The efficacy of attractive targeted sugar baits in reducing malaria vector abundance in low-endemicity settings of northwest Mali.

Background: Attractive targeted sugar baits (ATSBs) have the potential to significantly reduce infective female Anopheles mosquitoes in arid areas, such as in Northern Mali. Malaria is epidemic in the north due to the limited viability of Anopheles species in the desert climate. The goal of this study was to determine of the effect of ATSB on the number of older female An.

Effect of textile colour on vector mosquito host selection: a simulated field study in Mali, West Africa.

Background: The effect of clothing colour on the biting rates of different vector mosquito species is not well understood. Studies under tropical field conditions are lacking. This study aimed to determine the influence of clothing colours on mosquito biting rates in rural and suburban settings in West Africa.

Testing configurations of attractive toxic sugar bait (ATSB) stations in Mali, West Africa, for improving the control of malaria parasite transmission by vector mosquitoes and minimizing their effect on non-target insects.

Background: Application methods of |Attractive Toxic Sugar Baits (ATSB) need to be improved for wide-scale use, and effects on non-target organisms (NTOs) must be assessed. The goals of this study were to determine, at the village level, the effect of different configurations of bait stations to (1) achieve < 25% Anopheles mosquito vector daily feeding rate for both males and females and (2) minimize the effect on non-target organisms.

Methods: Dye was added to Attractive Sugar Bait Stations (without toxin) to mark mosquitoes feeding on the baits, and CDC UV light traps were used to monitor for marked mosquitoes.

Large-scale field trial of attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSB) for the control of malaria vector mosquitoes in Mali, West Africa.

Background: The aim of this field trial was to evaluate the efficacy of attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSB) in Mali, where sustained malaria transmission occurs despite the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). ATSB bait stations were deployed in seven of 14 similar study villages, where LLINs were already in widespread use. The combined use of ATSB and LLINs was tested to see if it would substantially reduce parasite transmission by Anopheles gambiae sensu lato beyond use of LLINs alone.

Frequent sugar feeding behavior by Aedes aegypti in Bamako, Mali makes them ideal candidates for control with attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSB).

Background: Current tools and strategies are not sufficient to reliably address threats and outbreaks of arboviruses including Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Hence there is a growing public health challenge to identify the best new control tools to use against the vector Aedes aegypti. In this study, we investigated Ae.

The Pyraloidea (Lepidoptera) fauna of the woody savannah belt in Mali, West Africa.

Seventy-nine taxa of Pyraloidea were collected in 2014 with light traps in the woody savannah zone south of Bamako, Mali. Three taxa out of 79 were identified to genus level only. 78 of the 79 species are new records for Mali, 17 are new for West Africa.

The invasive shrub Prosopis juliflora enhances the malaria parasite transmission capacity of Anopheles mosquitoes: a habitat manipulation experiment.

Background: A neglected aspect of alien invasive plant species is their influence on mosquito vector ecology and malaria transmission. Invasive plants that are highly attractive to Anopheles mosquitoes provide them with sugar that is critical to their survival. The effect on Anopheles mosquito populations was examined through a habitat manipulation experiment that removed the flowering branches of highly attractive Prosopis juliflora from selected villages in Mali, West Africa.

A novel window entry/exit trap for the study of endophilic behavior of mosquitoes.

To overcome the limitations of currently used window entry/exit traps, we developed an efficient new glue net entry/exit trap (GNT) that is economical, easily transported and assembled, and can be utilized for a variety of studies which aim to investigate the dynamics of mosquito movements between indoor and outdoor habitats. Cage experiments were conducted to determine what percentage of mosquitoes trying to pass through the netting are actually being caught. The GNT caught 97% of female and 98% of male Anopheles gambiae s.

First record of Aedes albopictus in inland Africa along the River Niger in Bamako and Mopti, Mali.

The distribution of Aedes albopictus in Africa has thus far been known to be restricted to coastal Sub-Saharan countries. This report describes the first record of the tiger mosquito in habitats located in Mali, at a significant distance from the coastal areas of the continent. Aedes albopictus was observed over several years in increasing frequency in Mopti in Central Mali and later in the capital city Bamako, both adjacent to the Niger River.

Efficacy of attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSB) against Aedes albopictus with garlic oil encapsulated in beta-cyclodextrin as the active ingredient.

We tested the efficacy of attractive toxic sugar bait (ATSB) with garlic oil microencapsulated in beta-cyclodextrin as active ingredient against Aedes albopictus in suburban Haifa, Israel. Two three-acre gardens with high numbers of Ae. albopictus were selected for perimeter spray treatment with ATSB and ASB (bait containing no active ingredient).

Evaluation of commercial products for personal protection against mosquitoes.

Human landing catch studies were conducted in a semi-field setting to determine the efficacy of seven commercial products used for personal protection against mosquitoes. Experiments were conducted in two empty, insecticide free, mesh-enclosed greenhouses, in Israel, with either 1500 Aedes albopictus or 1500 Culex pipiens released on consecutive study nights. The products tested in this study were the OFF!(®) Clip-On™ Mosquito Repellent (Metofluthrin 31.

