A5034347923- Malaria Research and Control
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Insect Pest Control Strategies
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Dengue and Mosquito Control Research
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Entomopathogenic Microorganisms in Pest Control
Ifakara Health Institute
2016-2024
University of Glasgow
2024
University of Lisbon
2021
Centro Agricoltura Ambiente (Italy)
2021
Presidio Ospedaliero
2021
Abstract The malaria parasite, which is transmitted by several Anopheles mosquito species, requires more time to reach its human-transmissible stage than the average lifespan of vectors. Monitoring species-specific age structure populations critical evaluating impact vector control interventions on risk. We present a rapid, cost-effective surveillance method based deep learning mid-infrared spectra cuticle that simultaneously identifies species and class three main vectors in natural...
Epidemiological surveys of malaria currently rely on microscopy, polymerase chain reaction assays (PCR) or rapid diagnostic test kits for Plasmodium infections (RDTs). This study investigated whether mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy coupled with supervised machine learning could constitute an alternative method screening, directly from dried human blood spots.Filter papers containing spots (DBS) were obtained a cross-sectional survey in 12 wards southeastern Tanzania 2018/19. The DBS scanned...
Abstract Background The degree to which Anopheles mosquitoes prefer biting humans over other vertebrate hosts, i.e. the human blood index (HBI), is a crucial parameter for assessing malaria transmission risk. However, existing techniques identifying mosquito meals are demanding in terms of time and effort, involve costly reagents, prone inaccuracies due factors such as cross-reactivity with antigens or partially digested gut. This study demonstrates first field application mid-infrared...
<ns3:p>Despite the global efforts made in fight against malaria, disease is resurging. One of main causes resistance that <ns3:italic>Anopheles</ns3:italic> mosquitoes, vectors disease, have developed to insecticides. must survive for at least 10 days possibly transmit malaria. Therefore, evaluate and improve malaria vector control interventions, it imperative monitor accurately estimate age distribution mosquito populations as well their population sizes. Here, we demonstrate a...
<ns3:p>Despite the global efforts made in fight against malaria, disease is resurging. One of main causes resistance that <ns3:italic>Anopheles</ns3:italic> mosquitoes, vectors disease, have developed to insecticides. must survive for at least 10 days possibly transmit malaria. Therefore, evaluate and improve malaria vector control interventions, it imperative monitor accurately estimate age distribution mosquito populations as well their population sizes. Here, we demonstrate a...
Lack of reliable techniques for large-scale monitoring disease-transmitting mosquitoes is a major public health challenge, especially where advanced geo-information systems are not regularly applicable. We tested an innovative crowd-sourcing approach, which relies simply on knowledge and experiences residents to rapidly predict areas most abundant. Guided by community-based resource persons, we mapped boundaries physical features in three rural Tanzanian villages. then selected 60 community...
The propensity of different Anopheles mosquitoes to bite humans instead other vertebrates influences their capacity transmit pathogens humans. Unfortunately, determining proportions that have fed on humans, i.e. Human Blood Index (HBI), currently requires expensive and time-consuming laboratory procedures involving enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) or polymerase chain reactions (PCR). Here, mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy supervised machine learning are used accurately distinguish...
Controlled blood-feeding is essential for maintaining laboratory colonies of disease-transmitting mosquitoes and investigating pathogen transmission. We evaluated a low-cost artificial feeding (AF) method, as an alternative to direct human (DHF), commonly used in mosquito laboratories. applied thinly-stretched pieces polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes cut from locally available seal tape (i.e. plumbers tape, sealing pipe threads gasworks or waterworks). Approximately 4 ml bovine blood...
Old mosquitoes are more likely to transmit malaria than young ones. Therefore, accurate prediction of mosquito population age can drastically improve the evaluation mosquito-targeted interventions. However, standard methods for age-grading laborious and costly. We have shown that Mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) be used detect age-specific patterns in cuticles thus train machine learning models. these models tend transfer poorly across populations. Here, we investigate whether applying...
Mating is a vital behavior for mosquito reproduction, yet it remains poorly understood under captive conditions. We examined the copulation dynamics of two key malaria vectors, Anopheles funestus, and arabiensis, in controlled laboratory settings Tanzania. observed how variations age artificial lighting influence mating success these species within cages conducted observations 24-hour cycles, monitoring events insemination females. used generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) statistical...
Despite the global efforts made in fight against malaria, disease is resurging. One of main causes resistance that Anopheles mosquitoes, vectors disease, have developed to insecticides. must survive for at least 10 days possibly transmit malaria. Therefore, evaluate and improve malaria vector control interventions, it imperative monitor accurately estimate age distribution mosquito populations as well their population sizes. Here, we demonstrate a machine-learning based approach uses...
