I tested a theoretical model proposing that anemia favors transmission of blood-borne parasites to vectors by accelerating the blood-feeding rate. Using Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito, initially, I was not able to confirm this phenomenon either in an artificial or a live system; anemia did not correlate with blood-feeding rate, time or volume. I then analyzed the feeding rate over different time intervals to examine the possibility that inconsistent feeding rates masked the expected results; a comparison of the blood-feeding rate at one particular time period supports the theory. I then continued investigating the influence of anemia on egg production of mosquitoes and found that anemia has negative influence on vector's fecundity. I conclude that although anemia has opposite influences on mosquitoes in blood-feeding rate and egg production, they can get, at least under certain conditions, benefit from blood-feeding on anemic hosts. / Graduation date: 1992

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2009. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Nov. 13, 2009). Thesis advisor: Reid R. Gerhardt. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Anopheles species composition and relative seasonal abundance were measured in an irrigated division (low historical malaria incidence) and in a rain-fed division (high historical malaria incidence) of southern Sri Lanka. Twelve species of anophelines were represented in adult and larval collections with Anopheles vagus Donitz being the most abundant. In cattle-baited net trap collections, Anopheles adults were significantly more abundant in the irrigated division than in the rain-fed division. In pyrethrum-spray sheet collections, cattle-baited but trap collections and larval collections, Anopheles abundance was significantly greater in the rain-fed division. Houses were of poorer construction in the rain-fed division, where pyrethrum-spray sheet collections consisted mainly of Anopheles subpictus Grassi (98%) and Anopheles culicifacies Giles (2%). Hut trap collections also consisted mainly of An. subpictus (88%) and An. culicifacies (7%). Net trap collections consisted mainly of An. vagus (43%) and Anopheles peditaeniatus Leicester (31%). Larval collections also consisted of An. peditaeniatus (24%) and An. vagus (21%). Weak associations were found between species abundance and environmental factors explored in this study (e.g., vegetation, water quality, sunlight exposure). The greater malaria risk in the rain-fed division is due in part to the occurrence of potential vectors in relatively higher numbers.

The irrigation farming methods on the Makhathini Flats are thought to be responsible for recent increase in malaria cases in the Mamfene area of northern KwaZulu-Natal despite ongoing malaria control activities. Their coincidence with the period of intensive fanning is an interesting one. This study was therefore carried out to determine the relationship between larval habitats and adult mosquito population in malaria transmission using Geographic Information System (GIS). Four types of breeding sites were utilised by malaria vectors in Mamfene, viz; types 1, II, III and IV. Habitat type I was tap pools, type II was irrigation spillage in agricultural land, type III was spillage outside but adjacent to the agricultural land and type IV was depression pools located both in the Balamhlanga swamp and inland. The cumulative larval density in all habitats peaked in March 1995 (20/man-hr), with irrigation spillage (type III) recording the highest density index (33/man-hr) as compared to tap pools (type I) which recorded 32.8/man-hr while other waterbodies recorded I3 .4/man-hr (type II) and O.5/man-hr (type IV) respectively. Subsamples of both larvae and adults of An. gambiae group were identified by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique. Of the larvae identified, 94.1 % and 5.9% (n=289) were An. arabiensis and An. quadriannulatus respectively while in the adult component, the composition was 98.7% and 1.3% (n=303) for An. arabiensis and An. quadriannulatus respectively. This confirmed An. arabiensis as the dominant malaria vector in Mamfene area while the exophilic behaviour of An. quadriannulatus was portrayed. Of the An. gambiae group dissected for parity, 51 .5%) were found parous. This is an indication that the population was old and was able to maintain transmission locally despite ongoing vector control measures. The Global Positioning System (GPS) was used to position larval and adult mosquito sampling sites. The spatial distribution of adult mosquitoes from the breeding sites were plotted using GIS soft ware (Map Info ) and the distance between the breeding sites and study houses were measured using a utility distance tool. With the aid of GIS, the adult mosquito density in houses could be used as an indicator to locate the breeding sites in the vicinity. The importance of these findings in terms of application in cost-effective malaria control cannot be over-emphasized. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1995.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2006. / "December, 2006." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 29-33). Online version available on the World Wide Web. Library also has microfilm. Ann Arbor, Mich. : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [2006]. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm.

