Integrated surveillance for Oropouche Virus: Molecular evidence of potential urban vectors during an outbreak in the Brazilian Amazon.

The Oropouche Virus (OROV) has Culicoides paraensis as its main vector in the urban cycle. Diagnoses of acute febrile cases and entomological collections were performed between January and April 2024 in the urban setting of Porto Velho, a city located in the western Brazilian Amazon. A total of 904 human samples were evaluated using RT-qPCR, of which 328 were positive for OROV.

Nondestructive Methods of Pathogen Detection: Importance of Mosquito Integrity in Studies of Disease Transmission and Control.

Mosquitoes are vectors of many pathogens, including viruses, protozoans, and helminths, spreading these pathogens to humans as well as to wild and domestic animals. As the identification of species and the biological characterization of mosquito vectors are cornerstones for understanding patterns of disease transmission, and the design of control strategies, we conducted a literature review on the current use of noninvasive and nondestructive techniques for pathogen detection in mosquitoes, highlighting the importance of their taxonomic status and systematics, and some gaps in the knowledge of their vectorial capacity. Here, we summarized the alternative techniques for pathogen detection in mosquitoes based on both laboratory and field studies.

Influence of meteorological and seasonal parameters on the activity of Culicoides paraensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), an annoying anthropophilic biting midge and putative vector of Oropouche Virus in Rondônia, Brazilian Amazon.

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides are insects of proven medical and veterinary importance, because of their role in the transmission of viruses, bacteria, protozoa and nematodes. Culicoides paraensis has been considered the main vector of the Oropouche Virus (OROV) in the urban cycle of the disease in the neotropics. Due to the great abundance of Culicoides spp.

Anopheline diversity in urban and peri-urban malaria foci: comparison between alternative traps and seasonal effects in a city in the Western Brazilian Amazon.

Background: Continuous vector surveillance and sustainable interventions are mandatory in order to prevent anopheline proliferation (or spread to new areas) and interrupt malaria transmission. Anopheline abundance and richness were evaluated in urban and peri-urban malaria foci at a medium-sized city in the Brazilian Amazon, comparing the protected human landing catch technique (PHLC) and alternative sampling methods over different seasonal periods. Additional information was assessed for female feeding behaviour and faunal composition.