Mosquito Eggs Research Articles

Arylalkalamine N-acetyltransferase-1 acts on a secondary amine in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti.

Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (aaNAT) in Aedes aegypti is primarily involved in cuticle pigmentation and formation. The reported arylalkylamine substrates are all primary amines. In this study, we report a novel substrate, a secondary amine, of Ae. aegypti aaNAT1. The recombinant aaNAT1 protein exhibited high activity to a secondary amine, epinephrine, which has not been reported for any aaNATs previously. Structure-activity relationship study demonstrated that aaNAT1 has an epinephrine-binding site, and molecular docking and dynamic simulation showed that epinephrine is quite stable in the active cavity. Further functional studies demonstrated that epinephrine affected mosquito fecundity, egg hatching and development. The new biochemical function of aaNAT1 in metabolizing epinephrine could reduce some negative effects of the compound in the mosquito.

Emerging Mosquito Resistance to Piperonyl Butoxide-Synergized Pyrethroid Insecticide and Its Mechanism.

Piperonyl butoxide (PBO)-synergized pyrethroid products are widely available for the control of pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes. To date, no study has examined mosquito resistance after pre-exposure to PBO and subsequent enzymatic activity when exposed to PBO-synergized insecticides. We used Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae), an important vector of arboviruses and lymphatic filariasis, as a model to examine the insecticide resistance mechanisms of mosquitoes to PBO-synergized pyrethroid using modified World Health Organization tube bioassays and biochemical analysis of metabolic enzyme expressions pre- and post-PBO exposure. Mosquito eggs and larvae were collected from three cities in Orange County in July 2020 and reared in insectary, and F0 adults were used in this study. A JHB susceptible strain was used as a control. Mosquito mortalities and metabolic enzyme expressions were examined in mosquitoes with/without pre-exposure to different PBO concentrations and exposure durations. Except for malathion, wild strain Cx quinquefasciatus mosquitoes were resistant to all insecticides tested, including PBO-synergized pyrethroids (mortality range 3.7 ± 4.7% to 66.7 ± 7.7%). Wild strain mosquitoes had elevated levels of carboxylesterase (COE, 3.8-fold) and monooxygenase (P450, 2.1-fold) but not glutathione S-transferase (GST) compared to susceptible mosquitoes. When wild strain mosquitoes were pre-exposed to 4% PBO, the 50% lethal concentration of deltamethrin was reduced from 0.22% to 0.10%, compared to 0.02% for a susceptible strain. The knockdown resistance gene mutation (L1014F) rate was 62% in wild strain mosquitoes. PBO pre-exposure suppressed P450 enzyme expression levels by 25~34% and GST by 11%, but had no impact on COE enzyme expression. Even with an optimal PBO concentration (7%) and exposure duration (3h), wild strain mosquitoes had significantly higher P450 enzyme expression levels after PBO exposure compared to the susceptible laboratory strain. These results further demonstrate other studies that PBO alone may not be enough to control highly pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes due to multiple resistance mechanisms. Mosquito resistance to PBO-synergized insecticide should be closely monitored through a routine resistance management program for effective control of mosquitoes and the pathogens they transmit.

Scanning electron microscopic studies of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) eggs: A review

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) have a long evolutionary history as they are thriving on earth from the Cretaceous as per the amber dating. They are also of utmost importance to disciplines like epidemiology, as they are responsible for various diseases, including dengue, chikungunya, malaria, filariasis, zika and yellow fever. This creates an immense need for the proper identification of various known species and their breeding grounds for restricting the spread of diseases caused by them. To accomplish the vector management strategy, the SEM technique is recruited as the eggs of mosquitoes can be utilized for various studies and inclusive of species identification. This article compiles the work in this direction from the year 1991 to 2020.

Arboviral vectors dispersal and density in storey buildings: the association of light intensity and air temperature.

