Paula J. Vaschalde, Fernando S. Flores, Laura B. Tauro, Lucas D. Monje
{"title":"Wild birds as hosts of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and Anaplasmataceae (Rickettsiales) in the Atlantic rainforest ecoregion, Argentina","authors":"Paula J. Vaschalde, Fernando S. Flores, Laura B. Tauro, Lucas D. Monje","doi":"10.1111/mve.12772","DOIUrl":"10.1111/mve.12772","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study aimed to assess the presence of <i>Anaplasma</i>, <i>Ehrlichia</i> and <i>Rickettsia</i> species infecting wild birds and their associated ticks in two localities: Moconá Provincial Park (MPP) and Piñalito Provincial Park (PPP), within the Atlantic rainforest ecoregion of Argentina. A total of 142 birds were captured representing 34 species, 28 genera, 15 families and five orders. Ticks were collected from 33 of these birds, comprising 19 species, 14 genera and one order. A total of 59 ticks were collected and identified as <i>Amblyomma calcaratum</i> (13 larvae and four nymphs), <i>Amblyomma longirostre</i> (31 larvae and four nymphs), <i>Amblyomma ovale</i> (one larva and one nymph) and <i>Haemaphysalis leporispalustris</i> (five larvae). All samples were screened for detection of <i>Anaplasma</i>, <i>Ehrlichia</i> and <i>Rickettsia</i> DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Four bird species tested positive for Anaplasmataceae, with three closely related to <i>Anaplasma</i> and <i>Ehrlichia</i> species previously reported in <i>A. calcaratum</i> adults from a site 15 km away from MPP. The fourth Anaplasmataceae agent was phylogenetically related to <i>Ehrlichia</i> strains reported in <i>Amblyomma triste</i> from the Delta and Parana Islands ecoregion. Additionally, two <i>Rickettsia</i> species were detected and molecularly identified within ticks collected from birds: <i>Rickettsia amblyommatis</i> in <i>A. longirostre</i> larvae and <i>Rickettsia rhipicephali</i> in <i>H. leporispalustris</i> larvae. These findings suggest that birds may play a significant role in the spread of ticks and their associated tick-borne pathogens across diverse biomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":18350,"journal":{"name":"Medical and Veterinary Entomology","volume":"39 1","pages":"187-199"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142546322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Deogratius R. Kavishe, Rogath V. Msoffe, Goodluck Z. Malika, Katrina A. Walsh, Lily M. Duggan, Lucia J. Tarimo, Fidelma Butler, Emmanuel W. Kaindoa, Halfan S. Ngowo, Gerry F. Killeen
{"title":"A self-cooling self-humidifying mosquito carrier backpack for transporting live adult mosquitoes on foot over long distances under challenging field conditions\u0000 Mkoba maalumu wenye teknolojia ya kujipooza na kutunza unyevunyevu, kwa ajili ya kusafirisha mbu walio hai kwa miguu kutoka umbali mrefu katika mazingira magumu ya kazi za utafiti","authors":"Deogratius R. Kavishe, Rogath V. Msoffe, Goodluck Z. Malika, Katrina A. Walsh, Lily M. Duggan, Lucia J. Tarimo, Fidelma Butler, Emmanuel W. Kaindoa, Halfan S. Ngowo, Gerry F. Killeen","doi":"10.1111/mve.12771","DOIUrl":"10.1111/mve.12771","url":null,"abstract":"<p>It is often necessary to use motorised transport to move live mosquitoes from distant field collection points into a central insectary, so that their behavioural and/or physiological phenotypes can be assessed under carefully controlled conditions. However, a survey of heritable insecticide susceptibility traits among wild-caught <i>Anopheles arabiensis</i> mosquitoes, collected across an extensive study area composed largely of wilderness in southern Tanzania, necessitated that live mosquitoes were carried on foot over distances up to 25 km per day because most of the area was impassable by car, motorcycle or even bicycle during the rains. A self-cooling, self-humidifying carrier backpack was therefore developed that allows live adult mosquito specimens to be transported across rugged miombo woodland and floodplain terrain throughout the year. This wettable backpack was fabricated from stitched Tanzanian <i>kitenge</i> cotton fabric and polyvinyl chloride–coated fibreglass netting that allows easy circulation of air in and out. An outer cover flap made of cotton towelling embedded inside a kitenge envelope overhangs the fibreglass netting upper body of the bag, to protect mosquitoes from direct sunlight, and can be soaked with water to maintain low temperature and high humidity inside. Mean survival of insectary-reared female <i>An. arabiensis</i> transported through nine different mobile camps inside the 509 km<sup>2</sup> Ifakara-Lupiro-Mang'ula wildlife management area (ILUMA WMA), over up to 143 km and 25 days, was statistically indistinguishable from those left in the field insectary over the same period. Although considerable variance of survival was observed between different batches of mosquitoes from the insectary and between individual cups of mosquitoes, the different levels and positions inside the backpack had no influence on this outcome. Temperature and humidity inside the backpack were maintained at standard insectary conditions throughout, despite much more extreme conditions immediately outside. When the backpack was used to transport wild <i>An. arabiensis</i> and <i>Anopheles quadriannulatus</i> across a much larger study area of >4000 km<sup>2</sup>, encompassing the ILUMA WMA, some nearby villages and adjacent parts of Nyerere National Park (NNP), it achieved a mean survival rate of 58.2% (95% confidence interval 47.5–68.2). Encouragingly, no difference in survival was observed between ILUMA WMA and NNP even though transport back from NNP involves much longer distances, sometimes involving lengthy journeys by car or boat. Overall, this mosquito carrier backpack prototype appears to represent a viable and effective method for transporting live wild-caught mosquitoes on foot across otherwise impassable terrain under challenging weather conditions with minimal detrimental impact on their survival.</p>","PeriodicalId":18350,"journal":{"name":"Medical and Veterinary Entomology","volume":"39 1","pages":"171-186"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/mve.12771","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143119588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}