Article
Microbiology
Sthandiwe Nomthandazo Kanyile, Tobias Engl, Abdelaziz Heddi, Martin Kaltenpoth
Summary: Insects often have symbiotic relationships with internal microbial symbionts (endosymbionts) that enhance their ability to survive in challenging environments. This study investigated the ecological relevance of endosymbiotic relationships with cuticle-enhancing microbes in the rice-weevil, Sitophilus oryzae, in dry environments. The presence of the endosymbionts enabled the beetles to increase their population size significantly under dry conditions compared to aposymbiotic beetles. This advantage is likely due to the thicker cuticle provided by the symbionts, which reduces water loss through cuticular transpiration.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Lorenz M. Hofer, Prisca A. Kweyamba, Rajabu M. Sayi, Mohamed S. Chabo, Sonali L. Maitra, Sarah J. Moore, Mgeni M. Tambwe
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs), light microscopy (LM) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in detecting asymptomatic malaria infections that can transmit to mosquitoes. The results showed that mRDT detected the highest infection rate, while subpatent mRDT infections contributed marginally to the pool of oocyts-infected mosquitoes.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Katharine A. Collins, Sukai Ceesay, Sainabou Drammeh, Fatou K. Jaiteh, Marc-Antoine Guery, Kjerstin Lanke, Lynn Grignard, Will Stone, David J. Conway, Umberto D'Alessandro, Teun Bousema, Antoine Claessens
Summary: In areas with seasonal Plasmodium falciparum malaria, a reservoir of blood-stage infection during the dry season is crucial for initiating transmission in the wet season. A study in The Gambia found that a significant proportion of individuals infected at the end of the wet season continued to have detectable infections until the end of the dry season. These persistent infections were more likely to have higher parasite densities and be multiclonal compared to short-lived infections. Screening and treating asymptomatic infections during the dry season may help reduce the reservoir of malaria responsible for transmission in the wet season.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Virology
Cirilo H. de Oliveira, Miguel S. Andrade, Fabricio S. Campos, Jader da C. Cardoso, Maria Eduarda Goncalves-dos-Santos, Ramon Silva Oliveira, Sandy Micaele Aquino-Teixeira, Aline A. S. Campos, Marco A. B. Almeida, Danilo Simonini-Teixeira, Anaia da P. Seva, Andrea Oliveira Dias Temponi, Fernando Maria Magalhaes, Agna Soares da Silva Menezes, Bartolomeu Teixeira Lopes, Hermes P. Almeida, Ana Lucia Pedroso, Giovani Pontel Goncalves, Danielle Costa Capistrano Chaves, Givaldo Gomes de Menezes, Sofia Bernal-Valle, Nicolas F. D. Mueller, Luis Janssen, Edmilson dos Santos, Maria A. Mares-Guia, George R. Albuquerque, Alessandro P. M. Romano, Ana C. Franco, Bergmann M. Ribeiro, Paulo M. Roehe, Ricardo Lourenco-de-Oliveira, Filipe Vieira Santos de Abreu
Summary: In a survey conducted in the Cerrado areas of Minas Gerais, Brazil, it was found that mosquitoes of the Sabethes genus, particularly Sabethes chloropterus, were the primary vectors involved in maintaining the yellow fever virus (YFV) in semi-arid environments. The high number of YFV RNA copies and relative abundance in Sa. chloropterus indicate its importance as a vector, while Sa. albiprivus, despite being naturally infected with YFV, had fewer viral RNA copies and a lower infection rate.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jason P. Mooney, Sophia M. DonVito, Maimuna Jahateh, Haddy Bittaye, Christian Bottomley, Umberto D'Alessandro, Eleanor M. Riley
Summary: This study characterized the prevalence of subclinical infections with Plasmodium falciparum in school-aged children at the beginning of the dry season in the Upper River Region of The Gambia. The majority of these infections were of extremely low parasite density and could only be detected by ultra-sensitive PCR analysis.
Article
Ornithology
Rob G. Bijlsma, Jan Van der Kamp, Leo Zwarts
Summary: Between 1996 and 2019, the sub-Sahara region between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea was studied on 466 days during 15 dry seasons. A total of 22,696 raptors of 62 species were identified, with 13% being Palearctic migrants and the most common species being the Yellow-billed Kite and Hooded Vulture.
