Results of a survey to detect the mosquito Aedes albopictus in the French Riviera.

A programme of surveillance was initiated in 1992, in the French Riviera, to detect a possible introduction of Aedes albopictus from Italy and to prevent nuisances caused by mosquitoes in the touristic localities of the C?te d'Azur. In five years, numerous mosquito breeding places have been located. Nine species have been collected: Anopheles claviger, An. plumbeus, Aedes geniculatus, Ae. vittatus, Culex hortensis, Cx. impudicus, Cx. pipiens, Culiseta fumipennis, Cs. longiareolata but no Ae. albopictus was found. Nuisances were mainly due to hypogean populations of Cx. pipiens. Breeding places in urban sites have been controlled or suppressed. The discovery of an important larval population of An. plumbeus in an urban area might further stress the importance of this species already suspected to transmit indigenous malaria in cities.     

Biochemical key to eight species of adult Egyptian mosquitoes

1. An electrophoretic key is described, based on enzyme relative mobility, to distinguish eight species of Egyptian mosquito adults. 2. Using horizontal starch gel electrophoresis, five different enzyme assays unambiguously separated Culex pipiens L., Cx antennatus (Becker), Cx pusillus Macquart, Aedes caspius (Pallas), Culiseta longiareolata (Macquart), Uranotaenia unguiculata Edwards, Anopheles multicolor Cambouliu and An.pharoensis Theobald. 3. Diagnostic loci between species were: Ak-2, G6pd, alpha-Gpd, Gpi and 6-Pgd; the probability of correct diagnosis in each case was at least 0.989.     

A two-year survey on mosquitoes of Lebanon

A total of 6,500 mosquitoes were identified during a two-year survey (1999-2001) in Lebanon, and these belonged to twelve species: Culex pipiens, Cx. laticinctus, Cx. mimeticus, Cx. hortensis, Cx. judaicus, Aedes aegypti, Ae. cretinus, Ochlerotatus caspius, Oc. geniculatus, Oc. pulchritarsis, Culiseta longiareolata and Anopheles claviger. Culex pipiens was the most predominant species in Lebanon, collected indoors and outdoors. It was continuously abundant and active throughout the year. Culex judaicus was a small and rare mosquito and it is reported to occur for the first time in Lebanon. On the coastal areas, Ochlerotatus caspius was very common, and proved to be a complex of species as two forms were detected. One of the vectors of malaria, Anopheles claviger, was collected from May to September, from eight sites in Lebanon. Its breeding sites were restricted to fresh, cool, and clean water in pools and wells. Most of these breeding sites were in the populated Metn County where a few indigenous cases of malaria were reported from 1997-2000. This shows that the reported malaria cases were not imported, but caused by the bites of locally infected Anopheles females.     

Potential vectors of West Nile virus following an equine disease outbreak in Italy

In the late summer of 1998, an outbreak of equine encephalomyelitis due to West Nile virus (WNV) occurred in the Tuscany region of central Italy. The disease was detected in 14 race horses from nine localities in four Provinces: Firenze, Lucca, Pisa and Pistoia. The outbreak area included Fucecchio wetlands (1800 ha), the largest inland marsh in Italy, and the adjacent hilly Cerbaie woodlands with farms breeding horses. To detect potential vectors of WNV, entomological surveys of Fucecchio and Cerbaie were undertaken during 1999-2002 by collecting mosquito larvae from breeding sites and adult mosquitoes by several methods of sampling. Among 6023 mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) collected, 11 species were identified: Aedes albopictus (Skuse), Ae. vexans (Meigen), Anopheles atroparvus Van Thiel, An. maculipennis Meigen s.s., An. plumbeus Stephens, Culex impudicus Ficalbi, Cx. pipiens L., Culiseta longiareolata Macquart), Ochlerotatus caspius (Pallas), Oc. detritus (Haliday) and Oc. geniculatus (Olivier). In Fucecchio marshes, Cx. impudicus predominated with seasonal peak densities in spring and autumn: its greatest abundance during early spring coincides with arrival of migratory birds from Africa. In Cerbaie hills, Cx. pipiens predominated with peak population density in late summer. No viruses were isolated from 665 mosquitoes processed. These findings, plus other data on Italian mosquito bionomics, suggest a possible mode of WNV transmission involving the most abundant Culex in the Fucecchio-Cerbaie areas. Culex impudicus, being partly ornithophilic, might transmit WNV from migratory to non-migratory birds during springtime; Cx. pipiens, having a broader host range, would be more likely to transmit WNV from birds to horses and, perhaps, to humans by late summer.     

