Little disease but lots of bites: social, urbanistic, and entomological risk factors of human exposure to Aedes aegypti in South Texas, U.S.

Background: Aedes aegypti presence, human-vector contact rates, and Aedes-borne virus transmission are highly variable through time and space. The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), Texas, is one of the few regions in the U.S.

High prevalence of canine heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, in pet dogs in south Texas, USA, with evidence of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes contributing to transmission.

Background: The canine heartworm Dirofilaria immitis, a filarioid nematode of dogs and other carnivores, is widespread in the USA and the world. Over 20 different mosquito species serve as intermediate hosts of D. immitis, but their contribution to transmission varies according to factors like host feeding patterns, geographic locations and climatic conditions.

Robust network stability of mosquitoes and human pathogens of medical importance.

Background: The exact number of mosquito species relevant to human health is unknown, posing challenges in understanding the scope and breadth of vector-pathogen relationships, and how resilient mosquito vector-pathogen networks are to targeted eradication of vectors.

Methods: We performed an extensive literature survey to determine the associations between mosquito species and their associated pathogens of human medical importance. For each vector-pathogen association, we then determined the strength of the associations (i.

Meta-Analysis of the Relative Abundance of Nuisance and Vector Mosquitoes in Urban and Blue-Green Spaces.

Blue-green spaces (BGSs), urban areas characterized by the presence of vegetation and or water, and infrastructure form a potential solution for public health threats from increasing urbanization. We conducted a meta-analysis to test the hypothesis that blue-green spaces increase the abundance of nuisance and vector mosquito species compared to non-greened urban areas. After screening 7306 studies published since 1992, we identified 18 studies containing sufficient data from both traditional urban areas and BGSs.

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) on the islands of Puerto Rico and Vieques, U.S.A.

We conducted an island-wide survey of the Caribbean islands Puerto Rico and Vieques, U.S.A.

Honey Bee Viruses in Wild Bees: Viral Prevalence, Loads, and Experimental Inoculation.

Evidence of inter-species pathogen transmission from managed to wild bees has sparked concern that emerging diseases could be causing or exacerbating wild bee declines. While some pathogens, like RNA viruses, have been found in pollen and wild bees, the threat these viruses pose to wild bees is largely unknown. Here, we tested 169 bees, representing 4 families and 8 genera, for five common honey bee (Apis mellifera) viruses, finding that more than 80% of wild bees harbored at least one virus.

Bee Abundance and Nutritional Status in Relation to Grassland Management Practices in an Agricultural Landscape.

Grasslands provide important resources for pollinators in agricultural landscapes. Managing grasslands with fire and grazing has the potential to benefit plant and pollinator communities, though there is uncertainty about the ideal approach. We examined the relationships among burning and grazing regimes, plant communities, and Bombus species and Apis mellifera L.