Genome resequencing and genome-wide polymorphisms in mosquito vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus from south India.

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes spread major vector-borne viral diseases in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the globe. In this study, we sequenced the genome of Indian Ae. aegypti and Ae.

Predation of Aedes aegypti Eggs By Foraging Ants Solenopsis invicta, Myrmicaria brunnea, Diacamma rugosum, and Monomorium minimum.

The diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, such as dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika, are ever-increasing. Rapid and unplanned urbanization adversely impacts various endemic species such as ants and facilitates the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes. We have observed the predatory potential of ants over Aedes eggs in urban breeding habitats, and their impact on Aedes mosquito breeding was determined by a field experiment that mimicked the natural breeding habitats.

Impact of SA 14-14-2 vaccination on the occurrence of Japanese encephalitis in India.

Japanese encephalitis virus is the major cause of encephalitis in India. To control the increasing incidence and fatal outbreaks, SA 14-14-2 vaccine was introduced initially in 104 endemic districts in phased manner from 2006 to 2011. As there is no data available before 2008 on the number of Japanese encephalitis (JE) cases excluding cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), a four year average of the number of JE vs.

Changing paradigm in the epidemiology of Japanese encephalitis in a non-endemic region.

Background & Objectives: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease. The JE virus (JEV) does not cause any disease among its natural hosts and transmission continues through mosquitoes belonging to Culex vishnui subgroup. This study was aimed to investigate the prevalence of JEV in mosquitoes and humans in the Thanjavur district, a non-endemic region for JE, in Tamil Nadu, by using standard available assays.

Seasonal abundance & role of predominant Japanese encephalitis vectors Culex tritaeniorhynchus & Cx. gelidus Theobald in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu.

Background & Objectives: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in Asia. The first major JE outbreak occurred in 1978 and since 1981 several outbreaks had been reported in the Cuddalore district (erstwhile South Arcot), Tamil Nadu, India. Entomological monitoring was carried out during January 2010 - March 2013, to determine the seasonal abundance and transmission dynamics of the vectors of JE virus, with emphasis on the role of Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Cx.

Coexistence of Philodina roseola (Rotifera: Bdelloidea) with larvae of Aedes aegypti in India.

The vector mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus of dengue and Chikungunya fever are closely associated with human habitations and adapted to feed on human blood. They undergo larval and pupal development in natural and artificial freshwater collections in the urban and peri-urban environment. Although reports are available about the feeding behaviour of the thriving mosquito larvae, much information is still required to understand the successful survival of Aedes mosquitoes in small and temporary water collections.

The lost hope of elimination of Kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis) by 2010 and cyclic occurrence of its outbreak in India, blame falls on vector control practices or co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus or therapeutic modalities?

The Kala-azar/visceral leishmaniasis (VL) turns epidemic form once in every 15 years in the endemic regions of Indian subcontinent. The goal of elimination of Kala-azar from India by 2010 was lost despite paramount efforts taken by the Government of India and World Health Organization and Regional Office for South East Asia. The main objective of this review was to elucidate the possible reason for the failure of Kala-azar elimination program and to suggest possible remedial measures to achieve the goal in future.

Detection of Wolbachia endobacteria in Culex quinquefasciatus by Gimenez staining and confirmation by PCR.

Background & Objectives: Wolbachia are common intracellular bacteria that are found in arthropods and nematodes. These endosymbionts are transmitted vertically through host eggs and alter host biology in diverse ways, including the induction of reproductive manipulations, such as feminization, parthenogenesis, male killing and sperm-egg incompatibility. Since they can also move horizontally across species boundaries, Wolbachia is gaining importance in recent days as it could be used as a biological control agent to control vector mosquitoes or for paratransgenic approaches.

Bdelloid rotifer, Philodina species in the breeding containers of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.

The vector mosquitoes of dengue and chikungunya fever, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus have adapted to feed on humans and undergo larval and pupal development in natural and artificial freshwater collections. Although several studies reported, still, much information is required to understand the successful survival of Aedes mosquitoes in small temporary containers. In an investigation conducted in the chikungunya affected areas of Kerala state, India, the presence of Bdelloid rotifer, Philodina in 95% of breeding habitats of Ae.

The treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) in India: no obvious signs of long-term success.

In India, the eastern state of Bihar is particularly badly affected by visceral leishmaniasis (VL). It was in Bihar in the 1980s that the first clear signs of resistance to pentavalent antimonials, which had then been the standard antileishmanial treatment for several decades, were observed. New drugs and new formulations of old drugs have since been developed for the treatment of VL.

Antileishmanial activity of drug infused mini-agar plates on Leishmania donovani promastigotes.

Drug infused mini agar plates were found to be a better alternative of broth dilution method in the determination of antileishmanial susceptibility of two commonly used drugs, Sodium antimony gluconate and Amphotericin B against Leishmania donovani promastigotes. These two drugs were used here as models for antileishmanial compounds. The stability of the drugs in the stored agar plates was also tested for six months and found that they were same as fresh plates.

Prevalence of Ascogregarina spp. in the container breeding Aedes albopictus from Chikungunya fever affected areas of Kerala State, India.

The prevalence of protozoan, Ascogregarina sp. had been determined in the container breeding mosquitoes, Aedes albopictus. Since, the cyst of Ascogregarina might play role in the maintenance of the Chik virus during silent period, the presence of Ascogregarina has gained importance in recent days.

Dual culture method to determine the relationship of gut bacteria of sandfly (Phlebotomus argentipes) with promastigotes of Leishmania donovani.

A simple dual culture agar plating technique has been developed and evaluated for its efficiency in determining the relationship of gut bacteria of sandfly with Leishmania donovani promastigotes. There are about twenty morphologically distinct bacterial colonies have been isolated from the gut homogenate of Phlebotomus argentipes. In dual culture method, each bacterial isolate was inoculated in one half of the plate and the promastigotes of Leishmania was inculcated in the other half by streaking.

Milk of cow (Bos taurus), buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), and goat (Capra hircus): a better alternative than fetal bovine serum in media for primary isolation, in vitro cultivation, and maintenance of Leishmania donovani promastigotes.

Tyndalized milk of goat, cow, and buffalo was found to be a potential substitute for fetal bovine serum (FBS) in the medium for the cultivation of Leishmania donovani promastigotes. The numbers (means) of promastigotes reached 2.6 x 10(7), 2.

Preservation of Leishmania donovani promastigotes in blood agar slants.

Long-term cultivation of Leishmania promastigotes by weekly passage to fresh medium was reported to be disadvantageous because needs labor, risk of contamination, lowering in infectivity and virulence pattern. Cryopreservation and Lyophilization require expensive facilities which could be a burden and unaffordable to most laboratories of developing countries where the disease is endemic. These problems could be minimized by simple preservation of Leishmania donovani promastigotes in blood agar slants at 7-8 degrees C for 6-7 months.