BG-Malaria (BGM) trap is a simple adaptation of the widely-used BG-Sentinel (BGS). It proven to be highly effective for trapping Brazilian malaria vector, Anopheles darlingi, in field conditions, and African arabiensis, under controlled semi-field environments, but has not been field-tested Africa. Here, we validated BGM sampling vectors south-eastern Tanzania. Using series Latin-Square experiments conducted nightly (6pm-7am) rural villages, compared mosquito catches between BGM, BGS human...
<title>Abstract</title> Effective diagnosis of malaria, including the detection infections at very low density, is vital for successful elimination this deadly yet treatable disease. Unfortunately, existing technologies are either inexpensive but poorly sensitive - Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) and microscopy or costly Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR). Here, we demonstrate an AI-powered, reagent-free, user-friendly approach that uses mid-infrared spectra acquired from dried blood spots to...
Abstract Background Effective testing for malaria, including the detection of infections at very low densities, is vital successful elimination disease. Unfortunately, existing methods are either inexpensive but poorly sensitive or costly. Recent studies have shown that mid-infrared spectroscopy coupled with machine learning (MIRs-ML) has potential rapidly detecting malaria requires further evaluation on diverse samples representative natural in endemic areas. The aim this study was,...
In sub-Saharan Africa, house design and ventilation affects the number of malaria mosquito vectors entering houses. This study hypothesized that indoor light from a CDC-light trap, visible outside hut, would increase entry Anopheles arabiensis, an important vector, examined whether modifies this effect.Four inhabited experimental huts, each situated within large chamber, were used to assess how affect hut-entering mosquitoes in Tanzania. Each night, 300 female laboratory-reared An....
Despite the global efforts made in fight against malaria, disease is resurging. One of main causes resistance that Anopheles mosquitoes, vectors disease, have developed to insecticides. must survive for at least 12 days possibly transmit malaria. Therefore, evaluate and improve malaria vector control interventions, it imperative monitor accurately estimate age distribution mosquito populations as well total population sizes. However, estimating currently a slow, imprecise, labour-intensive...
Abstract Background Accurately determining the age and survival probabilities of adult mosquitoes is crucial for understanding parasite transmission, evaluating effectiveness control interventions assessing disease risk in communities. This study was aimed to demonstrating rapid identification epidemiologically relevant categories Anopheles funestus , a major Afro-tropical malaria vector, through innovative combination infrared spectroscopy machine learning, instead cumbersome practice...
Accurately determining the age and survival probabilities of adult mosquitoes is crucial for understanding parasite transmission, evaluating effectiveness control interventions assessing disease risk in communities. This study was aimed at demonstrating rapid identification epidemiologically relevant categories Anopheles funestus, a major Afro-tropical malaria vector, through innovative combination infrared spectroscopy machine learning, instead cumbersome practice dissecting mosquito...
Field-derived metrics are critical for effective control of malaria, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where the disease kills over half a million people yearly. One key metric is entomological inoculation rate, direct measure transmission intensities, computed as product human biting rates and prevalence Plasmodium sporozoites mosquitoes. Unfortunately, current methods identifying infectious mosquitoes laborious, time-consuming, may require expensive reagents that not always readily...
Abstract Background Epidemiological surveys of malaria currently rely on microscopy, polymerase chain reaction assays (PCR) or rapid diagnostic test kits for Plasmodium infections (RDTs). This study shows that mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy coupled with supervised machine learning could constitute an alternative method screening, directly from dried human blood spots. Methods Filter papers containing spots (DBS) were obtained a cross-sectional survey in twelve wards south-eastern Tanzania...
Abstracts of the 10th EMCA Conference: “New insights into mosquito and blackfly control”. October 3-7, 2021.
Abstract Background Monitoring the biological attributes of mosquitoes is critical for understanding pathogen transmission and estimating impacts vector control interventions on survival species. Infrared spectroscopy machine learning techniques are increasingly being tested this purpose have been proven to accurately predict age, species, blood-meal sources, infections in Anopheles Aedes mosquitoes. However, as these still early-stage implementation, there no standardized procedures...
Abstract The malaria parasite, which is transmitted by several Anopheles mosquito species, requires more time to reach its human-transmissible stage than the average lifespan of a mosquito. Monitoring species-specific age structure populations critical evaluating impact vector control interventions on risk. We developed rapid, cost-effective surveillance method based deep learning mid-infrared spectra mosquitoes’ cuticle that simultaneously identifies species and three main vectors, in...
Abstract Background Monitoring the biological attributes of mosquitoes is critical for understanding pathogen transmission and estimating impacts vector control interventions. Infrared spectroscopy machine learning techniques are increasingly being tested this purpose, can accurately predict age, species, blood-meal sources, infections in Anopheles Aedes mosquitoes. Since still early-stage development, there no standardized procedures handling mosquito samples. We therefore assessed effects...