Parasites & Vectors最新文献

{"title":"Treatment and control of Haemaphysalis longicornis infestations on dogs using a formulation of sarolaner, moxidectin and pyrantel (Simparica Trio®).","authors":"Kristina Kryda, Masaya Naito, Takeshi Fujii, Andrew Hodge, Steven Maeder","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06747-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06747-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Simparica Trio^® (Zoetis), an orally administered combination product for dogs containing sarolaner, moxidectin and pyrantel pamoate, was evaluated against Haemaphysalis longicornis, a tick species originally native to Asia but now found on multiple continents, including North America.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Two groups of eight dogs each were ranked based on pretreatment tick counts and then allocated through randomization to treatment on Day 0 with a single dose of either placebo or Simparica Trio at the minimum label dose of 1.2 mg/kg sarolaner, 24 µg/kg moxidectin and 5 mg/kg pyrantel (as pamoate salt). Dogs were infested with 50 viable adult H. longicornis on Days -2, 5, 12, 19, 26 and 33. Tick counts were conducted for all dogs 48 h after treatment and subsequent re-infestations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Simparica Trio was 98.9% effective in treating existing H. longicornis infestation when considering live attached (feeding) ticks. Efficacy remained > 98% in preventing re-infestation for at least 35 days, and the geometric mean live attached tick counts for Simparica Trio-treated dogs were significantly lower than for placebo-treated dogs (P < 0.0001) at all timepoints assessed in the study. Dogs treated with Simparica Trio also had significantly lower (P < 0.0001) geometric mean total live (attached and free) tick counts than placebo-treated dogs at all times. No adverse events were reported for any dogs throughout the duration of the study.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A single administration of Simparica Trio at minimum label dose was efficacious in treating and controlling adult H. longicornis in dogs for more than one month.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"117"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11948799/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143720734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Screening helper T lymphocyte epitopes based on IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio for developing a novel multi-epitope vaccine candidate using Wolbachia surface protein as an adjuvant against visceral leishmaniasis.","authors":"Jianhui Zhang, Tianhang Lv, Shuoyan Tan, Lingqi Yu, Yangjian Chi, Jianping Chen, Xiaohui Fan, Xiaoyan Lu","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06756-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06756-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the most lethal form of leishmaniasis. In terms of anti-leishmanial vaccines, favorable immune responses are Th1 responses that primarily produce interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and activate macrophages for leishmanicidal effects. The selection of IFN-γ-inducing epitopes in silico may reduce the steps of pre-clinical evaluation and increase the certainty of the better-designed vaccine. Wolbachia surface protein (WSP) derived from Wolbachia bacteria that have been reported to reside in sandflies can trigger TLR2 and TLR4 activation to favor Th1 immune responses, which may serve as a potential adjuvant candidate for the Leishmania vaccine. Therefore, in this study, helper T lymphocyte epitopes that may induce favorable immune responses were identified, and WSP was served as an adjuvant to design a novel multi-epitope vaccine candidate.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Leishmania hemoglobin receptor (HbR), kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 (KMP-11), glycoprotein of 63 kDa (Gp63), thiol-specific antioxidant antigen (TSA), and sterol 24-c-methyltransferase (SMT) were analyzed by immunoinformatics to screen helper T lymphocyte and cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes. The antigenicity, toxicity, allergenicity, and IFN-γ-inducing epitope potential of T epitopes were predicted. The immune simulation was performed to calculate IFN-γ/interleukin (IL)-10 ratios to predict the immune responses induced by the helper T lymphocyte epitopes. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to analyze the interactions and stability of the docked complexes. The immune simulation of a multi-epitope vaccine candidate was carried out to predict its immunogenicity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Some helper T lymphocyte epitopes that were predicted with the potential of inducing Th1 responses and cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes were selected to develop a novel multi-epitope vaccine candidate with WSP as an adjuvant. It was found in molecular docking and interaction analysis that TLR2 and TLR4 can recognize WSP, supporting the potential of adjuvant for the Leishmania vaccine. The results from immune simulation demonstrated that the multi-epitope vaccine candidate induced obvious cytokine (IFN-γ, IL-12, and IL-2) secretion and Th1 as well as memory T cell production, similar to that of Leish-111f.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our vaccine candidate may interact with TLR2 and TLR4 and exhibit good immunogenicity, favoring Leishmania clearance. Our strategy provides a novel multi-epitope vaccine candidate and references for other vaccine developments.