Acta tropica最新文献

{"title":"New insights on the Rickettsia-tick-wild bird associations in the Western Amazon, Brazil","authors":"Vanessa Lima de Souza ,&nbsp;Francisco Borges Costa ,&nbsp;Richard de Campos Pacheco ,&nbsp;Thiago Fernandes Martins ,&nbsp;Edson Guilherme ,&nbsp;Ednaira Alencar dos Santos ,&nbsp;Victória Luiza de Barros Silva ,&nbsp;Jônatas Lima ,&nbsp;José Ribamar Lima-de-Souza","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107647","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107647","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Several studies have highlighted the importance of balancing wildlife and plant life to mitigate the spread of ticks and their pathogenic microorganisms. This balance is essential for preserving the health of wildlife, domestic animals, and, consequently, human populations. However, human activities, characterized by habitat destruction and fragmentation, have brought humans and domestic animals closer to wild bird populations, which act as dispersers of ticks of public health importance. In light of these challenges, this study aimed to determine the frequency of occurrence and abundance of tick species in wild birds in the upland forests of the southwestern Brazilian Amazon. Data were collected in two municipalities: Rio Branco (four urban forest fragments) and Manoel Urbano (an area of continuous forest in the Parque Estadual Chandless), both located in the state of Acre, Brazil. Birds were captured between May and September 2021 using 10 mist nets placed in five transects of each study area, resulting in a sampling effort of 1210 net hours. Captured birds were thoroughly inspected for tick infestation, and when found, they were removed using forceps. These ticks were identified using a stereomicroscope and specific taxonomic keys, as well as molecular analysis by PCR. We captured 315 birds, of which 95 (30.15 %) were infested with ticks in the larval and nymph stages. A total of 368 ticks belonging to the genus <em>Amblyomma</em> were collected. This included species such as <em>Amblyomma coelebs, Amblyomma geayi, Amblyomma humerale, Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma nodosum</em>, and <em>Amblyomma maculatum</em> sensu lato (s.l.)<em>.</em> These results highlight 13 new associations between wild birds and ticks of the genus <em>Amblyomma</em> and reveal, for the first time, the presence of <em>Amblyomma maculatum</em> s.l. and rickettsiae from the Spotted Fever Group. These findings expand the knowledge of the epidemiology of ticks and rickettsial agents of public health importance in the region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 107647"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144089489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predicting the potential distribution of Aedes albopictus in the Black Sea region at the range edge","authors":"Filiz Gunay ,&nbsp;Alparslan Yildirim ,&nbsp;Ekaterine Zangaladze ,&nbsp;Nathan Burkett-Cadena ,&nbsp;Tamar Kutateladze ,&nbsp;Zafer Pekmezci ,&nbsp;Ahsen Meliha Toroslu ,&nbsp;Alina Denis Kizgin ,&nbsp;Batuhan Askim Arslanhan ,&nbsp;Samba Deguene Diop ,&nbsp;Simge Sahin ,&nbsp;Abdullah Inci ,&nbsp;Nato Dolidze ,&nbsp;Vitalii Rudik ,&nbsp;Barry Alto ,&nbsp;Lindsay P. Campbell","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107661","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107661","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Aedes albopictus</em> is a globally invasive species and a major vector of multiple arboviruses that cause human disease. The species has been spreading throughout the Black Sea region since 2011, posing an important public health threat. Here, we use a species distribution modeling to predict the potential distribution of <em>Ae. albopictus</em> including updated field collections from the Black Sea region and georeferenced occurrence data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and Mosquito Alert. Temperature and precipitation values from WorldClim Bioclimatic data and LandScan human population density data served as environmental variables, and models were run using a maximum entropy algorithm in the Maxent program. Human population density contributed the greatest to model performance, followed by minimum temperature of the coldest month. In the Black Sea region, we observed patchy but notable increases in predicted suitability compared to previous global models, including in less densely populated areas. In addition to multiple coastal areas, temperate rainforests of the Caucasus and around the Bosphorus were predicted to be highly suitable for <em>Ae. albopictus</em>. Our field collections confirm <em>Ae. albopictus</em> at high elevations (1779 m), highlighting the need to include habitats at the interface of areas predicted environmentally