Thesis (M.S.) -- University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2005. / Title from title page screen (viewed on July 13, 2005). Thesis advisor: Reid R. Gerhardt. Document formatted into pages (xii, 77 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.)). Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-76).

Orientador: Carlos Fernando Salgueirosa de Andrade / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-05T12:43:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Silva_GilciaAparecidadeCarvalho_D.pdf: 2420692 bytes, checksum: 389c3c5a059387fa98ae9be752bd8f0e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Mosquitos pertencentes aos gêneros Culex, Aedes, Anopheles, Mansonia, Psorophora e Coquillettidia são susceptíveis à infecção por Dirofilaria immitis (Leidy, 1856), podendo transmitir o filarídeo aos cães e gatos. Os vetores de D. immitis no Brasil são conhecidos apenas nos Estados do Rio de Janeiro e do Maranhão, fazendo-se necessária a investigação da susceptibilidade e da competência vetorial de espécies existentes nos demais Estados brasileiros. O presente trabalho teve por finalidade verificar a freqüência de infecção por D. immitis em cães domiciliados na Região Metropolitana do Recife, bem como avaliar a susceptibilidade e a competência vetorial de Culex quinquefasciatus Say, 1823, Aedes aegypti Linnaeus, 1762 e Ae. albopictus Skuse, 1894 provenientes de área endêmica e não endêmica para a transmissão desse filarídeo, em condições experimentais. A resposta imune humoral (melanização) apresentada pelos mosquitos expostos à infecção também foi avaliada. Para a realização do inquérito epidemiológico, 816 amostras de sangue canino foram coletadas nas áreas costeiras da Região Metropolitana do Recife e no município de Bezerros, agreste do Estado de Pernambuco. As amostras sangüíneas foram analisadas por meio de teste parasitológico para a pesquisa de microfilárias de D. immitis, utilizando-se o método modificado de Knott. Para a avaliação da competência vetorial Cx. Quinquefasciatus população RECIFE, Ae. aegypti populações RECIFE, UNICAMP e linhagem ROCKFELLER e Ae. albopictus população RECIFE foram criados em insetário sob condições controladas (28 '+ ou ¿' '1 GRAU C¿ e 80 ' + ou ¿' 5% de umidade relativa do ar). As fêmeas das espécies estudadas foram alimentadas com sangue canino contendo diferentes densidades de microfilárias de D. immitis, por meio de membrana artificial confeccionada com pele fresca de animal. Para Cx. quinquefasciatus, que é uma espécie ornitofílica, foi utilizada pele de codorna, e para Ae. aegypti e Ae. albopictus a membrana artificial foi confeccionada com pele de rato. Os resultados obtidos no estudo mostraram freqüência de 3,61%, 7,89% e 7,69% de cães infectados na Ilha de Itamaracá, Igarassu e Recife, respectivamente. Após as infecções experimentais, observou-se que a mortalidade de Cx. quinquefasciatus não foi influenciada pela exposição a diferentes densidades de microfilárias de D. immitis (F = 0,0615, p>0,05) e os índices encontrados variaram de 8,9% a 36,25%. Os índices de eficiência vetorial (IEV) apresentados por Cx. quinquefasciatus população RECIFE variaram de 7,8% a 56,5%. Em relação à razão de infecção, o maior índice foi encontrado no grupo de fêmeas expostas a densidade de 1913 microfilárias/ml, entretanto, não foi influenciado pela taxa de ingurgitamento das fêmeas (F=3,2937, p>0,05). Por meio de melanização, Cx. quinquefasciatus população RECIFE, limitou a intensidade do parasitismo, promovendo o equilíbrio da relação parasito-hospedeiro e deste modo passando a ser um excelente vetor de D. immitis na Região Metropolitana do Recife. Dentre as espécies de Aedes estudadas, verificou-se que a população RECIFE de Ae. aegypti apresentou maior mortalidade (70,7%) ao final dos experimentos, apresentando diferença estatisticamente significante (p<0,01) em relação à linhagem ROCKFELLER, população UNICAMP e Ae. albopictus população RECIFE, que não diferiram entre si (p>0,05). Em relação ao índice de eficiência vetorial (IEV) foi detectado um índice de 7,4% para a linhagem ROCKFELLER e uma variação de 20,0% a 53,8% para as populações de Ae. aegypti e 25,2% para Ae. albopictus população RECIFE. O maior número de larvas de D. immitis infectantes