kifissia, 14561 Athens, Greece
| | - Vasileios Karras
- Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 Stefanou Delta Street, Kifissia, 14561 Athens, Greece
| | - Fotis Mourafetis
- Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 Stefanou Delta Street, Kifissia, 14561 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Filitsa Karamaouna
- Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 Stefanou Delta Street, Kifissia, 14561 Athens, Greece
| | - Marco Carrieri
- Centro Agricoltura Ambiente “G. Nicoli”, Via Sant’Agata 835, 40014 Crevalcore, Italy
| | - Rodolfo Veronesi
- Centro Agricoltura Ambiente “G. Nicoli”, Via Sant’Agata 835, 40014 Crevalcore, Italy
| | - Serkos A. Haroutounian
- Faculty of Animal Sciences, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
- Correspondence: (S.A.H.); (A.M.); Tel.: +30-21-0529-4247 (S.A.H.); +30-21-0818-0248 (A.M.)
| | - Antonios Michaelakis
- Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 Stefanou Delta Street, Kifissia, 14561 Athens, Greece
- Correspondence: (S.A.H.); (A.M.); Tel.: +30-21-0529-4247 (S.A.H.); +30-21-0818-0248 (A.M.)
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14
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Villena OC, Sullivan JH, Landa ER, Yarwood SA, Torrents A, Zhang A, Leisnham PT. The Role of Tire Leachate in Condition-Specific Competition and the Persistence of a Resident Mosquito from a Competitively Superior Invader. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13110969. [PMID: 36354795 PMCID: PMC9693511 DOI: 10.3390/insects13110969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: Condition-specific competition, when the outcome of competition varies with abiotic conditions, can facilitate species coexistence in spatially or temporally variable environments. Discarded vehicle tires degrade to leach contaminants into collected rainwater that provide habitats for competing mosquito species. We tested the hypothesis that more highly degraded tires that contain greater tire leachate alters interspecific mosquito competition to produce a condition-specific advantage for the resident, Culex pipiens, by altering the outcome of competition with the competitively superior invasive Aedes albopictus. (2) Methods: In a competition trial, varying densities of newly hatched Ae. albopictus and Cx. pipiens larvae were added to tires that had been exposed to three different ultraviolet (UV)-B conditions that mimicked full-sun, shade, or no UV-B conditions in the field. We also measured Cx. pipiens and Ae. albopictus oviposition preference among four treatments with varying tire leachate (high and low) and resources (high and low) amounts to determine if adult gravid females avoided habitats with higher tire leachate. (3) Results: We found stronger competitive effects of Cx. pipiens on the population performance and survival of Ae. albopictus in tires exposed to shade and full-sun conditions that had higher concentrations of contaminants. Further, zinc concentration was higher in emergent adults of Ae. albopictus than Cx. pipiens. Oviposition by these species was similar between tire leachate treatments but not by resource amount. (4) Conclusions: These results suggest that degraded tires with higher tire leachate may promote condition-specific competition by reducing the competitive advantage of invasive Ae. albopictus over resident Cx. pipiens and, combined with Cx. pipiens' preferential oviposition in higher resource sites, contribute to the persistence of the resident species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oswaldo C. Villena
- Marine Estuarine & Environmental Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Joseph H. Sullivan
- Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Edward R. Landa
- Department of Environmental Science & Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Stephanie A. Yarwood
- Department of Environmental Science & Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Alba Torrents
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Aijun Zhang
- Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center-West, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Paul T. Leisnham
- Department of Environmental Science & Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Correspondence:
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15
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Dimas Martins A, ten Bosch Q, Heesterbeek JAP. Exploring the influence of competition on arbovirus invasion risk in communities. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275687. [PMID: 36223367 PMCID: PMC9555654 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Arbovirus outbreaks in communities are affected by how vectors, hosts and non-competent species interact. In this study, we investigate how ecological interactions between species and epidemiological processes influence the invasion potential of a vector-borne disease. We use an eco-epidemiological model to explore the basic reproduction number R0 for a range of interaction strengths in key processes, using West Nile virus infection to parameterize the model. We focus our analysis on intra and interspecific competition between vectors and between hosts, as well as competition with non-competent species. We show that such ecological competition has non-linear effects on R0 and can greatly impact invasion risk. The presence of multiple competing vector species results in lower values for R0 while host competition leads to the highest values of risk of disease invasion. These effects can be understood in terms of how the competitive pressures influence the vector-to-host ratio, which has a positive relationship with R0. We also show numerical examples of how vector feeding preferences become more relevant in high competition conditions between hosts. Under certain conditions, non-competent hosts, which can lead to a dilution effect for the pathogen, can have an amplification effect if they compete strongly with the competent hosts, hence facilitating pathogen invasion in the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afonso Dimas Martins
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands,* E-mail:
| | - Quirine ten Bosch
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - J. A. P. Heesterbeek
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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16
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Figuerola J, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ, Ruíz-López MJ, Llorente F, Ruiz S, Hoefer A, Aguilera-Sepúlveda P, Peñuela JJ, García-Ruiz O, Herrero L, Soriguer RC, Delgado RF, Sánchez-Seco MP, la Puente JMD, Vázquez A. A One Health view of the West Nile virus outbreak in Andalusia (Spain) in 2020. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:2570-2578. [PMID: 36214518 PMCID: PMC9621199 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2134055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Reports of West Nile virus (WNV) associated disease in humans were scarce in Spain until summer 2020, when 77 cases were reported, eight fatal. Most cases occurred next to the Guadalquivir River in the Sevillian villages of Puebla del Río and Coria del Río. Detection of WNV disease in humans was preceded by a large increase in the abundance of Culex perexiguus in the neighbourhood of the villages where most human cases occurred. The first WNV infected mosquitoes were captured approximately one month before the detection of the first human cases. Overall, 33 positive pools of Cx. perexiguus and one pool of Culex pipiens were found. Serology of wild birds confirmed WNV circulation inside the affected villages, that transmission to humans also occurred in urban settings and suggests that virus circulation was geographically more widespread than disease cases in humans or horses may indicate. A high prevalence of antibodies was detected in blackbirds (Turdus merula) suggesting that this species played an important role in the amplification of WNV in urban areas. Culex perexiguus was the main vector of WNV among birds in natural and agricultural areas, while its role in urban areas needs to be investigated in more detail. Culex pipiens may have played some role as bridge vector of WNV between birds and humans once the enzootic transmission cycle driven by Cx. perexiguus occurred inside the villages. Surveillance of virus in mosquitoes has the potential to detect WNV well in advance of the first human cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Jiménez-Clavero
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), 28130, Valdeolmos, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - María José Ruíz-López
- Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Francisco Llorente
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), 28130, Valdeolmos, Spain
| | - Santiago Ruiz
- Servicio de Control de Mosquitos de la Diputación Provincial de Huelva, Ctra. Hospital Infanta Elena s/n, 21007 Huelva, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Andreas Hoefer
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28222 Majadahonda, Spain.,European Public Health Microbiology Training Programme (EUPHEM), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pilar Aguilera-Sepúlveda
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), 28130, Valdeolmos, Spain
| | | | - Olaya García-Ruiz
- Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Laura Herrero
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28222 Majadahonda, Spain
| | - Ramón C Soriguer
- Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Raúl Fernández Delgado
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), 28130, Valdeolmos, Spain
| | - Mari Paz Sánchez-Seco
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28222 Majadahonda, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Spain
| | - Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Departamento de Parasitología, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Ana Vázquez
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28222 Majadahonda, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Spain
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17
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Spanoudis CG, Wondwosen B, Isberg E, Andreadis SS, Kline DL, Birgersson G, Ignell R. The chemical code for attracting Culex mosquitoes. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.930665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes use chemical codes to locate and discriminate among vertebrate hosts to obtain a blood meal. Recent advances have allowed for the identification of the chemical codes used by mosquitoes to locate and discriminate humans from other vertebrate hosts. Humans are incidental “dead-end” hosts for the West Nile virus, which is maintained in an enzootic cycle, primarily through its transmission between infected birds by Culex mosquitoes. Host-seeking Culex mosquitoes are attracted to the odor of chicken, which are used in sentinel traps to monitor West Nile virus transmission. Using combined gas chromatography and electroantennography and mass spectrometry we identify a blend of volatile organic compounds present in chicken emanates, including mostly salient bioactive compounds previously identified in human emanates. When released at their identified ratios, this blend elicits behavioral responses of Culex pipiens molestus and Culex quinquefasciatus similar to that to the natural chicken odor. Tested under field conditions, this blend attract Culex spp. and other species of mosquitoes using birds among their hosts. This study provides evidence for conserved chemical codes for resource location by mosquitoes, and highlights the intricate role of CO2 for host-seeking mosquitoes. The identification of conserved chemical codes, which drive innate preference behaviors that are fundamental for survival and reproduction, provides important substrates for future control interventions targeting disease vector mosquitoes.