unsuitable in transboundary surveillance efforts. Model outputs provide new information for institutions monitoring the spread of this invasive vector. Results indicate the need for comprehensive, region-focused surveillance and control strategies to mitigate <em>Ae. albopictus</em> expansion in areas previously considered unsuitable in Georgia, Turkey, Ukraine, and their neighboring countries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 107661"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144109378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In vivo evaluation of three isoxazolines against Cx. tritaeniorhynchus (Diptera: Culicidae): A novel approach to control Japanese encephalitis vector","authors":"Smrutidhara Dash ,&nbsp;Sundharesan Munusamy ,&nbsp;Balamurugan Mookiah ,&nbsp;Vijayakumar Balakrishnan ,&nbsp;Appadurai Daniel Reegan ,&nbsp;Nisha Mathew ,&nbsp;Manju Rahi ,&nbsp;Ashwani Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107660","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107660","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As <em>Culex tritaeniorhynchus</em> the primary vector of JE is a highly zoophagic and exophilic nature, a novel vector control approach use of isoxazolines drugs (Sarolaner, Fluralaner and Afoxolane) to reduce the survival of blood-fed mosquito was studied by <em>in vivo</em> model using <em>Rattus norvegicus</em> as an experimental animal. All the drugs are orally administered to the animal with therapeutic dosage. The drugs Fluralaner, Sarolaner and Afoxolaner induced 100 % mortality of <em>Cx. tritaeniorhynchus</em> up to 32, 7 and 20 days respectively after administered to the <em>R. norvegicus</em>. When <em>Cx. tritaeniorhynchus</em> was fed on animals treated with Fluralaner, the median survival duration was 12 h from days 1 to 7 of post-treatment and 24 h from days 8 to 28.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 107660"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144101065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring spatiotemporal dynamics and climatic effects on dengue in Amazonas, Peru during 2000–2023","authors":"Fátima Burgos ,&nbsp;Milagros Saavedra-Samillán ,&nbsp;Pershing Bustamante-Chauca ,&nbsp;Victor Vera-Ponce ,&nbsp;Carmen Gutierrez ,&nbsp;Jesús Rascón ,&nbsp;Rafael Tapia-Limonchi ,&nbsp;Stella M. Chenet","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107659","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107659","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Peru experienced its most severe dengue outbreak on record, with the Amazonas region reporting 3502 dengue cases in 2022. This study aimed to examine the distribution of dengue cases across Amazonas from 2000 to 2023, while exploring the influence of climate factors. Monthly incidence was aggregated into four consecutive six-year blocks to identify incidence trends, and space-time scan statistics identified high and low-risk clusters. Spearman correlations with distributed lags (0 – 2 months) evaluated the association between incidence and climatic data from NASA-POWER, stratified by season. Until 2005, transmission was restricted to Bagua and Utcubamba provinces. A major increase in cases from 2008 to 2011 was recorded in the endemic provinces of Condorcanqui, Bagua, and Utcubamba forming a high-risk cluster in the latter two (LLR = 287.88, RR = 3.79). After a decrease during 2012–2017, incidence resurged creating a Bagua mega-cluster (LLR = 1112.28, RR = 3.20) and expanding to Jazán and Balsas districts, with the latter characterized by lower temperatures compared to endemic areas. Significant correlations were found between climatic variables and incidence. Specifically, minimum temperature significantly influenced dengue dynamics and expansion into Balsas (rho = 0.23, <em>P</em> = 0.03), with a two-month lag during the wet season. These findings underscore the importance of climate monitoring in guiding public health interventions. However, a comprehensive approach that considers environmental and behavioral factors, tailored to the specific conditions of each province, is essential for effective control of future outbreaks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 107659"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144101036","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving human brucellosis susceptibility mapping using effective and simultaneously metaheuristic-based feature selection and hyperparameter tuning","authors":"Iman Zandi ,&nbsp;Ali Jafari ,&nbsp;Ali Asghar Alesheikh","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107657","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107657","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human Brucellosis, a neglected zoonotic disease, affects 1.6 to 2.1 