Publications by authors named "L A Koekemoer"
s.s. is a formidable human malaria vector across sub-Saharan Africa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFand (members of the group) are generally not considered malaria vectors. However, both species were recently identified as potential vectors in South Africa. A critical factor needed to determine their role in malaria transmission is their preference for human blood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Recent research indicates that artificial light at night (ALAN) can change mosquito feeding habits, impacting the spread of diseases like malaria.
- This study specifically investigates how different types of household lights affect the feeding behavior of the Anopheles funestus mosquito, a key malaria vector in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Results show that exposure to incandescent lights significantly reduces feeding rates, suggesting that household lighting design could play a role in minimizing mosquito bites and curbing disease transmission.
A review of historical trends in Anopheles gambiae Giles (Diptera: Culicidae) complex composition, collection trends and environmental effects from 2009 to 2021 in Mpumalanga province, South Africa.
Kayla P Noeth Maria L Kaiser Thabo Mashatola Yael L Dahan-Moss P Avhatakali Matamba Lizette L Koekemoer
Med Vet Entomol
September 2024
Article Synopsis
- - South Africa is a malaria-endemic country with three provinces where the spread of malaria is linked to specific mosquito vectors, making vector control critical for elimination efforts.
- - The Ehlanzeni district in Mpumalanga has been monitored for malaria vectors, particularly the Anopheles gambiae complex, and comprehensive data has been gathered from 2009 to 2021 but has not been analyzed until now.
- - The study found that An. merus and An. arabiensis are the most common species, with different collection methods yielding varying results; however, vector abundance showed no significant link to annual climatic changes, pointing to potential data collection limitations.
Article Synopsis
- - Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) causes severe symptoms like fever, rash, and joint pain, with millions infected, primarily in low and middle-income regions, due to its mosquito carriers spreading into new areas.
- - The virus has a macrodomain in its genome that interferes with the immune response, making it essential for viral replication, which positions it as a potential target for antiviral drug development.
- - A high-throughput crystallographic fragment screen identified 109 fragments that bind to the CHIKV nsP3 macrodomain, leading to the design of three fragments aimed at trapping the active sites, and this data is publicly available for future research.