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18
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West Nile Virus Occurrence and Ecological Niche Modeling in Wild Bird Species and Mosquito Vectors: An Active Surveillance Program in the Peloponnese Region of Greece. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10071328. [PMID: 35889046 PMCID: PMC9320058 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10071328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile Virus (WNV) is maintained in nature in a bird-mosquito cycle and human infections follow a seasonal pattern, favored by climatic conditions. Peloponnese Region, located in Southern Greece, initiated an active WNV surveillance program to protect public health during 2019–2020. The project included monitoring of avian hosts and mosquito vectors, while sampling locations were prioritized after consideration of WNV circulation in birds, mosquitos and humans during previous seasons. Biological materials were collected from 493 wild birds of 25 species and 678 mosquito pools, which were molecularly screened for WNV presence. In this case, 14 environmental variables were associated with WNV detection in wild birds and mosquitos by using two separate MaxEnt models. Viral RNA was not detected in the target species during 2019, although in 2020, it was reported on 46 wild birds of ten species and 22 mosquito pools (Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus). Altitude and land uses were significant predictors for both models and in fact, suitable conditions for virus occurrence were identified in low altitude zones. Bird- and mosquito-based surveillance systems yielded similar results and allowed for targeted vector control applications in cases of increased virus activity. Human cases were not reported on Peloponnese in 2020.
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19
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Abstract
It is unclear whether West Nile virus (WNV) circulates endemically in Portugal. Despite the country’s adequate climate for transmission, Portugal has only reported four human WNV infections so far. We performed a review of WNV-related data (1966–2020), explored mosquito (2016–2019) and land type distributions (1992–2019), and used climate data (1981–2019) to estimate WNV transmission suitability in Portugal. Serological and molecular evidence of WNV circulation from animals and vectors was largely restricted to the south. Land type and climate-driven transmission suitability distributions, but not the distribution of WNV-capable vectors, were compatible with the North-South divide present in serological and molecular evidence of WNV circulation. Our study offers a comprehensive, data-informed perspective and review on the past epidemiology, surveillance and climate-driven transmission suitability of WNV in Portugal, highlighting the south as a subregion of importance. Given the recent WNV outbreaks across Europe, our results support a timely change towards local, active surveillance. Lourenço et al. review historical data and quantify the transmission potential of West Nile virus in Portugal. They report a North-South divide in infection patterns, a higher ecological capacity in the south, and an increasing positive effect of climate change over the last 40 years.
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20
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Manoj RRS, Latrofa MS, Cavalera MA, Mendoza‐Roldan JA, Maia C, Otranto D. Molecular detection of zoonotic filarioids in Culex spp. from Portugal. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 35:468-477. [PMID: 33948978 PMCID: PMC8453905 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the role of dipterans in the transmission of Onchocerca lupi and other zoonotic filarioids, samples were collected from different sites in Algarve, southern Portugal, morphologically identified and molecularly tested for filarioids. Culex sp. (72.8%) represented the predominant genus followed by Culicoides sp. (11.8%), Ochlerotatus sp. (9.7%), Culiseta sp. (4.5%), Aedes sp. (0.9%) and Anopheles sp. (0.3%). Nineteen (2.8%) specimens scored positive for filarioids, with Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus (2%) positive for Dirofilaria immitis (1.4%), Dirofilaria repens, Acanthocheilonema reconditum, Onchocerca lupi, unidentified species of Filarioidea (0.2%, each) and Onchocercidae (0.6%). Additionally, Culiseta longiareolata (6.5%), Ochlerotatus caspius (3%) and Culex laticinctus (0.2%) scored positive for unidentified Onchocercidae, A. reconditum and for O. lupi, respectively. This is the first report of the occurrence of DNA of O. lupi, D. repens and A. reconditum in Culex spp. in Portugal. Information regarding the vectors and the pathogens they transmit may help to adopt proper prophylactic and control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. R. S. Manoj
- Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of BariValenzanoItaly
| | - M. S. Latrofa
- Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of BariValenzanoItaly
| | - M. A. Cavalera
- Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of BariValenzanoItaly
| | | | - C. Maia
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT)Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira, 100Lisbon, 1349‐008Portugal
| | - D. Otranto
- Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of BariValenzanoItaly
- Faculty of Veterinary SciencesBu‐Ali Sina UniversityHamedanIran
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21
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Bakran-Lebl K, Camp JV, Kolodziejek J, Weidinger P, Hufnagl P, Cabal Rosel A, Zwickelstorfer A, Allerberger F, Nowotny N. Diversity of West Nile and Usutu virus strains in mosquitoes at an international airport in Austria. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:2096-2109. [PMID: 34169666 PMCID: PMC9540796 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Increased globalization and international transportation have resulted in the inadvertent introduction of exotic mosquitoes and new mosquito‐borne diseases. International airports are among the possible points of entry for mosquitoes and their pathogens. We established a mosquito and mosquito‐borne diseases monitoring programme at the largest international airport in Austria and report the results for the first two years, 2018 and 2019. This included weekly monitoring and sampling of adult mosquitoes, and screening them for the presence of viral nucleic acids by standard molecular diagnostic techniques. Additionally, we surveyed the avian community at the airport, as birds are potentially amplifying hosts. In 2018, West Nile virus (WNV) was detected in 14 pools and Usutu virus (USUV) was detected in another 14 pools of mosquitoes (minimum infection rate [MIR] of 6.8 for each virus). Of these 28 pools, 26 consisted of female Culex pipiens/torrentium, and two contained male Culex sp. mosquitoes. Cx. pipiens/torrentium mosquitoes were the most frequently captured mosquito species at the airport. The detected WNV strains belonged to five sub‐clusters within the sub‐lineage 2d‐1, and all detected USUV strains were grouped to at least seven sub‐clusters among the cluster Europe 2; all strains were previously shown to be endemic in Austria. In 2019, all mosquito pools were negative for any viral nucleic acids tested. Our study suggests that airports may serve as foci of arbovirus activity, particularly during epidemic years, and should be considered when designing mosquito control and arbovirus monitoring programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Bakran-Lebl
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jeremy V Camp
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jolanta Kolodziejek
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pia Weidinger
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Hufnagl
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adriana Cabal Rosel
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Franz Allerberger
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | - Norbert Nowotny
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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22
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Ferraguti M, Martínez-de la Puente J, Figuerola J. Ecological Effects on the Dynamics of West Nile Virus and Avian Plasmodium: The Importance of Mosquito Communities and Landscape. Viruses 2021; 13:v13071208. [PMID: 34201673 PMCID: PMC8310121 DOI: 10.3390/v13071208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans and wildlife are at risk from certain vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and West Nile and yellow fevers. Factors linked to global change, including habitat alteration, land-use intensification, the spread of alien species, and climate change, are operating on a global scale and affect both the incidence and distribution of many vector-borne diseases. Hence, understanding the drivers that regulate the transmission of pathogens in the wild is of great importance for ecological, evolutionary, health, and economic reasons. In this literature review, we discuss the ecological factors potentially affecting the transmission of two mosquito-borne pathogens circulating naturally between birds and mosquitoes, namely, West Nile virus (WNV) and the avian malaria parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Traditionally, the study of pathogen transmission has focused only on vectors or hosts and the interactions between them, while the role of landscape has largely been ignored. However, from an ecological point of view, it is essential not only to study the interaction between each of these organisms but also to understand the environmental scenarios in which these processes take place. We describe here some of the similarities and differences in the transmission of these two pathogens and how research into both systems may facilitate a greater understanding of the dynamics of vector-borne pathogens in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Ferraguti
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Ecology (TCE), Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Correspondence: (M.F.); (J.M.-d.l.P.)
| | - Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain
- Correspondence: (M.F.); (J.M.-d.l.P.)