Reduction of mosquito biting pressure by timed-release 0.3% aerosolized geraniol.

We conducted a study to determine the degree of personal protection provided by the Terminix(®) ALLCLEAR(®) Mosquito Mister - Lantern Edition. This outdoor unit was operated to disperse an aerosolized aqueous 0.3% geraniol emulsion in timed-release intervals of 5.

Tree-hole breeding mosquitoes in Israel.

A survey was conducted to evaluate the number of tree-hole breeding mosquito species and their distribution in the six principal woodland types in Israel. Out of approximately 3,000 mature trees examined, only 38 contained holes that retained water for extended periods of time, and breeding mosquitoes were observed in 27 of them. Two specialized tree-hole breeders, Aedes pulchritarsis Rondani and Aedes geniculatus Oliver, were found breeding at several sites in northern Israel, always at locations 500 m above sea level (a.

Attraction of Phlebotomus papatasi to common fruit in the field.

Sand flies have been reported feeding on various plant organs including stems, leaves, and flowers but the attraction of sand flies to sugar-rich fruits has received little attention. In this study, we tested 24 commercially available fruits for their attractiveness to sand flies, and found that the top three attractive fruits were nectarine (Prunus persica var. nectarina), cactus fruit, (Opuntia ficus-indica), and guava (Psidium guajava).

Comparative efficacy of small commercial traps for the capture of adult Phlebotomus papatasi.

We tested the performance of ten commercial mosquito traps with varying attractive features, against three CDC traps (an unlit model 512, an incandescently lit model 512, and a UV lit model 1212) as well as simple sticky paper, for their ability to attract and capture Phlebotomus papatasi in Israel. The commercial traps tested were the Sentinel 360, the Combo Trap, the Mega Catch Premier, the Bug Eater, the EcoTrap, the Galaxie Power-Vac, the Biter Fighter, the Black Hole, the Mosquito Trap, the Mosquito Catcher, the Sonic Web, the Solar Pest Killer, and a Bug Zapper. The four best performing traps with the highest nightly catches were the Sentinel 360 (85.

Identification of plant tissues from the gut of Phlebotomus papatasi by DNA analysis.

Sugar and cellulose assays can determine if an insect has fed on sugar and plant tissue but they cannot identify the species of source plant. In this study, we used DNA analysis together with traditional cellulose and sugar assays to examine the plant feeding habits of wild Phlebotomus papatasi during the dry season in the Lower Jordan Valley, Israel. About 37% of the sand flies were positive for sugar, 45% were positive for cellulose in the gut, and 41% contained amplifiable plant DNA.

Species identification of plant tissues from the gut of An. sergentii by DNA analysis.

There are three commonly used assays to identify plant material in insect guts: the cold anthrone test for fructose, the cellulose staining test for visualizing plant tissue and gas chromatography for seeking unique sugar content profiles. Though sugar and cellulose tests can distinguish between the general sources of sugar meal (nectar versus tissue), they cannot identify the species of plant sources. Even gas chromatography profiles can be problematic; there are reported instances of intra-specific variation as well as inter-specific and intergeneric variation that can mar results.

Efficacy of the botanical repellents geraniol, linalool, and citronella against mosquitoes.

We determined the degree of personal protection provided by citronella, linalool, and geraniol in the form of commercially available candles or diffusers, both indoors and outdoors. Under the uniform conditions of the experiments, all substances repelled significantly more mosquitoes than the unprotected control. Furthermore, the repellents tested were more active when in the form of a continuous release diffuser than in candle form.

Ability of essential oil candles to repel biting insects in high and low biting pressure environments.

The first goal of this study was to compare the degree of personal protection against biting insects provided by geraniol, linalool, and citronella candle (5%) vapors outdoors, where such products are commonly used. At a distance of 1.0 m, citronella candles reduced the number of female mosquitoes caught in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention traps by 35.

Indoor protection against mosquito and sand fly bites: a comparison between citronella, linalool, and geraniol candles.

The repellent effect of 3 essential-oil-based candles was evaluated in a high biting pressure environment in Israel. In human landing assays, the repellency rate of 5% citronella candles against mosquitoes was 29.0%, of 5% linalool candles was 71.

Fluorescent diethylcarbamazine analogues: sites of accumulation in Brugia malayi.

New fluorescein and rhodamine B-labeled antifilarial drug DEC analogues for use in drug localization studies with confocal microscopy have been prepared by a high-yield three-step synthesis. The resulting beta-amine-substituted DEC analogue has a single ethyl substituent which is beta-aminated to accommodate the fluorophore of either fluorescein isothiocyananate or rhodamine B. Confocal microscopy is used to show that the drug accumulates in the adult filarial worms in the pharynx, esophagus, and near the nerve ring of all adults, as well as in the uteri and vulva and the testes of the females and males.