Relationship between exposure to vector bites and antibody responses to mosquito salivary gland extracts

Mosquito-borne diseases are major health problems worldwide. Serological responses to mosquito saliva proteins may be useful in estimating individual exposure to bites from mosquitoes transmitting these diseases. However, the relationships between the levels of these IgG responses and mosquito density as well as IgG response specificity at the genus and/or species level need to be clarified prior to develop new immunological markers to assess human/vector contact. To this end, a kinetic study of antibody levels against several mosquito salivary gland extracts from southeastern French individuals living in three areas with distinct ecological environments and, by implication, distinct Aedes caspius mosquito densities were compared using ELISA. A positive association was observed between the average levels of IgG responses against Ae. caspius salivary gland extracts and spatial Ae. caspius densities. Additionally, the average level of IgG responses increased significantly during the peak exposure to Ae. caspius at each site and returned to baseline four months later, suggesting short-lived IgG responses. The species-specificity of IgG antibody responses was determined by testing antibody responses to salivary gland extracts from Cx. pipiens, a mosquito that is present at these three sites at different density levels, and from two other Aedes species not present in the study area (Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus). The IgG responses observed against these mosquito salivary gland extracts contrasted with those observed against Ae. caspius salivary gland extracts, supporting the existence of species-specific serological responses. By considering different populations and densities of mosquitoes linked to environmental factors, this study shows, for the first time, that specific IgG antibody responses against Ae. caspius salivary gland extracts may be related to the seasonal and geographical variations in Ae. caspius density. Characterisation of such immunological-markers may allow the evaluation of the effectiveness of vector-control strategies or estimation of the risk of vector-borne disease transmission.     

Four species of mosquito as possible vectors for Dirofilaria immitis piedmont rice-fields

Wild mosquitoes were allowed to feed, during two nights, on a heartworm-infected dog with a very high microfilaraemia (72,000 and 78,000 microfilariae/ml just prior to be allocated in the live trap). A heartworm-free dog was used as control bait in the second night. Engorged mosquitoes (Aedes caspius, Anopheles maculipennis s.l., Culex modestus, and Cx pipiens) were kept under laboratory conditions, artificially fed until day 10 post-infection (PI) and then dissected for the presence of Dirofilaria immitis larvae. Mortality of Ae. caspius and Cx modestus was significantly higher than controls on day 3 PI (89.4 and 80.3%, respectively), but survival rates were similar in the following period. Third-stage larvae were observed from day 12 to 17 PI in the four mosquito species studied. However, vector efficiency was significantly higher in Ae. caspius which produced 102 (73.9%) of the 138 infective larvae found. Although less efficient vectors, the other 3 species may contribute to D. immitis transmission in the study area due to their abundance (Cx modestus) or higher resistance to the negative effects of infection (An. maculipennis s.l., Cx pipiens). As far as Cx pipiens is concerned, this mosquito, which luckily fed the least frequently on the dog, confirmed to act as powerful vector in iperendemic areas. The risks for veterinary and medical health, related to the zoo-antropophylic host-feeding pattern of the studied species, are discussed.     