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), E-41092 Seville, Spain;
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain
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23
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Ferraguti M, Martínez-de la Puente J, Jiménez–Clavero MÁ, Llorente F, Roiz D, Ruiz S, Soriguer R, Figuerola J. A field test of the dilution effect hypothesis in four avian multi-host pathogens. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009637. [PMID: 34161394 PMCID: PMC8221496 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Dilution Effect Hypothesis (DEH) argues that greater biodiversity lowers the risk of disease and reduces the rates of pathogen transmission since more diverse communities harbour fewer competent hosts for any given pathogen, thereby reducing host exposure to the pathogen. DEH is expected to operate most intensely in vector-borne pathogens and when species-rich communities are not associated with increased host density. Overall, dilution will occur if greater species diversity leads to a lower contact rate between infected vectors and susceptible hosts, and between infected hosts and susceptible vectors. Field-based tests simultaneously analysing the prevalence of several multi-host pathogens in relation to host and vector diversity are required to validate DEH. We tested the relationship between the prevalence in house sparrows (Passer domesticus) of four vector-borne pathogens-three avian haemosporidians (including the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium and the malaria-like parasites Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) and West Nile virus (WNV)-and vertebrate diversity. Birds were sampled at 45 localities in SW Spain for which extensive data on vector (mosquitoes) and vertebrate communities exist. Vertebrate censuses were conducted to quantify avian and mammal density, species richness and evenness. Contrary to the predictions of DEH, WNV seroprevalence and haemosporidian prevalence were not negatively associated with either vertebrate species richness or evenness. Indeed, the opposite pattern was found, with positive relationships between avian species richness and WNV seroprevalence, and Leucocytozoon prevalence being detected. When vector (mosquito) richness and evenness were incorporated into the models, all the previous associations between WNV prevalence and the vertebrate community variables remained unchanged. No significant association was found for Plasmodium prevalence and vertebrate community variables in any of the models tested. Despite the studied system having several characteristics that should favour the dilution effect (i.e., vector-borne pathogens, an area where vector and host densities are unrelated, and where host richness is not associated with an increase in host density), none of the relationships between host species diversity and species richness, and pathogen prevalence supported DEH and, in fact, amplification was found for three of the four pathogens tested. Consequently, the range of pathogens and communities studied needs to be broadened if we are to understand the ecological factors that favour dilution and how often these conditions occur in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Ferraguti
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Doñana Biological Station (EBD–CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Doñana Biological Station (EBD–CSIC), Seville, Spain
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Jiménez–Clavero
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA–CISA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Llorente
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA–CISA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Roiz
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Doñana Biological Station (EBD–CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Santiago Ruiz
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Diputación de Huelva, Área de Medio Ambiente, Servicio de Control de Mosquitos, Huelva, Spain
| | - Ramón Soriguer
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Ethology & Biodiversity Conservation, Doñana Biological Station (EBD–CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Doñana Biological Station (EBD–CSIC), Seville, Spain
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
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24
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Tiron GV, Stancu IG, Dinu S, Prioteasa FL, Fălcuță E, Ceianu CS, Cotar AI. Characterization and Host-Feeding Patterns of Culex pipiens s.l. Taxa in a West Nile Virus-Endemic Area in Southeastern Romania. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2021; 21:713-719. [PMID: 34160283 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2020.2739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Culex pipiens sensu lato has been documented as West Nile virus (WNV) vector in southeastern Romania. Bucharest, the densely populated capital city of Romania, and the surrounding Ilfov county are WNV hotspots. In this area, the morphologically indistinguishable biotypes of Cx. pipiens, namely pipiens and molestus, are usually differentiated by their behavioral and physiological traits. Their involvement in WNV transmission, as suggested by entomological investigations, was not previously documented for each biotype. We used a Real-Time PCR assay based on CQ11 microsatellite to identify the Cx. pipiens biotypes and their hybrids collected in various habitats in the Bucharest metropolitan area. A sympatric distribution of both biotypes was observed, with a preference of green areas for pipiens, and human settings and animal farmlands for molestus. In the latter habitats, pipiens and molestus were found in mixed aboveground populations. A low number of hybrids was found suggesting existence of reproductive isolation. In subway tunnels molestus was dominant with a higher number of hybrids recorded than aboveground. Blood-engorged mosquitoes were identified to biotype and the blood meal source identified by DNA barcoding. Overall, Cx. pipiens s.l. fed mainly on birds, commonly on house sparrows, collared doves, and blackbirds, which are potential WNV-amplifying hosts. The preference for avian hosts was expressed strongest by pipiens biotype, while molestus was substantially less specific, feeding on avian and mammal hosts with similar frequency, with humans representing 20% of the hosts. Hybrids had a host choice closer to that of molestus. These findings highlight the role of pipiens biotype as enzootic/epizootic vector, and specifically show molestus as the bridge vector for WNV. The pipiens and molestus biotypes show important differences in habitat preferences, including oviposition; these findings demonstrate that targeted mosquito control to limit WNV transmission may be possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgiana Victorița Tiron
- Cantacuzino National Medico-Military Institute for Research and Development, Bucharest, Romania
- Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ioana Georgeta Stancu
- Cantacuzino National Medico-Military Institute for Research and Development, Bucharest, Romania
- Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Sorin Dinu
- Cantacuzino National Medico-Military Institute for Research and Development, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Florian Liviu Prioteasa
- Cantacuzino National Medico-Military Institute for Research and Development, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Elena Fălcuță
- Cantacuzino National Medico-Military Institute for Research and Development, Bucharest, Romania
| | | | - Ani Ioana Cotar
- Cantacuzino National Medico-Military Institute for Research and Development, Bucharest, Romania
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25
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Hernandez-Colina A, Gonzalez-Olvera M, Lomax E, Townsend F, Maddox A, Hesson JC, Sherlock K, Ward D, Eckley L, Vercoe M, Lopez J, Baylis M. Blood-feeding ecology of mosquitoes in two zoological gardens in the United Kingdom. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:249. [PMID: 34016159 PMCID: PMC8139098 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04735-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Zoological gardens contain unique configurations of exotic and endemic animals and plants that create a diverse range of developing sites and potential sources of blood meals for local mosquitoes. This may imply unusual interspecific pathogen transmission risks involving zoo vertebrates, like avian malaria to captive penguins. Understanding mosquito ecology and host feeding patterns is necessary to improve mosquito control and disease prevention measures in these environments. METHODS Mosquito sampling took place in Chester Zoo for 3 years (2017, 2018, and 2019) and for 1 year in Flamingo Land (2017) using different trapping methods. Blood-fed mosquitoes were identified and their blood meal was amplified by PCR, sequenced, and blasted for host species identification. RESULTS In total, 640 blood-fed mosquitoes were collected [Culex pipiens (n = 497), Culiseta annulata (n = 81), Anopheles maculipennis s.l. (n = 7), An. claviger (n = 1), and unidentifiable (n = 55)]. Successful identification of the host species was achieved from 159 blood-fed mosquitoes. Mosquitoes fed on birds (n = 74), non-human mammals (n = 20), and humans (n = 71). There were mixed blood meals from two hosts (n = 6). The proportions of blood-fed mosquitoes varied across sampling seasons and sites within the zoos. The use of resting traps and aspiration of vegetation were more efficient techniques for capturing blood-fed mosquitoes than traps for host-seeking or gravid mosquitoes. By relating the locations of zoo vertebrates to where fed mosquitoes were trapped, the minimum travelling distances were calculated (13.7 to 366.7 m). Temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, proximity to zoo vertebrate exhibits, and vegetation level were found to be significantly associated with the proportion of captured blood-fed mosquitoes by generalized linear modelling. CONCLUSIONS Mosquito feeding behaviour in zoos is mainly influenced by time, location (sampling area), temperature, and host availability, which highlights the value of mosquito monitoring in complex settings to plan control strategies and potentially reduce inherent disease transmission risks for humans and threatened zoo vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Hernandez-Colina
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 7TE, UK.
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK.
