A5069847922- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Malaria Research and Control
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- COVID-19 epidemiological studies
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Zoonotic diseases and public health
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Dengue and Mosquito Control Research
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Insect Pest Control Strategies
- Real-time simulation and control systems
- Simulation Techniques and Applications
- Climate Change and Health Impacts
- Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Bird parasitology and diseases
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Urban Green Space and Health
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Global Maternal and Child Health
- Vector-Borne Animal Diseases
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Health and Conflict Studies
University of Georgia
2016-2025
Cornell University
2020-2024
New York State College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
2020-2023
Stanford University
2018
University of Florida
2018
University of Michigan
2008-2018
SUNY Upstate Medical University
2018
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory
2015
Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy
2012-2014
Pennsylvania State University
2012-2014
Recent epidemics of Zika, dengue, and chikungunya have heightened the need to understand seasonal geographic range transmission by Aedes aegypti Ae. albopictus mosquitoes. We use mechanistic models derive predictions for how probability magnitude chikungunya, dengue change with mean temperature, we show that these are well matched human case data. Across all three viruses, data both occurs between 18–34°C maximal occurring in a from 26–29°C. Controlling population size two socioeconomic...
Ectotherms are considered to be particularly vulnerable climate warming. Descriptions of habitat temperatures and predicted changes in usually consider mean monthly, seasonal or annual conditions. Ectotherms, however, do not simply experience conditions, but exposed daily fluctuations temperatures. Here, we highlight how temperature fluctuation can generate 'realized' thermal reaction (fitness) norms that differ from the 'fundamental' derived under standard constant Using a mosquito as model...
Significance Factors influencing Wolbachia transfer into new species remain poorly understood. This is important as can influence speciation and being developed a novel arthropod-borne disease control approach. We show the native microbiota of Anopheles impede vertical transmission . Antibiotic microbiome perturbation enables in two species. Mosquitoes with altered microbiomes do not exhibit blood meal-induced mortality associated infection, suggesting that mosquitoes are killed by...
Temperature is a strong driver of vector-borne disease transmission. Yet, for emerging arboviruses we lack fundamental knowledge on the relationship between transmission and temperature. Current models rely untested assumption that Zika virus responds similarly to dengue virus, potentially limiting our ability accurately predict spread Zika. We conducted experiments estimate thermal performance (ZIKV) in field-derived
A wide range of research has promised new tools for forecasting infectious disease dynamics, but little that is currently being applied in practice, because do not address key public health needs, produce probabilistic forecasts, have been evaluated on external data, or provide sufficient forecast skill to be useful. We developed an open collaborative challenge assess forecasts seasonal epidemics dengue, a major global problem. Sixteen teams used variety methods and data generate 3...
Vector-borne diseases cause significant financial and human loss, with billions of dollars spent on control. Arthropod vectors experience a complex suite environmental factors that affect fitness, population growth species interactions across multiple spatial temporal scales. Temperature water availability are two the most important abiotic variables influencing their distributions abundances. While extensive research temperature exists, influence humidity vector pathogen parameters...
Over the last 20 years, ecological immunology has provided much insight into how environmental factors shape host immunity and host–parasite interactions. Currently, application of this thinking to study mosquito been limited. Mechanistic investigations are nearly always conducted under one set conditions, yet vectors parasites associate in a variable world. We highlight temperature shapes cellular humoral immune responses (melanization, phagocytosis transcription genes) malaria vector,...
Most statistical and mechanistic models used to predict mosquito-borne disease transmission incorporate climate drivers of by utilizing environmental data collected at geographic scales that are potentially coarser than what mosquito populations may actually experience. Temperature relative humidity can vary greatly between indoor outdoor environments, be influenced strongly variation in landscape features. In the Aedes albopictus system, we conducted a proof-of-concept study vicinity...
Adult traits of holometabolous insects such as reproduction and survival can be shaped by conditions experienced during larval development. These "carry-over" effects influence not only individual life history fitness, but also impact interactions between insect hosts parasites. Despite this, the implications for transmission human, wildlife plant diseases that are vectored remain poorly understood. We used Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes rodent malaria, Plasmodium yoelii yoelii, to...
Abstract Several studies suggest the potential for climate change to increase malaria incidence in cooler, marginal transmission environments. However, effect of increasing temperature warmer regions where conditions currently support endemic has received less attention. We investigate how increases from optimal (27 °C 30 and 33 °C) interact with realistic diurnal ranges (DTR: ± 0 °C, 3 4.5 affect ability key vector species Africa Asia ( Anopheles gambiae An. stephensi ) transmit human...
