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Insects
Special Issues
Surveillance and Control of Vectors of Zoonotic Agents
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Surveillance and Control of Vectors of Zoonotic Agents

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical and Livestock Entomology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024 | Viewed by 3780

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Valeria Blanda

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Via G. Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy
Interests: vectors; vector-borne pathogen; zoonosis; ticks; mosquitoes; molecular biology; diagnosis
Dr. Francesco La Russa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, 90129 Palermo, Italy
Interests: veterinary entomology; entomological surveillance; vector; vector-borne disease; mosquitoes; sandflies; ticks; ectoparasites
Dr. Ettore Napoli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
Interests: vectors; vector-borne pathogen; zoonosis; ticks; mosquitoes; sandfly; VBD epidemiology; VBD control

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Several arthropods, such as mosquitoes, flies, sand flies, ticks, fleas, and lice, are suitable vectors for several pathogens as nematodes, protozoa, bacteria, and viruses. Many vector-borne diseases (VBDs) display a zoonotic potential, including, but not only, West Nile disease, leishmaniasis, Lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Rickettsiosis, and Babesiosis. Several VBDs are considered emerging or re-emerging diseases.

Some vectors are able to cover enormous distances with consequent repercussions on the range of action of the related zoonoses. Carriers can enter new geographic areas, for example, through travels and international trade, transport of animals, migratory birds, etc. Other factors, including climatic conditions, can influence vector spread and persistence in new areas. The active surveillance of the vectors of zoonotic pathogens may represent an important system to alert and prepare the public health services, in order to properly address diagnostics and care measures.

In addition, the integration between veterinary and public health services is recommended in the perspective of a “One Health” approach.

This Special Issue will include original research articles as well as case reports concerning surveillance and control related to the vectors and the zoonotic pathogens they are able to transmit. In addition, reviews on more recent advances in this topic will be considered.

The collection of data on geographical distribution as well as the study of innovative control methods contribute toward a prompt response to vector-borne diseases.

Dr. Valeria Blanda
Dr. Francesco La Russa
Dr. Ettore Napoli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • vectors
  • vector-borne pathogens
  • zoonosis
  • mosquitoes
  • ticks
  • sandflies

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 2090 KiB  
Article
Tick Densities and Infection Prevalence on Coastal Islands in Massachusetts, USA: Establishing a Baseline
by Allison A. Snow, Patrick Pearson, Guang Xu, David N. Allen, Roberto Santamaria and Stephen M. Rich
Insects 2023, 14(7), 628; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14070628 - 12 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1350
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases and a tick-induced red meat allergy have become increasingly common in the northeastern USA and elsewhere. At the scale of local communities, few studies have documented tick densities or infection levels to characterize current conditions and provide a baseline for further [...] Read more.
Tick-borne diseases and a tick-induced red meat allergy have become increasingly common in the northeastern USA and elsewhere. At the scale of local communities, few studies have documented tick densities or infection levels to characterize current conditions and provide a baseline for further monitoring. Using the town of Nantucket, MA, as a case study, we recorded tick densities by drag sampling along hiking trails in nature preserves on two islands. Nymphal blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis Say) were most abundant at shadier sites and least common in grasslands and scrub oak thickets (Quercus ilicifolia). Lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum L.) were common on Tuckernuck Island and rare on Nantucket Island, while both tick species were more numerous in 2021 compared to 2020 and 2022. We tested for pathogens in blacklegged nymphs at five sites over two years. In 2020 and 2021, infection levels among the four Nantucket Island sites averaged 10% vs. 19% for Borrelia burgdorferi, 11% vs. 15% for Babesia microti, and 17% (both years) for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, while corresponding levels were significantly greater on Tuckernuck in 2021. Our site-specific, quantitative approach represents a practical example of how potential exposure to tick-borne diseases can be monitored on a local scale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surveillance and Control of Vectors of Zoonotic Agents)
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24 pages, 10134 KiB  
Article
Current and Future Habitat Suitability Models for Four Ticks of Medical Concern in Illinois, USA
by Heather L. Kopsco, Peg Gronemeyer, Nohra Mateus-Pinilla and Rebecca L. Smith
Insects 2023, 14(3), 213; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14030213 - 21 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1916
Abstract
The greater U.S. Midwest is on the leading edge of tick and tick-borne disease (TBD) expansion, with tick and TBD encroachment into Illinois occurring from both the northern and the southern regions. To assess the historical and future habitat suitability of four ticks [...] Read more.
The greater U.S. Midwest is on the leading edge of tick and tick-borne disease (TBD) expansion, with tick and TBD encroachment into Illinois occurring from both the northern and the southern regions. To assess the historical and future habitat suitability of four ticks of medical concern within the state, we fit individual and mean-weighted ensemble species distribution models for Ixodes scapularis, Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor variabilis, and a newly invading species, Amblyomma maculatum using a variety of landscape and mean climate variables for the periods of 1970–2000, 2041–2060, and 2061–2080. Ensemble model projections for the historical climate were consistent with known distributions of each species but predicted the habitat suitability of A. maculatum to be much greater throughout Illinois than what known distributions demonstrate. The presence of forests and wetlands were the most important landcover classes predicting the occurrence of all tick species. As the climate warmed, the expected distribution of all species became strongly responsive to precipitation and temperature variables, particularly precipitation of the warmest quarter and mean diurnal range, as well as proximity to forest cover and water sources. The suitable habitat for I. scapularis, A. americanum, and A. maculatum was predicted to significantly narrow in the 2050 climate scenario and then increase more broadly statewide in the 2070 scenario but at reduced likelihoods. Predicting where ticks may invade and concentrate as the climate changes will be important to anticipate, prevent, and treat TBD in Illinois. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surveillance and Control of Vectors of Zoonotic Agents)
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