Parental effects are important factors that might influence evolutionary and ecological aspects of parasite vectors and the parasites they transmit. A recent study demonstrated the importance of parental rearing conditions on the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi. When parents are reared in a food-limited environment their offspring have increased bloodmeal sizes and larger clutches. The study...

Malaria was transmitted to only 5 of 10 volunteers bitten by 1-2 Anopheles stephensi carrying sporozoites of the 3D7 clone of the NF54 strain of Plasmodium falciparum in their salivary glands. Parasites were detectable by culture in blood taken 7-10 days following exposure and by thick blood film 14-16.5 days after exposure. Infectivity did not correlate with the numbers of sporozoites in the s...

Enzymes of the glutathione S-transferase (GST) family play critical roles in detoxification of xenobiotics across many taxa. While GSTs are ubiquitous both in animals and plants, the GST epsilon class (GSTE) is insect-specific and has been associated with resistance to chemical insecticides. While both Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae GSTE clusters consist of eight members, only four putativ...

Identification of the Anopheles gambiae leucokinin gene from the completed A. gambiae genome revealed that this insect species contains three leucokinin peptides, named Anopheles leucokinin I-III. These peptides are similar to those identified in two other mosquito species, Aedes aegypti and Culex salinarius. Additionally, Anopheles leucokinin I displays sequence similarity to Drosophila melano...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Mosquitoes transmit diseases to >700 million people annually. Malaria kills three million persons every year, including one child every 30 sec. Worldwide there are >3000 mosquito species. In Iraq, 37 species have been identified in different surveys over several decades. We conducted an entomological survey to determine the mosquito species and their distribution in Iraq...

Mosquitocidal activities of Lavandula angustifolia (L. angustifolia) different concentration essential oil (EO) and its major phytocompounds (MPCs) tested against three important human vector mosquitoes (HVMs). The quantitative analyses EO phyto-chemical compositions (PCCs) were analyzed by using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). HVMswere exposed to various concentrations MPC...

Sir,?In 1932, Covell conducted a malaria survey in Calcutta, and discussed the epidemiology of the disease in this city. He reached the following important conclusions :? (?') The amount of endemic malaria in the city was, at that, time, slight. (ii) Transmission of the disease definitely occurs, probably originating chiefly from imported cases, leading to localized outbreaks in various parts o...

Animal models are often used to study hematophagous insect feeding behavior and evaluate products such as topical repellents. However, when these models are used the study animals often experience significant drops in core body temperature because of the effects of anesthesia. This study used a guinea pig model to investigate whether maintaining a normothermic core body temperature during anest...