Aedes mosquito is the most common arboviral vector in the tropic and subtropic regions that it was dispersed in high-rise buildings up to many storeys. A study reported that similar condition in Indonesia is still limited, although the high-rise buildings are also growing rapidly throughout the country. This study aimed to understand the dispersal and density index of Aedes mosquitoes among storey buildings at the campus of Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang, Indonesia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among four of nine-storey buildings. Eight ovitraps were placed in each storey to collect the mosquito eggs by placing them along the building corridor and near the toilet rooms. Ovistrip from each ovitrap was collected every three days, and the attached mosquito eggs were observed and counted under a microscope in the laboratory to calculate the density index. Aedes mosquitoes were found in all buildings up to the highest storey where the Ovitrap Index (OI) is the opposite of height, while the Eggs Density Index (EDI) differs according to the location of the building. OI at the 1st and 4th floor ranged between 63-100% and 38-50%. Eggs density was associated with the light intensity and air temperature. Two Aedes species were identified where Aedes aegypti was more dominant than Aedes albopictus. All high-rise buildings are exposed to Aedes mosquitoes, thus opening up opportunities for dengue virus transmission. Further study is necessarily conducted to understand the inter-storeys migration pathway of mosquitoes, preference habitats, and the highest storey exposed for control.

Effects of Vertical Transmission and Human Contact on Zika Dynamics

The main objective of Zika transmission studies is to work out the simplest approach to scale back human mortality and morbidity caused by the disease. Therefore, it is essential to spot the relative importance of the various factors contributing to the transmission and prevalence of the disease. Many mathematical models have been formulated incorporating vector‐to‐human transmission or human‐to‐human transmission. However, they do not take into consideration the mixture of both sorts of transmission. It raises the question of the impact of both sorts of transmission on the disease dynamics. We develop a mathematical model of Zika with the vertical transmission in the vector population and human‐to‐human transmission to answer this question. It includes the immature phase of mosquitoes (eggs), adult mosquitoes (susceptible, exposed, and infectious), and human hosts (susceptible, exposed, infectious, and recovered). Results show that neglecting sexual transmission results in an understatement of the proportion of the infected population. Furthermore, it reduces the speed of disease spreading. On the other hand, vertical transmission in mosquitoes has a negligible effect on the dynamics of disease spread. We perform a sensitivity analysis of the reproductive number R0 to raise to understand the parameters driving the dynamics of the disease. It appears that the most sensitive parameters in decreasing order are as follows: the adult mosquito death rate, the sting rate, the transmission probability of mosquito to human, and, therefore, the transmission probability of human to mosquito. Furthermore, the proportion at the equilibrium of infected humans is extremely sensitive to the transition rate from the immature vector stage to the adult stage, the human‐to‐human transmission rate, and, therefore, the human recovery rate. These results confirm that control policies targeting the vector population and, therefore, the recovery rate of people are pretty effective solutions. To validate the model and estimate the important parameters of the model and the prediction of the disease, we consider the real cases in Colombia from 2016. In a series of graphic maps, we presented the comparative study to estimate the disease scenarios and to predict the time limit of the epidemic control measure.

SEGMENTAÇÃO E CONTAGEM AUTOMÁTICA DE OVOS DO AEDES AEGYPTI EM PALHETAS DE OVITRAMPA BASEADA EM APRENDIZADO PROFUNDO

Dengue is an endemic disease, being one of the main health problems worldwide. The ovitraps simulate a per- fect environment for breeding Aedes aegypti. It consists of a black pot filled with water, which remains stationary, attracting the mosquito. A wooden straw is inserted into it, which makes easier for the female Aedes aegypti to lay eggs. However, the major disadvantage of this technique is the counting of mosquito eggs that is performed manually, one by one, using a magnifying glass, making the count- ing process slow. Thus, this work presents a computational methodology to segment and counting eggs in ovitrap straws that aims to help specialists in this counting. For the de- velopment of this work, we carried out tests using different color spaces and U-net architectures with different numbers of layers and filters. Then, we searched for the best pa- rameters of a post processing step based on mathematical morphology. The results achieved were promising with an accuracy of 98.65% in the segmentation of eggs and a mean square error of 4.47 in the counting of eggs.