na probóscide foi apresentado por Ae. albopictus população RECIFE, além de uma baixa mortalidade. Desta forma, esta população mostrou-se susceptível ao filarídeo e por apresentar baixa mortalidade, foi considerada como a melhor vetora. Ae. aegypti população RECIFE não apresentou reação de melanização e apresentou mortalidade acentuada, enquanto que Ae. aegypti população UNICAMP e linhagem ROCKFELLER mostraram-se refratárias à infecção por D. immitis / Abstract: Mosquitoes belong to the genus Culex, Aedes, Anopheles, Mansonia, Psorophora and Coquillettidia are susceptible to infection of Dirofilaria immitis (Leidy, 1856) and some of them serve as vectors heartworm disease in dogs and cats. Although the potential vectors of canine heartworm in Brazil have been recorded only in Rio de Janeiro and Maranhão State and no more date are available. The objective of this study was to verify the frequency of heartworm infection in dogs in metropolitan region of Recife and also identify under experimental conditions their ability of Culex quinquefasciatus Say, 1823, Aedes aegypti Linnaeus, 1762 and Ae. albopictus Skuse,1894 from enzootic and non enzootic areas to become infected with and transmit D. immitis. After the experimental infection of mosquitoes, the melanization response to larvae of D. immitis also was evaluated. The survey study were performed on a total of 816 dogs from costal areas of Metropolitan Region of Recife and Bezerros County, located in agreste area of Pernambuco State. Whole blood samples were collected from all animals and were examined for the presence of microfilariae of D. immitis by the modified Knott test. To verify the vector competence of Cx. quinquefasciatus RECIFE population, Ae. aegypti RECIFE, UNICAMP populations and also ROCKFELLER strain and Ae. albopictus RECIFE population, the mosquitoes were reared under constant insectary conditions (28 '+ or ¿' '1 DEGREE C¿ and 80 '+ or ¿' 5% relative humidity). Females mosquitoes, were exposed to blood¿s dog with diferents density of D. immitis microfilariae by artificial feeding apparatus made by fresh animal skin. For this puporse, ornithophilic Cx. quinquefasciatus was feeding by skin quail menbrane, and for the Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus the artificial membrane was made by rat skin. The results of the survey study showed 3.61%, 7.89%, and 7.69% of heartworm infection frequency in dog from Itamaracá Island, Igarassu and the city of Recife respectively. The mortality of Cx. Quinquefasciatus RECIFE population observed in the vector competence study did not show influence of different density of microfilariae of D. immitis (F = 0.0615, p>0.05) and the mortality rate was 8.9% to 36.25%. The vector efficiency (VE) rates of Cx. quinquefasciatus RECIFE population were 7.8% to 56.5%. The higher infection rate was showed in females feeding with blood containing 1913 mf/ml, but no influence was observed in engorged females. The melanization response observed in Cx. quinquefasciatus was important for vector survival by limiting the number of larvae, acting as an important mechanism of parasitic-host interactions. The data indicate that the Cx. quinquefasciatus RECIFE population should is an excelent vector of D. immitis at metropolitan region of Recife. Significant difference (p<0.01) was observed in the mortality rates between the RECIFE population of Ae. aegypti, UNICAMP population, ROCKFELLER strain, and Ae. albopictus RECIFE population. Although no difference were observed between Ae. aegypti ROCKFELLER, UNICAMP and Ae. albopictus RECIFE population. The vector efficiency (VE) rates of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus RECIFE population were 7.4% to 53.8% and 25.2% respectively. Not only the high number of infective third stage larvae of D. immitis in mouth of mosquitoes but also low mortality was observed in Ae. albopictus RECIFE population. This data showed that this specie is the best vector of heartworm infection in the study area. No melanization response was observed in Ae. Aegypti RECIFE population but high mortality was reported. The UNICAMP population and ROCKFELLER strain of Ae. aegypti were refractory to infection to D. immitis / Doutorado / Doutor em Parasitologia

No description available.