million people globally each year. In Iran, it has become a significant health concern, with an average annual incidence rate of 19.91 cases per 100,000 people. This study aims to create a reliable Human Brucellosis Susceptibility Map (HBSM) for Mazandaran Province using a hybrid machine learning approach that enhances performance through metaheuristic algorithms for feature and hyperparameter optimization. A transformation function is integrated into these algorithms to reduce computational and time complexities while simultaneously executing feature selection and hyperparameter tuning. Additionally, a two-phase mutation operator is employed to improve the performance of feature selection. The results indicate that the hybrid model of Support Vector Regression-Transformation Mutation Grey Wolf Optimizer (SVR-TMGWO) outperformed other models, achieving RMSE=0.7723, MAE=0.614, MdAE=0.473, and <em>R</em> = 0.536. The predicted HBSM for 2018 identified 68 rural districts in Mazandaran Province as being in the High and Very High susceptibility classes. The susceptibility map can help decision-makers more effectively prevent, control, and manage Human Brucellosis in Mazandaran Province.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 107657"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144101064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unravelling the consortium of the cercarial dermatitis in lake from a basin of Argentinian Central Andes: histological and phylogenetic insights of Chilina snail and their fluke partner","authors":"Federico A. Dellagnola ,&nbsp;Alberto Nadim Yunes ,&nbsp;Israel A. Vega","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107650","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107650","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the context of a research program dealing with the symbiotic associations between aquatic snails and trematodes, we studied a host-parasite consortium in Lake El Nihuil (Mendoza, Argentina), a water body from Atuel river basin (Central Andes) in which recent outbreaks of cercarial dermatitis (‘swimmer's itch’) occurred. According to the morphological traits and molecular phylogenetic analyses (mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA genes), the gastropod host was assigned to the endemic genus <em>Chilina</em>. The snails hosted and released a schistosomatid brevifurcate apharingeate cercaria, whose phylogenetic position was inferred using 28S rRNA subunit gene and 18S-ITS1-5.8S rRNA ribosomal region. The parasite was placed in a clade together with sequences from 'Furcocercariae Lineage II', avian schistosomes closely related to the recently named genus <em>Nasusbilharzia</em>, whose final host, the endemic black-necked swan, occurs in Lake El Nihuil. The infected specimens of <em>Chilina</em> sp. showed abundant parasite larvae placed between haemocoelic spaces and connective tissues, modifying the histological architecture of the digestive gland-gonad complex. Parasites produced a decrease in the number of glandular acini and atrophy of the reproductive tissue. This work suggests a displacement of the swimmer's itch outbreaks towards lower latitudes, highlighting the need for the implementation of multidisciplinary studies to monitor these emerging diseases in association with specific symbiotic consortiums.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 107650"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144092310","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Population genetic structure of Biomphalaria snails found in East Africa’s river systems","authors":"Victor O. Magero ,&nbsp;Sammy Kisara ,&nbsp;Mbaruk A. Suleman ,&nbsp;Christopher M. Wade","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107656","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107656","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;There is a need for current and more detailed information on the population genetic structure of &lt;em&gt;Biomphalaria&lt;/em&gt; snails in East Africa’s river systems. Here, we examine the population genetic structure of &lt;em&gt;Biomphalaria&lt;/em&gt; populations in East Africa using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) gene and the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS-2) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA. &lt;em&gt;Biomphalaria&lt;/em&gt; snails were found at 31 of the 172 sites surveyed, with &lt;em&gt;B. pfeifferi&lt;/em&gt; snails found at 23 sites and snails of the &lt;em&gt;Biomphalaria&lt;/em&gt; ‘Nilotic Species Complex’ found at 9 sites. &lt;em&gt;Biomphalaria pfeifferi&lt;/em&gt; formed a monophyletic group in both CO1 and ITS-2 phylogenetic trees. Similarly, the ‘Nilotic Species Complex’ also formed a monophyletic group in both CO1 and ITS-2 trees but while some individual species within the 'Nilotic Species Complex’ were monophyletic, others were not monophyletic and intermingled in the trees.