Vector-borne pathogens in dogs and in Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu stricto ticks in Morocco.

Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) are of major concern in veterinary medicine worldwide. Amongst the arthropods transmitting CVBD-causing pathogens, the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato) is an important vector of agents, such as Babesia vogeli, Cercopithifilaria spp., Ehrlichia canis, Hepatozoon canis, and Anaplasma platys.

Robust mosquito species identification from diverse body and wing images using deep learning.

Mosquito-borne diseases are a major global health threat. Traditional morphological or molecular methods for identifying mosquito species often require specialized expertise or expensive laboratory equipment. The use of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to identify mosquito species based on images may offer a promising alternative, but their practical implementation often remains limited.

Large-scale performance assessment of the BG-Counter 2 used with two different mosquito traps.

Background: Mosquitoes are important vectors of pathogens. They are usually collected with CO-baited traps and subsequently identified by morphology. This procedure is very time-consuming.

strains Mel and AlbB differentially affect traits related to fecundity.

Two strains, Mel and AlbB, have been transinfected into mosquitoes for population replacement with the aim of reducing dengue transmission. Epidemiological data from various endemic sites suggest a pronounced decrease in dengue transmission after implementing this strategy. In this study, we investigated the impact of the strains Mel and AlbB on fitness in a common genetic background.

A convolutional neural network to identify mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae) of the genus Aedes by wing images.

Accurate species identification is crucial to assess the medical relevance of a mosquito specimen, but requires intensive experience of the observers and well-equipped laboratories. In this proof-of-concept study, we developed a convolutional neural network (CNN) to identify seven Aedes species by wing images, only. While previous studies used images of the whole mosquito body, the nearly two-dimensional wings may facilitate standardized image capture and reduce the complexity of the CNN implementation.

Using geometric wing morphometrics to distinguish Aedes japonicus japonicus and Aedes koreicus.

Background: Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald, 1901) and Aedes koreicus (Edwards, 1917) have rapidly spread in Europe over the last decades. Both species are very closely related and occur in sympatry. Females and males are difficult to distinguish.

First record of Anopheles (Anopheles) hyrcanus (Pallas 1771) (Diptera: Culicidae) in Poland.

The spatial distribution of mosquito species in the course of globalization and climate warming is highly dynamic. Different studies have demonstrated the spread and establishment of thermophilic mosquito species, potentially increasing the prevalence of 'nuisance' mosquitoes and the local transmission of pathogens. Here we report the first recorded sampling of Anopheles hyrcanus in Wrocław, southwest Poland.

Genetic diversity and wing geometric morphometrics among four populations of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) from Benin.

Background: The impact of the arbovirus vector Aedes aegypti is of major concern for global public health as the viruses that it transmits affect millions of people each year worldwide. Originating in Africa, Ae. aegypti has now spread throughout much of the world.

Overwintering in abandoned animal burrows as a reservoir for arboviruses in Central Europe.

s.s./ belong to the most widespread mosquito taxa in Europe and are the main vectors of Sindbis, West Nile and Usutu virus.

Effects of mosquito resting site temperatures on the estimation of pathogen development rates in near-natural habitats in Germany.

Background: Environmental temperature is a key driver for the transmission risk of mosquito-borne pathogens. Epidemiological models usually relate to temperature data from standardized weather stations, but these data may not capture the relevant scale where mosquitoes experience environmental temperatures. As mosquitoes are assumed to spend most of their lifetime in resting sites, we analysed mosquito resting site patterns and the associated temperatures in dependence on the resting site type, resting site height and the surrounding land use.

Artificial resting sites: An alternative sampling method for adult mosquitoes.

Mosquito collections are commonly conducted with baited traps predominantly attracting host-seeking females. In contrast, resting sites are generally colonized by a broader range of the mosquito population, including a higher proportion of males and blood-engorged females. This study evaluates the sampling success of different artificial resting sites, attached to a deciduous or coniferous tree at different heights.

Autologous Conditioned Plasma Versus Placebo Injection Therapy in Lateral Epicondylitis of the Elbow: A Double Blind, Randomized Study.

 There are various therapeutic approaches to the treatment of lateral epicondylitis, a highly prevalent musculoskeletal disorder. Recently, injection therapy with autologous conditioned plasma (ACP) has shown promise as a new approach.  Set up as a prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial, this study involved 50 patients with lateral epicondylitis.

Effects of salinity on leaf breakdown: Dryland salinity versus salinity from a coalmine.

Salinization of freshwater ecosystems as a result of human activities represents a global threat for ecosystems' integrity. Whether different sources of salinity with their differing ionic compositions lead to variable effects in ecosystem functioning is unknown. Therefore, the present study assessed the impact of dryland- (50μS/cm to 11,000μS/cm) and coalmine-induced (100μS/cm to 2400μS/cm) salinization on the leaf litter breakdown, with focus on microorganisms as main decomposer, in two catchments in New South Wales, Australia.