| | - Merit Gonzalez-Olvera
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 7TE, UK
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK
| | - Emily Lomax
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Freya Townsend
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Amber Maddox
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Jenny C Hesson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Centre, Uppsala University, 751 23, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kenneth Sherlock
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Dawn Ward
- Flamingo Land, Kirby Misperton, Malton, YO17 6UX, UK
| | - Lindsay Eckley
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK
| | - Mark Vercoe
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK
| | - Javier Lopez
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK
| | - Matthew Baylis
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 7TE, UK
- Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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26
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Yan J, Gangoso L, Ruiz S, Soriguer R, Figuerola J, Martínez-de la Puente J. Understanding host utilization by mosquitoes: determinants, challenges and future directions. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1367-1385. [PMID: 33686781 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Mosquito host utilization is a key factor in the transmission of vector-borne pathogens given that it greatly influences host-vector contact rates. Blood-feeding patterns of mosquitoes are not random, as some mosquitoes feed on particular species and/or individuals more than expected by chance. Mosquitoes use a number of cues including visual, olfactory, acoustic, and thermal stimuli emitted by vertebrate hosts to locate and identify their blood meal sources. Thus, differences in the quality/intensity of the released cues may drive host selection by mosquitoes at both inter- and intra-specific levels. Such patterns of host selection by mosquitoes in space and time can be structured by factors related to mosquitoes (e.g. innate host preference, behavioural plasticity), to hosts (e.g. emission of host-seeking cues, host availability) or to both (e.g. pathogen infection). In this study, we review current evidence, from phenomena to mechanisms, of how these factors influence host utilization by mosquitoes. We also review the methodologies commonly used in this research field and identify the major challenges for future studies. To bridge the knowledge gaps, we propose improvements to strengthen traditional approaches and the use of a functional trait-based approach to infer mosquito host utilization in natural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayue Yan
- Doñana Biological Station, Spanish National Research Council (EBD-CSIC), C/Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, 41092, Spain.,Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, 1816 S Oak St., Champaign, IL, 61821, U.S.A
| | - Laura Gangoso
- Doñana Biological Station, Spanish National Research Council (EBD-CSIC), C/Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, 41092, Spain.,Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, Madrid, 28040, Spain
| | - Santiago Ruiz
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Av. Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 28029, Spain.,Service of Mosquito Control, Diputación Provincial de Huelva, Ctra. Hospital Infanta Elena s/n, Huelva, 21007, Spain
| | - Ramón Soriguer
- Doñana Biological Station, Spanish National Research Council (EBD-CSIC), C/Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, 41092, Spain.,CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Av. Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 28029, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Doñana Biological Station, Spanish National Research Council (EBD-CSIC), C/Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, 41092, Spain.,CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Av. Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 28029, Spain
| | - Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Doñana Biological Station, Spanish National Research Council (EBD-CSIC), C/Americo Vespucio 26, Seville, 41092, Spain.,CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Av. Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 28029, Spain.,Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada (UGR), Campus Universitario de Cartuja, Granada, 18.071, Spain
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27
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Brugueras S, Fernández-Martínez B, Martínez-de la Puente J, Figuerola J, Porro TM, Rius C, Larrauri A, Gómez-Barroso D. Environmental drivers, climate change and emergent diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and their vectors in southern Europe: A systematic review. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 191:110038. [PMID: 32810503 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mosquito borne diseases are a group of infections that affect humans. Emerging or reemerging diseases are those that (re)occur in regions, groups or hosts that were previously free from these diseases: dengue virus; chikungunya virus; Zika virus; West Nile fever and malaria. In Europe, these infections are mostly imported; however, due to the presence of competent mosquitoes and the number of trips both to and from endemic areas, these pathogens are potentially emergent or re-emergent. Present and future climatic conditions, as well as meteorological, environmental and demographic aspects are risk factors for the distribution of different vectors and/or diseases. This review aimed to identify and analyze the existing literature on the transmission of mosquito borne diseases and those factors potentially affecting their transmission risk of them in six southern European countries with similar environmental conditions: Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. In addition, we would identify those factors potentially affecting the (re)introduction or spread of mosquito vectors. This task has been undertaken with a focus on the environmental and climatic factors, including the effects of climate change. We undertook a systematic review of the vectors, diseases and their associations with climactic and environmental factors in European countries of the Mediterranean region. We followed the PRISMA guidelines and used explicit and systematic methods to identify, select and critically evaluate the studies which were relevant to the topic. We identified 1302 articles in the first search of the databases. Of those, 160 were selected for full-text review. The final data set included 61 articles published between 2000 and 2017.39.3% of the papers were related with dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus or their vectors. Temperature, precipitation and population density were key factors among others. 32.8% studied West Nile virus and its vectors, being temperature, precipitation and NDVI the most frequently used variables. Malaria have been studied in 23% of the articles, with temperature, precipitation and presence of water indexes as the most used variables. The number of publications focused on mosquito borne diseases is increasing in recent years, reflecting the increased interest in that diseases in southern European countries. Climatic and environmental variables are key factors on mosquitoes' distribution and to show the risk of emergence and/or spread of emergent diseases and to study the spatial changes in that distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Brugueras
- Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Pl. Lesseps, 1, 08023, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Fernández-Martínez
- Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Calle Américo Vespucio, 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Calle Américo Vespucio, 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Tomas Montalvo Porro
- Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Pl. Lesseps, 1, 08023, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Rius
- Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Pl. Lesseps, 1, 08023, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Amparo Larrauri
- Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Diana Gómez-Barroso
- Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
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28
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Mohsin H, Asif A, Fatima M, Rehman Y. Potential role of viral metagenomics as a surveillance tool for the early detection of emerging novel pathogens. Arch Microbiol 2020; 203:865-872. [PMID: 33175192 PMCID: PMC7656497 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-020-02105-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Since the early times, human beings have always been faced with deadly microbial infections, both bacterial and viral. Pathogens such as viruses are always evolving owing to the processes of antigenic shift and drift. Such viral evolution results in the emergence of new types and serovars that prove deadly for humans-like influenza pandemics, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The pandemic of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is the recent example. It has resulted in a great loss of human lives and a serious burden on economy across the globe. To counter such situations, a system should exist for the early detection of emerging viral pathogens. This will help prevent possible outbreaks and save human lives. Most of such deadly novel viruses and viral outbreaks are known to be originated from animal hosts. Regular monitoring of potential hot spots of such emerging microbes, such as zoos and animal markets, through metagenomics could help assess the presence of new viruses and pathogens. In this review, we focus on the potential of viral metagenomics and propose a surveillance system based on it for the early detection and hence prevention of such emerging viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hareem Mohsin
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, Superior University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Azka Asif
- Schoool of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Minhaj Fatima
- Learning Resource Center, University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Yasir Rehman
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Science, University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan.
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29
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González MA, Prosser SW, Hernández-Triana LM, Alarcón-Elbal PM, Goiri F, López S, Ruiz-Arrondo I, Hebert PDN, García-Pérez AL. Avian Feeding Preferences of Culex pipiens and Culiseta spp. Along an Urban-to-Wild Gradient in Northern Spain. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.568835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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30
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Gutiérrez-López R, Bourret V, Loiseau C. Is Host Selection by Mosquitoes Driving Vector Specificity of Parasites? A Review on the Avian Malaria Model. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.569230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Esser HJ, Liefting Y, Ibáñez-Justicia A, van der Jeugd H, van Turnhout CAM, Stroo A, Reusken CBEM, Koopmans MPG, de Boer WF. Spatial risk analysis for the introduction and circulation of six arboviruses in the Netherlands. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:464. [PMID: 32912330 PMCID: PMC7488554 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04339-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Arboviruses are a growing public health concern in Europe, with both endemic and exotic arboviruses expected to spread further into novel areas in the next decades. Predicting where future outbreaks will occur is a major challenge, particularly for regions where these arboviruses are not endemic. Spatial modelling of ecological risk factors for arbovirus circulation can help identify areas of potential emergence. Moreover, combining hazard maps of different arboviruses may facilitate a cost-efficient, targeted multiplex-surveillance strategy in areas where virus transmission is most likely. Here, we developed predictive hazard maps for the introduction and/or establishment of six arboviruses that were previously prioritized for the Netherlands: West Nile virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, Rift Valley fever virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus, louping-ill virus and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus. Methods Our spatial model included ecological risk factors that were identified as relevant for these arboviruses by an earlier systematic review, including abiotic conditions, vector abundance, and host availability. We used geographic information system (GIS)-based tools and geostatistical analyses to model spatially continuous datasets on these risk factors to identify regions in the Netherlands with suitable ecological conditions for arbovirus introduction and establishment. Results The resulting hazard maps show that there is spatial clustering of areas with either a relatively low or relatively high environmental suitability for arbovirus circulation. Moreover, there was some overlap in high-hazard areas for virus introduction and/or establishment, particularly in the southern part of the country. Conclusions The similarities in environmental suitability for some of the arboviruses provide opportunities for targeted sampling of vectors and/or sentinel hosts in these potential hotspots of emergence, thereby increasing the efficient use of limited resources for surveillance.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Joan Esser
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands. .,Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands. .,Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
| | - Yorick Liefting
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Adolfo Ibáñez-Justicia
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors (CMV), National Reference Centre (NRC), Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Henk van der Jeugd
- Vogeltrekstation - Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Chris A M van Turnhout
- Sovon Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Animal Ecology & Ecophysiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Arjan Stroo
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors (CMV), National Reference Centre (NRC), Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Chantal B E M Reusken
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.,Department of Viroscience, WHO CC for Arbovirus and Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marion P G Koopmans
- Department of Viroscience, WHO CC for Arbovirus and Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Willem Fred de Boer
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Ferraguti M, Heesterbeek H, Martínez-de la Puente J, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ, Vázquez A, Ruiz S, Llorente F, Roiz D, Vernooij H, Soriguer R, Figuerola J. The role of different Culex mosquito species in the transmission of West Nile virus and avian malaria parasites in Mediterranean areas. Transbound Emerg Dis 2020; 68:920-930. [PMID: 32748497 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases, especially those transmitted by mosquitoes, have severe impacts on public health and economy. West Nile virus (WNV) and avian malaria parasites of the genus Plasmodium are mosquito-borne pathogens that may produce severe disease and illness in humans and birds, respectively, and circulate in an endemic form in southern Europe. Here, we used field-collected data to identify the impact of Culex pipiens, Cx. perexiguus and Cx. modestus, on the circulation of both WNV and Plasmodium in Andalusia (SW Spain) using mathematical modelling of the basic reproduction number (R0 ). Models were calibrated with field-collected data on WNV seroprevalence and Plasmodium infection in wild house sparrows, presence of WNV and Plasmodium in mosquito pools, and mosquito blood-feeding patterns. This approach allowed us to determine the contribution of each vector species to pathogen amplification. Overall, 0.7% and 29.6% of house sparrows were positive to WNV antibodies and Plasmodium infection, respectively. In addition, the prevalence of Plasmodium was higher in Cx. pipiens (2.0%), followed by Cx. perexiguus (1.8%) and Cx. modestus (0.7%). Three pools of Cx. perexiguus were positive to WVN. Models identified Cx. perexiguus as the most important species contributing to the amplification of WNV in southern Spain. For Plasmodium models, R0 values were higher when Cx. pipiens was present in the population, either alone or in combination with the other mosquito species. These results suggest that the transmission of these vector-borne pathogens depends on different Culex species, and consequently, their transmission niches will present different spatial and temporal patterns. For WNV, targeted surveillance and control of Cx. perexiguus populations appear as the most effective measure to reduce WNV amplification. Also, preventing Culex populations near human settlements, or reducing the abundance of these species, are potential strategies to reduce WNV spillover into human populations in southern Spain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hans Heesterbeek
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain.,Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Jiménez-Clavero
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal - Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CISA), Valdeolmos, Spain
| | - Ana Vázquez
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.,Laboratorio de Arbovirus y Enfermedades Víricas Importadas, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Santiago Ruiz
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.,Servicio de Control de Mosquitos, Área de Medio Ambiente, Huelva, Spain
| | - Francisco Llorente
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal - Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CISA), Valdeolmos, Spain
| | - David Roiz
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Hans Vernooij
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ramón Soriguer
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain.,Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain.,Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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33
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Taieb L, Ludwig A, Ogden NH, Lindsay RL, Iranpour M, Gagnon CA, Bicout DJ. Bird Species Involved in West Nile Virus Epidemiological Cycle in Southern Québec. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17124517. [PMID: 32585999 PMCID: PMC7344584 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17124517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Despite many studies on West Nile Virus (WNV) in the US, including the reservoir role of bird species and the summer shifts of the Culex mosquito, feeding from birds to mammals, there have been few equivalent studies in the neighboring regions of Canada where WNV is endemic. Here, a priority list of bird species likely involved in WNV transmission in the greater Montréal area is constructed by combining three sources of data: (i) from WNV surveillance in wild birds (2002–2015); (ii) blood meal analysis of Culex pipiens–restuans (CPR), the primary enzootic vectors of WNV in the region, collected from surveillance in 2008 and 2014; (iii) literature review on the sero-prevalence/host competence of resident birds. Each of these data sources yielded 18, 23 and 53 species, and overall, 67 different bird species were identified as potential WNV amplifiers/reservoirs. Of those identified from CPR blood meals, Common starlings, American robins, Song sparrows and House sparrows ranked the highest and blood meal analysis demonstrated a seasonal shift in feed preference from birds to mammals by CPR. Our study indicates that there are broad similarities in the ecology of WNV between our region and the northeastern US, although the relative importance of bird species varies somewhat between regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludivine Taieb
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada; (L.T.); (N.H.O.)