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"116"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11938772/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143710787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between greenspace morphology and dengue fever in China.","authors":"Yingying Cao, Wenhao Yu, Chuanxi Li, Zunyan Chu, Bangjie Guo, Haitao Wang, Wei Ma, Xueshui Xu, Qiyong Liu, Qi Zhao","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06727-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06727-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Although the contribution of greenspace to dengue transmission has been reported, the complex role of greenspace morphology remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the relationship between greenspace morphology and dengue in China and to explore the interaction with urbanization and built environment characteristics.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Dengue data at the township level were collected from five provinces in southern China during 2017-2020. Metrics of greenspace morphology, including percentage, mean area, fragmentation, shape, aggregation, and connectedness, were calculated to quantify its structural characteristics. A negative binomial regression model combined with principal component analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between greenspace morphology and dengue. The modification effects of urbanization and built environment characteristics were evaluated using an interaction term in the model.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Per-interquartile range increase in total percentage, mean area, area-weighted mean shape index, and aggregation index of greenspace were associated with 1.78 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.57-2.01), 1.14 (1.10-1.20), 1.17 (1.06-1.29), and 1.18 (1.11-1.26) incidence rate ratios of dengue, respectively, while edge density was negatively related to the risk of dengue. In areas with high gross domestic product per capita and population size, the impact of greenspace morphology on the incidence of dengue was more pronounced. By contrast, the influence of greenspace morphology on dengue risk was diminished in regions characterized by higher urban isolation and fragmentation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Greenspace morphology had a bidirectional impact on the risk of dengue, with urbanization and built environment characteristics exerting diverse modification effects. Our study highlights the importance of a rational greenspace layout to prevent the spread of dengue.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"115"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11929997/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143693045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The launch of the Pacific vector network: connecting Pacific Island Countries and areas to prevent and control vector-borne diseases.","authors":"Limb K Hapairai, Salanieta T Saketa, Amandeep Singh, Rosanna Y Rabago, Amanda K Murphy, Tessa B Knox, Nuha Mahmoud, Emi Chutaro, Anna Drexler","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06760-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06760-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Pacific Island Health Officers' Association, the World Health Organization, and the Pacific Community co-organized the launch of the Pacific Vector Network (PVN) to address challenges posed by mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue fever, Zika virus disease, chikungunya, malaria, and lymphatic filariasis. The PVN was created as a new initiative under the Pacific Public Health Surveillance Network (PPHSN). This launch was a critical step in the build-up to PVN as a full-service network of PPHSN in the coming years. The Pacific Island Countries and areas (PIC)-led network comprises vector management leadership, officers, and technical partners dedicated to supporting information-sharing to promote evidence-based collective action and innovation. The setup of a Technical Working Body to ensure governance and to steer forward the work of the network was a key deliverable. This manuscript describes the proceedings and discussions of PIC representatives and several regional partners at the inaugural PVN meeting held 5-7 June 2023 in Hawai'i, USA.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"114"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11929161/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143693046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of the initial and residual speed of Amblyomma americanum kill on dogs treated with a single dose of Bravecto® Chew (25 mg/kg fluralaner) or Simparica TRIO® (1.2 mg/kg sarolaner, 24 µg/kg moxidectin, 5 mg/kg pyrantel).","authors":"Kathryn E Reif, Michael W Dryden, Dorothy M Normile, Qing Kang, Brian H Herrin, Jeba R J Jesudoss Chelladurai, Naemi P Bickmeier, Cameron J Sutherland, Mallory S Beltz","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06600-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06600-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>To manage tick infestations and reduce tick-borne pathogen transmission risk to dogs, compliant administration of a fast-acting ectoparasiticide is necessary. Isoxazoline-containing ectoparasiticide products provide systemic whole-body coverage; however, differences in tick kill have been observed between products and these differences may be more pronounced when controlling common dose-limiting tick species such as Amblyomma americanum.