Mapping mosquito breeding habitats (water) under mangrove canopy: contribution from airborne thermal scanning

Proceedings of the 11th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference

Efficacy of a new self-supporting low-profile bednet for personal protection against Anopheles farauti (Diptera : Culicidae) in a village in Papua New Guinea

A new United States (U.S.) self-supporting low-profile bednet was designed by Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in collaboration with Breakthrough Technologies. The bednet incorporated permethrin-impregnated screening into a frame that erected automatically when removed from its bag. The new U.S. bednet was compared with the current Australian Defense Force (ADF) mosquito bednet at Buka Island, North Solomons Province, Papua New Guinea, in March 1999. At the time of the test, Anopheles farauti Laveran was the most abundant biting mosquito. Both bednet types provided > 97.8% protection compared with an unprotected collector. The untreated U.S. Army prototype bednet provided better protection than the untreated ADF bednet against mosquitoes entering the bednet during the night.

Sustained swimming performance and muscle structure are altered by thermal acclimation in male mosquitofish

Males of the eastern mosquito fish (Gambusia holbrooki) possess one of the widest reproductively active temperature ranges for any ectotherm, ranging across seasons from at least 18degreesC to 34degreesC. In this study, we tested the ability of male G. holbrooki to acclimate their sustained swimming performance following long-term exposure to 18degreesC or 30degreesC. We also investigated some of the possible physiological mechanisms associated with thermal acclimation responses in swimming performance, including changes in slow muscle fibre size and abundance and the expression of myosin heavy chains (MyHC). We found that U-crit, of 18degreesC-acclimated G. holbrooki was 20% greater at 18degreesC than 30degreesC-acclimated fish, and the Ucrit of the 30degreesC-acclimated group was more than 15% greater at 30degreesC. Slow, fast and intermediate muscle fibres were identified on the basis of their myosin ATPase staining reaction. Although the number of slow and intermediate muscle fibres was similar between groups, the total cross-sectional area of aerobic fibre types was 40% greater in 18degrees-than 30degreesC-acclimated fish, reflecting an increase in the average fibre diameter. An S58 antibody raised against chicken slow skeletal muscle myosin stained a sub-set of the slow fibres identified by myosin ATPase staining. The number of S58-positive muscle fibres was 50% greater in 30degreesC-than 18degreesC-acclimated fish, implying that different MyHCs are being expressed in cold and warm acclimated individuals. Given the sexually coercive mating system of this species, increases in the sustained swimming performance via thermal acclimation may benefit the ability of males to maintain a high rate of sneaky copulations. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

El Niño Southern Oscillation and Ross River Virus Outbreaks in Australia

Various authors have suggested a general predictive value of climatic indices of El Nino/Southem Oscillation events as indicators of outbreaks of arbovirus disease, particularly Ross River virus in Australia. By analyzing over 100 years of historical outbreak data on Ross River virus disease, our data indicate that, although high Southern Oscillation Index and La Nina conditions are potentially important predictors for the Murray Darling River region, this is not the case for the other four ecological zones in Australia. Our study, therefore, cautions against overgeneralization and suggests that, since climate and weather exert different influences and have different biological implications for the multiplicity of vectors involved, it is logical that predictors should be heterogeneous.

West Nile virus vaccines

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that is emerging as a global pathogen. In the last decade, virulent strains of the virus have been associated with significant outbreaks of human and animal disease in Europe, the Middle East and North America. Efforts to develop human and veterinary vaccines have taken both traditional and novel approaches. A formalin-inactivated whole virus vaccine has been approved for use in horses. DNA vaccines coding for the structural WNV proteins have also been assessed for veterinary use and have been found to be protective in mice, horses and birds. Live attenuated yellow fever WNV chimeric vaccines have also been successful in animals and are currently undergoing human trials. Additional studies have shown that immunisation with a relatively benign Australian variant of WNV, the Kunjin virus, also provides protective immunity against the virulent North American strain. Levels of efficacy and safety, as well as logistical, economic and environmental issues, must all be carefully considered before vaccine candidates are approved and selected for large-scale manufacture and distribution.