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada;
| | - Antoinette Ludwig
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada; (L.T.); (N.H.O.)
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada
- Correspondence: (A.L.); (D.J.B.); Tel.: +33-673-267-496 (D.J.B.)
| | - Nick H. Ogden
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada; (L.T.); (N.H.O.)
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada
| | - Robbin L. Lindsay
- Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Winnipeg, MB R3E 3R2, Canada; (R.L.L.); (M.I.)
| | - Mahmood Iranpour
- Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Winnipeg, MB R3E 3R2, Canada; (R.L.L.); (M.I.)
| | - Carl A. Gagnon
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada;
- Swine and Poultry Infectious Diseases Research Center (CRIPA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada
| | - Dominique J. Bicout
- Biomathématiques et Épidémiologie, EPSP-TIMC, UMR CNRS 5525, Université Grenoble-Alpes, VetAgro Sup, 38700 La Tronche, France
- Laue-Langevin Institute, Theory Group, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble, France
- Correspondence: (A.L.); (D.J.B.); Tel.: +33-673-267-496 (D.J.B.)
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Spanoudis CG, Andreadis SS, Bray DP, Savopoulou-Soultani M, Ignell R. Behavioural response of the house mosquitoes Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex pipiens molestus to avian odours and its reliance on carbon dioxide. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 34:129-137. [PMID: 31912522 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
How Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes select and discriminate between potential avian hosts is critical for understanding the epidemiology of West Nile virus. Therefore, the present authors studied the behavioural responses of Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) and Culex pipiens molestus (Forsskål) to headspace volatiles of three avian species [chicken and pigeon (sexes analysed separately), and magpie], presented either alone or in combination with 600 p.p.m. carbon dioxide (CO2 ). The attraction of Cx. quinquefasciatus to the headspace volatiles of both sexes of chicken, and of female pigeon, in combination with CO2 was significantly higher than that achieved by the CO2 and solvent control. Although Cx. p. molestus was attracted to headspace volatiles of chickens and magpies, it was repelled by those of female pigeons when combined with CO2 . An increased effect between the avian volatiles and CO2 was observed for Cx. quinquefasciatus, whereas the addition of CO2 had no effect on the attraction of Cx. p. molestus females. The results of this study demonstrate that Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. p. molestus are attracted to the odour of potential avian hosts. Future studies aimed at identifying the bioactive volatile compounds in the headspace of chickens may contribute to the potential development of effective surveillance and control tools against Culex species.
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Affiliation(s)
- C G Spanoudis
- Laboratory of Applied Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - S S Andreadis
- Hellenic Agricultural Organization-Demeter, Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, Thermi, Greece
| | - D P Bray
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Unit of Chemical Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - M Savopoulou-Soultani
- Laboratory of Applied Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - R Ignell
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Unit of Chemical Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
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35
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Multi-Approach Investigation Regarding the West Nile Virus Situation in Hungary, 2018. Viruses 2020; 12:v12010123. [PMID: 31968613 PMCID: PMC7019302 DOI: 10.3390/v12010123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The West Nile virus is endemic in multiple European countries and responsible for several epidemics throughout the European region. Its evolution into local or even widespread epidemics is driven by multiple factors from genetic diversification of the virus to environmental conditions. The year of 2018 was characterized by an extraordinary increase in human and animal cases in the Central-Eastern European region, including Hungary. In a collaborative effort, we summarized and analyzed the genetic and serologic data of WNV infections from multiple Hungarian public health institutions, universities, and private organizations. We compared human and veterinary serologic data, along with NS5 and NS3 gene sequence data through 2018. Wild birds were excellent indicator species for WNV circulation in each year. Our efforts resulted in documenting the presence of multiple phylogenetic subclades with Balkans and Western-European progenitor sequences of WNV circulating among human and animal populations in Hungary prior to and during the 2018 epidemic. Supported by our sequence and phylogenetic data, the epidemic of 2018 was not caused by recently introduced WNV strains. Unfortunately, Hungary has no country-wide integrated surveillance system which would enable the analysis of related conditions and provide a comprehensive epidemiological picture. The One Health approach, involving multiple institutions and experts, should be implemented in order to fully understand ecological background factors driving the evolution of future epidemics.