Efektifitas kegiatan pelatihan pembuatan ovitrap DBD pada santri Pondok Pesantren Al Falah Banjarbaru

The negative impact of the insecticides usage triggers the development of new methods other than insecticides, one f them is ovitrap tools (mosquito egg traps). The use of ovitrap as part of dengue prevention efforts has proven to be easy, cheap, safe for health and environmentally friendly. Ovitrap is effective in reducing mosquito populations. The purpose of the activity is to analyze the knowledge, attitudes and actions of students in the use of ovitrap as an effort to control Aedes sp mosquito larvae after the implementation of health counseling activities and demonstrations of making Ovitrap. All students at Pondok Pesantren Al Falah Putera became the population. As many as 96 students who were willing and involved in this activity became the research sample. McNemar test showed significant results on knowledge (0.018), attitude (0.033) and action (0.00). The making andthe use of Ovitrap socialization still needs to be sought in order to increase the Santri knowlwege.. It is hoped that this activity can be implemented every year as an effort to reduce the risk of dengue fever in Banjarbaru Cit

Factors related to the presence of mosquito eggs trapped in ovitraps DHF-endemic areas in Kendari City, Indonesia

Background: Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), one type of infectious disease caused by the dengue virus, is still becoming a public health problem in Indonesia. The high number of dengue cases in Indonesia, especially in Kendari City itself, is closely related to environmental conditions, especially when it is known that the city has entered the rainy season.Objective: This study aimed to identify and analyze the factors associated with the presence of mosquito eggs trapped in ovitraps DHF-endemic area in Kendari City, Indonesia.Methods: This study used an analytic observational approach with a cross-sectional design. The research sample in this study was 50 houses located in endemic areas of Kendari selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected by observation using a checklist sheet and direct observation in each room of the respondent's house based on lighting, temperature, humidity, and physical environmental conditions, as well as the presence of mosquito eggs or larvae trapped in the ovitrap. The analysis was carried out in two stages, namely univariate analysis and bivariate analysis using the Chi-Square test.Result: From 50 houses observed, 13 houses (26%) had the presence of mosquito eggs, 42 houses (84%) had bad air temperature, 19 houses (38%) had poor humidity, and 35 houses (70%) had a higher frequency. In addition, the temperature, lighting, and environmental conditions did not have a significant relationship with the presence of mosquito eggs in ovitraps in endemic areas of Kendari City, with p-values of 0.94, 0.52, and 0.39, respectively. In contrast, the humidity factor has a significant relationship with the presence of eggs with a p-value of 0.000.Conclusion: There was a significant relationship between humidity and the presence of mosquito eggs in ovitraps in endemic areas of Kendari City, Indonesia. It is recommended that residents increase Mosquito Nest Eradication (PSN) activities, perform selective abatization, and disseminate information about DHF through counseling or other activities conveyed through health workers with full support from community leaders and adjusted to the level of education of the local population.

Insecticidal Activities of Leaf Methanol Extract of Clerodendrum polycephalum Baker against Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus

