A5051677931- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Malaria Research and Control
- Insect Pest Control Strategies
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
National Health Laboratory Service
2018-2024
University of the Witwatersrand
2016-2024
Perinatal HIV Research Unit
2024
National Institute for Communicable Diseases
2016-2019
Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit
2016-2017
Anopheles arabiensis (Patton; Diptera: Culicidae) is a major malaria vector in the southern African region. In South Africa, effective control of this species using indoor-based interventions reduced owing to its tendency rest outdoors. As Africa moves towards elimination there need for complementary strategies. One methods under consideration use sterile insect technique (SIT). Key successful implementation an SIT programme prior knowledge size and spatial distribution target population....
Anopheles arabiensis Patton is primarily responsible for malaria transmission in South Africa after successful suppression of other major vector species using indoor spraying residual insecticides. Control An. current insecticide based approaches proving difficult owing to the development resistance, and variable feeding resting behaviours. The use sterile insect technique as an area-wide integrated pest management system supplement control was proposed currently under investigation. success...
Insect mass-rearing is an essential requirement for the sterile insect technique. Production at a large scale requires development of standardized rearing procedures to produce good quality males able compete with wild mate females. Three sets experiments (using trays placed on table, whole tray-rack system, and climate-controlled chambers) have been conducted aiming determine optimal water temperature number eggs aliquot into each larval tray achieve highest production pupae. No difference...
Malaria incidence in South Africa is highest the three endemic provinces: KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. The contribution to malaria transmission by several mosquito species, variation their resting behaviours low levels of insecticide resistance makes it necessary periodically monitor Anopheles species assemblages phenotypes vector populations. aim this study was therefore assess assemblage northern KwaZulu-Natal collect susceptibility data for An. arabiensis, primary that province....
It is widely accepted that climate affects the mosquito life history traits; however, its precise role in determining distribution and population dynamics not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate influence of various climatic factors on temporal Anopheles arabiensis populations Mamfene, South Africa between 2014 2019. Time series analysis, wavelet cross-correlation regression model combined with autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) were utilized assess relationship...
Use of the sterile insect technique (SIT) targeting malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis has been proposed and is currently under investigation. The SIT requires production large numbers males therefore mass-rearing target species required. One critical factor during for releases need to synchronise developmental life stages assist in pupae adult harvesting production. However, by nature An. egg hatching, subsequent development staggered as a survival strategy resulting unsynchronised This...
Members of the Anopheles gambiae complex vary in their vector competence, and this is often attributed to behavioural differences. Similarly, there are differences transmission capabilities zoophilic members despite exhibiting similar behaviours. Therefore, alone cannot fully explain competence variation within An. complex. The immune system mosquitoes plays a key role determining susceptibility parasite infection consequently capacity. This study aimed examine variations response...