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36
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Camp JV, Nowotny N. The knowns and unknowns of West Nile virus in Europe: what did we learn from the 2018 outbreak? Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2020; 18:145-154. [PMID: 31914833 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2020.1713751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne human and animal pathogen with nearly worldwide distribution. In Europe, the virus is endemic with seasonal regional outbreaks that have increased in frequency over the last 10 years. A massive outbreak occurred across southern and central Europe in 2018 with the number of confirmed human cases increasing up to 7.2-fold from the previous year, and expanding to include previously virus-free regions.Areas covered: This review focuses on potential causes that may explain the 2018 European WNV outbreak. We discuss the role genetic, ecological, and environmental aspects may have played in the increased activity during the 2018 transmission season, summarizing the latest epidemiological and virological publications.Expert opinion: Optimal environmental conditions, specifically increased temperature, were most likely responsible for the observed outbreak. Other factors cannot be ruled out due to limited available information, including factors that may influence host/vector abundance and contact. Europe will likely experience even larger-scale outbreaks in the coming years. Increased surveillance efforts should be implemented with a focus on early-warning detection methods, and large-scale host and vector surveys should continue to fill gaps in knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy V Camp
- Viral Zoonoses, Emerging and Vector-Borne Infections Group, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Norbert Nowotny
- Viral Zoonoses, Emerging and Vector-Borne Infections Group, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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37
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Marini G, Calzolari M, Angelini P, Bellini R, Bellini S, Bolzoni L, Torri D, Defilippo F, Dorigatti I, Nikolay B, Pugliese A, Rosà R, Tamba M. A quantitative comparison of West Nile virus incidence from 2013 to 2018 in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0007953. [PMID: 31895933 PMCID: PMC6939904 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background West Nile virus (WNV) transmission was much greater in 2018 than in previous seasons in Europe. Focusing on Emilia-Romagna region (northern Italy), we analyzed detailed entomological and epidemiological data collected in 2013–2018 to quantitatively assess environmental drivers of transmission and explore hypotheses to better understand why the 2018 epidemiological season was substantially different than the previous seasons. In particular, in 2018 WNV was detected at least two weeks before the observed circulation in 2013–2017 and in a larger number of mosquito pools. Transmission resulted in 100 neuroinvasive human cases in the region, more than the total number of cases recorded between 2013 and 2017. Methodology We used temperature-driven mathematical models calibrated through a Bayesian approach to simulate mosquito population dynamics and WNV infection rates in the avian population. We then estimated the human transmission risk as the probability, for a person living in the study area, of being bitten by an infectious mosquito in a given week. Finally, we translated such risk into reported WNV human infections. Principal findings The estimated prevalence of WNV in the mosquito and avian populations were significantly higher in 2018 with respect to 2013–2017 seasons, especially in the eastern part of the region. Furthermore, peak avian prevalence was estimated to have occurred earlier, corresponding to a steeper decline towards the end of summer. The high mosquito prevalence resulted in a much greater predicted risk for human transmission in 2018, which was estimated to be up to eight times higher than previous seasons. We hypothesized, on the basis of our modelling results, that such greater WNV circulation might be partially explained by exceptionally high spring temperatures, which have likely helped to amplify WNV transmission at the beginning of the 2018 season. West Nile virus (WNV) is one of the most recent emerging mosquito-borne diseases in Europe and North America. While most human infections are asymptomatic, about 1% of them can result in severe neurological diseases which might be fatal. WNV transmission was unusually greater in 2018 than in previous years in many European countries, resulting in a large number of human infections. Focusing on Emilia-Romagna region (Italy), we developed an epidemiological model informed by entomological data; through that we found that exceptionally high spring temperatures might have contributed at amplifying WNV transmission at the beginning of the season, causing greater WNV prevalence in mosquito and avian populations during the summer, which resulted in a higher estimated risk for human transmission. Thus, weather anomalies at the beginning of the mosquito breeding season, which are likely to become more common under the projected scenarios of climate change, might act as an early warning signal for public health authorities, enabling them to design efficient surveillance and prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Marini
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige (TN), Italy
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Province of Trento, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Mattia Calzolari
- Laboratory of Entomology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini”, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Paola Angelini
- Public Health Service, Emilia-Romagna Region, Bologna, Italy
| | - Romeo Bellini
- Dept. Medical & Veterinary Entomology, Centro Agricoltura Ambiente “G. Nicoli”, Crevalcore, Italy
| | - Silvia Bellini
- Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini”, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luca Bolzoni
- Risk Analysis and Genomic Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini”, Parma, Italy
| | - Deborah Torri
- Laboratory of Entomology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini”, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Francesco Defilippo
- Laboratory of Entomology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini”, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Ilaria Dorigatti
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Birgit Nikolay
- Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR2000: Génomique évolutive, modélisation et santé, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Center of Bioinformatics, Biostatistics and Integrative Biology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Andrea Pugliese
- Department of Mathematics, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Roberto Rosà
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige (TN), Italy
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Province of Trento, Italy
- Center Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, San Michele all’Adige (TN), Italy
| | - Marco Tamba
- Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini”, Bologna, Italy
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Tomazatos A, Jansen S, Pfister S, Török E, Maranda I, Horváth C, Keresztes L, Spînu M, Tannich E, Jöst H, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Cadar D, Lühken R. Ecology of West Nile Virus in the Danube Delta, Romania: Phylogeography, Xenosurveillance and Mosquito Host-Feeding Patterns. Viruses 2019; 11:v11121159. [PMID: 31847345 PMCID: PMC6950446 DOI: 10.3390/v11121159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 12/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ecology of West Nile virus (WNV) in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (Romania) was investigated by combining studies on the virus genetics, phylogeography, xenosurveillance and host-feeding patterns of mosquitoes. Between 2014 and 2016, 655,667 unfed and 3842 engorged mosquito females were collected from four sampling sites. Blood-fed mosquitoes were negative for WNV-RNA, but two pools of unfed Culex pipiens s.l./torrentium collected in 2014 were tested positive. Our results suggest that Romania experienced at least two separate WNV lineage 2 introductions: from Africa into Danube Delta and from Greece into south-eastern Romania in the 1990s and early 2000s, respectively. The genetic diversity of WNV in Romania is primarily shaped by in situ evolution. WNV-specific antibodies were detected for 19 blood-meals from dogs and horses, but not from birds or humans. The hosts of mosquitoes were dominated by non-human mammals (19 species), followed by human and birds (23 species). Thereby, the catholic host-feeding pattern of Culex pipiens s.l./torrentium with a relatively high proportion of birds indicates the species’ importance as a potential bridge vector. The low virus prevalence in combination with WNV-specific antibodies indicate continuous, but low activity of WNV in the Danube Delta during the study period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru Tomazatos
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (A.T.); (S.J.); (I.M.); (E.T.); (H.J.)
| | - Stephanie Jansen
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (A.T.); (S.J.); (I.M.); (E.T.); (H.J.)
| | | | - Edina Török
- “Lendület” Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, 2163 Vácrátót, Hungary;
| | - Iulia Maranda
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (A.T.); (S.J.); (I.M.); (E.T.); (H.J.)
| | - Cintia Horváth
- Department of Clinical Sciences-Infectious Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania (M.S.)
| | - Lujza Keresztes
- Center of Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 400372 Cluj Napoca, Romania;
| | - Marina Spînu
- Department of Clinical Sciences-Infectious Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania (M.S.)
| | - Egbert Tannich
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (A.T.); (S.J.); (I.M.); (E.T.); (H.J.)
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel-Riems, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hanna Jöst
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (A.T.); (S.J.); (I.M.); (E.T.); (H.J.)
| | - Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (A.T.); (S.J.); (I.M.); (E.T.); (H.J.)
- Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Universität Hamburg, 20148 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Cadar
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (A.T.); (S.J.); (I.M.); (E.T.); (H.J.)
| | - Renke Lühken
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (A.T.); (S.J.); (I.M.); (E.T.); (H.J.)
- Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Universität Hamburg, 20148 Hamburg, Germany
- Correspondence:
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Pereira PF, Barbosa AM, Godinho C, Salgueiro PA, Silva RR, Lourenço R. The spread of the red-billed leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea) in Europe: The conquest by an overlooked invader? Biol Invasions 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-02123-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Holmes CJ, Benoit JB. Biological Adaptations Associated with Dehydration in Mosquitoes. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10110375. [PMID: 31661928 PMCID: PMC6920799 DOI: 10.3390/insects10110375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Diseases that are transmitted by mosquitoes are a tremendous health and socioeconomic burden with hundreds of millions of people being impacted by mosquito-borne illnesses annually. Many factors have been implicated and extensively studied in disease transmission dynamics, but knowledge regarding how dehydration impacts mosquito physiology, behavior, and resulting mosquito-borne disease transmission remain underdeveloped. The lapse in understanding on how mosquitoes respond to dehydration stress likely obscures our ability to effectively study mosquito physiology, behavior, and vectorial capabilities. The goal of this review is to develop a profile of factors underlying mosquito biology that are altered by dehydration and the implications that are related to disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Holmes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA.
| | - Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA.
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Usefulness of Eurasian Magpies ( Pica pica) for West Nile virus Surveillance in Non-Endemic and Endemic Situations. Viruses 2019; 11:v11080716. [PMID: 31387316 PMCID: PMC6722797 DOI: 10.3390/v11080716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
: In September 2017, passive surveillance allowed the detection of West Nile virus (WNV) lineage 2 for the first time in northern Spain in a northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis). However, a cross sectional study carried out in Eurasian magpies (Pica pica) in a nearby area evidenced that WNV had been circulating two months earlier. Therefore, active surveillance in Eurasian magpies proved its effectiveness for the early detection of WNV in a non-endemic area. Further surveys in 2018 and the beginning of 2019 using young magpies (i.e., born after 2017) showed the repeated circulation of WNV in the same region in the following transmission season. Therefore, active surveillance in Eurasian magpies as well proved to be useful for the detection of WNV circulation in areas that may be considered as endemic. In this manuscript we present the results of those studies and discuss reasons that make the Eurasian magpies an ideal species for the surveillance of WNV, both in endemic and non-endemic areas.
