Background: Host-seeking behaviours in anopheline mosquitoes are time-of-day specific, with a greater propensity for nocturnal biting. We investigated how a short exposure to light presented during the night or late day can inhibit biting activity and modulate flight activity behaviour.
Results: Anopheles gambiae (s.s.), maintained on a 12:12 LD cycle, were exposed transiently to white light for 10-min at the onset of night and the proportion taking a blood meal in a human biting assay was recorded every 2 h over an 8-h duration. The pulse significantly reduced biting propensity in mosquitoes 2 h following administration, in some trials for 4 h, and with no differences detected after 6 h. Conversely, biting levels were significantly elevated when mosquitoes were exposed to a dark treatment during the late day, suggesting that light suppresses biting behaviour even during the late daytime. These data reveal a potent effect of a discrete light pulse on biting behaviour that is both immediate and sustained. We expanded this approach to develop a method to reduce biting propensity throughout the night by exposing mosquitoes to a series of 6- or 10-min pulses presented every 2 h. We reveal both an immediate suppressive effect of light during the exposure period and 2 h after the pulse. This response was found to be effective during most times of the night: however, differential responses that were time-of-day specific suggest an underlying circadian property of the mosquito physiology that results in an altered treatment efficacy. Finally, we examined the immediate and sustained effects of light on mosquito flight activity behaviour following exposure to a 30-min pulse, and observed activity suppression during early night, and elevated activity during the late night.
Conclusions: As mosquitoes and malaria parasites are becoming increasingly resistant to insecticide and drug treatment respectively, there is a necessity for the development of innovative control strategies beyond insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and residual spraying. These data reveal the potent inhibitory effects of light exposure and the utility of multiple photic pulses presented at intervals during the night/late daytime, may prove to be an effective tool that complements established control methods.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13071-017-2196-3 | DOI Listing |
Vet Res Forum
November 2024
Department of Basic Health Science, Health Sciences Faculty, Marmara University, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is indeed to be considered as one of the most significant vector-borne diseases globally. The virus responsible for CCHF can persist in various animals and lead to severe infections in humans. Ticks of the family are the acknowledged vectors of CCHF virus (CCHFV) transmission to humans.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Case Rep
January 2025
Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Mayo Clinic Health System, Eau Claire, WI, USA.
BACKGROUND The bacterial organism Capnocytophaga canimorsus is an oral commensal of cats and dogs and can cause life-threatening infections like mycotic aneurysm, meningitis, and sepsis. Mycotic aneurysms occur when microbial infections cause arterial wall degeneration. Difficulty in diagnosing Capnocytophaga canimorsus infection can occur due to the bacteria's fastidious nature and laboratory testing limitations, contributing to the infection's high morbidity and mortality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMJ Open
December 2024
Department of Pharmacology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Introduction: Snakebite envenomation has been declared a neglected tropical disease by the WHO since 2017. The disease is endemic in affected areas due to the lack of availability and access to antivenom, despite it being the standard treatment for snakebites. This challenge is perpetuated by the shortcomings of the regulatory systems and policies governing the management of antivenoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry, Celle, Germany.
Tail biting is one of the biggest welfare problems in pigs. However, depending on the individuals involved (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTerritorial aggression is widespread across the animal kingdom and is expressed in diverse ecological and social contexts. In addition, there are marked variations in the degree of male reproductive territoriality within and between species. These differences are often attributed to genetic components.
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