Characterization of Anopheles pseudopunctipennis larval habitats

A survey of #Anopheles pseudopunctipennis$ larval habitats was performed throughout most of its known geographic range. Eleven key environment variables characterized most larval habitats of this important vector of malaria in the Americas. Larval habitats occurred mainly in valley and foothill areas which were often situated in arid regions. Immatures were found primarily during the dry season in sun-exposed freshwater stream pools with clear, shallow, stagnant water containing abundant filamentous green algae and/or aquatic vegetation. (Résumé d'auteur

The dominant Anopheles vectors of human malaria in the Americas: occurrence data, distribution maps and bionomic précis

Background: An increasing knowledge of the global risk of malaria shows that the nations of the Americas have the lowest levels of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax endemicity worldwide, sustained, in part, by substantive integrated vector control. To help maintain and better target these efforts, knowledge of the contemporary distribution of each of the dominant vector species (DVS) of human malaria is needed, alongside a comprehensive understanding of the ecology and behaviour of each species. Results: A database of contemporary occurrence data for 41 of the DVS of human malaria was compiled from intensive searches of the formal and informal literature. The results for the nine DVS of the Americas are described in detail here. Nearly 6000 occurrence records were gathered from 25 countries in the region and were complemented by a synthesis of published expert opinion range maps, refined further by a technical advisory group of medical entomologists. A suite of environmental and climate variables of suspected relevance to anopheline ecology were also compiled from open access sources. These three sets of data were then combined to produce predictive species range maps using the Boosted Regression Tree method. The predicted geographic extent for each of the following species (or species complex*) are provided: Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) albimanus Wiedemann, 1820, An. (Nys.) albitarsis*, An. (Nys.) aquasalis Curry, 1932, An. (Nys.) darlingi Root, 1926, An. (Anopheles) freeborni Aitken, 1939, An. (Nys.) marajoara Galvão & Damasceno, 1942, An. (Nys.) nuneztovari*, An. (Ano.) pseudopunctipennis* and An. (Ano.) quadrimaculatus Say, 1824. A bionomics review summarising ecology and behaviour relevant to the control of each of these species was also compiled. Conclusions: The distribution maps and bionomics review should both be considered as a starting point in an ongoing process of (i) describing the distributions of these DVS (since the opportunistic sample of occurrence data assembled can be substantially improved) and (ii) documenting their contemporary bionomics (since intervention and control pressures can act to modify behavioural traits). This is the first in a series of three articles describing the distribution of the 41 global DVS worldwide. The remaining two publications will describe those vectors found in (i) Africa, Europe and the Middle East and (ii) in Asia. All geographic distribution maps are being made available in the public domain according to the open access principles of the Malaria Atlas Project. © 2010 Sinka et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Demographic connectivity of sardine in the Bay of Biscay and Iberian coast region

Demographic connectivity in sardine populatio

A global map of dominant malaria vectors

Background: Global maps, in particular those based on vector distributions, have long been used to help visualise the global extent of malaria. Few, however, have been created with the support of a comprehensive and extensive evidence-based approach.\ud Methods: Here we describe the generation of a global map of the dominant vector species (DVS) of malaria that makes use of predicted distribution maps for individual species or species complexes.\ud Results: Our global map highlights the spatial variability in the complexity of the vector situation. In Africa, An. gambiae, An. arabiensis and An. funestus are co-dominant across much of the continent, whereas in the Asian- Pacific region there is a highly complex situation with multi-species coexistence and variable species dominance.\ud Conclusions: The competence of the mapping methodology to accurately portray DVS distributions is discussed. The comprehensive and contemporary database of species-specific spatial occurrence (currently available on request) will be made directly available via the Malaria Atlas Project (MAP) website from early 2012

Hybridization in parasites: consequences for adaptive evolution, pathogenesis and public health in a changing world

[No abstract available

The marine epilithic diatom Melosira brandinii sp. nov. (Bacillariophyta) from Elephant Island, Antarctic Peninsula, with comments on some related species

