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Wilke ABB, Vasquez C, Medina J, Unlu I, Beier JC, Ajelli M. Presence and abundance of malaria vector species in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Malar J 2024; 23:24. [PMID: 38238772 PMCID: PMC10797977 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04847-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria outbreaks have sporadically occurred in the United States, with Anopheles quadrimaculatus serving as the primary vector in the eastern region. Anopheles crucians, while considered a competent vector, has not been directly implicated in human transmission. Considering the locally acquired Plasmodium vivax cases in Sarasota County, Florida (7 confirmed cases), Cameron County, Texas (one confirmed case), and Maryland (one confirmed case) in the summer of 2023. The hypothesis of this study is that major cities in the United States harbour sufficient natural populations of Anopheles species vectors of malaria, that overlap with human populations that could support local transmission to humans. The objective of this study is to profile the most abundant Anopheles vector species in Miami-Dade County, Florida-An. crucians and An. quadrimaculatus. METHODS This study was based on high-resolution mosquito surveillance data from 2020 to 2022 in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Variations on the relative abundance of An. crucians and An. quadrimaculatus was assessed by dividing the total number of mosquitoes collected by each individual trap in 2022 by the number of mosquitoes collected by the same trap in 2020. In order to identify influential traps, the linear distance in meters between all traps in the surveillance system from 2020 to 2022 was calculated and used to create a 4 km buffer radius around each trap in the surveillance system. RESULTS A total of 36,589 An. crucians and 9943 An. quadrimaculatus were collected during this study by the surveillance system, consisting of 322 CO2-based traps. The findings reveal a highly heterogeneous spatiotemporal distribution of An. crucians and An. quadrimaculatus in Miami-Dade County, highlighting the presence of highly conducive environments in transition zones between natural/rural and urban areas. Anopheles quadrimaculatus, and to a lesser extent An. crucians, pose a considerable risk of malaria transmission during an outbreak, given their high abundance and proximity to humans. CONCLUSIONS Understanding the factors driving the proliferation, population dynamics, and spatial distribution of Anopheles vector species is vital for implementing effective mosquito control and reducing the risk of malaria outbreaks in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- André B B Wilke
- Laboratory for Computational Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington, IN, USA.
| | | | - Johana Medina
- Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control Division, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Isik Unlu
- Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control Division, Miami, FL, USA
| | - John C Beier
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Marco Ajelli
- Laboratory for Computational Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington, IN, USA.
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Zang C, Wang X, Cheng P, Liu L, Guo X, Wang H, Lou Z, Lei J, Wang W, Wang Y, Gong M, Liu H. Evaluation of the evolutionary genetics and population structure of Culex pipiens pallens in Shandong province, China based on knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations and the mtDNA-COI gene. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:145. [PMID: 36964519 PMCID: PMC10039558 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09243-2] [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: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mosquitoes are important vectors for a range of diseases, contributing to high rates of morbidity and mortality in the human population. Culex pipiens pallens is dominant species of Culex mosquito in northern China and a major vector for both West Nile virus and Bancroftian filariasis. Insecticide application were largely applied to control the mosquito-mediated spread of these diseases, contributing to increasing rates of resistance in the mosquito population. The voltage-gated sodium channel (Vgsc) gene is the target site of pyrethroids, and mutations in this gene cause knockdown resistance (kdr). While these kdr mutations are known to be critical to pyrethroid resistance, their evolutionary origins remain poorly understood. Clarifying the origins of these mutations is potential to guide further vector control and disease prevention efforts. Accordingly, the present study was designed to study the evolutionary genetics of kdr mutations and their association with the population structure of Cx. p. pallens in Shandong province, China. METHODS Adult Culex females were collected from Shandong province and subjected to morphological identification under a dissection microscope. Genomic DNA were extracted from the collected mosquitoes, the Vgsc gene were amplified via PCR and sequenced to assess kdr allele frequencies, intron polymorphisms, and kdr codon evolution. In addition, population genetic diversity and related population characteristics were assessed by amplifying and sequencing the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase I (COI) gene. RESULTS Totally, 263 Cx. p. pallens specimens were used for DNA barcoding and sequencing analyses to assess kdr allele frequencies in nine Culex populations. The kdr codon L1014 in the Vgsc gene identified two non-synonymous mutations (L1014F and L1014S) in the analyzed population. These mutations were present in the eastern hilly area and west plain region of Shandong Province. However, only L1014F mutation was detected in the southern mountainous area and Dongying city of Shandong Province, where the mutation frequency was low. Compared to other cities, population in Qingdao revealed significant genetic differentiation. Spatial kdr mutation patterns are likely attributable to some combination of prolonged insecticide-mediated selection coupled with the genetic isolation of these mosquito populations. