A5061932461- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Malaria Research and Control
- Vector-Borne Animal Diseases
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Insect Pest Control Strategies
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Plant and Fungal Interactions Research
- Animal Disease Management and Epidemiology
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Vibrio bacteria research studies
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology
2017-2024
University of Pretoria
2022-2024
Jingmen tick virus (JMTV) is an arbovirus with a multisegmented genome related to those of unsegmented flaviviruses. The first described in
Most malaria vectors belong to species complexes. Sibling often exhibit divergent behaviors dictating the measures that can be deployed effectively in their control. Despite importance of Anopheles funestus complex transmission sub-Saharan Africa, sibling have rarely been identified past and vectoring potential remains understudied.We analyzed 1149 wild-caught An. (senso lato) specimens from 21 sites Kenya, covering major endemic areas including western, central coastal areas. Indoor outdoor...
Small islands serve as potential malaria reservoirs through which new infections might come to the mainland and may be important targets in elimination efforts. This study investigated vector species diversity, blood-meal hosts, Plasmodium infection rates, long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) coverage on Mageta, Magare Ngodhe Islands of Lake Victoria western Kenya, a region where extensive control is implemented mainland. From trapping for six consecutive nights per month (November 2012...
Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is the causative agent of CCHF, a fatal viral disease in humans. The maintenance CCHFV ecosystem remains poorly understood. Certain tick species are considered as vectors and reservoirs virus. Diverse animals suspected amplifiers, with only scarce knowledge regarding rodents epidemiology. In this study, serum samples from febrile patients, asymptomatic livestock (cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats), peridomestic Baringo (Marigat) Kajiado (Nguruman)...
Abstract Arthropod - and vertebrate-associated jingmenviruses (arbo-JMV) have segmented positive-strand RNA genomes are provisional members of the genus Orthoflavivirus (family Flaviviridae ). Current investigations described arbo-JMV infection in vertebrate hosts proximity to humans. This raises concerns about virus host range public health implications. review explores genomic evolutionary relationship between orthoflaviviruses evaluates potential pose a threat.
Abstract Outdoor biting by anopheline mosquitoes is one of the contributors to residual malaria transmission, but profile vectors driving this phenomenon not well understood. Here, we studied bionomics and genetically characterized populations An. gambiae funestus complexes trapped outdoors in three selected dryland areas including Kerio Valley, Nguruman Rabai Kenya. We observed a higher abundance Anopheles group members (n = 639, 90.6%) compared those complex 66, 9.4%) with longipalpis C as...
Aedes simpsoni complex has a wide distribution in Africa and comprises at least three described sub-species including the yellow fever virus (YFV) vector Ae. bromeliae. To date, relative contributions of and/or subpopulations bionomic characteristics relation to YF transmission dynamics remain poorly studied. In this study conducted two areas with divergent ecosystems: peri-urban (coastal Rabai) rural (Rift Valley Kerio Valley) Kenya, survival rate was estimated by parity s.l. mosquitoes...
Introduction Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of arboviral pathogens that primarily affect livestock represented by Schmallenberg virus (SBV), epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHDV) and bluetongue (BTV). In Kenya, studies examining the bionomic features including species diversity, blood-feeding habits, association with viruses limited. Methods Adult were surveyed using CDC light traps in two semi-arid ecologies, Baringo Kajiado counties, Kenya. Blood-fed...
Anopheles funestus is among the major malaria vectors in Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa has been recently implicated persistent transmission. However, its ecology genetic diversity remain poorly understood Kenya. Using 16 microsatellite loci, we examined structure of An. sampled from 11 locations (n = 426 individuals) across a wide geographical range spanning coastal, western Rift Valley areas. Kenyan resolved as three genetically distinct clusters. The largest cluster (FUN1) broadly included...
In Kenya, malaria remains a major public health menace equally affecting the semi-arid to arid ecologies. However, entomologic knowledge of vectors in such areas poor.Morphologically-identified wild-caught Anopheles funestus (s.l.) specimens trapped outdoors from area Kacheliba, West Pokot County, were analysed by PCR and sequencing for species identification, parasite infection host blood-meal sources.Three hundred thirty identify sibling An. group, none which amplified using available...
Interactions between Aedes ( Stegomyia ) species and non-human primate (NHP) human hosts govern the transmission of pathogens, dengue, zika, yellow fever chikungunya viruses. Little is known about mosquito olfactory interactions with these in domestic sylvatic cycles where viruses circulate. Here, we explore how different host-derived skin odours influence responses two environments. In field assays, show that cyclic ketone cyclohexanone a signature cue for mosquitoes to detect NHP baboon,...
Phleboviruses are emerging pathogens of public health importance. However, their association with ticks is poorly described, particularly in Africa. Here, adult infesting cattle, goats and sheep were collected two dryland pastoralist ecosystems Kenya (Baringo Kajiado counties) screened for infection phleboviruses. Ticks mainly belonged to the species Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, Hyalomma impeltatum, rufipes. A fragment RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene was identified thirty 671 tick...
Ngari virus (NRIV) is a mosquito-borne reassortant orthobunyavirus that causes severe febrile illness and hemorrhagic fever in humans small ruminants. Due to limited diagnostics surveillance, NRIV has only been detected sporadically during Rift Valley outbreaks. Little known on its interepidemic maintenance geographic distribution. In this study, sera from cattle, goats, sheep were collected through cross-sectional survey after the rainy seasons between 2020 2021 two pastoralist-dominated...
Arboviruses are among emerging pathogens of public and veterinary health significance. However, in most sub-Saharan Africa, their role the aetiologies diseases farm animals is poorly described due to paucity active surveillance appropriate diagnosis. Here, we report discovery a previously unknown orbivirus cattle collected Kenyan Rift Valley 2020 2021. We isolated virus cell culture from serum clinically sick cow aged 2 3 years, presenting signs lethargy. High-throughput sequencing revealed...
Hantaviruses are zoonotic rodent-borne viruses that known to infect humans and cause various symptoms of disease, including hemorrhagic fever with renal cardiopulmonary syndromes. They have a segmented single-stranded, enveloped, negative-sense RNA genome widely distributed. This study aimed investigate the circulation hantaviruses in peridomestic rodents shrews two semi-arid ecologies within Kenyan Rift Valley. The small mammals were trapped using baited folding Sherman traps set around...
Insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs), although not known to be pathogenic humans and animals, can modulate the transmission of arboviruses by mosquitoes. In this study, we screened 6665 host-seeking, gravid blood-fed mosquitoes for infection with assessed vertebrate hosts sampled in Baringo Kajiado counties; both dryland ecosystem counties Kenyan Rift Valley. Sequence fragments two ISFs were detected. Cuacua virus (CuCuV) was found three Mansonia (Ma.) africana. The genome sequenced...