Uma nova espécie de diatomácea eplítica é descrita sob microscopia eletrônica, a partir de amostras coletadas próximo à Ilha Elefante, Península Antártica. As células de Melosira brandinii sp. nov. encontram-se reunidas em cadeias filamentosas através de longos tubos mucilaginosos. As valvas são circulares, com superfície valvar provida de lóculos pentagonais arranjados irregularmente. Cada lóculo possui 6-12 poros na superfície externa, abrindo-se para o interior através de aréolas do tipo rota. A corona é composta exclusivamente por grânulos grosseiros, os quais estão mais concentrados na borda do manto. Comparações com as espécies próximas Melosira arctica, M. moniliformis e M. nummuloides foram realizadas. Adicionalmente, são fornecidas fotomicrografias de M. arctica provenientes do material tipo e do Mar de Barents (Ártico), e de M. moniliformis de estuários do Sul do Brasil.A new species of epilithic diatom is described from samples collected near Elephant Island, Antarctic Peninsula. The cells of Melosira brandinii sp. nov. are joined in filamentous chains and attached by means of long mucilaginous stalks. The valves are circular with the valvar surface composed of irregularly arranged pentagonal Ioculi. Each loculus bears 6-12 pores on the external surface, opening to the innerside through rotae. The corona is only composed of coarse granules. A mantle is well developed, presenting rimoportulae and bearing coarse granules, which are more concentrated at the mantle edge. Comparisons with the related species Melosira arctica, M. moniliformis and M. nummuloides are made. Additionally, photomicrographs of M. arctica from the type material and Barents Sea, and of M. moniliformis from estuaries of Southern Brazil are included

Conditions of malaria transmission in Dakar from 2007 to 2010

Background: Previous studies in Dakar have highlighted the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of Anopheles gambiae s.l. biting rates. In order to improve the knowledge of the determinants of malaria transmission in this city, the present study reports the results of an extensive entomological survey that was conducted in 45 areas in Dakar from 2007 to 2010. Methods: Water collections were monitored for the presence of anopheline larvae. Adult mosquitoes were sampled by human landing collection. Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite (CSP) protein indexes were measured by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), and the entomological inoculation rates were calculated. Results: The presence of anopheline larvae were recorded in 1,015 out of 2,683 observations made from 325 water collections. A water pH of equal to or above 8.0, a water temperature that was equal to or above 30 degrees C, the absence of larvivorous fishes, the wet season, the presence of surface vegetation, the persistence of water and location in a slightly urbanised area were significantly associated with the presence of anopheline larvae and/or with a higher density of anopheline larvae. Most of the larval habitats were observed in public areas, i.e., freely accessible. A total of 496,310 adult mosquitoes were caught during 3096 person-nights, and 44967 of these specimens were identified as An. gambiae s.l. The mean An. gambiae s.l. human-biting rate ranged from 0.1 to 248.9 bites per person per night during the rainy season. Anopheles arabiensis (93.14%), Anopheles melas (6.83%) and An. gambiae s.s. M form (0.03%) were the three members of the An. gambiae complex. Fifty-two An. arabiensis and two An. melas specimens were CSP-positive, and the annual CSP index was 0.64% in 2007, 0.09% in 2008-2009 and 0.12% in 2009-2010. In the studied areas, the average EIR ranged from 0 to 17.6 infected bites per person during the entire transmission season. Conclusion: The spatial and temporal heterogeneity of An. gambiae s.l. larval density, adult human-biting rate (HBR) and malaria transmission in Dakar has been confirmed, and the environmental factors associated with this heterogeneity have been identified. These results pave the way for the creation of malaria risk maps and for a focused anti-vectorial control strategy

Developing Global Maps of the Dominant Anopheles Vectors of Human Malaria

Simon Hay and colleagues describe how the Malaria Atlas Project has collated anopheline occurrence data to map the geographic distributions of the dominant mosquito vectors of human malaria