Tire-breeding mosquitoes of public health importance along an urbanisation gradient in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Used vehicle tires are a source of mosquito vectors and a means of their introduction and expansion. With the aim of assessing the effects of urbanisation on the main mosquito vectors in temperate Argentina, the infestation levels of Aedes aegypti (L.) and Culex pipiens L. were studied in used tires from highly urbanised cities to low-urbanised small towns in Buenos Aires. Immatures of both species accounted for 96% of the 9,722 individuals collected; the total individuals collected represented seven species. The percentage of water-filled tires containing mosquitoes [container index (CI)] was 33% and the percentage of infested sites [site index (SI)] was 65.2%. These indexes decreased significantly from low to high urbanisation levels for both mosquito species. The relative abundance (RA) of Ae. aegypti immatures was slightly higher toward large cities, but showed no difference for Cx. pipiens. The CI of shaded tires was significantly higher than the CI of exposed tires for both mosquito species. There was no difference in RA values between shaded and sunlit tires. The CI and the SI were highest during the summer across the urbanisation levels, except for Cx. pipiens, which continued to increase during the autumn in small towns. Results related to urbanisation gradient, sunlit exposure and seasonality are discussed.     

致倦库蚊对登革Ⅱ型病毒的中肠感染屏障作用

为探讨致倦库蚊对登革Ⅱ型病毒的中肠感染屏障作用,通过病毒分离、逆转录聚合酶链反应、透射电镜等技术进行了相关研究。结果表明：吸食感染性血液后,登革Ⅱ型病毒能侵染白纹伊蚊中肠上皮细胞并大量复制,但不能侵染致倦库蚊中肠上皮细胞。以上研究证明致倦库蚊对登革Ⅱ型病毒存在中肠感染屏障。     

The first report of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus in Haiti

Aedes albopictus was found in six of the 10 departments of Haiti and in 14 of the 35 communes surveyed. The survey found the larvae of Ae. albopictus in 13 different types of containers. Used tires and tins were by far the most common breeding sites used by this mosquito species. At the breeding sites, Ae. albopictus was associated with other mosquito species, such as Aedes aegypti, Culex nigripalpus and Aedes mediovittatus. The highest proportion of association was with Ae. aegypti. This study represents the first report of Ae. albopictus in Haiti.     

West Nile virus studies in the Sanliurfa Province of Turkey

We attempted to isolate West Nile virus from mosquitoes collected in the field for the first time in Turkey. A total of 6,457 mosquito specimens from Culex pipiens Linnaeus, Ochlerotatus caspius (Pallas) and Aedes spp. species were included in this study. Culex pipiens samples made up 56% of the total species, O. caspius 24% and Aedes spp 20%. There were no positive results after studying mosquito samples using Real-time PCR, VecTest, and Vero cell culture. In serological tests of 181 human serum samples, 29 (16%) were found to be West Nile positive. On the basis of these results, we intend to collect more mosquito samples especially from those areas from which positive serum samples were obtained.     

Research on Culicidae attracted to dog bait in Piedmont

Dog attracted mosquitoes were collected in Piedmont (NW Italy) in 1992 and 1993. Sampling sites where chosen on ecological and epidemiological basis, according to the results of a previous study on the distribution and prevalence of canine filariosis in this region. Dog baited traps were operated monthly (two nights/site from June to September) in six plain sites differing in the prevalence of heartworm infected dogs (including two sites where no positivity was recorded). A single capture was carried out in July-August in three more plain and four hill localities, as well as in a prealpine and a suburban zone inside the heartworm endemic area. The following species were collected (number of specimens in brackets): Aedes caspius (2255), Ae, cantans (1), Ae. cinereus (1), Ae, geniculatus (7), Ae. vexans (58), Aedes spp. (221), Anopheles claviger (1), An. maculipennis s.l. (405), Coquillettidia richiardii (16), Culex modestus (6361), Cx. pipiens (2032), Cx. territans (2), Culex spp. (94), Culiseta annulata (1). Cx. pipiens was captured in 15 sites, Cx. modestus and Ae. caspius in 13, and 12, respectively, An. maculipennis s.l. in 7, Ae. vexans in 6, Cq. richiardii in 4, Ae. geniculatus in 3, Cx. territans in 2, Ae. cantans, Ae. cinereus, An. claviger and Cs. annulata in one. Species abundance and relative composition differed between habitats and between similar habitats with a different prevalence of microfillaraemic dogs. Regression analysis of heartworm prevalence vs. mosquitoes abundance demonstrated a positive linear relationship. Data suggest that four species (Ae. caspius, An. maculipennis s.l., Cx. modestus and Cx. pipiens) are playing a major role in the transmission of canine filariosis in Piedmont.     