Enzymatic characterization and homology model of a catalytically active recombinant West Nile virus NS3 protease

West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus with a rapidly expanding global distribution. Infection causes severe neurological disease and fatalities in both human and animal hosts. The West Nile viral protease (NS2B-NS3) is essential for post-translational processing in host-infected cells of a viral polypeptide precursor into structural and functional viral proteins, and its inhibition could represent a potential treatment for viral infections. This article describes the design, expression, and enzymatic characterization of a catalytically active recombinant WNV protease, consisting of a 40-residue component of cofactor NS2B tethered via a noncleavable nonapeptide (G(4)SG(4)) to the N-terminal 184 residues of NS3. A chromogenic assay using synthetic para-nitroanilide (pNA) hexapeptide substrates was used to identify optimal enzyme-processing conditions (pH 9.5, I < 0.1 M, 30% glycerol, 1 mM CHAPS), preferred substrate cleavage sites, and the first competitive inhibitor (Ac-FASGKR- H, IC50 &SIM; 1 μM). A putative three-dimensional structure of WNV protease, created through homology modeling based on the crystal structures of Dengue-2 and Hepatitis C NS3 viral proteases, provides some valuable insights for structure-based design of potent and selective inhibitors of WNV protease.

Flavivirus isolations from mosquitoes collected from Saibai Island in the Torres Strait, Australia, during an incursion of Japanese encephalitis virus

Adult mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) were collected in January and February 2000 from Saibai Island in the Torres Strait of northern Australia, and processed for arbovirus isolation during a period of Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus activity on nearby Badu Island. A total of 84 2 10 mosquitoes were processed for virus isolation, yielding six flavivirus isolates. Viruses obtained were single isolates of JE and Kokobera (KOK) and four of Kunjin (KUN). All virus isolates were from members of the Culex sitiens Weidemann subgroup, which comprised 53.1 % of mosquitoes processed. Nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the pre-membrane region of the genome of JE isolate TS5313 indicated that it was closely related to other isolates from a sentinel pig and a pool of Cx. gelidus Theobald from Badu Island during the same period. Also molecular analyses of part of the envelope gene of KUN virus isolates showed that they were closely related to other KUN virus strains from Cape York Peninsula. The results indicate that flaviviruses are dynamic in the area, and suggest patterns of movement south from New Guinea and north from the Australian mainland.

Regulation of antigen processing and presentation molecules in West Nile virus-infected human skin fibroblasts

Infection of humans with the West Nile flavivirus principally occurs via tick and mosquito bites. Here, we document the expression of antigen processing and presentation molecules in West Nile virus (WNV)-infected human skin fibroblast (HFF) cells. Using a new Flavivirus-specific antibody, 4G4, we have analyzed cell surface human leukocyte antigen (HLA) expression on virus-infected cells at a single cell level. Using this approach, we show that West Nile Virus infection alters surface HLA expression on both infected HFF and neighboring uninfected HFF cells. Interestingly, increased surface HLA evident on infected HFF cultures is almost entirely due to virus-induced interferon (IFN)alpha/beta because IFNalpha/beta-neutralizing antibodies completely prevent increased surface HLA expression. In contrast, RT-PCR analysis indicates that WNV infection results in increased mRNAs for HLA-A, -B, and -C genes, and HLA-associated molecules low molecular weight polypeptide-2 (LMP-2) and transporter associated with antigen presentation-1 (TAP-1), but induction of these mRNAs is not diminished in HFF cells cultured with IFNalpha/beta-neutralizing antibodies. Taken together, these data support the idea that that both cytokine-dependent and cytokine-independent mechanisms account for WNV-induced HLA expression in human skin fibroblasts. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spatial and temporal definition of Ochlerotatus camptorhynchus (Thomson) (Diptera : Culicidae) in the Gippsland Lakes system of eastern Victoria

