Control of dengue virus in the midgut of Aedes aegypti by ectopic expression of the dsRNA-binding protein Loqs2.

Dengue virus (DENV) is an arbovirus transmitted to humans by Aedes mosquitoes. In the insect vector, the small interfering RNA (siRNA) pathway is an important antiviral mechanism against DENV. However, it remains unclear when and where the siRNA pathway acts during the virus cycle.

In tune with nature: Wolbachia does not prevent pre-copula acoustic communication in Aedes aegypti.

Background: Mosquito-borne diseases are rapidly spreading to vast territories, putting at risk most of the world's population. A key player in this scenario is Aedes aegypti, a hematophagous species which hosts and transmits viruses causing dengue and other serious illnesses. Since vector control strategies relying only on insecticides have proven unsustainable, an alternative method involving the release of Wolbachia-harboring individuals has emerged.

Wolbachia detection in insects through LAMP: loop mediated isothermal amplification.

Background: The bacterium Wolbachia is a promising agent for the biological control of vector-borne diseases as some strains have the ability to block the transmission of key human disease-causing pathogens. Fast, accurate and inexpensive methods of differentiating between infected and uninfected insects will be of critical importance as field-based trials of Wolbachia-based bio-control become increasingly common.

Findings: We have developed a specific and sensitive method of detecting Wolbachia based on the isothermal DNA amplification.

Multiple blood meals in Anopheles darlingi (Diptera: Culicidae).

Anopheles darlingi is an important vector of human malaria in the Amazon. Adult females of this mosquito species require a blood meal to develop eggs, preferring humans to other blood sources. Although gonotrophic concordance has been described as the norm for An.

16S rRNA gene sequences from bacteria associated with adult Anopheles darlingi (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes.

The microbial flora associated with Anopheles darlingi Root (Diptera: Culicidae), a major Neotropical malaria vector, was investigated for the development of a paratransgenesis-based approach to control malaria transmission in Brazil. Female mosquitoes were collected using human land catches and captured insects provided a bloodmeal. The controlled blood feeding resulted in increased detection of mosquito bacterial population because it was possible to retrieve bacterial DNA from all blood-fed mosquitoes.