Publications by authors named "Azael Che Mendoza"

The future of control emphasizes the transition from traditional insecticides toward more sustainable and multisectoral integrated strategies, like using -carrying mosquitoes for population suppression or replacement. We reviewed the integration of the successful Mexican initiative, "Mosquitos Buenos", with the key challenges outlined in the PAHO guidelines for incorporating innovative approaches into vector control programs. These challenges include establishing essential infrastructure, training personnel, managing field operations, and fostering community support.

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There is a pressing need for innovative strategies to control arboviruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti. The modification of indoor residual spraying to target Ae. aegypti is one such strategy.

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Wolbachia pipientis (Hertig, 1936), also referred as Wolbachia, is a bacterium present across insect taxa, certain strains of which have been demonstrated to impact the fitness and capacity to transmit viruses in mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762). Most studies examine these impacts in limited sets of environmental regimes. Here we seek to understand the impacts of environmentally relevant conditions such as larval density, temperature, and their interaction on wAlbB-infected A.

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Article Synopsis
  • Mexico has significantly reduced malaria cases over the last 20 years and is considering certifying malaria-free areas (MFAs) as a step towards total elimination, with Quintana Roo being a potential candidate.
  • Monitoring the susceptibility of key malaria vectors like Anopheles albimanus is essential for this MFA certification, leading to a study conducted in three localities in Quintana Roo during the rainy season of 2022.
  • The study found that An. albimanus showed high mortality rates against various insecticides, and genetic analysis revealed no mutations in key resistance genes, indicating that the vector population remains susceptible.
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Introduction. In 2021, the Secretaría de Salud de México and the Pan American Health Organization launched an initiative to interrupt intra-domiciliary vector transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi based on the prevalence of Chagas disease in children. The Mexican State of Veracruz was leading this initiative.

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Since the Zika virus (ZIKV) pandemic in 2015-2017, there has been a near absence of reported cases in the Americas outside of Brazil. However, the conditions for Aedes-borne transmission persist in Latin America, and the threat of ZIKV transmission is increasing as population immunity wanes. Mexico has reported only 70 cases of laboratory-confirmed ZIKV infection since 2020, with no cases recorded in the Yucatán peninsula.

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We report the efficacy of a commercial formulation of the insecticide spinosad against larvae of Anopheles stephensi populations found in the city of Jigjiga, Somali Region, eastern Ethiopia. Batches of 25 larvae (late III to early IV instars) collected from large water storage reservoirs associated with construction sites (the primary An. stephensi larval site in the dry season) were tested under laboratory conditions against each insecticide at a dose recommended by the manufacturer (Natular® G30, 0.

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Anopheles stephensi is a major vector of malaria in Asia and the Arabian Peninsula, and its recent invasion into Africa poses a major threat to malaria control and elimination efforts on the continent. The mosquito is well adapted to urban environments, and its presence in Africa could potentially lead to an increase in malaria transmission in cities. Most of the knowledge about An stephensi ecology in Africa has been generated from studies conducted during the rainy season, when vectors are most abundant.

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While residual insecticide applications have the potential to decrease pathogen transmission by reducing the density of vectors and shifting the age structure of the adult mosquito population towards younger stages of development, this double entomological impact has not been documented for Aedes aegypti. Aedes collected from households enrolled in a cluster-randomized trial evaluating the epidemiological impact of targeted indoor residual spraying (TIRS) in Merida, Mexico, were dissected and their age structure characterized by the Polovodova combined with Christopher's ovariole growth methods. In total, 813 females were dissected to characterize age structure at 1, 3, 6, and 9 months post-TIRS.

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The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in children during the global COVID-19 pandemic has been underestimated due to lack of testing and the relatively mild symptoms in adolescents. Understanding the exposure rates in the pediatric population is essential as children are the last to receive vaccines and can act as a source for SARS-CoV-2 mutants that may threaten vaccine escape. This cross-sectional study aims to quantify the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 serum antibodies in children in a major city in México in the Spring of 2021 and determine if there are any demographic or socioeconomic correlating factors.

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Unlabelled: The implementation of new control strategies for Aedes aegypti (Ae. Aegpyti), a vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, requires communities to adopt specific behaviors to achieve the success of these innovations.

Aim: We evaluated the effect of an educational intervention based on the Precede-Proceed Model (PPM) and the Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DIT) for the control and prevention of diseases transmitted by Ae.

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Insecticide-based approaches remain a key pillar for Aedes-borne virus (ABV, dengue, chikungunya, Zika) control, yet they are challenged by the limited effect of traditional outdoor insecticide campaigns responding to reported arboviral cases and by the emergence of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes. A three-arm Phase II unblinded entomological cluster randomized trial was conducted in Merida, Yucatan State, Mexico, to quantify the entomological impact of targeted indoor residual spraying (TIRS, application of residual insecticides in Ae. aegypti indoor resting sites) applied preventively 2 months before the beginning of the arbovirus transmission season.

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Background: Here we report the residual efficacy of the neonicotinoid insecticide clothianidin against pyrethroid-resistant Aedes aegypti. We first conducted a range-finding evaluation of clothianidin on three different substrates (wall, wood, cloth) using three doses (100, 300 and 600 mg a.i.