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;A total of 17 CO1 haplotypes (3 shared haplotypes and 14 private haplotypes) were identified for &lt;em&gt;B. pfeifferi&lt;/em&gt; populations with a haplotype diversity of 0.798 and nucleotide diversity of 0.004. For ITS-2, a total of 27 &lt;em&gt;B. pfeifferi&lt;/em&gt; haplotypes (3 shared haplotypes and 24 private haplotypes) were identified, with a haplotype diversity of 0.471 and nucleotide diversity of 0.002. For the ‘Nilotic Species Complex’, a total of 21 CO1 haplotypes (all private) were identified, with a haplotype diversity of 0.897 and nucleotide diversity of 0.018. For ITS-2, a total of 23 ‘Nilotic Species Complex’ ITS-2 haplotypes (3 shared haplotypes and 20 private haplotypes) were identified with a haplotype diversity of 0.951 and nucleotide diversity of 0.008.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) revealed low genetic variation within &lt;em&gt;B. pfeifferi&lt;/em&gt; populations (between 4.83 % and 5.86 %) and high genetic differentiation among populations (between 94.14 % and 95.17 %). For the ‘Nilotic Species Complex’, the genetic diversity was moderate within populations (between 27.83 % and 31.96 %) and among populations (between 68.04 % and 72.17 %). Geographical distance plays a role in bringing about genetic differentiation among &lt;em&gt;Biomphalaria&lt;/em&gt; populations in East Africa’s river systems, with sequences from &lt;em&gt;Biomphalaria&lt;/em&gt; populations that were found at sites close to each other geographically, taking positions close to each other in the phylogenetic trees.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;em&gt;B. pfeifferi&lt;/em&gt; populations studied herein were characterised by low intra-population genetic diversity and high inter-population genetic diversity suggestive of low levels of gene flow and high levels of inbreeding. In the case of the ‘Nilotic Species Complex’, there was moderate to high levels of intra-population genetic diversity and moderate to high levels of inter-population genetic differentiation suggestive of high levels of gene flow. It was established that the population genetic structure of &lt;em","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 107656"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144092301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Toxocara canis: larvicidal activity and bioavailability analysis of 2-pyrimidinyl-hydrazone derivatives","authors":"Débora Carvalho Rodrigues ,&nbsp;Andrezza Medeiros Faria ,&nbsp;Carolina Netto de Oliveira da Cunha ,&nbsp;Maira Aparecida Trindade ,&nbsp;Lourdes Helena Rodrigues Martins ,&nbsp;Thais Cristina Mendonça Nogueira ,&nbsp;Alessandra Campbell Pinheiro ,&nbsp;Marcus Vinícius Nora de Souza ,&nbsp;Luciana Farias da Costa de Avila ,&nbsp;Daniela Fernandes Ramos ,&nbsp;Carlos James Scaini","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107655","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107655","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The treatment of human toxocariasis, a parasitic zoonosis with global distribution, is based on the use of benzimidazole anthelmintic, which have limited efficacy against <em>Toxocara</em> spp. larvae at the tissue level. Therefore, innovation and research into candidates for the development of new drugs for toxocariasis are essential. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of pyrimidine compounds against <em>Toxocara canis</em> larvae, as well as their cytotoxicity and bioavailability. The screening test was performed at 1 mg/mL, in duplicate, in a microplate containing 100 <em>T. canis</em> larvae in RPMI-1640 medium, and the active compound was then tested at 0.5 to 0.05 mg/mL to determine the minimum larvicidal concentration. The compound (<em>E</em>)-2-(2-((5-nitrofuran-2-yl)methylene)hydrazinyl)pyrimidine (PNAH 8) showed 100% larvicidal activity at 1 and 0.5 mg/mL and was not cytotoxic at any concentration tested. <em>In silico</em> analysis showed that the compound adhered to Lipinski's \"rule of five\" with an excellent miLogP value of 0.6, indicating the compound's high water solubility. And the larvicidal activity of the compound was confirmed by inoculating the contents of the microplates tested on Swiss mice, which showed no migration of larvae in the tissues. The absence of cytotoxicity and adequate bioavailability <em>in silico</em>, comparable to albendazole, the anthelmintic of first choice for the treatment of human toxocariasis, along with the other results, suggest the potential of this compound for future investigations in preclinical tests.