竹叶花椒果实精油对两种蚊虫的毒杀活性研究

采用浸液法测试了竹叶花椒果实的水蒸汽蒸馏精油对白纹伊蚊和致倦库蚊幼虫的毒杀效果,并用三角瓶密闭熏蒸法研究了精油对这两种成蚊的熏杀活性;此外,采用GC-MS分析了该精油的化学成分。研究结果:(1)精油对白纹伊蚊和致倦库蚊的Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ龄期幼虫及蛹的LC50值分别为25.634/61.472、31.763/76.431、52.356/110.172、258.497/121.884和198.263/162.048mg.L-1;(2)精油对白纹伊蚊和致倦库蚊成蚊的LC50值分别为24.957和29.517μg.cm-3;(3)在147.52μg.cm-3熏杀剂量下,精油对白纹伊蚊和致倦库蚊成蚊的KT50值分别为3.493和2.993min,24h致死率均为100%;(4)共鉴定出18种化合物,其中萜烯类10种,占精油总量的67.122%,为竹叶花椒果实精油的主要成分。竹叶花椒果实精油对白纹伊蚊和致倦库蚊均有明显的致死作用,且作用速度快,具有开发为植物源杀蚊剂的潜力。     

Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Rome: experimental study of relevant control strategy parameters

Since 1997, Aedes albopictus has colonised and then rapidly invaded the city of Rome (Italy) and its peripheral areas. Presently, the control of this mosquito in Italy relies mainly on larvicidal treatment of street storm sewer catch basins with the organophosphate temephos. We have therefore obtained baseline data on the susceptibility to temephos of the Roman Ae. albopictus population by laboratory bioassays on F1 fourth-instar larvae following standard WHO protocols. Estimated lethal concentrations were 0.014 mg/l (LC50) and 0.022 mg/l (LC90) indicating a lack of resistance to this compound. The persistence of temephos in sewer catch basins was evaluated by follow-up of catch basins treated with a dose of 1.5 mg of active ingredient. Mosquito larvae were recovered in 10% and 50% of the treated basins at 9 and 18 days posttreatment, respectively. In order to understand the relative contribution of this larval habitat to adult populations, we conducted a survey in the Zoo of Rome to estimate the larval density of mosquitoes breeding in sewer catch basins. A complete census of a 16.5 ha area mapped 243 catch basins, but only 25 (10.3%) contained water; of the latter 8 (32.0%) hosted mosquito larvae. All positive catch basins contained larvae of Culex pipiens, which were associated with Culiseta longiareolata and/or Ae. albopictus in 6 and 3 cases, respectively. A longitudinal survey of one catch basin over 4 months showed that the mean larval density of Ae. albopictus was markedly lower than that of Cx pipiens and Cs. Iongiareolata, ranging between 0 and 1.3 larvae/dip as compared to 0-33.2 and 0-22.7 larvae/dip, respectively. However, adult densities of Ae. albopictus in this area estimated during the same period with 20 ovitraps showed consistently high values (proportion of positive ovitraps around 100%). These preliminary observations suggest that whenever alternative larval biotopes other than sewer catch basins are widely available, they might be more productive and/or preferred substrates to catch basins for Ae. albopictus breeding.     

