An extended area of northern Italy has experienced several West Nile virus (WNV) outbreaks and the emergence of Usutu virus (USUV) during previous years. Our aim was to study some of the factors that could explain disease patterns in the Trentino region, where circulation was detected in human sera and sentinel chickens, but no human or equine cases were reported. We collected Culex species (Di...

Microsatellite markers were used to genetically characterize 19 Culex pipiens complex populations from California. Two populations showed characteristics of earlier genetic bottlenecks. The overall FST value and a neighbor-joining tree suggested moderate amounts of genetic differentiation. Analyses using Structure indicated K = 4 genetic clusters: Cx. pipiens form pipiens L., Cx. quinquefasciat...

The definition and phylogenetic placement of the autogenous molestus form of Culex pipiens has puzzled entomologists for decades. We identified genetic differences between Cx. p. pipiens (L.) and Cx. pipiens f. molestus Forskål in the SH60 fragment described previously. Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis, cloning, and sequencing of this fragment demonstrated high polymorphism with...

The study was conducted in a park of Buenos Aires City, where a total of 89 rain pools were sampled weekly for mosquito immature stages over a one-year period. The aim of the present paper was to investigate the seasonal dynamics of three Culex species breeding in temporary rain pools and to analyze the relationships of the presence of these species to pool dimensions, pool age, vegetation, and...

AbstractIn late 2014, Zika virus (ZIKV; Flaviviridae, Flavivirus) emerged as a significant arboviral disease threat in the Western hemisphere. Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus have been considered the principal vectors of ZIKV in the New World due to viral isolation frequency and vector competence assessments. Limited reports of Culex transmission potential have highlighted the need for addit...

We investigated the susceptibility of an Italian population of Culex pipiens mosquitoes to Zika virus (ZIKV) infection, tested in parallel with Aedes aegypti, as a positive control. We analysed mosquitoes at 0, 3, 7, 10, 14, 20 and 24 days after an infectious blood meal. Viral RNA was detected in the body of Cx. pipiens up to three days post-infection, but not at later time points. Our results ...

The aim of the study was to determine the infection level of adult forms and larvae of ticks and mosquitoes with Borrelia burgdorferi in the forested areas of Szczecin. A total of 1699 ticks Ixodes ricinus, including 1422 nymphs, 277 adult forms and 2862 mosquito females representing the genera Aedes (89.6%) and Culex (10.4%) were collected between the years 2004 and 2005. A further 3746 larvae...

background: protecting the environment from chemical hazards of synthetic insecticides along with offering of new breeding areas for vectors by urbanization indicate the trial of natural insecticides. methods: the acetone extracts of anethum graveolens , ocimum basilicum and thymus vulgaris were tested for their insecticidal effect on culex pipiens adults and larvae in different concentrations ...

background: the incidence of mosquito-borne diseases and the resistance of mosquitoes to conventional pesticides have recently caused a panic to the authorities in the endemic countries. this study was conducted to identify native larvicidal biopesticides against culex pipiens for utilization in the battle against mosquito-borne diseases. methods: larvicidal activities of new indigenous bacillu...

Five trapping methods were compared for monitoring potential vectors of the West Nile virus in four areas in the Camargue Plain of France: carbon dioxide traps, bird-baited traps, gravid traps, resting boxes, and human landing catches. A total of 73,721 specimens, representing 14 species, was trapped in 2006. Results showed significant differences in species and abundance between the type of tr...