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 107655"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144092306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphological and molecular characterization of Triatominae bugs collected in Sonora, Mexico","authors":"Olivia Valenzuela ,&nbsp;Lesley Bogarin ,&nbsp;Idalia Paredes ,&nbsp;Mónica Resendiz-Sandoval ,&nbsp;Judith Valdez ,&nbsp;Heriberto Torres ,&nbsp;Sebastián Pita ,&nbsp;Joel Moo-Millan ,&nbsp;Etienne Waleckx","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107654","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107654","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Triatomines (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) are vectors of <em>Trypanosoma cruzi,</em> the causative agent of Chagas disease. This study aimed to assess the diversity of triatomines collected in 2023 from various regions of the State of Sonora, in Northwestern Mexico, from both wild (mainly rodent nests) and urban sites. Overall, 75 wild nests were dissected, with 36 % (27/75) positive for triatomines. A total of 180 triatomine specimens were collected, including 170 collected in wild nests, and ten collected in human dwellings. Identification was performed using taxonomic keys (for adults only) as well as sequencing of a fragment of the nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS-2) (for both adults and nymphs). Our results confirmed the presence of at least four triatomine species: <em>Hospesneotomae sinaloensis</em> (formerly <em>Triatoma sinaloensis</em>)<em>, Triatoma rubida, Hospesneotomae protracta</em> (formerly <em>Triatoma protracta</em>)<em>, and Triatoma recurva.</em> Notably, <em>T. rubida</em> and <em>H. protracta</em> (<em>T. protracta</em>)<em>,</em> on the one hand, as well as <em>T. rubida</em> and <em>H. sinaloensis</em> (<em>T. sinaloensis</em>) on the other hand, were frequently found cohabiting in the same nest. Furthermore, this work provides the first ITS-2 molecular characterization of <em>H. sinaloensis</em> (<em>T. sinaloensis</em>), and its phylogenetic relationships with other members of the Triatomini tribe. Divergent haplotypes were found, that could be related to the presence of cryptic species in our study area.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 107654"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144092296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterisation of bacterial symbionts of the Anopheles funestus group from KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa","authors":"Chia-Yu Chen ,&nbsp;AshleyM Burke ,&nbsp;Givemore Munhenga ,&nbsp;Arshad Ismail ,&nbsp;Shüné V Oliver","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107653","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107653","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Anopheles funestus s.s.</em> is the anthropophilic member of a group of mosquitoes that was the only member considered a malaria vector until recently. However, <em>Anopheles parensis</em> and <em>Anopheles vaneedeni</em> have recently been suspected to be implicated in disease transmission and may contribute to the residual malaria problem in South Africa. Unlike <em>An. funestus s.s</em>, the rest of the group would be more difficult to control due to their outdoor biting and resting behaviours. Thus, alternative vector control methods efficient in controlling both outdoor and indoor biting populations would be beneficial in controlling such secondary vectors. One of these alternative efforts is paratransgenesis, a technique that aims to inhibit <em>Plasmodium</em> infection through transgenesis by bacterial symbionts. Yet, bacterial symbionts of the <em>An. funestus</em> group are poorly studied. This study characterised the microbiota of the digestive system (salivary glands and midguts) of the <em>An. funestus</em> group by sequencing the V3-V4 hypervariable region of bacterial 16S rRNA genes in F1 <em>An. rivulorum, An. vaneedeni</em> and <em>An. parensis</em> sampled from KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Although alpha diversity did not differ significantly, beta diversity, differential abundance and relative abundance varied between the different members of the <em>An. funestus</em> group. Overall, there were shared bacterial genera between the different members of the <em>An. funestus</em> group, which were <em>Agromyces, Rahnella, Acinetobacter, Microbacterium</em> and <em>Asaia</em>. The study revealed a core microbiota in the digestive system of the <em>An. funestus</em> group which could be further explored for the use of paratransgenesis for the control of members of the <em>An. funestus</em> group.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 107653"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144071675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}