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Dogs were ranked by tick carrying capacity, randomly allocated to one of three treatment groups, and administered Bravecto® Chews (minimum 25 mg/kg fluralaner), Simparica TRIO® (minimum 1.2 mg/kg sarolaner, 24 µg/kg moxidectin, 5 mg/kg pyrantel), or no treatment. Dogs were infested with approximately 50 unfed adult (25 female, 25 male) A. americanum on days -2, 21, 28, and 35. Live tick counts were performed at 8, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h post-treatment (day 0) and post-infestation on days 21, 28, and 35. At each tick count timepoint, product efficacy was determined by comparing geometric mean live tick counts for each product-treated group to the untreated group and a linear mixed model was used for between-group comparisons.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared with untreated dogs, significant control of existing A. americanum infestations began by 8 h post-treatment (81.6%) and reached 98.0% control by 12-h for Bravecto®-treated dogs. In comparison, significant control for Simparica TRIO®-treated dogs began by 24 h post-treatment (97.7%). When reinfested on day 21, A. americanum infestations were controlled more quickly for Bravecto® compared with Simparica TRIO®-treated dogs at 12 h (efficacy 95.3% versus 25.5%, P < 0.001) and 24 h (efficacy 99.7% versus 70.9%, P < 0.001) post-infestation. Similarly, when reinfested on day 28, faster A. americanum control occurred for Bravecto® compared with Simparica TRIO®-treated dogs at 12 h (efficacy 87.9% versus 18.3%, P < 0.001) and at 24 h (99.2% versus 59.3%, P < 0.001) post-infestation. Finally, when reinfested on day 35, time to ≥ 90% efficacy was achieved by 48 h for Bravecto®-treated dogs compared with 72 h post-infestation for Simparica TRIO®-treated dogs. Both products performed within label indications and no treatment-related adverse reactions occurred during the study.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Amblyomma americanum infestations are controlled more quickly immediately upon treatment and at 21, 28, and 35 days post-treatment for Bravecto® compared with Simparica TRIO®-treated dogs.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"112"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11927195/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143677082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence of anti-Trypanosoma cruzi and anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies in domestic dogs from Tremedal, Bahia: insights from the Oxente Chagas Bahia Project.","authors":"Tycha Bianca Sabaini Pavan, Larissa Carvalho Medrado Vasconcelos, Isabela Machado Serrano, Denis Augusto Argolo Campos, Ângelo Antônio Oliveira Silva, Randrin Queiroz Viana Ferreira, Daniel Dias Sampaio, Isadora Cristina de Siqueira, Fred Luciano Neves Santos","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06744-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06744-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Chagas disease (CD) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are two important zoonotic diseases that present significant public health challenges in Latin America. Domestic dogs, due to their close contact with humans, serve as key reservoirs for both Trypanosoma cruzi (the causative agent of CD) and Leishmania infantum (the causative agent of VL), making them important sentinels in disease surveillance. This study, conducted as part of the Oxente Chagas Bahia Project, aimed to assess the seroprevalence of anti-T. cruzi and anti-L. infantum antibodies in domestic dogs from Tremedal, Bahia, Brazil.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Serum samples from 17 dogs were analyzed using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (using recombinant antigens (IBMP-8.1, IBMP-8.2, IBMP-8.3, IBMP-8.4) for T. cruzi and the TR DPP® rapid test and ELISA for L. infantum.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results showed that 5.9% (1/17) of the dogs tested were seropositive for T. cruzi, indicating the presence of the parasite in the region. Similarly, 5.9% (1/17) of the dogs were confirmed to be positive for L. infantum by ELISA, although the results of the TR DPP® test initially suggested a higher prevalence (41.2%), highlighting the risk of false-positive results.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings underscore the critical role of dogs in CD and VL surveillance, given their involvement in both domestic and peridomestic transmission cycles. The study also emphasizes the need for confirmatory testing to ensure diagnostic accuracy, which will contribute to more effective disease control strategies in endemic areas. This work highlights the importance of a One Health approach in which human and animal health are closely monitored to mitigate the transmission of zoonotic diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"113"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11929362/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143677095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lysinibacillus sphaericus exposure impedes Anopheles dirus's oviposition via downregulating vitellogenin.","authors":"Shasha Yu, Zhilong Liu, Jing Wang, Hong Zheng, Shiqian Han, Feifei Zheng, Dan Zheng, Caizhi Zhao, Xin Li, Tingting Liu, Xuesen Yang, Ying Wang","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06745-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06745-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Vector control using Lysinibacillus sphaericus is an effective strategy for preventing the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. Our previous study demonstrated that exposure to L. sphaericus during the larval stage of Anopheles dirus significantly reduced the fecundity of surviving adult mosquitoes. However, the underlying mechanisms driving this reduction remain unclear. Sublethal doses of L. sphaericus, often resulting from insufficient or delayed application, can still impact mosquito populations. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how sublethal doses of L. sphaericus inhibit the reproductive capacity of An. dirus mosquitoes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>First, the staining method was used to detect L. sphaericus in surviving adult mosquitoes that had been exposed to sublethal doses during the larval stage. Second, adult mosquitoes were fed a sucrose solution containing L. sphaericus, and the effects on the reproductive capacity were observed. Third, transcriptome sequencing and qPCR were employed to identify and validate genes associated with oviposition suppression in An. dirus following treatment with sublethal doses of L. sphaericus. Finally, we assessed the effects of sublethal doses and direct feeding of L. sphaericus on vitellogenin (Vg) expression and activation of the target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathway using qPCR and Western blotting.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our findings demonstrated that L. sphaericus persists in adult An. dirus mosquitoes that survived larval exposure to sublethal doses. Additionally, feeding adult female mosquitoes with L. sphaericus significantly suppressed their oviposition ability. Transcriptome analysis revealed substantial alterations in gene expression profiles among surviving mosquitoes exposed to sublethal doses of L. sphaericus. Notably, L. sphaericus inhibit lysosomal function and lipid metabolism, which are critical for mosquito physiology. Furthermore, L. sphaericus significantly downregulated the Akt-TOR signaling pathway and Vg expression in adult mosquitoes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Exposure An. dirus larvae to L. sphaericus resulted in the persistence of L. sphaericus in surviving adult mosquitoes and significantly suppressed female oviposition by downregulating Vg expression via inhibition of lysosomal function and the TOR signaling pathway. This study offers novel insights into the interaction between L. sphaericus and its mosquito host and identifies potential molecular targets for controlling mosquito population density by modulating oviposition behavior.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"111"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11927181/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143677094","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forecasting invasive mosquito abundance in the Basque Country, Spain using machine learning techniques.","authors":"Vanessa Steindorf, Hamna Mariyam K B, Nico Stollenwerk, Aitor Cevidanes, Jesús F Barandika, Patricia Vazquez, Ana L García-Pérez, Maíra Aguiar","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06733-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06733-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mosquito-borne diseases cause millions of deaths each year and are increasingly spreading from tropical and subtropical regions into temperate zones, posing significant public health risks. In the Basque Country region of Spain, changing climatic conditions have driven the spread of invasive mosquitoes, increasing the potential for local transmission of diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. The establishment of mosquito species in new areas, coupled with rising mosquito populations and viremic imported cases, presents challenges for public health systems in non-endemic regions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study uses models that capture the complexities of the mosquito life cycle, driven by interactions with weather variables, including temperature, precipitation, and humidity. Leveraging machine learning techniques, we aimed to forecast Aedes invasive mosquito abundance in the provinces of the Basque Country, using egg count as a proxy and weather features as key independent variables. A Spearman correlation was used to assess relationships between climate variables and mosquito egg counts, as well as their lagged time series versions. Forecasting models, including random forest (RF) and seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMAX), were evaluated using root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) metrics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Statistical analysis revealed significant impacts of temperature, precipitation, and humidity on mosquito egg abundance. The random forest (RF) model demonstrated the highest forecasting accuracy, followed by the SARIMAX model. Incorporating lagged climate variables and ovitrap egg counts into the models improved predictions, enabling more accurate forecasts of Aedes invasive mosquito abundance.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings emphasize the importance of integrating climate-driven forecasting tools to predict the abundance of mosquitoes where data are available. Furthermore, this study highlights the critical need for ongoing entomological surveillance to enhance mosquito spread forecasting and contribute to the development and assessment of effective vector control strategies in regions of mosquito expansion.