Relative efficacy of anti-Plasmodium vivax malaria combination drugs in preventing transmission to two major Anopheles mosquitoes in the first few days of treatment.

Objectives: The World Health Organization recommends three drug anti-malarial combinations: cloroquine+primaquine, artesiminin+primaquine, and cloroquine+tafenoquine. These combinations aim to eradicate Plasmodium by disrupting its life cycle within the human body. We evaluated the effect of these medications on the vectorial competence of two main vectors in the New World.

Unravelling the genome of the brackish water malaria vector Anopheles aquasalis.

Malaria is a severe public health problem in several developing tropical and subtropical countries. Anopheles aquasalis is the primary coastal malaria vector in Central and South America and the Caribbean Islands, and it has the peculiar feature of living in water with large changes in salinity. Recent research has recognised An.

Effect of fluralaner on the biology, survival, and reproductive fitness of the neotropical malaria vector Anopheles aquasalis.

Background: Reducing mosquito abundance or interfering with its ability to support the parasite cycle can help to interrupt malaria in areas of significant risk of malaria transmission. Fluralaner is a safe and effective drug for veterinary use indicated for the treatment against fleas and ticks which acts as an antagonist of chloride ion channels mediated by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), preventing the entry of these ions into the postsynaptic neuron, leading to hyperexcitability of the postsynaptic neuron of the central nervous system of arthropods. Fluralaner demonstrated insecticidal activity against different insect species.

Evolution and assembly of 's immune genes: primary malaria vector of coastal Central and South America and the Caribbean Islands.

Anophelines are vectors of malaria, the deadliest disease worldwide transmitted by mosquitoes. The availability of genomic data from various species allowed evolutionary comparisons of the immune response genes in search of alternative vector control of the malarial parasites. Now, with the genome, it was possible to obtain more information about the evolution of the immune response genes.

The larval midgut of Anopheles, Aedes, and Toxorhynchites mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae): a comparative approach in morphophysiology and evolution.

The mosquito larval midgut is responsible for acquiring and storing most of the nutrients that will sustain the events of metamorphosis and the insect's adult life. Despite its importance, the basic biology of this larval organ is poorly understood. To help fill this gap, we carried out a comparative morphophysiological investigation of three larval midgut regions (gastric caeca, anterior midgut, and posterior midgut) of phylogenetically distant mosquitoes: Anopheles gambiae (Anopheles albimanus was occasionally used as an alternate), Aedes aegypti, and Toxorhynchites theobaldi.

Vector Competence for Zika Virus Changes Depending on the 's Region of Origin in Manaus: A Study of an Endemic Brazilian Amazonian City.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is transmitted to humans by the infectious bite of mosquitoes such as . In a city, the population control of mosquitoes is carried out according to alerts generated by different districts via the analysis of the mosquito index. However, we do not know whether, besides mosquito abundance, the susceptibility of mosquitoes could also diverge among districts and thus impact the dissemination and transmission of arboviruses.

The influence of culture-dependent native microbiota in Zika virus infection in Aedes aegypti.

Background: Emerging and re-emerging vector-borne diseases (VBDs) pose a recurring threat to tropical countries, mainly due to the abundance and distribution of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is a vector of the Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever arboviruses.

Methods: Female 3-5 day-old Ae. aegypti were distributed into two experimental groups: group I-survey of cultivable bacteria; sucrose group: fed only on sucrose, i.

Dengue Infection Susceptibility of Five Populations from Manaus (Brazil) after Challenge with Virus Serotypes 1-4.

The successful spread and maintenance of the dengue virus (DENV) in mosquito vectors depends on their viral infection susceptibility, and parameters related to vector competence are the most valuable for measuring the risk of viral transmission by mosquitoes. These parameters may vary according to the viral serotype in circulation and in accordance with the geographic origin of the mosquito population that is being assessed. In this study, we investigated the effect of DENV serotypes (1-4) with regards to the infection susceptibility of five Brazilian populations from Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas, Brazil.

Dengue and Zika virus infection patterns vary among Aedes aegypti field populations from Belo Horizonte, a Brazilian endemic city.

Dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) belong to the same viral family, the Flaviviridae. They cause recurring threats to the public health systems of tropical countries such as Brazil. The primary Brazilian vector of both viruses is the mosquito Aedes aegypti.

Phenotypic traits of individuals in a long-term colony of Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) aquasalis (Diptera: Culicidae) show variable susceptibility to Plasmodium and suggest cryptic speciation.

Anopheles aquasalis is an important malaria vector in coastal regions of South America and islands of the Caribbean. In its original description, the species was divided into two varieties, based on the scaling patterns of their hind-tarsomere 2. Specimens from our 25-year established colony, used for Plasmodium experimental infections, still exhibit both scaling tarsomere patterns.

