Narjes Moezi; Kourosh Azizi; Reza Sadeghi; Saideh Yousefi; Mozaffar Vahedi; Saeed Shahabi; Azim Paksa
Abstract
Background: Mosquitoes transmit many diseases to humans, including malaria, dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika. Controlling mosquitoes with endosymbiont bacterium Wolbachia is a new approach in this field. This study aimed to determine the Wolbachia infection of two mosquito species, Aedes caspius ...
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Background: Mosquitoes transmit many diseases to humans, including malaria, dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika. Controlling mosquitoes with endosymbiont bacterium Wolbachia is a new approach in this field. This study aimed to determine the Wolbachia infection of two mosquito species, Aedes caspius and Culex pipiens, in the city of Shiraz, southern Iran.Methods: Samples of Ae. caspius and Cx. pipiens were collected from four localities in Shiraz City, Fars Province. The samples were identified using the morphological identification keys. Collected samples were screened for Wolbachia infection using a PCR assay targeting the Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) gene.Results: Eight species from four genera were collected in this study; the most caught species was Cx. Pipiens, and the lowest abundant species was An. hyrcanus. From 110 adult Cx. pipiens screened using the wsp primer, 75 (68%) samples were infected with Wolbachia. The Wolbachia sequences in Cx. pipiens were like Wolbachia strains belonging to supergroups B. There was no Wolbachia infection in 204 Ae. caspius investigated samples.Conclusion: Our study revealed the presence of the supergroup B Wolbachia strain in Cx. pipiens samples. The present study did not detect any Wolbachia infection in Ae. caspius; however, it remains plausible to introduce Wolbachia populations into Wolbachia-free populations of this species. Such an introduction holds promise as a viable tool for vector control and mitigating the transmission of arboviral diseases such as West Nile virus and Chikungunya through cytoplasmic incompatibility.
Mohammad Amin Gorouhi; Abbas Aghaei Afshar; Godwin Nutifafa Gidiglo; Leila Shirani- Bidabadi; Fatemeh Seyedi-Marghaki; Saideh Yousefi; Ismaeil Alizadeh
Abstract
Background: Malaria is among the most important parasitic diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. It is an important healthproblem in many countries, especially tropical and subtropical countries. This study aimed to design an educational software for malaria and evaluate the satisfaction level of the software ...
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Background: Malaria is among the most important parasitic diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. It is an important healthproblem in many countries, especially tropical and subtropical countries. This study aimed to design an educational software for malaria and evaluate the satisfaction level of the software application among students of Vector Biology and Control of Disease in Kerman University of Medical Sciences.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted through the following two stages: 1. design and creation of educational software for Malaria and 2. Assessment of the level of satisfaction in the use of an electronic questionnaire among 75 students. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS software version 24.Results: In the present study, educational software for malaria was designed and created. The results of the study showed that 53 (70.7%) of the participants were females and 22 (29.3%) of them were males. According to the results, 100% of users considered the software installation, size, and working speed easy and appropriate. 93.3% of students stated that images in the software could convey the necessary content. Also, 100% of users found it easy to use the software and communicate with the software developers. According to the results, more than 80% of students in this study preferred using this educational software to reading texts.Conclusion: This educational software is recommended for use by the target community, experts in the healthcare sector, and students in medical universities, especially students of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases.
Masoumeh Amin; Hamideh Edalat; Hamidreza Basseri; Morteza Zaim; Kourosh Azizi; Mostafa Salehi- Vaziri; Sahar Khakifirouz; Mohsen Kalantari; Mozaffar Vahedi; Saideh Yousefi; Parisa Amin
Abstract
Background: Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are significant vectors of mosquito-borne diseases prevalent across temperate and tropical regions. Understanding the abundance and distribution of these vectors is essential for studying the ecoepidemiology of mosquito-borne diseases.Methods: This cross-sectional ...
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Background: Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are significant vectors of mosquito-borne diseases prevalent across temperate and tropical regions. Understanding the abundance and distribution of these vectors is essential for studying the ecoepidemiology of mosquito-borne diseases.Methods: This cross-sectional study aimed to identify mosquito populations (Culicidae) and conduct molecular analysis for Flavivirus infections, explicitly focusing on West Nile Virus (WNV) and Dengue Virus (DENV) in Fars Province, Southern Iran. Mosquitoes were collected from 23 stations across urban and rural areas and migratory bird habitats in five counties, using hand catch with manual aspirators, CDC light traps with CO2, and human and animal bait methods from April to December 2018. Molecular screening for Flavivirus RNA, including WNV and DENV, was performed using a specific PCR technique.Results: 8212 adult mosquitoes were collected, representing four genera and nine species. The most prevalent species were Culex pipiens (54.20%), Culiseta longiareolata (30.40%), and Culex sinaiticus (10.25%). Molecular screening was conducted on the 8212 mosquitoes grouped into 150 pools based on sex, species, and trapping location. None of the pools tested were positive for Flavivirus RNA.Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of monitoring mosquito species distribution and emphasizes the need for enhanced Flavivirus surveillance and long-term monitoring programs in the region to understand the risk of disease transmission better.
Masoumeh Amin; Mohsen Kalantari; Saideh Yousefi; Mozaffar Vahedi; Sorna Dabaghmanesh; Hamid Reza Ghorbani; Marzieh Shahriari Namadi; Parisa Amin
Abstract
Background: The general purpose of this study was to investigate the species diversity and characteristics of the larval habitats of culicids in important tourism centers of Fars province to design a comprehensive program to control them.Methods: In a cross-sectional study conducted from April to the ...
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Background: The general purpose of this study was to investigate the species diversity and characteristics of the larval habitats of culicids in important tourism centers of Fars province to design a comprehensive program to control them.Methods: In a cross-sectional study conducted from April to the end of September 2021, the species diversity of mosquito larvae and the characteristics of larval habitats were investigated. Mosquito larvae were collected using the dipping method and the characteristics of larval habitats such as permanent or temporary habitat, water running, intensity of sunlight, vegetation, habitat floor, turbidity, natural or artificial were recorded according to the hydro ecological characteristics.Results: Totally, 8825 specimens were collected and identified from 9 selected locations in Marvdasht city and 6 selected locations in Maharloo wetland. Collected species were Culex pipiens (39.77%), Culex sinaiticus (3.80%), Culex quinquefasciatus (23.68%), Culiseta longiareolata (17.52%), Uranotaenia unguiculata (9.02%), and Anopheles stephensi (6.21%). Most specimens (79%) were collected from natural habitats. There is a significant difference between the number of collected mosquitoes with the permanent habitat, stagnant water, partial sunlight, vegetation, turbidity, and natural habitat (P<0.0001). The dominant species were Cx. pipiens (39.77%) and Cx. quinquefasciatus (23.68%).Conclusion: These species are potentially involved in the transmission of many pathogens to humans and domestic animals and should be extensively studied. The results of this study suggest that environmental factors play an important role in larvae’s habitat preference.