Aim: In a view to determining the capacity of Clerodendrum polycephalum to control mosquitoes, the methanol extract of the leaf was investigated for insecticidal activities using three species of mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus.
 Methodology: The leaves of C. polycephalum were collected, dried and extracted with methanol. Mosquito larvae were exposed to different concentrations for 24/48h. and sublethal concentrations (L25, 50, 75) of the extract to determine larvicidal activity and monitor growth and development respectively. Twenty (20) blood-fed female Aedes aegyti mosquitoes were allowed to lay eggs on treated filter papers for antioviposition bioassay. The crude extract was separated into N-hexane, Dichloromethane, ethyl-acetate, ethanol fractions using Vacuum Liquid Chromatography to determine the active fraction.
 Results: Results showed that larval mortalities were in the order C. quiquefasciatus>A. gambiae>A. aegypti with effective concentration ranging from 250 – 8000 ppm. Mortalities at 48hr were significantly different (p<0.05) from mortalities at 24h. Of the four fractions obtained, ethanol fraction gave the highest larval mortality of 100% at 2000 ppm. Larval duration for all the three species of mosquitoes exposed to the crude extract varied between 2.25±0.5 and 3.25±0.5 days. As Antioviposition Index increased from 46.4 - 89.9, percent hatching of mosquito eggs deceased from 87.25 – 67.5% with increasing concentration.
 Conclusion: The extract of C. polycephalum was found to contain insecticidal compounds which are soluble in polar solvent. The plant could be exploited in mosquito control programme.

Mosquito Nest Eradication Behavior (PSN) in Communities in Rawabuntu Region South Tangerang

Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is a disease that always increases and spreads widely. South Tangerang City is the highest city with several 417 cases in 2019. The role of the community is needed to break the chain of transmission using vector control through Mosquito Nest Eradication (PSN) activities. Activities such as eradicating mosquito eggs and larvae using 3M plus. This study was conducted to determine the factors related to the behavior of Mosquito Nest Eradication (PSN) in the Community in the Rawabuntu. The method of research is quantitative analytic with a cross-sectional design, univariate and bivariate analysis, primary data collection by filling out questionnaires using the PPS technique, and then by purposive sampling with an amount of 150 respondents. The result of the chi-square research shows that there is no correlation between knowledge and PSN behavior with a p-value (0,132), there is no correlation between attitudes and PSN behavior with a p-value (0,757), there is a correlation between information availability and PSN behavior with a p-value ( 0,001), there is a correlation between the role of health workers with PSN behavior with p-value (0,011). The result of this study there is no correlation between knowledge and attitudes with PSN behavior, but there is a correlation between the availability of information and the role of health workers with behavior (PSN). It is expected that health workers will provide information and monitor community activities to carry out PSN activities and for the community to make efforts to increase knowledge and attitude regarding PSN by conducting 3M plus regularly to prevent dengue fever.

MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF DENGUE CONTROL WITH CONTROL OF MOSQUITO LARVAE AND MOSQUITO AFFECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE

Consider a SIR model for the spread of dengue hemorrhagic fever involving three populations, mosquito eggs, mosquitoes, and humans. The parameters of the SIR model were estimated using rainfall data and air temperature for the cities of Pekanbaru and Solok. The main aim of this paper is to determine the effect of mosquito larvae and adult mosquito control on the spread of the dengue virus. Numerical solutions were also presented by using the Runge-Kutta method of order 4. Based on the results, the SIR model was obtained by involving the control parameters of mosquito larvae and adult mosquitoes. Besides, the mosquito population is affected by changes in temperature, rainfall, and fog. Numerical simulations illustrate that the number of infected mosquitoes and infected humans is influenced by the parameters of the percentage of mortality of mosquito larvae and adult mosquitoes.

