Aedes japonicus japonicus in Nebraska and Texas.

Aedes japonicus japonicus continues to spread westward and in this study, its presence is documented in 8 counties in Nebraska and in Bowie County, TX. In 1998, Ae. japonicus was collected in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York for the 1st records of this species in North America.

First Record of an Established Population of Triatoma sanguisuga (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Richardson County, Nebraska.

In 2017, a single adult Triatoma sanguisuga (LeConte) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) was identified from Indian Cave State Park in Nemaha County, NE. The following summer, a single adult specimen was found in a 4-H insect collection at the Nebraska State Fair from Richardson County. A subsequent investigation found that these were collected from a residence in Richardson County and three more adults were collected in 2019.

Direct detection of Leishmania from clinical samples.

The ability to rapidly and accurately diagnose leishmaniasis is a military priority. Testing was conducted to evaluate diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of field-expedient Leishmania genus and visceral Leishmania specific dual-fluorogenic, hydrolysis probe (TaqMan), polymerase chain reaction assays previously established for use in vector surveillance. Blood samples of patients with confirmed visceral leishmaniasis and controls without the disease from Baringo District, Kenya, were tested.

Comparative efficacy of existing surveillance tools for Aedes aegypti in Western Kenya.

All traditional surveillance techniques for Aedes aegypti have been developed for the cosmopolitan domestic subspecies Ae. aegypti aegypti, and not the sylvatic subspecies, Ae. aegypti formosus.

The Benefits of Deploying Health Physics Specialists to Joint Operation Areas.

Preventive Medicine Specialists (military occupational specialty [MOS] 68S) with the health physics specialist (N4) qualification identifier possess a unique force health protection skill set. In garrison, they ensure radiation exposures to patients, occupational workers and the public from hospital activities such as radioisotope therapy and x-ray machines do not to exceed Federal law limits and kept as low as reasonably achievable. Maintaining sufficient numbers of health physics specialists (HPSs) to fill authorizations has been a consistent struggle for the Army Medical Department due to the rigorous academic requirements of the additional skill identifier-producing program.

Baseline Susceptibility to Pyrethroid and Organophosphate Insecticides in Two Old World Sand Fly Species (Diptera: Psychodidae).

Phlebotomine sand flies are blood-feeding insects that transmit Leishmania parasites that cause various forms of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis and sand fly fever viruses (Phlebovirus; Bunyaviridae) in humans. Sand flies pose a significant threat to US military personnel deployed to Leishmania-endemic and sand fly fever endemic regions which include Europe, the Mediterranean basin, Middle East, Central Asia, Southwest Asia, and Africa. A research project supported by the Department of Defense Deployed Warfighter Protection Program was initiated to evaluate the susceptibility of 2 Old World sand fly species, Phlebotomus papatasi and P duboscqi, to a number of commonly used pyrethroid and organophosphate insecticides.

Ticks and tick-borne viruses from livestock hosts in arid and semiarid regions of the eastern and northeastern parts of Kenya.

Biodiversity and relative abundance of ticks and associated arboviruses in Garissa (northeastern) and Isiolo (eastern) provinces of Kenya were evaluated. Ticks were collected from livestock, identified to species, pooled, and processed for virus isolation. In Garissa, Rhipicephalus pulchellus Gerstacker (57.

Abundance, diversity, and distribution of mosquito vectors in selected ecological regions of Kenya: public health implications.

The diversity of mosquito arbovirus vectors was investigated to define regional risk of arbovirus transmission in Kenya. Mosquitoes were sampled between April, 2007 and December, 2010 at thirteen sites across seven administrative provinces and ecological zones. CDC light traps were used to collect mosquitoes while human-landing collection was conducted in five of the sites to target day-feeding Aedes (Stegomyia) species.

Mosquito-borne arbovirus surveillance at selected sites in diverse ecological zones of Kenya; 2007 - 2012.

Background: Increased frequency of arbovirus outbreaks in East Africa necessitated the determination of distribution of risk by entomologic arbovirus surveillance. A systematic vector surveillance programme spanning 5 years and covering 11 sites representing seven of the eight provinces in Kenya and located in diverse ecological zones was carried out.

Methods: Mosquitoes were sampled bi-annually during the wet seasons and screened for arboviruses.