Department of Microbiology, Parasitology and Immunology

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Browsing Department of Microbiology, Parasitology and Immunology by Subject "abundance"

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    Molecular detection of arboviruses in Aedes mosquitoes collected from Kyela district, Tanzania
    (2016-01) Bisimwa, N. P.; Angwenye, S.; Kinimi, E; Shayo, M.; Bwihangane, B. A.; Kasanga, C. J.
    Arboviruses belong to a group of viruses that are transmitted by arthropods, mainly mosquitoes and ticks causing clinical disease symptoms in humans and animals ranging from febrile illnesses to hemorrhagic fevers. The present study aimed at examining the circulation of Chikungunya, Dengue, Yellow fever and Rift valley fever viral genomes in Aedes mosquitoes from Kyela district in Tanzania. A systematic vector surveillance spanning two months and covering 5 sites in Kyela district was carried out in order to evaluate the potential role of Aedes spp in arbovirus transmission in the study area. Mosquitoes were collected, identified to species level by using morphological keys, pooled in respect species and collection sites and screened for arboviruses by RT-PCR. Adult mosquitoes were collected from April to May, 2015 using CO 2 -baited CDC light traps, magnet traps as well as human landing collection (HLC). The study sites included Kyela town, Kajunjumele, Ipida, Matema and Njisi villages. A total of 480 bloodfeed Aedes ssp were collected, identified and grouped in to 24 pools (1-20 mosquitoes per pool) according to species level and location. Out of the 480 Aedes spp collected, Aedes aegypti represented the most abundant species totaling 338 (70.4%), followed by Aedes africanus 102 (21.2%) and Aedes natalensis being the minority 40 (8.3%). Arboviruses were detected in 9 pools (37.5%) including Alphaviruses (8 pools) and Flaviviruses (1 pool). No sample was positive for Bunyaviruses. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was detected in 6 (75%) alphavirus positive pools that were collected mostly in the areas where rice cultivation was common. The findings of this study suggest that people from this region are highly likely to be exposed to arbovirus infections which may represent significant public health concerns.
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    Species composition, diversity, abundance, and phylogeny of fleas of small mammals in selected plague-endemic and nonendemic areas of Tanzania
    (Wiley, 2025-10-15) Materu, Adrian E.; Mafie, Eliakunda M.; Nzalawahe, Jahashi S.; Mnyone, Ladslaus L.
    The remerging nature of plague requires detailed understanding of the plague flea vectors and small mammal reservoir interactions. Therefore, this study is aimed at assessing flea vector composition, diversity, prevalence, abundance, and phylogeny in selected villages of Lushoto, Mbulu, and Morogoro Rural districts in Tanzania. Small mammals were captured from households and different habitats, and flea ectoparasites were collected, processed, and identified morphologically. Furthermore, seven specimens of the most collected flea species Ctenophthalmus sp. and Xenopsylla cheopis were submitted for advanced molecular identification and phylogenetic relatedness. The prevalence between predictors such as habitat type, host species, host sex, and locality was compared using chi-square tests, and also, generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to check the variation between flea abundance and different predictors. A total of 302 small mammals were captured with Mastomys natalensis (n = 163, 54.0%), Rattus rattus (n = 41, 13.6%), and Crocidura spp. (n = 31, 10.3%) dominating the total capture. The collected fleas belonged to nine species, and the most prevalent and abundant species were Ctenophthalmus spp. (n = 84, 31.0%), Pulex irritans (n = 82, 30.3%), Dinopsylla lypusus (n = 78, 28.8%), and Nosopsyllus incisus (n = 11, 4.1%) from rodents, and more so on males than females. The highest flea diversity was in crop fields (H ′ = 1 05) followed by near-natural forests (H ′ = 1 03) and fallow land (H ′ = 0 7). Phylogenetic analysis of ITS1 sequences for Ctenophthalmus sp. and Xenopsylla cheopis from Lushoto and Mbulu districts showed strong nucleotide identity. These findings highlight the need for continuous flea and rodent surveillance to mitigate potential plague outbreaks and protect public health in endemic areas.