Automatic Mosquito Control Device Using Infrared Motion Sensor

Malaria is a disease transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes to humans. Mosquitoes are a carrier of malaria. There are many types of vector control strategies, including physical, chemical, and biological methods. Individuals, local communities, and more organized public health vector management programs often need to work together to effectively identify and control mosquito farms. Efforts should be made to destroy mosquito eggs and reduce the density of larvae and adults. The World Health Organization recommends integrated vector management (IVM) as a strategy to improve vector control. IVM combines good practices that maximize an effective, safe, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective approach to disease vector control. Effective and well-tested vector control strategies include: Biological control: larvae and biolarvicidal fish, such as mosquitoes in ditches and ponds or other predators to control mosquito larvae. Chemical control: larvae and adults (indoor spray residues, insecticide-treated bed nets, etc.). Adult mosquitoes are small vulnerable insects with slender bodies, a pair of slender wings and three pairs of thin long legs. Mosquito control can be improved by using an automatic mosquito control device with an infrared motion sensor. Suppression of malaria vectors is an important means of preventing and reducing malaria transmission. To reduce malaria, mosquitoes in and around our environment must be controlled. The introduction of an infrared motion sensor in an automatic mosquito control device would eliminate the reduction in the number of mosquitoes in our environment. Add an infrared motion sensor to the automatic mosquito control device for easier mosquito control in our homes and environments. To customize automatic mosquito control by adding an infrared motion sensor. DOI: 10.7176/ISDE/12-3-01 Publication date: September 30 th 2021

Evaluating the Potential of Pyriproxyfen Dissemination using Mosquito Home System against Aedes albopictus at a Dengue Hotspot Area

Aedes mosquitoes were found to lay their eggs in the cryptic breeding sites. Eliminating cryptic and open breeding sites is essential in reducing dengue virus transmission. However, it is often challenging for health officers to assess these breeding sites which are usually missed during larval surveillance. The autodissemination approach may produce a better outcome by manipulating female mosquitoes to disperse insecticide to other Aedes spp. mosquito habitats. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the pyriproxyfen autodissemination technique using Mosquito Home System against the population of mosquitoes. This study was conducted in Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia. The Mosquito Home System was deployed to control Aedes spp. populations at treatment sites using before-after-control-impact (BACI) design. The presence of pyriproxyfen distribution was confirmed using the WHO larval bioassay which resulted in 10-35% larvae mortalities. Autodissemination of pyriproxyfen significantly reduced the population size of mosquito eggs (p<0.05), larvae (p<0.05), and ovitrap index (p<0.05) at the treatment areas compared to the control areas. Moreover, rainfall was correlated positively against ovitrap index (r = 0.247), larvae (r = 0.420), and eggs (r = 0.422). The study provides promising results for controlling Aedes spp. populations and also highlights the potentials of this technique as an alternative in vector control programmes. However, further studies on larger scale field trials are warranted.

PENGARUH WARNA OVITRAP TERHADAP JUMLAH TELUR NYAMUK Aedes aegypti

Aedes aegypti mosquito is a vector of the dengue virus which causes dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). Efforts that can be made to overcome the spread of dengue fever by controlling vectors, one of which is by breaking the vector life cycle using an egg trap (ovitrap). This study aims to determine the ability of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to lay eggs on ovitrap color differences, determine the ovitrap color with the highest number of Aedes aegypti mosquito eggs, determine the difference in ovitrap color to the number of trapped Aedes aegypti mosquito eggs and determine the average difference between various ovitrap colors in Ahmad Dahlan University Rearing Laboratory from July to August 2020. This research method is One Group Design. Three repetitions were carried out with a plastic bottle that was painted black, transparent, green, blue, purple and yellow. The 90 blood-saturated mosquitoes were put into three cages containing various colors of the ovitrap which had been given water and filter paper to place the eggs. The results showed that the Aedes aegypti mosquito would lay eggs on each ovitrap color and the number of mosquito eggs was mostly found on black ovitrap as many as 2978 eggs. Anova analysis showed that there was a significant difference in each ovitrap color to the number of trapped mosquito eggs and Benferroni's Post Hoc analysis showed that there was a significant difference between black means ovitrap with purple ovitrap and black and yellow color ovitrap

The Effect of Environmentally Safe Nanosynthesis with Copper Particles by using Citrus aurantium Fruit Extract Against Harmful Mosquitoes