Morphological Characterization of the Antennal Sensilla of the Afrotropical Sand Fly, Phlebotomus duboscqi (Diptera: Psychodidae).

We investigated by scanning electron microscopy the morphology, distribution, and abundance of antennal sensilla of females Phlebotomus duboscqi sand fly, an important vector of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis at Afrotropical region. Thirteen well-differentiated sensilla were identified, among six types of cuticular sensilla. The probable function of these sensillary types is discussed in relation to their external structure and distribution.

Brazilian Aedes aegypti as a Competent Vector for Multiple Complex Arboviral Coinfections.

Background: Aedes aegypti is a highly competent vector in the transmission of arboviruses, such as chikungunya, dengue, Zika, and yellow fever viruses, and causes single and coinfections in the populations of tropical countries.

Methods: The infection rate, viral abundance (VA), vector competence (VC), disseminated infection, and survival rate were recorded after single and multiple infections of the vector with 15 combinations of chikungunya, dengue, Zika, and yellow fever arboviruses.

Results: Infection rates were 100% in all single and multiple infection experiments, except in 1 triple coinfection that presented a rate of 50%.

Simultaneous circulation of zakat, dengue, and chikungunya viruses and their vertical co-transmission among Aedes aegypti.

The outbreaks caused by the Aedes aegypti-transmitted dengue virus (DENV), zakat virus (ZIKV), and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) result in a significant impact to the health systems of tropical countries. Furthermore, the occurrence of patients coinfected by at least two of these arboviruses is an aggravating factor in that scenario. On this basis, surveillance tools such as the Rapid Index Survey for Aedes aegypti (LIRAa) are used to estimate vector infestation in order to improve the prediction of human outbreaks.

Tripartite interactions: Leishmania, microbiota and Lutzomyia longipalpis.

The microbial consortium associated with sandflies has gained relevance, with its composition shifting throughout distinct developmental stages, being strongly influenced by the surroundings and food sources. The bacterial components of the microbiota can interfere with Leishmania development inside the sandfly vector. Microbiota diversity and host-microbiota-pathogen interactions regarding New World sandfly species have yet to be thoroughly studied, particularly in Lutzomyia longipalpis, the primary vector of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil.

Conserved and distinct morphological aspects of the salivary glands of sand fly vectors of leishmaniasis: an anatomical and ultrastructural study.

Background: Sand flies are vectors of Leishmania spp., the causative agents of leishmaniasis in vertebrates, including man. The sand fly saliva contains powerful pharmacologically active substances that prevent hemostasis and enhance Leishmania spp.

Ultrastructure of the Antennae and Sensilla of Nyssomyia intermedia (Diptera: Psychodidae), Vector of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

The antennal sensilla and the antenna of females Nyssomyia intermedia, one of the main vectors of American cutaneous leishmaniasis, were studied by scanning electron microscopy. The main goal was to characterize the quantity, typology, and topography of the sensilla with particular attention to the olfactory types. The insects were captured in the city of Corte de Pedra, State of Bahia, Brazil, by CDC-type light traps and raised in a laboratory as a new colony.

Ultrastructural Analysis of Mouthparts of Adult Horn Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) From the Brazilian Midwest Region.

The ultrastructure of the mouthparts of Haematobia irritans (L.) was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The morphological characteristics of the maxillary palps, labium (prementum and postmentum), labrum, hypopharynx, haustellum, and labellar lobes are described, as well as of the sensilla evidenced on all the surface of the mouthparts, and the set of different positions assumed by the mouth apparatus of this fly.

Exploring Lutzomyia longipalpis Sand Fly Vector Competence for Leishmania major Parasites.

Lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies are the major natural vector of Leishmania infantum parasites, responsible for transmission of visceral leishmaniasis in the New World. Several experimental studies have demonstrated the ability of Lu. longipalpis to sustain development of different Leishmania species.

Vertical Transmission of Zika Virus (Flaviviridae, Flavivirus) in Amazonian Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Delays Egg Hatching and Larval Development of Progeny.

Zika virus (ZIKV) has emerged as a globally important arbovirus and has been reported from all states of Brazil. The virus is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of an infective Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) or Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1895). However, it is important to know if ZIKV transmission also occurs from Ae.

The Midgut Muscle Network of Anopheles aquasalis (Culicidae, Anophelinae): Microanatomy and Structural Modification After Blood Meal and Plasmodium vivax (Haemosporida, Plasmodiidae) Infection.

The mosquito midgut is divided into two regions named anterior midgut (AMG) and posterior midgut (PMG). The midgut expands intensely after the blood ingestion to accommodate a large amount of ingested food. To efficiently support the bloodmeal-induced changes, the organization of the visceral muscle fibers has significant adjustments.