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that multiple kdr alleles associated with insecticide resistance are present within the Cx. p. pallens populations of Shandong Province, China. The geographical distributions of kdr mutations in this province are likely that the result of prolonged and extensive insecticide application in agricultural contexts together with frequent mosquito population migrations. In contrast, the low-frequency kdr mutation detected in central Shandong Province populations may originate from the limited selection pressure in this area and the relative genetic isolation. Overall, the study compares the genetic patterns revealed by a functional gene with a neutral marker and demonstrates the combined impact of demographic and selection factors on population structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanhui Zang
- Department of Medical Entomology, Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jining, 272033, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuejun Wang
- Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Cheng
- Department of Medical Entomology, Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jining, 272033, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijuan Liu
- Department of Medical Entomology, Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jining, 272033, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiuxia Guo
- Department of Medical Entomology, Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jining, 272033, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Haifang Wang
- Department of Medical Entomology, Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jining, 272033, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziwei Lou
- Department of Medical Entomology, Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jining, 272033, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingjing Lei
- Department of Medical Entomology, Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jining, 272033, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenqian Wang
- Department of Medical Entomology, Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jining, 272033, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiting Wang
- Department of Medical Entomology, Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jining, 272033, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Maoqing Gong
- Department of Medical Entomology, Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jining, 272033, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hongmei Liu
- Department of Medical Entomology, Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jining, 272033, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
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Touray M, Bakirci S, Ulug D, Gulsen SH, Cimen H, Yavasoglu SI, Simsek FM, Ertabaklar H, Ozbel Y, Hazir S. Arthropod vectors of disease agents: their role in public and veterinary health in Turkiye and their control measures. Acta Trop 2023; 243:106893. [PMID: 37004805 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Mosquitoes, sandflies, and ticks are hematophagous arthropods that pose a huge threat to public and veterinary health. They are capable of serving as vectors of disease agents that can and have caused explosive epidemics affecting millions of people and animals. Several factors like climate change, urbanization, and international travel contribute substantially to the persistence and dispersal of these vectors from their established areas to newly invaded areas. Once established in their new home, they can serve as vectors for disease transmission or increase the risk of disease emergence. Turkiye is vulnerable to climate change and has experienced upward trends in annual temperatures and rising sea levels, and greater fluctuations in precipitation rates. It is a potential hotspot for important vector species because the climate in various regions is conducive for several insect and acari species and serves as a conduit for refugees and immigrants fleeing areas troubled with armed conflicts and natural disasters, which have increased substantially in recent years. These people may serve as carriers of the vectors or be infected by disease agents that require arthropod vectors for transmission. Although it cannot be supposed that every arthropod species is a competent vector, this review aims to (1)illustrate the factors that contribute to the persistence and dispersal of arthropod vectors, (2)determine the status of the established arthropod vector species in Turkiye and their capability of serving as vectors of disease agents, and (3)assess the role of newly-introduced arthropod vectors into Turkiye and how they were introduced into the country. We also provide information on important disease incidence (if there's any) and control measures applied by public health officials from different provinces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustapha Touray
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Turkey.
| | - Serkan Bakirci
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Turkey
| | - Derya Ulug
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Turkey
| | - Sebnem H Gulsen
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Turkey
| | - Harun Cimen
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Turkey
| | | | - Fatih M Simsek
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Turkey
| | - Hatice Ertabaklar
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Turkey
| | - Yusuf Ozbel
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Turkey
| | - Selcuk Hazir
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Turkey; Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai 602105, Tamil Nadu India
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