First report of the oriental mosquito Aedes albopictus on the West African island of Bioko,Equatorial Guinea

The invasive oriental mosquito Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae) was detected on Bioko Island for the first time in November 2001. It was found to be well established breeding in artificial containers at Planta, near Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea. Associated species of mosquito larvae were Aedes aegypti (L.), Ae. africanus (Theobald), Culex near decens Theobald, Cx. duttoni Theobald, Cx. quinquefasciatus Say, Cx. tigripes De Grandpré & De Charmoy, Eretmapodites quinquevittatus Theobald and Mansonia africana (Theobald). This is the third tropical African country to be invaded by Ae. albopictus, which has recently spread to many parts of the Americas and Europe--with vector competence for dengue, yellow fever and other arboviruses. In the Afrotropical environment, it will be interesting to monitor the ecological balance and/or displacement between introduced Ae. albopictus and indigenous Ae. aegpyti (domestic, peri-domestic and sylvatic populations).     

Alternative splicing generates multiple transcripts of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1 in Aedes and Culex spp. mosquitoes

We determined the sequences of cDNA encoding Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein 1 (IAP1) homologues from Aedes triseriatus, Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti, Culex pipiens and Culex tarsalis. The cDNAs encode translation products that share > or = 84% sequence similarity. The IAP1 mRNA of each mosquito species exists as 3-5 distinct variants due to the presence of heterogeneous sequences at the distal end of their 5'UTRs. Partial genomic sequencing upstream of the 5' end of the Ae. triseriatus IAP1 gene, and analysis of the Ae. aegypti genomic sequence, suggest that these mRNA variants are generated by alternative splicing. Each IAP1 mRNA variant from Ae. triseriatus and Cx. pipiens was detected by RT-PCR in all mosquito life-stages and adult tissues examined, and the relative concentration of each Ae. triseriatus IAP mRNA variant in various tissues was determined.     

Potential transmission of West Nile virus in the British Isles: an ecological review of candidate mosquito bridge vectors

West Nile virus (WNV) transmitted by mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) infects various vertebrates, being pathogenic for birds, horses and humans. After its discovery in tropical Africa, sporadic outbreaks of WNV occurred during recent decades in Eurasia, but not the British Isles. WNV reached New York in 1999 and spread to California by 2003, causing widespread outbreaks of West Nile encephalitis across North America, transmitted by many species of mosquitoes, mainly Culex spp. The periodic reappearance of WNV in parts of continental Europe (from southern France to Romania) gives rise to concern over the possibility of WNV invading the British Isles. The British Isles have about 30 endemic mosquito species, several with seasonal abundance and other eco-behavioural characteristics predisposing them to serve as potential WNV bridge vectors from birds to humans. These include: the predominantly ornithophilic Culex pipiens L. and its anthropophilic biotype molestus Forskal; tree-hole adapted Anopheles plumbeus Stephens; saltmarsh-adapted Ochlerotatus caspius Pallas, Oc. detritus Haliday and Oc. dorsalis (Meigen); Coquillettidia richiardii Ficalbi, Culiseta annulata Schrank and Cs. morsitans (Theobald) from vegetated freshwater pools; Aedes cinereus Meigen, Oc. cantans Meigen and Oc. punctor Kirby from seasonal woodland pools. Those underlined have been found carrying WNV in other countries (12 species), including the rarer British species Aedes vexans (Meigen), Culex europaeus Ramos et al., Cx. modestus Ficalbi and Oc. sticticus (Meigen) as well as the Anopheles maculipennis Meigen complex (mainly An. atroparvus van Thiel and An. messeae Falleroni in Britain). Those implicated as key vectors of WNV in Europe are printed bold (four species). So far there is no proof of any arbovirus transmission by mosquitoes in the British Isles, although antibodies to Sindbis, Tahyna, Usutu and West Nile viruses have been detected in British birds. Neighbouring European countries have enzootic WNV and human infections transmitted by mosquito species that are present in the British Isles. However, except for localized urban infestations of Cx. pipiens biotype molestus that can be readily eliminated, there appear to be few situations in the British Isles where humans and livestock are exposed to sustained risks of exposure to potential WNV vectors. Monitoring of mosquitoes and arbovirus surveillance are required to guard the British Isles against WNV outbreaks and introduction of more anthropophilic mosquitoes such as Stegomyia albopicta (Skuse) and Ochlerotatus japonicus (Theobald) that have recently invaded Europe, since they transmit arboviruses elsewhere.     