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"109"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11909879/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143634329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determinants of vector-borne avian pathogen occurrence in a mosaic of habitat fragmentation in California.","authors":"Wilmer Amaya-Mejia, Lucas Pavan, Marie Lilly, Andrea Swei, Rodolfo Dirzo, Ravinder N M Sehgal","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06742-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06742-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>As habitat fragmentation increases, ecological processes, including patterns of vector-borne pathogen prevalence, will likely be disrupted, but ongoing investigations are necessary to examine this relationship. Here, we report the differences in the prevalence of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, s.l.) and haemoproteosis (Haemoproteus spp.) pathogens in avian populations of a fragmented habitat. B. burgdorferi s.l. is a generalist pathogen that is transmitted by Ixodes pacificus vectors in California, and Haemoproteus is an avian parasite transmitted by Culicoides vectors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To determine whether biotic (avian and mammalian abundance) or abiotic characteristics (patch size and water availability) correlated with infection prevalence change, we screened 176 birds sampled across seven sites in oak woodland habitat in northern California.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>While biotic factors correlated with an increase in both pathogens, infection prevalence of Haemoproteus spp. was only associated with individual-level traits, specifically foraging substrate and diet, and B. burgdorferi s.l. was associated with community-level characteristics, both total mammal and, specifically, rodent abundance. Proximity to water was the only abiotic factor found to be significant for both pathogens and reinforces the importance of water availability for transmission cycles. Larger patch sizes did not significantly affect infection prevalence of Haemoproteus, but did increase the prevalence of B. burgdorferi.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These results highlight that while environmental factors (specifically habitat fragmentation) have a limited role in vector-borne pathogen prevalence, the indirect impact to biotic factors (community composition) can have consequences for both Haemoproteus and B. burgdorferi prevalence in birds. Given the pervasiveness of habitat fragmentation, our results are of broad significance.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"110"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11909916/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143634328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The efficacy of vector-proof accommodation for the protection of livestock against Culicoides biting midges.","authors":"Simon King, Melanie Nicholls, Jake Scales, Simon Gubbins, Paul Pearce-Kelly, Stefan Saverimuttu, Sarah Forsyth, Marion England","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06736-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06736-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Bluetongue virus serotype 3 emerged in northern Europe and the UK for the first time in 2023, causing significant losses of domestic ruminants. Vector-proof accommodation is considered a potential control measure to reduce host-vector contact, but this has not been investigated in northern Europe. This study investigates the efficacy of vector-proof accommodation to protect livestock from Culicoides biting midges in the UK.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Four identical stables were fitted with various levels of vector-proofing, using readily available materials, and a CDC light trap in each. Two further CDC light traps were set outside the stables. For 19 nights during June and July 2024, two pygmy goats were placed into each stable and traps were run until the following morning to collect Culicoides. Trap catch comparisons for total Culicoides, Avaritia females and Culicoides obsoletus/scoticus were analysed using negative binomial generalised linear models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The use of brushes around closed doors resulted in a 14-fold reduction in the number of Culicoides collected from indoor traps. There was an additional effect of installing fine mesh over slatted windows, but this was not significant. Housing animals without shutting the door had no effect on the number of Culicoides collected compared to outside. Blood meal analysis confirmed Culicoides obsoletus/scoticus collected from inside stables were feeding on the goats.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study has shown that small animal housing can be cheaply and easily fitted with readily available vector-proof materials to effectively protect a small number of animals from Culicoides. The efficacy and suitability of vector-proof accommodation may vary with time of year, and consideration needs to be given to the welfare implications of housing animals during the summer.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"108"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11909808/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143634294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}