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We report results of susceptibility tests for Aedes taeniorhynchus from 2 localities of Yucatan State, Mexico, to different insecticides. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention bottle bioassays were performed using the active ingredients of 3 pyrethroids, 2 organophosphates, and 1 carbamate: permethrin (15 μg/ml), deltamethrin (10 μg/ml), alpha-cypermethrin (10 μg/ml), malathion (50 μg/ml), chlorpyrifos (85 μg/ml), and bendiocarb (12.5 μg/ml).

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Article Synopsis
  • New Aedes-borne viruses have emerged in the US and Europe, necessitating better control strategies for Aedes albopictus, a significant mosquito nuisance and virus carrier, as current vector control methods are lacking.
  • A study tested a novel metofluthrin emanator, revealing it significantly reduced mosquito landings by up to 89.5% outdoors and 74.6% indoors when placed nearby humans.
  • The emanator showed effective protection for about 2.5 weeks outdoors before losing efficacy, indicating it could be a viable option for controlling Aedes albopictus bites in various settings.
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Aedes-borne viruses (ABVs) such as dengue (DENV), chikungunya (CHIKV), and Zika (ZIKV) contribute significantly to the global burden of infectious diseases, disproportionately affecting disadvantaged populations from tropical and subtropical urban areas. ABVs can be transmitted from female mosquitoes to their progeny by vertical transmission via transovarial and/or trans-egg vertical transmission and contribute to the maintenance of infected-mosquito populations year-round in endemic regions. This study describes the natural infection rate of DENV, CHIKV, and ZIKV in field-caught male Aedes (Sergentomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus) mosquitoes from Mérida, Yucatán, México, as a proxy for the occurrence of vertical virus transmission.

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Background: The combination of Wolbachia-based incompatible insect technique (IIT) and radiation-based sterile insect technique (SIT) can be used for population suppression of Aedes aegypti. Our main objective was to evaluate whether open-field mass-releases of wAlbB-infected Ae. aegypti males, as part of an Integrated Vector Management (IVM) plan led by the Mexican Ministry of Health, could suppress natural populations of Ae.

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After the tropical storm Cristobal, we performed special adult entomological collections in the peri-domicile of 35 houses from 25 neighborhoods of Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico in response to complaints from the community about an increased nuisance due to an abundance of mosquitoes. A total of 1,275 specimens from four genera and 13 species were collected: (92%), (72%), (72%), (36%), (32%), (24%), s (24%), (8%), (4%), (4%), (4%), (4%), (4%). From these collections, the increased mosquito nuisance was mainly the result of invasive species such as and .

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Background: There is an increased need to mitigate the emergence of insecticide resistance and incorporate new formulations and modes of application to control the urban vector Aedes aegypti. Most research and development of insecticide formulations for the control of Ae. aegypti has focused on their peridomestic use as truck-mounted ULV-sprays or thermal fogs despite the widespread knowledge that most resting Ae.

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Objective: To evaluate the protective effect of house screening (HS) on indoor Aedes aegypti infestation, abundance and arboviral infection in Merida, Mexico.

Methods: In 2019, we performed a cluster randomised controlled trial (6 control and 6 intervention areas: 100 households/area). Intervention clusters received permanently fixed fiberglass HS on all windows and doors.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aims to identify persistent hotspots of Aedes-borne diseases, like dengue, chikungunya, and Zika, in southern Mexican cities to improve vector control efforts.
  • Data from over 128,000 dengue, 4,752 chikungunya, and 25,755 Zika cases were analyzed, revealing that about 17.6% of urban areas consistently experienced high disease rates, which impacted over 25% of the population.
  • Significant overlaps were found between hotspots for different diseases, suggesting targeted intervention strategies could be more effective in these regions, as confirmed by vector control experts.
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We conducted a baseline characterization of the abundance and seasonality of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762)-a vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika-in two suburban localities of Yucatan, Mexico, as the first step in the implementation of an integrated vector management (IVM) plan combining 'traditional Aedes control' (source reduction/truck-mounted ultra-low volume [ULV] spraying) and incompatible insect technique/sterile insect technique for population suppression in Yucatan, Mexico. Weekly entomological collections with ovitraps and BG-sentinel traps were performed in 1-ha quadrants of both localities for 1 yr. Three distinct periods/phases were identified, closely associated with precipitation: 1) a phase of low population abundance during the dry season (weekly average of Aedes eggs per ovitrap and adults per BG trap = 15.

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Article Synopsis
  • The vector-borne diseases program in Mexico enhanced surveillance of Aedes mosquitoes, focusing on Aedes albopictus due to its reported presence near Mérida, Yucatán.
  • A study conducted in October 2019 found that 32% of neighborhoods had Ae. albopictus, while all neighborhoods had Aedes aegypti, with a total of 28 Ae. albopictus adults collected.
  • The findings indicated that Ae. albopictus coexists with Ae. aegypti in Mérida, but its low abundance suggests it is in the early stages of invasion.
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Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus vector dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses. With both species expanding their global distributions at alarming rates, developing effective surveillance equipment is a continuing priority for public health researchers. Sound traps have been shown, in limited testing, to be highly species-specific when emitting a frequency corresponding to a female mosquito wingbeat.

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Background: In the absence of vaccines or drugs, insecticides are the mainstay of Aedes-borne disease control. Their utility is challenged by the slow deployment of resources, poor community compliance and inadequate household coverage. Novel application methods are required.

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