Article
Environmental Sciences
Valeri N. Vasquez, Lara M. Kueppers, Gordana Rasic, John M. Marshall
Summary: Rising temperatures are affecting the range and prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases. A biocontrol technology using Wolbachia bacterium to replace wild mosquitoes shows promise, but its effectiveness may be influenced by global warming. Simulation and modeling suggest that the technology is generally robust to near-term climate change but may face challenges in the future due to accelerated warming.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Colin J. Carlson, Ellen Bannon, Emily Mendenhall, Timothy Newfield, Shweta Bansal
Summary: Facing climate change, tropical species are being displaced to higher latitudes and elevations. This study tracks the observed range limits of African malaria mosquito vectors and finds that their ranges have been shifting towards higher elevations and polewards. These shifts are consistent with recent climate change and may contribute to the spread of malaria into new areas.
Article
Parasitology
Andre B. B. Wilke, Chalmers Vasquez, Augusto Carvajal, Maday Moreno, William D. Petrie, John C. Beier
Summary: This study compared the relative abundance, species richness, and community composition of mosquitoes collected in natural and rural areas using BG-Sentinel and CDC light traps. The results showed that both traps had similar sampling power, indicating their suitability for mosquito surveillance in rural and natural areas.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Linda Nordling
Summary: Southern Africa aims to eliminate malaria by 2030, but the prediction of the disease's occurrence remains a challenge.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sam Jones
Summary: Gene-drive technology in mosquitoes is advancing, yet unanswered questions remain before its deployment as a malaria-fighting technique.
Article
Virology
Ana Claudia da Silva Ribeiro, Livia Caricio Martins, Sandro Patroca da Silva, Daniele Barbosa de Almeida Medeiros, Keissy Karoline Pinheiro Miranda, Joaquim Pinto Nunes Neto, Hamilton Antonio de Oliveira Monteiro, Bruna Lais Sena do Nascimento, Jose Wilson Rosa Junior, Ana Cecilia Ribeiro Cruz, Pedro Fernando da Costa Vasconcelos, Valeria Lima Carvalho, Sueli Guerreiro Rodrigues
Summary: In this study, we detected multiple ISVs, most of which belonged to Negevirus, and identified a new virus called Feitosa virus, as well as Cordoba virus and Negev virus, which were isolated in Brazil for the first time.
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Manisha A. Kulkarni, Claudia Duguay, Katarina Ost
Summary: This study conducted a scoping review to investigate the impacts of climate change on malaria and dengue, as well as the relevant policy responses and adaptation strategies. The results showed that the evidence for the impacts of climate change on dengue was strongest in Southeast Asia, while the evidence for malaria was strongest in highland areas of Africa. Recommended strategies for climate change-driven disease transmission included enhanced surveillance, early warning systems, predictive models, and vector control.
GLOBALIZATION AND HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrew D. King
Summary: This study used observational data to compute spatial climate analogs to identify and quantify past changes. Climate shifts were found, particularly in Darwin where temperature variability is lower than in extratropical cities. Extremes analogs, including a human health-relevant climate analog, were constructed and highlighted significant climate shifts. Analogues can also be used to examine extreme events and communicate future change.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary
Bruce Tranter
Summary: National data from the 2018 Australian Survey of Social Attitudes shows that knowledge of climate change is positively associated with the scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change, but political party identification can influence climate knowledge scales. Climate skeptics tend to score lower on climate knowledge scales, but have inflated confidence in their factual knowledge.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chao Li, Shunsuke Managi
Summary: Malaria, as a longstanding public health issue, continues to severely affect many parts of the world, particularly Africa. Climate change is predicted to increase global malaria infection rates, with the greatest impact in Africa. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the future is crucial for protecting people from the threat of malaria.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Virology
Jana Batovska, Peter T. Mee, Tim I. Sawbridge, Brendan C. Rodoni, Stacey E. Lynch
Summary: Viral metatranscriptomic sequencing is a valuable tool for enhancing surveillance of mosquito-borne arboviruses through untargeted detection, genomic epidemiological data, and identification of vector species.
Article
Immunology
Erin Xu, Varun Goel, Emmanuel Baguma, Emmanuel Ayebare, Brandon D. Hollingsworth, Amanda Brown-Marusiak, Dana Giandomenico, Raquel Reyes, Moses Ntaro, Edgar M. Mulogo, Ross M. Boyce
Summary: Spatial risk of malaria infection after severe flooding in rural western Uganda was investigated using longitudinal surveys and remote sensing data. Clusters of malaria risk were identified in areas with the greatest changes in vegetation index after flooding and where residents had longer displacement periods and lower access to long-lasting insecticidal nets. Despite concurrent chemoprevention, the disproportionate risk remained.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chasen D. Griffin, Christine Tominiko, Matthew C. I. Medeiros, Justin W. Walguarnery
Summary: Microplastic particles have negative effects on the development and survival of mosquitoes, especially the early larval stage of Aedes albopictus. Different mosquito species have different responses to microplastic, which may influence ecological interactions among mosquito vector populations.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Giovanni Benelli, Andre B. B. Wilke, Jeffrey R. Bloomquist, Nicolas Desneux, John C. Beier
Summary: Studying the combined effect of global warming and insecticide exposure on the spread of mosquito-borne diseases is crucial and more resources should be allocated to this research. It is particularly important to understand how different vector species cope with these stressors, and how they may impact the activity of mosquito biocontrol agents.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Brunno F. Oliveira, Wendtwoin I. G. Yogo, Daniel A. Hahn, Jiang Yongxing, Brett R. Scheffers
Summary: The study demonstrates that thermal tolerances of mosquito communities change with seasonal shifts in temperature, with lowest heat tolerances in summer. The temporal dichotomy in thermal tolerances shows temperate organisms' thermal breadths reflecting those of tropical regions, sandwiched between temperate and tropical conditions in spring and autumn. As summers lengthen and winter nighttime temperatures increase, species' thermal tolerances are expected to become more tropicalized in both space and time.
