Publications by authors named "Cecilia S Engdahl"
Abuse of the highly toxic compound fentanyl and its analogues is increasing, raising serious public health concerns due to their potency and availability. Therefore, there is a need for decontamination methodologies to safely remove fentanyl to avoid harmful exposure. In this study, the efficacy of commercial and in-house synthesized decontamination agents (Dahlgren Decon, RSDL (Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion), FAST-ACT (First applied sorbent treatment against chemical threats), GDS2000, alldecont MED, bleach, Domestos Spray Bleach, Effekt Klor, MgO, TiO-nanodiamond, and CeO) were evaluated for the degradation of fentanyl and carfentanil under controlled laboratory conditions and on wooden floor surfaces.
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- O'nyong-nyong virus (ONNV) is primarily found in Africa, transmitted by mosquito species Anopheles gambiae and An. funestus, but the invasive Anopheles stephensi may introduce the virus to new regions due to its migration and urban malaria vector role.
- A study was conducted to evaluate the vector competence of An. stephensi by exposing them to ONNV-infected blood and measuring various rates of infection and transmission.
- Results showed high infection (89.5%) and transmission (74.6%) rates across different time points, suggesting An. stephensi could be a significant vector for ONNV, highlighting the potential risk of the virus spreading beyond Africa.
Developing effective tools to control mosquito populations is essential for reducing the incidence of diseases like malaria and dengue. Biopesticides of microbial origin are a rich, underexplored source of mosquitocidal compounds. We previously developed a biopesticide from the bacterium Chromobacterium sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVector control plays a key role in reducing the public health burden of mosquito-borne diseases. Today's vector control strategies largely rely on synthetic insecticides that can have a negative environmental impact when applied outdoors and often become inefficient because of the mosquitoes' ability to develop resistance. An alternative and promising approach to circumvent these challenges involves the implementation of insecticides derived from nature (biopesticides) for vector control.
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- Increased use of chemical insecticides has led to mosquito resistance, creating a need for eco-friendly control methods.
- Entomopathogenic fungi, specifically certain strains from Maryland and Puerto Rico, have shown promise as an alternative by effectively killing mosquitoes in tests.
- Five fungal candidates were identified, including some novel strains not previously known to be harmful to insects, suggesting further study into their use for biological mosquito control is warranted.