The global agricultural sector suffers from the damage due to insect pests on plants all over the world, forcing farmers to indiscriminately use mineral fertilisers and chemical pesticides that are toxic and affecting the environment, plants and animals, as well as causing serious health problems to farmers and consumers. Therefore, scientists and researchers were forced to investigate and discover new methods until they explored the field of nanoscience, which shows great potential for applications in diverse fields, including agriculture, chemicals and plant protection by controlling harmful insect pests. Therefore, a biological method was used to synthesise the laboratory-prepared copper nanoparticles that were tested on both eggs and larvae phases in mosquitoes as nanocides using acidic Citrus Nargin broth (10%). A total of 1 mM aqueous CuSO4 of the plant extract was reduced and synthesised into stable copper nanoparticles with an average size of less than 450 nm. Then, the composition, size and percentage of the synthesised nanoparticles were determined using ultraviolet spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, FTIR, SEM and AFM techniques. The results of this study showed high mortality and a significant difference (P ≤ 0.01) for mosquito eggs and larvae when exposed to the nanocide, than those found in the extract of bitter leaves and the regular copper sulfate insecticide used in agriculture against insects. The results also showed a high relative efficiency of 100% with a highly significant difference (P ≤ 0.01) after exposure of insects and their different stages to the nanocide after 72 hours. We conclude from this study the possibility of synthesising nanoparticles using mineral compounds with natural, safe and environmentally friendly bio-plant extracts as insecticides for various agricultural pests.

BARRIER TREATMENTS USING COMBINED LAMBDA-CYHALOTHRIN AND PYRIPROXYFEN REDUCE PERIDOMESTIC AEDES MOSQUITOES IN A SUBTROPICAL ENVIRONMENT

Barrier treatment of vegetation using lambda-cyhalothrin has been shown to be effective at reducing adult mosquito populations in the US. However, recent investigations have indicated that standard residual adulticide barrier treatments may be enhanced when combined with an insect growth regulator targeting immature stages that could be transferred to immature habitat by adults contacting treated surfaces. We conducted field trials at residential sites in a subtropical urban environment in north central Florida treating blocks of vegetation with residual sprays of lambda-cyhalothrin (Demand® CS) and pyriproxyfen (Archer®) alone and in combination treatments to determine their efficacy against peridomestic mosquitoes. The combined treatment resulted in consistent approximately 100% reduction in Aedes mosquito eggs for 16 wk post-treatment compared to not significantly lower but more variable reductions at alone treatment sites.

ORNAMENTAL BROMELIADS OF LOCAL BOTANICAL GARDENS SERVE AS PRODUCTION SITES FOR PYRETHROID-RESISTANT CULEX QUINQUEFASCIATUS (SAY) IN COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA

The Naples Botanical Garden, located in Collier County, Florida, attracts over 220,000 visitors each year. The gardens house a collection of plants from around the world, including a featured area for over 100 species of exotic and native bromeliads. Ornamental bromeliads have previously been investigated to define their “tank” structure as a haven for mosquito eggs and larvae. The Naples Botanical Gardens was investigated for the presence of juvenile mosquitoes inhabiting large-tanked bromeliads. A survey of mosquito species inhabiting bromeliads in the gardens indicated that the most abundant species was Culex quinquefasciatus. With the ongoing threat of vector borne diseases such as West Nile virus, the abundance of vector mosquitoes and heavy tourist traffic in the gardens, insecticide resistance testing was performed on Cx. quinquefasciatus originating in the gardens in order to assess the ability of pyrethroid-based insecticides used by the local vector control agency to successfully target this species in the event of a disease outbreak. We identified pyrethroid resistance in Cx. quinquefasciatus collected from Naples Botanical Gardens, and that oxidase activity was the primary mechanism responsible for its pyrethroid resistance status.