Previous studies have suggested that Plasmodium parasites can manipulate mosquito feeding behaviours such as probing, persistence and engorgement rate in order to enhance transmission success. Here, we broaden analysis of this 'manipulation phenotype' consider proximate foraging behaviours, including responsiveness host odours location. Using Anopheles stephensi yoelii a model system, demonstrate mosquitoes with early stage infections (i.e. non-infectious oocysts) exhibit reduced attraction...
Abstract Very recently, the Asian malaria vector ( Anopheles stephensi ) was stably transinfected with w AlbB strain of Wolbachia , inducing refractoriness to human parasite Plasmodium falciparum . However, conditions in field can differ substantially from those laboratory. We use rodent P. yoelii and somatically An. as a model system investigate whether transmission blocking potential is likely be robust across different thermal environments. reduced prevalence oocyst intensity at 28°C. At...
Adult traits of holometabolous insects are shaped by conditions experienced during larval development, which might impact interactions between adult insect hosts and parasites. However, the ecology that vector disease remains poorly understood. Here, we used Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, to investigate whether affect capacity transmit malaria. We reared larvae in two groups; one group received a standard laboratory rearing diet, whereas other...
Abstract In the aftermath of 2015 pandemic Zika virus (ZIKV), concerns over links between climate change and emerging arboviruses have become more pressing. Given potential that much world might remain at risk from virus, we used a previously established temperature‐dependent transmission model for ZIKV to project impacts on suitability by mid‐century (a generation into future). Based these predictions, in worst‐case scenario, 1.3 billion new people could face suitable temperatures 2050. The...
Extrinsic environmental factors influence the spatiotemporal dynamics of many organisms, including insects that transmit pathogens responsible for vector-borne diseases (VBDs). Temperature is an especially important constraint on fitness a wide variety ectothermic insects. A mechanistic understanding how temperature impacts traits ectotherms, and thus distribution ectotherms infections, key to predicting consequences climate change transmission VBDs like malaria. However, response other...
Ecoimmunology is an example of how fruitful integrative approaches to biology can be. Since its emergence, ecoimmunology has sparked constructive debate on a wide range topics, from the molecular mechanics immune responses role immunity in shaping evolution life histories. To complement symposium Methods and Mechanisms commemorate inception Division Disease Ecology within Society for Integrative Comparative Biology, we appraise origins ecoimmunology, with focus continuing valuable...
Considerable research effort has been directed at understanding the genetic and molecular basis of mosquito innate immune mechanisms. Whether environmental factors interact with these mechanisms to shape overall resistance remains largely unexplored. Here, we examine how changes in mean ambient temperature, diurnal temperature fluctuation time day infection affected immunity Anopheles stephensi Escherichia coli. We used quantitative PCR estimate gene expression three genes response challenge...
Zika is an emerging virus whose rapid spread of great public health concern. Knowledge about transmission remains incomplete, especially concerning potential in geographic areas which it has not yet been introduced. To identify unknown vectors Zika, we developed a data-driven model linking vector species and the via vector-virus trait combinations that confer propensity toward associations ecological network connecting flaviviruses their mosquito vectors. Our predicts thirty-five may be able...
The emergence of mosquito-transmitted viruses poses a global threat to human health. Combining mechanistic epidemiological models based on temperature-trait relationships with climatological data is powerful technique for environmental risk assessment. However, limitation this approach that the local microclimates experienced by mosquitoes can differ substantially from macroclimate measurements, particularly in heterogeneous urban environments. To address scaling mismatch, we modeled spatial...
Anopheles stephensi is a malaria-transmitting mosquito that has recently expanded from its primary range in Asia and the Middle East, to locations Africa. This species competent vector of both Plasmodium falciparum vivax malaria. Perhaps most alarming, characteristics An. stephensi, such as container breeding anthropophily, make it particularly adept at exploiting built environments areas with no prior history malaria risk.In this paper, global maps thermal transmission suitability people...
Malaria parasites alter mosquito feeding behaviour in a way that enhances parasite transmission. This is widely considered prime example of manipulation host to increase onward transmission, but transient immune challenge the absence can induce same behavioural phenotype. Here, we show alterations depend on timing and dose relative blood ingestion these changes are functionally linked insulin signalling gut. These results suggest altered phenotypes derive from signalling-dependent resource...
The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus , transmits several arboviruses of public health importance, including chikungunya and dengue. Since its introduction to the United States in 1985, species has invaded more than 40 states, temperate areas not previously at risk -transmitted arboviruses. Mathematical models incorporate climatic variables predictions site-specific Ae. abundances identify human populations disease. However, these rely on coarse resolutions environmental data that may...