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Rizzoli A, Tagliapietra V, Cagnacci F, Marini G, Arnoldi D, Rosso F, Rosà R. Parasites and wildlife in a changing world: The vector-host- pathogen interaction as a learning case. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2019; 9:394-401. [PMID: 31341772 PMCID: PMC6630057 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In the Anthropocene context, changes in climate, land use and biodiversity are considered among the most important anthropogenic factors affecting parasites-host interaction and wildlife zoonotic diseases emergence. Transmission of vector borne pathogens are particularly sensitive to these changes due to the complexity of their cycle, where the transmission of a microparasite depends on the interaction between its vector, usually a macroparasite, and its reservoir host, in many cases represented by a wildlife vertebrate. The scope of this paper focuses on the effect of some major, fast-occurring anthropogenic changes on the vectorial capacity for tick and mosquito borne pathogens. Specifically, we review and present the latest advances regarding two emerging vector-borne viruses in Europe: Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and West Nile virus (WNV). In both cases, variation in vector to host ratio is critical in determining the intensity of pathogen transmission and consequently infection hazard for humans. Forecasting vector-borne disease hazard under the global change scenarios is particularly challenging, requiring long term studies based on a multidisciplinary approach in a One-Health framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annapaola Rizzoli
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Valentina Tagliapietra
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Giovanni Marini
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Daniele Arnoldi
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Fausta Rosso
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Roberto Rosà
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
- Centre Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
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Jiménez de Oya N, Escribano-Romero E, Camacho MC, Blazquez AB, Martín-Acebes MA, Höfle U, Saiz JC. A Recombinant Subviral Particle-Based Vaccine Protects Magpie ( Pica pica) Against West Nile Virus Infection. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1133. [PMID: 31231320 PMCID: PMC6560071 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV) is a highly neurovirulent Flavivirus currently representing an emergent zoonotic concern. WNV cycles in nature between mosquito vectors and birds that act as amplifier hosts and play an essential role in virus ecology, being, thus, WNV a threat to many species. Availability of an efficient avian vaccine would benefit certain avian populations, both birds grown for hunting and restocking activities, as well as endangered species in captive breeding projects, wildlife reservations, and recreation installations, and would be useful to prevent and contain outbreaks. Avian vaccination would be also of interest to limit WNV spillover to humans or horses from susceptible bird species that live in urbanized landscapes, like magpies. Herein, we have addressed the efficacy of a single dose of a WNV recombinant subviral particle (RSP) vaccine in susceptible magpie (Pica pica). The protective capacity of the RSP-based vaccine was demonstrated upon challenge of magpies with 5 × 103 plaque forming units of a neurovirulent WNV strain. A significant improvement in survival rates of immunized birds was recorded when compared to vehicle-inoculated animals (71.4 vs. 22.2%, respectively). Viremia, which is directly related to the capacity of a host to be competent for virus transmission, was reduced in vaccinated animals, as was the presence of infectious virus in feather follicles. Bird-to-bird transmission was recorded in three of six unchallenged (contact) magpies housed with non-vaccinated WNV-infected birds, but not in contact animals housed with vaccinated WNV-infected magpies. These results demonstrate the protective efficacy of the RSP-based vaccine in susceptible birds against WNV infection and its value in controlling the spread of the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nereida Jiménez de Oya
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Estela Escribano-Romero
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - María-Cruz Camacho
- Grupo de Sanidad y Biotecnología SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC, CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Ana-Belén Blazquez
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel A Martín-Acebes
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ursula Höfle
- Grupo de Sanidad y Biotecnología SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC, CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Juan-Carlos Saiz
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
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Jourdain F, Samy AM, Hamidi A, Bouattour A, Alten B, Faraj C, Roiz D, Petrić D, Pérez-Ramírez E, Velo E, Günay F, Bosevska G, Salem I, Pajovic I, Marić J, Kanani K, Paronyan L, Dente MG, Picard M, Zgomba M, Sarih M, Haddad N, Gaidash O, Sukhiasvili R, Declich S, Shaibi T, Sulesco T, Harrat Z, Robert V. Towards harmonisation of entomological surveillance in the Mediterranean area. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007314. [PMID: 31194743 PMCID: PMC6563966 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Mediterranean Basin is historically a hotspot for trade, transport, and migration. As a result, countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea share common public health threats. Among them are vector-borne diseases, and in particular, mosquito-borne viral diseases are prime candidates as (re)emerging diseases and are likely to spread across the area. Improving preparedness and response capacities to these threats at the regional level is therefore a major issue. The implementation of entomological surveillance is, in particular, of utmost importance. Guidance in designing entomological surveillance systems is critical, and these systems may pursue different specific objectives depending on the disease. The purpose of the proposed review is to draw up guidelines for designing effective and sustainable entomological surveillance systems in order to improve preparedness and response. However, we make it clear that there is no universal surveillance system, so the thinking behind harmonisation is to define evidence-based standards in order to promote best practises, identify the most appropriate surveillance activities, and optimise the use of resources. Such guidance is aimed at policymakers and diverse stakeholders and is intended to be used as a framework for the implementation of entomological surveillance programmes. It will also be useful to collaborate and share information with health professionals involved in other areas of disease surveillance. Medical entomologists and vector control professionals will be able to refer to this report to advocate for tailored entomological surveillance strategies. The main threats targeted in this review are the vectors of dengue virus, chikungunya virus, Zika virus, West Nile virus, and Rift Valley fever virus. The vectors of all these arboviruses are mosquitoes. METHODS Current knowledge on vector surveillance in the Mediterranean area is reviewed. The analysis was carried out by a collaboration of the medical entomology experts in the region, all of whom belong to the MediLabSecure network, which is currently funded by the European Union and represents an international effort encompassing 19 countries in the Mediterranean and Black Sea region. FINDINGS Robust surveillance systems are required to address the globalisation of emerging arboviruses. The prevention and management of mosquito-borne viral diseases must be addressed in the prism of a One Health strategy that includes entomological surveillance as an integral part of the policy. Entomological surveillance systems should be designed according to the entomological and epidemiological context and must have well-defined objectives in order to effect a tailored and graduated response. We therefore rely on different scenarios according to different entomological and epidemiological contexts and set out detailed objectives of surveillance. The development of multidisciplinary networks involving both academics and public authorities will provide resources to address these health challenges by promoting good practises in surveillance (identification of surveillance aims, design of surveillance systems, data collection, dissemination of surveillance results, evaluation of surveillance activities) and through the sharing of effective knowledge and information. These networks will also contribute to capacity building and stronger collaborations between sectors at both the local and regional levels. Finally, concrete guidance is offered on the vector of the main arbovirus based on the current situation in the area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Jourdain
- French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, Research unit MIVEGC IRD-CNRS-Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Abdallah M. Samy
- Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Afrim Hamidi
- University of Prishtina, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, Prishtina, Kosovo
| | - Ali Bouattour
- Université de Tunis El Manar, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, LR11IPT03 Service d’entomologie médicale, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Bülent Alten
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Science, Biology Department, Ecology Section, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Chafika Faraj
- Laboratoire d'Entomologie Médicale, Institut National d'Hygiène, Rabat, Morocco
| | - David Roiz
- French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, Research unit MIVEGC IRD-CNRS-Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Dušan Petrić
- Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Phytomedicine and Environment Protection, Laboratory for Medical Entomology, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Elisa Pérez-Ramírez
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CISA), Carretera Algete-El Casar, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Enkeledja Velo
- Control of Infectious Diseases Department, Institute of Public Health, Tirana, Albania
| | - Filiz Günay
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Science, Biology Department, Ecology Section, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Golubinka Bosevska
- Institute of Public Health of R. Macedonia, Laboratory for virology and molecular diagnostics, Skopje, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
| | - Ibrahim Salem
- Ministry of Health, Central public health laboratory, Ramallah, Palestine
| | - Igor Pajovic
- University of Montenegro, Biotechnical Faculty, Podgorica, Montenegro
| | - Jelena Marić
- PI Veterinary Institute of the Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Khalil Kanani
- Parasitic and Zoonotic Diseases Department, Vector-Borne Diseases programmes manager, MOH, Ramallah, Jordan
| | - Lusine Paronyan
- Epidemiology of Vector borne and Parasitic diseases, National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Health, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Maria-Grazia Dente
- National Center for Global Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Marie Picard
- French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, Research unit MIVEGC IRD-CNRS-Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Marija Zgomba
- Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Phytomedicine and Environment Protection, Laboratory for Medical Entomology, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - M'hammed Sarih
- Laboratoire des Maladies Vectorielles, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Nabil Haddad
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vector-Borne Diseases, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Fanar, Lebanon
| | - Oleksandr Gaidash
- State Body “Ukrainian I. I. Mechnikov Research Anti-Plague Institute of Ministry of Health of Ukraine”, Laboratory of Especially Dangerous Infections Epizootology, Odessa, Ukraine
| | - Roena Sukhiasvili
- National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Silvia Declich
- National Center for Global Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Taher Shaibi
- Reference Laboratory of Parasites & Vector Borne Diseases, NCDC Libya, and Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Tripoli, Libya
| | - Tatiana Sulesco
- Institute of Zoology, Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, Chisinau, Moldova
| | - Zoubir Harrat
- Laboratoire éco-épidémiologie Parasitaire et Génétique des Populations, Institut Pasteur d’Algérie, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Vincent Robert
- French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, Research unit MIVEGC IRD-CNRS-Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