Article
Ornithology
Leo Zwarts, Rob G. Bijlsma, Jan Van der Kamp
Summary: Every year, hundreds of millions of migratory birds cross the Sahara to spend the northern winter in the Sahel. Birds in the Sahel have different strategies to deal with the dry season, including remaining in the desiccating Sahel, moving to a wetter zone, or concentrating in specific tree species. The number of arboreal birds decreases in dry years, indicating higher mortality rates.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jan E. Conn, Sara A. Bickersmith, Marlon P. Saavedra, Juliana A. Morales, Freddy Alava, Gloria A. Diaz Rodriguez, Clara R. del Aguila Morante, Carlos G. Tong, Carlos Alvarez-Antonio, Jesus M. Daza Huanahui, Joseph M. Vinetz, Dionicia Gamboa
Summary: Malaria hotspots persist in Datem del Maranon Province, Peru. Vector control units collaborated with the Amazonian International Center of Excellence for Malaria Research in order to identify the main vectors in riverine villages with high annual parasite indices. Four vector species were identified, with Nyssorhynchus benarrochi B being the most abundant. The study highlights the risk of malaria transmission by these vectors even during the dry season.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Eliza T. Lupenza, Japhet Kihonda, Alex J. Limwagu, Halfan S. Ngowo, Robert D. Sumaye, Dickson W. Lwetoijera
Summary: Engaging pastoralist community to locate and identify mosquito breeding habitats in dry season, the study demonstrated the effectiveness of larviciding with PPF in reducing adult emergence from treated habitats, providing a potential strategy for controlling mosquito population in rural settings during the dry season.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tobias N. Apinjoh, Vincent T. Ntui, Hanesh F. M. Chi, Marcel N. Moyeh, Cabrel N. Toussi, Joel K. Mayaba, Livinus Tangi, Pilate Kwi, Judith A. Anchang-Kimbi, Jodie Dionne-Odom, Alan T. N. Tita, Eric Achidi, Alfred Amambua-Ngwa, Vincent P. K. Titanji
Summary: A study in Mutengene, Cameroon, revealed a large proportion of pregnant women with very low density parasitemia even during the low transmission season. The research indicated that primigravidae and non-usage of IPTp-SP were independent risk factors for submicroscopic P. falciparum infection.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tobias O. Apinjoh, Vincent N. Ntui, Hanesh F. Chi, Marcel N. Moyeh, Cabrel T. Toussi, Joel M. Mayaba, Livinus N. Tangi, Pilate N. Kwi, Judith K. Anchang-Kimbi, Jodie Dionne-Odom, Alan T. N. Tita, Eric A. Achidi, Alfred Amambua-Ngwa, Vincent P. K. Titanji
Summary: The current guidelines for malaria prevention and control during pregnancy in Africa rely on IPTp, ITNs, and effective case management. This study found a large proportion of pregnant women with low-density malaria infections in a semi-urban area in Cameroon even during the dry season. IPTp-SP appears to be relevant in controlling submicroscopic P. falciparum infections in pregnant women.
Article
Parasitology
Roy Faiman, Samantha Solon-Biet, Margery Sullivan, Diana L. Huestis, Tovi Lehmann
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2017)
Article
Ecology
Roy Faiman, Adama Dao, Alpha Seydou Yaro, Moussa Diallo, Samake Djibril, Zana Lamissa Sanogo, Yossi Ousmane, Margery Sullivan, Laura Veru, Benjamin J. Krajacich, Asha Krishna, Joy Matthews, Christine A. M. France, Gabriel Hamer, Keith A. Hobson, Tovi Lehmann
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2019)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Roy Faiman, Alpha S. Yaro, Moussa Diallo, Adama Dao, Samake Djibril, Zana L. Sanogo, Margery Sullivan, Asha Krishna, Benjamin J. Krajacich, Tovi Lehmann
Article
Ecology
Roy Faiman, Benjamin J. Krajacich, Leland Graber, Adama Dao, Alpha Seydou Yaro, Ousmane Yossi, Zana Lamissa Sanogo, Moussa Diallo, Djibril Samake, Daman Sylla, Moribo Coulibaly, Salif Kone, Sekou Goita, Mamadou B. Coulibaly, Olga Muratova, Ashley McCormack, Bronner P. Goncalves, Jennifer Hume, Patrick Duffy, Tovi Lehmann
Summary: The study introduced a novel and long-lasting marking method using a combination of fluorescent dye and synthetic DNA tags for efficient marking of adult mosquitoes. The method allows separation of multiple insect subpopulations by utilizing unlimited length and sequence variation in the synthetic DNA tags, making it suitable for field deployment. The marking did not affect survival, oviposition, or Plasmodium competence of the tested mosquitoes, and the retention of DNA and fluorescence was 100% up to 3 weeks.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)