New species of Microsporidia in the genus Amblyospora from blood-sucking mosquitoes in the family Culicidae

Two microsporidians of the genus Amblyospora from mosquito larvae of Aedes and Culex were studied in Tomsk region (Siberia). Peculiarities of the sporogony and the meiospore ultrastructure were studied by light and electron microscopy. The meiospores of A. caspius sp. n. from Aedes caspius and Ae. communis measured on smears, were c. 4.8 x 3.6 microns in size. A polar filament was anisofilar with 5 wide (290 nm) and 9 narrow (190 nm) coils arranged in a single layer. A polaroplast of both species was composed of two parts: anterior lamellae and posterior fibrillae. Meiospores of A. burlaki sp. n. from Culex pipiens measured c. 4.8 x 3.5 microns. A polar filament was anisofilar with 3 wide (260 nm) and 6 narrow (110 nm) coils. The meiospore of this species had a 260 nm thick multilayered exospore.     

我国蚊虫体内感染的Wolbachia的wsp基因序列测定与分析

测定了我国尖音库蚊复合组和白纹伊蚊蚊虫体内感染的Wolbachia株的wsp基因序列。核苷酸和氨基酸的同源性及系统关系分析表明,我国尖音库蚊复合组和白纹伊蚊中Wolbachia株的wsp基因序列与Pip组其它株的核苷酸及氨基酸同源性分别为98%～100%和97%～100%, 属B大组Wolbachia中的Pip组。     

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF MOSQUITO LARVAE WITH MESOCYCLOPS LEUKARTI1)

Abstract  The control efficacy of a predatory copepod, Mesocyclops leukarti , collected in Jining, and its compatibility with Bacillus sphaericus (B.s. ) and B. thuringiensis var. csraefensis H-14 ( B. t. i. ) against mosquito larvae were evaluated in the laboratory and in the field. In the laboratory, M. leukarti showed higher predatory activity toward first instar larvae of Aedes albopictus than toward that of Anopheles sinensis and Culex pipiens pallens. Cage simulation test showed that larvae of Cx. pipiens pallens, An. sinensis and Ae. albopictus could be eliminated within 9, 10 and 7 weeks after interaction with the copepods respectively. M. leukarti population can grow quickly, and its mass production is easy and economic. However, pilot field trials indicated that M. leukarti alone could not eradicate mosquito larvae of the three species rapidly and completely as by chemical insecticides, although they could persist in mosquito breeding habitats longer than the mosquito season. When Mesocyclops was used in combination with B. s. and B. t. i. , higher and sustainable control effects were achieved. So this combination, which achieved the rapid larvicidal and sustainable control effect, was presumed to be practical and could be integrated into mosquito control program.     

用刘氏中剑水蚤防治蚊幼虫(英文)

本研究在室内评价了在济宁采集的捕食性刘氏中剑水蚤单用及与球形芽孢杆菌(B.s.)或苏云金杆菌以色列变种(B.t.i.)合用对蚊幼虫的控制效果。在室内,刘氏中剑水蚤对白蚊伊蚊Ⅰ龄幼虫的捕食效果好于对中华按蚊和淡色库蚊幼虫的效果。蚊笼模拟试验表明,刘氏中剑水蚤可分别于9、10和7周内消灭淡色库蚊、中华按蚊和白蚊伊蚊的幼虫种群。该剑水蚤增长速率快,大量培养经济易行。现场试验证明,刘氏中剑水蚤虽可在蚊虫孳生地存活时间长于蚊虫季节,但单用该剑水蚤不能象化学杀虫剂一样快速完全地控制三种蚊虫。刘氏中剑水蚤与B.s.或B.t.i.合用,应用刘氏中剑水蚤的长持效和生物杀虫剂的速效,取得了高效、持久的防治效果。因此二者合用可用于蚊虫防治并可作为蚊虫综合防治的一个组成部分。