Exploring new thermal fog and ultra-low volume technologies to improve indoor control of the dengue vector, Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae).

Control of the mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti (L.), inside human habitations must be performed quickly and efficiently to reduce the risk of transmission during dengue outbreaks. As part of abroad study to assess the efficacy of dengue vector control tools for the U.

Evaluation of imidacloprid-treated traps as an attract and kill system for filth flies during contingency operations.

Two field trials were conducted to evaluate if filth fly trap efficacy was increased by augmentation with an insecticide application to the trap's exterior. Four Fly Terminator Pro traps (Farnam Companies, Inc, Phoenix, AZ) baited with Terminator Fly Attractant (in water) were suspended on polyvinyl chloride pipe framing at a municipal waste transfer site in Clay County, Florida. The outer surfaces of 2 traps were treated with Maxforce Fly Spot Bait (Bayer Environmental Science, Research Triangle Park, NC) (10% imidacloprid) to compare kill rates between treated and untreated traps.

Virus isolations and high population density implicate Culex antennatus (Becker) (Diptera: Culicidae) as a vector of Rift Valley Fever virus during an outbreak in the Nile Delta of Egypt.

In June, 2003, Egypt's hospital-based electronic disease surveillance system began to record increased cases of acute febrile illness from governorates in the Nile Delta. In response to a request for assistance from the Egyptian Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S.

Effects of ivermectin on blood-feeding Phlebotomus papatasi, and the promastigote stage of Leishmania major.

Ivermectin (IVM) is a chemically modified macrocyclic lactone of Streptomyces avermitilis that acts as a potent neurotoxin against many nematodes and arthropods. Little is known of IVM's effect against either blood-feeding Phlebotomus sand flies, or the infective promastigote stage of Leishmania transmitted by these flies. We injected hamsters subcutaneously with two standard IVM treatments (200 and 400 μg/kg body weight) and allowed cohorts of Leishmania major-infected Phlebotomus papatasi to blood-feed on these animals at various posttreatment time points (4 h, 1, 2, 6, and 10 days).

Evaluation of commercial and field-expedient baited traps for house flies, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae).

A comparison of nine commercial baited fly traps on Florida dairy farms demonstrated that Terminator traps collected significantly more (13,323/trap) house flies (Musca domestica L.) than the others tested. Final Flight, Fly Magnet, and FliesBeGone traps collected intermediate numbers of flies (834-2,166), and relatively few were caught with ISCA, Advantage, Fermone Big Boy, Squeeze & Snap, or OakStump traps (<300).

Laboratory demonstration of the acquisition and development of leishmania major in the sand fly Phlebotomus kazeruni (Diptera: Psychodidae).

Phlebotumus kazeruni, a blood-feeding, xerophilic sand fly species found broadly throughout North Africa and Western Asia, is a suspected vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Following successful laboratory colonization of this species, we employed the murine (BALB/c) infection model to determine whether our Sinai strain of P. kazeruni was able to successfully acquire, develop, and transmit a Sinai strain of Leishmania major.

Rickettsial pathogens in the tropical rat mite Ornithonyssus bacoti (Acari: Macronyssidae) from Egyptian rats (Rattus spp.).

We collected and tested 616 tropical rat mites (Ornithonyssus bacoti (Hirst)) from rats (Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout) and R. rattus (Linnaeus)) throughout 14 governorates in Egypt and tested DNA extracts from pools of these mites for Bartonella spp., Coxiella burnetii, and Rickettsia spp.

Population survey of Egyptian arthropods for rickettsial agents.

Between June 2002 and July 2003, 987 fleas, representing four species, and 1019 ticks, representing one argasid and eight ixodid species, were collected from Egyptian animals. These arthropods were tested for rickettsial agents using polymerase chain reaction. DNAs from Anaplasma and Ehrlichia spp.

Use of bioassay and microplate assay to detect and measure insecticide resistance in field populations of Culex pipiens from filariasis endemic areas of Egypt.

Insecticide and resistance bioassays and microplate assays were performed on Culex pipiens mosquitoes to determine the level and mechanisms of resistance. Culex pipiens larvae were collected from three filariasis-endemic areas of Egypt and reared to adults for subsequent production and testing of F1 generation larvae and adults. Bioassays were performed using World Health Organization (WHO) methods with the diagnostic doses of 6 organophosphate insecticides for larvae and 1 organochlorine (OC), 4 pyrethroid, 2 organophosphate, and 2 carbamate insecticides for adults.

Rickettsial agents in Egyptian ticks collected from domestic animals.

To assess the presence of rickettsial pathogens in ticks from Egypt, we collected ticks from domestic and peridomestic animals between June 2002 and July 2003. DNA extracts from 1019 ticks were tested, using PCR and sequencing, for Anaplasma spp., Bartonella spp.

Surveillance of Egyptian fleas for agents of public health significance: Anaplasma, Bartonella, Coxiella, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, and Yersinia pestis.

Serologic surveys in Egypt have documented human and animal exposure to vector-borne bacterial pathogens, but the presence and distribution of these agents in arthropods has not been determined. Between July 2002 and July 2003, fleas were collected from 221 mammals trapped in 17 cities throughout Egypt. A total of 987 fleas were collected, representing four species (Ctenocephalides felis, Echidnophaga gallinacea, Leptopsylla segnis, and Xenopsylla cheopis); 899 of these fleas were X.

Louse-borne bacterial pathogens in lice (Phthiraptera) of rodents and cattle from Egypt.

We collected 1,023 lice, representing 5 species, from rats and domestic cattle throughout 13 governorates in Egypt and tested these lice for Anaplasma marginale, Bartonella spp., Brucella spp., Borrelia recurrentis, Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis, and Rickettsia spp.

Detection of malaria sporozoites by standard ELISA and VecTestTM dipstick assay in field-collected anopheline mosquitoes from a malaria endemic site in Ghana.

We compared the VecTestTM dipstick assay for detection of Plasmodium sporozoites in Anopheles vectors of malaria with standard circumsporozoite (CS) microplate ELISA for detection of Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP) in Anopheles mosquitoes. Mosquitoes were collected from a malaria endemic site (Kassena Nankana district) in northern Ghana. Of 2620 randomly sampled mosquitoes tested, the standard CS-ELISA gave a sporozoite rate of 10.

Behavioral responses and mortality in German cockroaches (Blattodea: Blattellidae) after exposure to dishwashing liquid.

Behavioral responses and mortality of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), after exposure to solutions of common household dishwashing liquid diluted in tap water without other known insecticidal active ingredients are described. Soap solutions of 0.