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Esser HJ, Mögling R, Cleton NB, van der Jeugd H, Sprong H, Stroo A, Koopmans MPG, de Boer WF, Reusken CBEM. Risk factors associated with sustained circulation of six zoonotic arboviruses: a systematic review for selection of surveillance sites in non-endemic areas. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:265. [PMID: 31133059 PMCID: PMC6537422 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3515-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Arboviruses represent a significant burden to public health and local economies due to their ability to cause unpredictable and widespread epidemics. To maximize early detection of arbovirus emergence in non-endemic areas, surveillance efforts should target areas where circulation is most likely. However, identifying such hotspots of potential emergence is a major challenge. The ecological conditions leading to arbovirus outbreaks are shaped by complex interactions between the virus, its vertebrate hosts, arthropod vector, and abiotic environment that are often poorly understood. Here, we systematically review the ecological risk factors associated with the circulation of six arboviruses that are of considerable concern to northwestern Europe. These include three mosquito-borne viruses (Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, Rift Valley fever virus) and three tick-borne viruses (Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus, and louping-ill virus). We consider both intrinsic (e.g. vector and reservoir host competence) and extrinsic (e.g. temperature, precipitation, host densities, land use) risk factors, identify current knowledge gaps, and discuss future directions. Our systematic review provides baseline information for the identification of regions and habitats that have suitable ecological conditions for endemic circulation, and therefore may be used to target early warning surveillance programs aimed at detecting multi-virus and/or arbovirus emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen J Esser
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands. .,Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Ramona Mögling
- Department of Viroscience, WHO CC for arbovirus and viral hemorrhagic fever reference and research, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Natalie B Cleton
- Department of Viroscience, WHO CC for arbovirus and viral hemorrhagic fever reference and research, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Henk van der Jeugd
- Vogeltrekstation-Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Arjan Stroo
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors (CMV), National Reference Centre (NRC), Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), Ministry of Economic Affairs, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marion P G Koopmans
- Department of Viroscience, WHO CC for arbovirus and viral hemorrhagic fever reference and research, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Willem F de Boer
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Chantal B E M Reusken
- Department of Viroscience, WHO CC for arbovirus and viral hemorrhagic fever reference and research, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
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46
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Johnson PTJ, Calhoun DM, Riepe TB, Koprivnikar J. Chance or choice? Understanding parasite selection and infection in multi-host communities. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:407-415. [PMID: 30894285 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing debate over the relationship between biodiversity and disease risk underscores the need to develop a more mechanistic understanding of how changes in host community composition influence parasite transmission, particularly in complex communities with multiple hosts. A key challenge involves determining how motile parasites select among potential hosts and the degree to which this process shifts with community composition. Focusing on interactions between larval amphibians and the pathogenic trematode Ribeiroia ondatrae, we designed a novel, large-volume set of choice chambers to assess how the selectivity of free-swimming infectious parasites varied among five host species and in response to changes in assemblage composition (four different permutations). In a second set of trials, cercariae were allowed to contact and infect hosts, allowing comparison of host-parasite encounter rates (parasite choice) with infection outcomes (successful infections). Cercariae exhibited consistent preferences for specific host species that were independent of the community context; large-bodied amphibians, such as larval bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana), exhibited the highest level of parasite attraction. However, because host attractiveness was decoupled from susceptibility to infection, assemblage composition sharply affected both per-host infection as well as total infection (summed among co-occurring hosts). Species such as the non-native R. catesbeiana functioned as epidemiological 'sinks' or dilution hosts, attracting a disproportionate fraction of parasites relative to the number that established successfully, whereas Taricha granulosa and especially Pseudacris regilla supported comparatively more metacercariae relative to cercariae selection. These findings provide a framework for integrating information on parasite preference in combination with more traditional factors such as host competence and density to forecast how changes within complex communities will affect parasite transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter T J Johnson
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Dana M Calhoun
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Tawni B Riepe
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Janet Koprivnikar
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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47
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Gutiérrez-López R, Martínez-de la Puente J, Gangoso L, Soriguer R, Figuerola J. Effects of host sex, body mass and infection by avian Plasmodium on the biting rate of two mosquito species with different feeding preferences. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:87. [PMID: 30867014 PMCID: PMC6416876 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3342-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The transmission of mosquito-borne pathogens is strongly influenced by the contact rates between mosquitoes and susceptible hosts. The biting rates of mosquitoes depend on different factors including the mosquito species and host-related traits (i.e. odour, heat and behaviour). However, host characteristics potentially affecting intraspecific differences in the biting rate of mosquitoes are poorly known. Here, we assessed the impact of three host-related traits on the biting rate of two mosquito species with different feeding preferences: the ornithophilic Culex pipiens and the mammophilic Ochlerotatus (Aedes) caspius. Seventy-two jackdaws Corvus monedula and 101 house sparrows Passer domesticus were individually exposed to mosquito bites to test the effect of host sex, body mass and infection status by the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium on biting rates. RESULTS Ochlerotatus caspius showed significantly higher biting rates than Cx. pipiens on jackdaws, but non-significant differences were found on house sparrows. In addition, more Oc. caspius fed on female than on male jackdaws, while no differences were found for Cx. pipiens. The biting rate of mosquitoes on house sparrows increased through the year. The bird infection status and body mass of both avian hosts were not related to the biting rate of both mosquito species. CONCLUSIONS Host sex was the only host-related trait potentially affecting the biting rate of mosquitoes, although its effect may differ between mosquito and host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Gutiérrez-López
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Seville, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica, Seville, Spain
| | - Laura Gangoso
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Seville, Spain
- Present Address: Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ramón Soriguer
- Department of Ethology & Biodiversity Conservation, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Seville, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica, Seville, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Seville, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica, Seville, Spain
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48
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Juliano SA, Yee DA, Alto BW, Reiskind MH. Papers From a Workshop on Mosquito Ecology and Evolution Inspired by the Career of L. Philip Lounibos. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 56:299-302. [PMID: 30668777 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjy146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Juliano
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL
| | - Donald A Yee
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS
| | - Barry W Alto
- Department of Entomology & Nematology, Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, University of Florida, Vero Beach, FL
| | - Michael H Reiskind
- Department of Plant Pathology and Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
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Abstract
Background Different mosquito-borne pathogens are circulating in Iran including Sindbis virus, West Nile virus, filarioid worms and malaria parasites. However, the local transmission cycles of these pathogenic agents are poorly understood, especially because ecological data on vector species are scarce and there is limited knowledge about the host range; this understanding could help to direct species-specific vector control measurements or to prioritize research. Methods In the summers of 2015 and 2016, blood-fed mosquitoes were collected at 13 trapping sites on the coast of the Caspian Sea in northern Iran and at an additional trapping site in western Iran. Mosquitoes were generally collected with either a Biogents Sentinel trap or a Heavy Duty Encephalitis Vector Survey trap installed outside. A handheld aspirator was used at the trapping site in western Iran, in addition to a few samplings around the other trapping sites. On average, eight trapping periods were conducted per trapping site. The sources of blood meals were identified using a DNA barcoding approach targeting the cytochrome b or 16S rRNA gene fragment. Results The source of blood meals for 580 blood-fed mosquito specimens of 20 different taxa were determined, resulting in the identification of 13 different host species (9 mammals including humans, 3 birds and 1 reptile), whereby no mixed blood meals were detected. Five mosquito species represented more than 85.8% of all collected blood-fed specimens: Culex pipiens pipiens form pipiens (305 specimens, 55.7% of all mosquito specimens), Cx. theileri (60, 10.9%), Cx. sitiens (51, 9.3%), Cx. perexiguus (29, 5.3%) and Anopheles superpictus (25, 4.6%). The most commonly detected hosts of the four most abundant mosquito species were humans (Homo sapiens; 224 mosquito specimens, 40.9% of all mosquito specimens), cattle (Bos taurus; 171, 31.2%) and ducks (Anas spp.; 75, 13.7%). These four mosquito species had similar host-feeding patterns. The only exceptions were a relatively high proportion of birds for Cx. pipiens pipiens f. pipiens (23.2% of detected blood meal sources) and a high proportion of non-human mammals for Cx. theileri (73.4%). Trapping month, surrounding area, or trapping method had no statistically significant impact on the observed host-feeding patterns of Cx. pipiens pipiens f. pipiens. Conclusions Due to the diverse and overlapping host-feeding patterns, several mosquito species must be considered as potential enzootic and bridge vectors for diverse mosquito-borne pathogens in Iran. Most species can potentially transmit pathogens between mammals as well as between mammals and birds, which might be the result of a similar host selection or a high dependence on the host availability. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-3237-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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West Nile virus transmission and human infection risk in Veneto (Italy): a modelling analysis. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14005. [PMID: 30228340 PMCID: PMC6143586 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32401-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
An intensified and continuous West Nile virus (WNV) spread across northern Italy has been observed since 2008, which caused more than one hundred reported human infections until 2016. Veneto is one of the Italian regions where WNV is considered endemic, and the greatest intensity of circulation was observed during 2013 and 2016. By using entomological data collected across the region in those years, we calibrated a temperature-driven mathematical model through a Bayesian approach that simulates the WNV infection in an avian population with seasonal demography. We considered two alternative routes of life cycle re-activation of the virus at the beginning of each vector breeding season: in the first one the virus is maintained by infected birds, in the other by diapausing mosquitoes previously infected. Afterwards, we computed seasonal risk curves for human infection and quantified how they translate into reported symptomatic cases. According to our results, WNV is more likely to be re-activated each year via previously infected mosquitoes. The highest probability of human infection is expected to occur in August, consistently with observations. Our epidemiological estimates can be of particular interest for public health authorities, to support decisions in term of designing efficient surveillance plans and preventive measures.
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