Malaria is a serious and life-threatening mosquito-borne disease that every year affects over 200 million individuals and causes 400,00 deaths. An additional 0.5 billion people globally are at risk of malaria infection. The unique role of climate in influencing malaria transmission outcomes across individual communities by acting on multiple dimensions of the malaria vector and parasite ecology has been long recognized. This recognition has led to the development of explicit and implicit climate-driven models of malaria transmission designed to better understand and predict patterns of population vulnerability and uncover potential challenges to malaria control. However, existing implicitly-forced process-based models of malaria have relied on indirectly correlated predictors of malaria transmission, instead of direct relationships among climate, vector entomology and parasite ecology. The lack of biologically-motivated modulation of malaria transmission compromises meaningful interpretation of the ecological role played by climate in malaria transmission. Similarly, the specific influence of climate on vector and parasite dynamics is obscured, limiting the utility of these simple and powerful model forms. This dissertation focuses on elaborating the direct ecological relationships between climate, the malaria vector and parasite to enhance the ecological utility of lower dimensional mathematical models of malaria transmission. In the 2nd chapter of this thesis, a climate-driven entomological modeling framework is developed, consisting of a simple dynamic model that explicitly tracks malaria transmission in human populations and implicitly represents the malaria force of infection through climate-regulation of multiple aspects of the Entomological Inoculation Rate (EIR). The EIR-model construct is found to accurately capture seasonal malaria dynamics under free-simulation, when coupled to local rainfall and temperature climatology across multiple local regions in Rwanda. Furthermore, local rainfall modulation of sub-adult survivorship is found to be a more critical driver of seasonal malaria dynamics than other environmentally-regulated components of EIR. In chapter 3, the model framework is paired with data assimilation methods to dynamically simulate interannual malaria incidence in Rwanda, infer parameters of malaria transmission and validate the malaria model. Results indicate that the implicitly-forced transmission model is able to reproduce interannual and seasonal malaria incidence at regional and local scales. However, accuracy of model description of malaria incidence is more varied at the more resolved local level. Intensified malaria control efforts during the later years of the study are suspected to increase the discrepancy between the vector and parasite dynamics dictated by climate and the observed widespread decline in malaria activity in the region. Nonetheless, the parameters of transmission identified across populations in Rwanda were comparable to existing estimates of malaria, further validating the transmission model and data assimilation approach. For the 4th chapter, a state-of-the-art Bayesian inference forecasting system for the EIR-model framework is developed, as well as a multi-model forecasting system consisting of weighted-average predictions from the dynamic malaria model and historical expectance predictions. Retrospective forecasts of four years of malaria data from 42 regions in Rwanda indicate that the model-inference forecasting system predicts malaria incidence more accurately than historical expectance alone, particularly for predictions with 1-6 weeks lead times. Although slightly less skillful, the multi-model system was found to substantively enhance forecast reliability of the EIR-model system, bolstering the utility of the malaria model as a robust forecaster of malaria in the region. The concluding chapter describes areas for improving the specification of the parsimonious model construct. The need to include malaria control coverage data as exogenous forces of transmission, non-climate drivers and alternate sources of climate exposure that support transmission are highlighted. Future works on forecast calibration needed to improve model performance for real-time prediction are also detailed. In addition, areas for application within information systems for evaluating malaria risk and for advising malaria control efforts, specifically relating to local variability in malaria burden and characterization of entomological drivers of local malaria, are identified and further discussed. The model systems developed in this thesis advance the capabilities of lower dimension dynamic models to connect the ecological drivers of malaria transmission to climate variation. Such process-based formulations could provide better climate-driven descriptions of malaria, while limiting model complexity, without compromising representation of entomological relationships that are potentially valuable for improved understanding and control of malaria transmission.