Evidence of Wing Shape Sexual Dimorphism in Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus in Mallorca, Spain

The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) is a highly invasive species widely distributed on the Spanish Mediterranean coast and the Balearic archipelago. Most studies involving this species in Spain have been focused on surveillance and control methods. However, micro-evolutionary studies for Ae. albopictus in Spain have been traditionally neglected. Morphological diversity could be the result of long-term evolutionary diversification in responses to selective pressures such as temperature, precipitation, food availability, predation, or competition that may influence flight activity, host-seeking, and blood-feeding behavior. Wing geometric morphometric have been used not only to study micro- and macro-evolution in mosquitoes but also in studies of population structuring and sexual dimorphism. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to investigate the wing shape patterns of Ae. albopictus populations to unveil sexual dimorphism that could provide information about their ecology and behavior. Mosquito eggs were collected using oviposition traps at the main campus of the University of the Balearic Islands (Palma de Mallorca, Spain) and reared under laboratory conditions. In order to study wing shape variation patterns in Ae. albopictus males and females, the left wing of each adult mosquito was removed and analyzed based on 18 landmarks. Our results indicated strong levels of sexual dimorphism between Ae. albopictus males and females. Furthermore, according to the cross-validated reclassification test, males were correctly distinguished from females with an accuracy of 84% and females from males 75%. We observed a significant sexual dimorphism in the wing shape patterns of Ae. albopictus when considering different seasonal patterns (spring vs. autumn). Our results suggested that selective pressures may affect males differently to females. Host-seeking, blood-feeding, and oviposition behavior of females may act as a major driver for wing shape sexual dimorphism. These results should be considered for the development of more effective and targeted mosquito control strategies.

Response of Mosquitoes Associated with Estuarine Wetlands to Bushfire in Australia.

The response of mosquitoes to bushfire is poorly understood. During the 2019-20 summer, many regions of Australia were impacted by devastating bushfires. An area of estuarine and brackish-water wetlands alongside the Georges River, Sydney, New South Wales, was burned in January 2020. Mosquito populations within the area were monitored as part of the local authority's mosquito management program, providing a unique opportunity to record the response of key mosquitoes of pest and public health concern to bushfire. Ground pools within a tidally influenced swamp oak forest dominated by Casuarina glauca and associated wetlands dominated by Phragmites australis and Bolboschoenus spp. had been identified as suitable habitat for a range of mosquitoes, including Aedes alternans, Ae. vigilax, and Verrallina funerea. Surveys of immature stages of mosquitoes within recently burned habitats inundated by tides demonstrated that mosquito eggs survived the direct and indirect impacts of fire and immature stages successfully completed development as reflected in concomitant changes in adult mosquito populations following the bushfire. This unique observation has implications for mosquito management following bushfire in Australia and internationally.

Efficacy of Intelligent Mosquito System (I.M.O.S) with Xmos Mini Aerosol Against Aedes in 17th College, Universiti Putra Malaysia

This study reports the efficacy of I.M.O.S (Intelligent Mosquito System) by using Xmos mini aerosol in reducing Aedes mosquito population in 17th College, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Prior to the experiment, the Aedes mosquito population was determined in all blocks of the 17th College, UPM. The I.M.O.S. was installed above the entrance door of the hall and two rooms and was set to automatically spray at 6.30 am and 4.00 pm every day. No intervention was used in the control house. Adult efficacy study was conducted by placing 20 Aedes mosquitoes in each cage and was hung at a distance of 10 feet from the I.M.O.S. The mortality caused by I.M.O.S throughout the exposed two hours and after 24 hours of exposure was recorded. The number mosquito eggs population were calculated throughout the installation of I.M.O.S. Data were analysed using two-way ANOVA and paired T-test, respectively. The mean number of Aedes mosquito eggs and ovitraps index showed no significant difference (p>0.05) between control and treatment blocks. There were significant differences (p<0.05) in the percentage of knockdown of adult Aedes mosquitoes (10, 20, 30, 60 and 120 minutes after exposure) and the mortality of adult Aedes mosquitoes after 24 hours exposure. Nano and slow-release technology of the I.M.O.S with Xmos mini aerosol proved that this type of intervention can kill adult Aedes mosquitoes. Thus, it is a potential intervention for vector control and management.