mosquito Archives

Malaria modelling: An optimal control problem

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Professor Wandi Ding uses mathematical modelling to allow for control variables when modelling complex biological systems; in this case determining the best way to control wild mosquito populations through the release of sterile insects to reduce the impact of malaria

Malaria, a life-threatening mosquito-borne disease, is a leading cause of death and infection in many developing countries. Using mathematical modelling, Professor Wandi Ding, Middle Tennessee State University, USA, and her colleagues investigate optimal control of malaria, using both the sterile insect technique and insecticide-treated nets. Their simulations show that a combination of both strategies results in a more rapid elimination […]

Molecular and structural changes characterizing salinity tolerance in Aedes aegypti mosquito: The major global vector of arboviral diseases

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Introduction From an origin in tropical forests where it blood fed on animals, Aedes aegypti adopted a preference for developing near human habitations and blood feeding on humans, spreading widely to become the principal vector of important arboviral diseases including dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika (Ramasamy, et al., 2021). It was regarded as an obligate fresh water (FW) […]

Mosquito control: The INZECTO solution

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Mosquitoes are vectors for diseases, such as yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya and Zika, which pose a threat to human health on a global scale. Mosquito control is therefore an urgent consideration for public health. Dr Philip Koehler and Dr Roberto M Pereira of the University of Florida have pioneered two innovative methods of mosquito control, INZECTO mosquito chips and INZECTO […]

Climate change is driving the expansion of zoonotic diseases

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The team researches the spread of zoonotic diseases such as the Zika virus.

Climate change is expanding the range of many infectious diseases. In particular, vector-borne diseases, such as dengue or malaria, are advancing. Predictions of risk for zoonotic diseases need to take into account both biological and abiotic factors. Dr Jeanne M. Fair and her colleagues at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, USA, are pioneering a multidisciplinary approach to the problem. […]