The rise of vector-borne diseases transmitted by the Aedes spp. mosquitoes is attributed, in part, to the dramatic rates of contemporary urbanization. Over the past 30 years, scientists have developed a wealth of knowledge around the drivers of heterogeneity in Aedes-borne disease risk within and between cities. However, in current Aedes-borne disease research, characterizations of “urban” are oversimplified, with the built environment and social institutions of the city often relegated to a background context. To mitigate the spread of Aedes-borne diseases, under the dual global pressures of urbanization and climate change, there is an urgent need to incorporate the multi-dimensionality of urban systems in driving Aedes-borne disease risk. This dissertation is anchored in socio-ecological sciences, and tailored to the complexities of urban eco-epidemiological dynamics. Herein, theory and methods from ecology, epidemiology, geography, and urban science are synthesized to develop and implement a novel urban systems approach for Aedes-borne diseases. T he first chapter establishes the theoretical foundation for this approach, integrating concepts from three bodies of knowledge: “cities as complex adaptive systems”, hierarchical patch systems theory, and relational geography. In the framework, cities are conceptualized as hierarchically-structured patches of different land uses and characteristics. Patch composition determines localized disease risk, while patch configuration and connectivity contribute to emergent patterns of disease risk and spread. Complexity is added to the system by considering the cross-scale and dynamical processes occurring within a city. Furthermore, the framework establishes how individual and collective social structures interact with the biophysical landscape to generate risk. The empirical research for this dissertation uses a range of data sets, from open source remotely-sensed environmental data and census-derived socio-economic data to fine-scale household survey and entomological data. Chapter 2 is carried out at the scale of the city, and examines how extreme climate and weather conditions in Colombia differentially affects the onset of peak dengue incidence for urban settlements with varying landscape and socio-economic properties. Using Bayesian spatio-temporal hierarchical models we discovered that extreme temperature anomalies (10–12°C) result in an earlier onset of dengue risk for high-elevation compared to low-elevation settlements, which experience increases in dengue risk two to four months after extreme temperature anomalies. Furthermore, the risk of dengue after extremely dry conditions is higher and extends for a longer duration in highly urban areas compared to areas with a low proportion of the population living in urban settlements. These findings indicate the potential for landscape-specific dengue early warning and forecasting frameworks. Chapter 3 is based in a mid-sized, rapidly growing city (Ibagué) embedded within the Andes Mountains of Colombia, and establishes homogenous urban typologies of dengue risk. Measuring dengue incidence across census block and higher order urban sections, we show that distinctive signatures of incidence can emerge from interactions between heterogeneous socio-environmental composition and configuration. Finally, Chapter 4 is carried out at the household and neighborhood scale in Ibagué, and examines how water governance and neighborhood-based social processes drive household-level dengue risk. We documented the role of collective societal memory of water scarcity in fostering a culture of water storage. We determined that neighborhood-based metrics of social cohesion do not necessarily translate to dengue household preventative practices and that to scale dengue prevention strategies, public health agencies may consider interventions rooted in “place-making” to foster linkages between perceived neighborhood-level versus household-level risk. This dissertation demonstrates how trans-disciplinary research bridges urban science, ecology, and public health research communities, and provides a pathway for mosquito-borne disease interventions to be incorporated into national-level early warning systems as well as community-based initiatives that collectively, set cities on more healthy and sustainable trajectories for the 21st century.