The confirmed vector of Ross River virus, Ochlerotatus camptorhynchus (Thomson), is the dominant mosquito species inhabiting saline marshes in coastal Victoria. This paper re-examines previously published data on Oc. camptorhynchus, plus additional data collected since that time, and provides greater spatial and temporal definition of Oc. camptorhynchus numbers at seven sites across the Gippsland Lakes system of eastern Victoria. A total of 357 672 Oc. camptorhynchus was captured from 1188 trap-nights across the seven trap sites during trapping seasons from 1990 to 2001. The dominance of Oc. camptorhynchus across the seven sites averaged 75%, with significant differences in mean abundance of Oc. camptorhynchus found between all trap sites. Significant differences in monthly abundance of Oc. camptorhynchus were observed for Wellington Shire. Increase in populations of Oc. camptorhynchus was associated with increases in rainfall at all trap sites, higher minimum temperatures at two of the seven trap sites, and wind speed at one trap site. Prioritisation of mosquito control may be applied based on spatial and temporal factors according to the findings of this study.

Ross River virus disease in Australia, 1886-1998, with analysis of risk factors associated with outbreaks

Ross River virus (RE) is a mosquito-borne arbovirus responsible for outbreaks of polyarthritic disease throughout Australia. To better understand human and environmental factors driving such events, 57 historical reports oil RR Outbreaks between 1896 and 1998 were examined collectively. The magnitude, regularity, seasonality, and locality of outbreaks were found to be wide ranging; however, analysis of climatic and tidal data highlighted that environmental conditions let differently ill tropical, arid, and temperate regions. Overall, rainfall seems to be the single most important risk factor, with over 90% of major outbreak locations receiving higher than average rainfall in preceding mouths. Many temperatures were close to average, particularly in tropical populations; however, in arid regions, below average maximum temperatures predominated, and ill southeast temperate regions, above average minimum temperatures predominated. High spring tides preceded coastal Outbreaks, both in the presence and absence of rainfall, and the relationship between rainfall and the Southern Oscillation Index and Lit Nina episodes suggest they may be useful predictive tools, but only ill southeast temperate regions. Such heterogeneity predisposing outbreaks supports the notion that there are different RE epidemiologies throughout Australia but also Suggests that generic parameters for the prediction and control of outbreaks are of limited use at a local level.

Entomological investigations in a focus of dengue transmission in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, by using the sticky ovitraps

Sticky ovitraps (patent pending) were used to sample female Aedes aegypti (L.) weekly in a focus of dengue activity in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. In February 2003, transmission of dengue virus serotype 2 began in the suburb of Parramatta Park, peaking in mid-March 2003. This suburb features many older, unscreened houses with high populations of Ae. aegypti. Highest densities (2-3.5 females per trap per week) were obtained during peak dengue transmission (January and February) before mosquito control was initiated. Beginning in late March, female Ae. aegypti collected in sticky ovitraps were tested for dengue viral RNA by using a TaqMan reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay. Dengue viral RNA was detected in six pools of Ae. aegypti collected in late March. The highest minimum infection rate was 116/1000 mosquitoes. After the initiation of larval control (containers treated with S-methoprene or lambda-cyhalothrin) and adult control (interior harborage sites sprayed with lambda-cyhalothrin) in early March, trap collections dropped to

Differences in climatic factors between Ross River virus disease outbreak and nonoutbreak years

Ross River virus is a common mosquito-borne arbovirus responsible for outbreaks of polyarthritic disease throughout Australia. To better understand climatic factors preceding outbreaks, we compared seasonal and monthly rainfall and temperature trends in outbreak and nonoutbreak years at four epidemic-prone locations. Our analyses showed that rainfall in outbreak years tended to be above average and higher than rainfall in nonoutbreak years. Overall temperatures were warmer during outbreak years. However, there were a number of distinct deviations in temperature, which seem to play a role in either promoting or inhibiting outbreaks. These preliminary findings show that climatic differences occur between outbreak and nonoutbreak years; however, seasonal and monthly trends differed across geo-climatic regions of the country. More detailed research is imperative if we are to optimize the surveillance and control of epidemic polyarthritic disease in Australia.

