Beauveria bassiana associated with a novel biomimetic hydrogel to control Aedes albopictus through lure and kill ovitraps.

Background: Within the framework of sustainable and effective control methods for Aedes albopictus, two different conidial suspensions, BbCS-1 and BbCS-2 (respectively without and with nutrients), were used as solvents for the biopolymers water-soluble 2-hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) and sodium alginate (SA). In this way, two different classes of hydrogels were prepared for each polymer (previously shown to attract tiger mosquito oviposition) to produce HEC-based and SA-based Bb/Gel systems with and without nutrients. The aim was to achieve a long-lasting and cost-effective lure-and-kill oviposition substrate useful for lethal ovitraps.

Longitudinal survey of insecticide resistance in a village of central region of Burkina Faso reveals co-occurrence of 1014F, 1014S and 402L mutations in Anopheles coluzzii and Anopheles arabiensis.

Background: Pyrethroid resistance is one of the major threats for effectiveness of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) in malaria vector control. Genotyping of mutations in the voltage gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene is widely used to easily assess the evolution and spread of pyrethroid target-site resistance among malaria vectors. L1014F and L1014S substitutions are the most common and best characterized VGSC mutations in major African malaria vector species of the Anopheles gambiae complex.

A novel tetra-primer ARMS-PCR approach for the molecular karyotyping of chromosomal inversion 2Ru in the main malaria vectors Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii.

Background: Chromosomal inversion polymorphisms have been associated with adaptive behavioral, physiological, morphological and life history traits in the two main Afrotropical malaria vectors, Anopheles coluzzii and Anopheles gambiae. The understanding of the adaptive value of chromosomal inversion systems is constrained by the feasibility of cytological karyotyping. In recent years in silico and molecular approaches have been developed for the genotyping of most widespread inversions (2La, 2Rb and 2Rc).

A modified BG-Sentinel trap equipped with FTA card as a novel tool for mosquito-borne disease surveillance: a field test for flavivirus detection.

Early detection of pathogens in vectors is important in preventing the spread of arboviral diseases, providing a timely indicator of pathogen circulation before outbreaks occur. However, entomological surveillance may face logistical constraints, such as maintaining the cold chain, and resource limitations, such as the field and laboratory workload of mosquito processing. We propose an FTA card-based trapping system that aims to simplify both field and laboratory phases of arbovirus surveillance.

A case of furuncular myiasis in an Italian patient: a "travel souvenir".

Furuncular myiasis is a parasitosis of the skin that is commonly reported in the tropical areas and is caused by various agents including Dermatobia hominis. Knowledge of myiasis is limited in Italy, resulting in difficulties in its diagnosis and treatment. We report a case of imported furuncular myiasis in a 48 year old Italian patient who returned from Peru.

Delivery and effectiveness of entomopathogenic fungi for mosquito and tick control: Current knowledge and research challenges.

Insects, ticks, and mites represent a threat to animal health globally, mainly due to their role as vectors of pathogens. Among the most important diseases, those transmitted by mosquitoes (e.g.

Proof of Concept of Biopolymer Based Hydrogels as Biomimetic Oviposition Substrate to Develop Tiger Mosquitoes () Cost-Effective Lure and Kill Ovitraps.

Pest management is looking for green and cost-effective innovative solutions to control tiger mosquitoes and other pests. By using biomimetic principles and biocompatible/biodegradable biopolymers, it could be possible to develop a new approach based on substrates that selectively attract insects by reproducing specific natural environmental conditions and then kill them by hosting and delivering a natural biopesticide or through mechanical action (biomimetic lure and kill approach, BL&K). Such an approach can be theoretically specialized against tiger mosquitoes (BL&K-TM) by designing hydrogels to imitate the natural oviposition site's conditions to employ them inside a lure and kill ovitraps as a biomimetic oviposition substrate.

Phortica oldenbergi (Diptera: Drosophilidae): A new potential vector of the zoonotic Thelazia callipaeda eyeworm.

Thelazia callipaeda is a zoonotic nematode parasitizing the eyes of many hosts species, primarily dogs. To date Phortica variegata and Phortica okadai are the only known vectors of this nematode in Europe and China, respectively. In this study we investigated the role played by a third species, Phortica oldenbergi, as vector of T.

Laboratory breeding of two Phortica species (Diptera: Drosophilidae), vectors of the zoonotic eyeworm Thelazia callipaeda.

