Hantavirus and Arenavirus Antibodies in Persons with Occupational Rodent Exposure, North America

Risk for infection was low among those who handled neotomine or sigmodontine rodents on the job

Genetic diversity and distribution of Peromyscus-borne hantaviruses in North America.

The 1993 outbreak of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in the southwestern United States was associated with Sin Nombre virus, a rodent-borne hantavirus; The virus' primary reservoir is the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus). Hantavirus-infected rodents were identified in various regions of North America. An extensive nucleotide sequence database of an 139 bp fragment amplified from virus M genomic segments was generated. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that SNV-like hantaviruses are widely distributed in Peromyscus species rodents throughout North America. Classic SNV is the major cause of HPS in North America, but other Peromyscine-borne hantaviruses, e.g., New York and Monongahela viruses, are also associated with HPS cases. Although genetically diverse, SNV-like viruses have slowly coevolved with their rodent hosts. We show that the genetic relationships of hantaviruses in the Americas are complex, most likely as a result of the rapid radiation and speciation of New World sigmodontine rodents and occasional virus-host switching events

Detection of 1014F kdr mutation in four major Anopheline malaria vectors in Indonesia

Background: Malaria is a serious public health problem in Indonesia, particularly in areas outside Java and Bali. The spread of resistance to the currently available anti-malarial drugs or insecticides used for mosquito control would cause an increase in malaria transmission. To better understand patterns of transmission and resistance in Indonesia, an integrated mosquito survey was conducted in three areas with different malaria endemicities, Purworejo in Central Java, South Lampung District in Sumatera and South Halmahera District in North Mollucca.\ud Methods: Mosquitoes were collected from the three areas through indoor and outdoor human landing catches (HLC) and indoor restinging catches. Specimens were identified morphologically by species and kept individually in 1.5 ml Eppendorf microtube. A fragment of the VGSC gene from 95 mosquito samples was sequenced and kdr allelic variation determined.\ud Results: The molecular analysis of these anopheline mosquitoes revealed the existence of the 1014F allele in 4 major malaria vectors from South Lampung. These species include, Anopheles sundaicus, Anopheles aconitus, Anopheles subpictus\ud andAnopheles vagus. The 1014F allele was not found in the other areas.\ud Conclusion: The finding documents the presence of this mutant allele in Indonesia, and implies that selection pressure on the Anopheles population in this area has occurred. Further studies to determine the impact of the resistance allele on the efficacy of pyrethroids in control programmes are neede

Phlébotomes de Bolivie : description de cinq nouvelles espèces de Lutzomyia de la région subandine (Diptera, Psychodidae)

Cinq nouvelles espèces de Phlébotomes du genre #Lutzomyia sont décrites de spécimens récoltés dans la région subandine du piémont de La Paz. #Lutzomyia galatiae n. sp. appartient au sous-genre #helcocyrtomyia, série #peruensis ; c'est une espèce très anthropophile, au comportement endophage, rencontrée seulement dans la station de Cajuata, foyer de leishmaniose du complexe #mexicana$. L. kuscheli$ n. sp. fait partie du sous-genre #Pintomyia et ses stations de récolte sont liées aux Yungas. #L. lerayi n. sp. et #L. guilvardae n. sp. appartiennent respectivement aux sous-genres #Psathyromyia et #Pifanomyia et sont seulement décrites du sexe mâle ; les femelles de ces deux taxons sont probablement cryptiques de #L. shannoni et #L. serrana respectivement. Enfin, la description des deux sexes de #L. duncanae n. sp., du sous-genre #Pressatia$, est donnée. (Résumé d'auteur

Lutzomyia nuneztovari anglesi (Le Pont & Desjeux, 1984) as a vector of Leishmania amazonensis in a sub-Andean leishmaniasis focus of Bolivia

Recently, a new #Leishmania amazonensis focus was described in a sub-Andean region (1,450-2,100 meters above sea level) of Bolivia. In this area, three anthropophilic sandfly species were identified : #Lutzomyia nuneztovari anglesi Le Pont et Desjeux, 1984, which represented 86-99% of the captures, #Lu. galatiae Le Pont et al., 1998, and #Lu. shannoni Dyar 1929. Only #Lu. nuneztovari anglesi was found naturally infected by flagellates (16 of 1,715 females). Three #Leishmania stocks were isolated and analyzed by isoenzyme electrophoresis at 11 loci. No significant isoenzymatic differences were demonstrated between them and 7 stocks isolated from patients from the same area, and previously characterized as #L. amazonensis. Moreover, in a simplified protocol, the experimental infection of #Lu. nuneztovari anglesi by #L. amazonensis$was successful in 92$ is the vector of #L. amazonensis$ at Cajuata, Inquisivi, La Paz, Bolivia. (Résumé d'auteur