Risks for ross river virus disease in tropical Australia

Background There are no analytical studies of individual risks for Ross River virus (RRV) disease. Therefore, we set out to determine individual risk and protective factors for RRV disease in a high incidence area and to assess the utility of the case-control design applied for this purpose to an arbovirus disease. Methods We used a prospective matched case-control study of new community cases of RRV disease in the local government areas of Cairns, Mareeba, Douglas, and Atherton, in tropical Queensland, from January I to May 31, 1998. Results Protective measures against mosquitoes reduced the risk for disease. Mosquito coils, repellents, and citronella candles each decreased risk by at least 2-fold, with a dose-response for the number of protective measures used. Light-coloured clothing decreased risk 3-fold. Camping increased the risk 8-fold. Conclusions These risks were substantial and statistically significant, and provide a basis for educational programs on individual protection against RRV disease in Australia. Our study demonstrates the utility of the case-control method for investigating arbovirus risks. Such a risk analysis has not been done before for RRV infection, and is infrequently reported for other arbovirus infections.

Evaluation of Melanotaenia duboulayi (Atheriniformes : Melanotaeniidae), Hypseleotris galii (Perciformes : Eleotridae), and larvicide Vectolex (R) WG (Bacillus sphaericus) for integrated control of Culex annulirostris

Australian freshwater fish species Melanotaenia duboulayi and Hypseleotris galii were selected for a small plot field evaluation of an integrated pest management strategy using native fish and VectoLex® WG (Bacillus sphaericus) for the control of Culex annulirostris Skuse, the principal freshwater vector of arbovirus Ross River virus in Australia. When tested alone, the level of control afforded by M. duboulayi and H. galii was highly dependent on the prerelease density of mosquito larvae; and even when stocking rates as high as 10 g per pond (>30 kg/ha) were used, larval abundance was too high to attain adequate control from fish alone. In contrast, treatment with VectoLex WG at 500 g/ha resulted in 100% mortality of Cx. annulirostris immatures, but no residual activity was evident. The delayed reduction of Cx. annulirostris immatures in ponds stocked with fish alone, and the recolonization by Cx. annulirostris in ponds after treatment with B. sphaericus, did not occur when both treatments were combined.

Laboratory evaluation of the effect of alternative prey and vegetation on predation of Culex annulirostris immatures by Australian native fish species

The impact of alternative prey and simulated vegetation on Culex annulirostris Skuse predation efficacy by Australian smelt, Retropinna semoni (Retropinnidae); crimson-spotted rainbowfish, Melanotaenia duboulayi (Melanotaeniidae); empire gudgeon, Hypseleotris compressa (Eleotridae); estuary perchlet, Ambassis marianus (Ambassidae); firetail gudgeon, Hypseleotris galii (Eleotridae); fly-specked hardyhead, Craterocephalus stercusmuscarum (Atherinidae); and Pacific blue-eye, Pseudomugil signifer (Atherinidae), was evaluated in Queensland, Australia. The presence of chironomid midge larvae and tusked frog, Adelotus brevis (Leptodactylidae), tadpoles did not have a significant negative impact on the predation rates of Cx. annulirostris by these 7 fish species. Hypseleotris galii, M. duboulayi, and R. semoni demonstrated strong preference for larvae of Cx. annulirostris over both alternative prey species. In the presence of alternative prey species, the mean predation rate of M. duboulayi on larvae of Cx. annulirostris remained greater than that of other fish species tested. When evaluated at varying densities of simulated vegetation, predation rates of all fish species were similar to those reported in open conditions.