Background: Some species of drosophilid flies belonging to the genus Phortica feed on ocular secretions of mammals, acting as biological vectors of the zoonotic eyeworm Thelazia callipaeda. This study describes an effective breeding protocol of Phortica variegata and Phortica oldenbergi in insectary conditions.

Methods: Alive gravid flies of P.

Comparative efficacy of BG-Sentinel 2 and CDC-like mosquito traps for monitoring potential malaria vectors in Europe.

Background: Different trapping devices and attractants are used in the mosquito surveillance programs currently running in Europe. Most of these devices target vector species belonging to the genera Culex or Aedes, and no studies have yet evaluated the effectiveness of different trapping devices for the specific targeting of Anopheles mosquito species, which are potential vectors of malaria in Europe. This study aims to fill this gap in knowledge by comparing the performance of trapping methods that are commonly used in European mosquito surveillance programs for Culex and Aedes for the specific collection of adults of species of the Anopheles maculipennis complex.

Updated occurrence and bionomics of potential malaria vectors in Europe: a systematic review (2000-2021).

Despite the eradication of malaria across most European countries in the 1960s and 1970s, the anopheline vectors are still present. Most of the malaria cases that have been reported in Europe up to the present time have been infections acquired in endemic areas by travelers. However, the possibility of acquiring malaria by locally infected mosquitoes has been poorly investigated in Europe, despite autochthonous malaria cases having been occasionally reported in several European countries.

From tissue engineering to mosquitoes: biopolymers as tools for developing a novel biomimetic approach to pest management/vector control.

Background: Pest management has been facing the spread of invasive species, insecticide resistance phenomena, and concern for the impact of chemical pesticides on human health and the environment. It has tried to deal with them by developing technically efficient and economically sustainable solutions to complement/replace/improve traditional control methods. The renewal has been mainly directed towards less toxic pesticides or enhancing the precision of their delivery to reduce the volume employed and side effects through lure-and-kill approaches based on semiochemicals attractants.

Leishmania tarentolae and Leishmania infantum in humans, dogs and cats in the Pelagie archipelago, southern Italy.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania infantum is endemic in the Mediterranean basin with most of the infected human patients remaining asymptomatic. Recently, the saurian-associated Leishmania tarentolae was detected in human blood donors and in sheltered dogs. The circulation of L.

Intraspecific Transcriptome Variation and Sex-Biased Expression in Anopheles arabiensis.

The magnitude and functional patterns of intraspecific transcriptional variation in the anophelines, including those of sex-biased genes underlying sex-specific traits relevant for malaria transmission, remain understudied. As a result, how changes in expression levels drive adaptation in these species is poorly understood. We sequenced the female, male, and larval transcriptomes of three populations of Anopheles arabiensis from Burkina Faso.

Mosquitoes of the Maculipennis complex in Northern Italy.

The correct identification of mosquito vectors is often hampered by the presence of morphologically indiscernible sibling species. The Maculipennis complex is one of these groups that include both malaria vectors of primary importance and species of low/negligible epidemiological relevance, of which distribution data in Italy are outdated. Our study was aimed at providing an updated distribution of Maculipennis complex in Northern Italy through the sampling and morphological/molecular identification of specimens from five regions.

IgG Antibody Responses to the 34k2 Salivary Protein as Novel Candidate Marker of Human Exposure to the Tiger Mosquito.

Mosquitoes of the genus transmit arboviruses of great importance to human health as dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever. The tiger mosquito can play an important role as arboviral vector, especially when is absent or present at low levels. Remarkably, the rapid worldwide spreading of the tiger mosquito is expanding the risk of arboviral transmission also to temperate areas, and the autochthonous cases of chikungunya, dengue and Zika in Europe emphasize the need for improved monitoring and control.

Molecular detection of Leishmania (Sauroleishmania) tarentolae in human blood and Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum in Sergentomyia minuta: unexpected host-parasite contacts.

The detection of atypical Kinetoplastida in vertebrate hosts and vectors might suggest unexpected host-parasite contacts. Aside to major vectors of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum in Italy (e.g.

Inversion Genotyping in the Complex Using High-Throughput Array and Sequencing Platforms.

Chromosomal inversion polymorphisms have special importance in the complex of malaria vector mosquitoes, due to their role in local adaptation and range expansion. The study of inversions in natural populations is reliant on polytene chromosome analysis by expert cytogeneticists, a process that is limited by the rarity of trained specialists, low throughput, and restrictive sampling requirements. To overcome this barrier, we ascertained tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are highly correlated with inversion status (inverted or standard orientation).