Ultrasonic Mosquito Repellers as a Green Alternative to Chemical Protection: A Review

Mosquitoes are vectors of life-threatening diseases such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika, which pose a severe threat to global public health. With increasing global interest in environmentally safe and non-toxic mosquito control strategies, ultrasonic mosquito repellers are gaining attention as potential alternative. These energy efficient devices produce high frequency sound waves which irritate and repel mosquitoes. This review highlights the working mechanism of ultrasonic mosquito repellers and briefly compares them with conventional methods such as chemical insecticides, bed nets, and biological controls. Some scientific studies highlight the limited efficacy of these devices by stating that mosquitoes are largely unaffected by the designed higher sound frequencies. Despite this, they have very less environmental impact compared to other chemical repellents which always cause water contamination and harm other non-targeted species. In addition, the low energy footprint making these devices a good option for indoor and outdoor environment. In contrast, potential concerns include, this device probably negatively interfere with the species that rely on sound for communication and navigation. Apart from this, the wide spread use could contribute to the accumulation of electronic waste if the devices are discarded after limited use. This review critically examines the potential of ultrasonic repellers as eco-friendly mosquito repelling tool based on available scientific evidence

Larvicidal activity of phytoextracts against dengue fever vector, Aedes aegypti - A review

Since Aedes aegypti is considered as the major vector of dengue fever, development of strategies to accomplish improved vector control without much interference in the environment composition are more common. As phytochemicals are now in the run for achieving this goal, this review is a humble attempt to recognize the plant species and their larvicidal efficacy with their inhibitory action on the life cycle of the species of interest, that has been documented through various studies conducted till date. Here we also discuss the synergistic impact of a number of phytoextracts which will provide more efficient control measures for mosquito vectors. All these studies are an exploration for a risk-free vector control tactic to replace the current chemical insecticide application for the betterment of our nature

Hyalomma dromedarii infesting camels in Hail Province, Saudi Arabia, carry antimicrobial resistant bacteria

Ticks are known vectors of various pathogens and are increasingly recognized as carriers of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria. However, the role of camel ticks in AMR transmission remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated bacteria isolated from Hyalomma dromedarii hard ticks collected from dromedary camels in Hail Province, Saudi Arabia, and assessed their AMR profiles. A total of 57 ticks were collected, yielding 29 bacterial isolates. The majority (79%; 23/29) were Gram-negative bacteria, primarily Enterobacter cloacae complex (n = 21) and Pseudomonas putida (n = 2). Gram-positive isolates (21%; 6/29) included Staphylococcus sciuri (n = 4) and Staphylococcus xylosus (n = 2). All Gram-negative isolates were resistant to cefazolin, 91% to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and 8.7% to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, while remaining susceptible to higher-generation cephalosporins, carbapenems, and aminoglycosides. Among Gram-positive isolates, resistance to fusidic acid was universal, with occasional resistance to benzylpenicillin (33%) and erythromycin (17%). No multidrug resistance across three or more antibiotic classes was observed. These findings highlight the presence of clinically relevant AMR bacteria in camel ticks and underscore the need for targeted AMR surveillance in arid livestock regions. Such efforts are critical to understanding and mitigating AMR risks within the animal–human–environment interface of the One Health framework

Mitochondrial COX 1 gene sequence based molecular identification of chelonian tick Amblyomma geoemydae with special prominence on phylogenetic perusal, from Kerala, India.

Abstract Genetic assessment and morphological features of a chelonian tick, Amblyomma geoemydae -Cantor, 1847 were determined for the first time in Kerala. Morphological features of Amblyomma geoemydae nymph were examined and photographed by using a high-quality ZIEZZ (Discovery.V20) microscope. The juvenile tick was identified as Amblyomma geoemydae evincing diverse external characters including the edge of the basis capituli is a round shape without cornua, hypostomal dental formula is 2/2, and the second segment of the palp is longer than the first and third. On the edge of the angular scutum have a pair of slightly convex eyes. The genetic confirmation was scrutinized by using sequences of mt COX1 gene. This investigation revealed the first molecular confirmation of A. geoemydae from Wayanad, Kerala. The evolutionary relationship was examined via neighbor-joining analysis and the phylogenetic tree was constructed through the Maximum Likelihood method. The identified A. geoemydae is genetically associated with some species under the same genera with high sequence similarity including A. marmoreum, A. ovale, and A. naponense. Some other species exhibit more sequence divergence such as A. imitator, and A. humerale. The findings provide evidence of dispersal of Ehrlichia, Francisella, and Borrelia miyamotoi vector have a significant role in Lyme disease and relapsing fever.</jats:p

A Phylogenomic and Evolutionary Perspectives of COVID-19

From the time immemorial, all drastic pandemics and associated pathogens have been under the spotlight of research in our attempts to identify, characterise, control and trace back their origin. Quite often such attempts have enabled mankind to find effective solutions to overcome such pathogen outbreaks and turn them to pages of history. In the wake of repeated infections in different corners of the world, its quite essential to evaluate if they are the cruel aftermaths of nature or any manmade error. In such as scenario, recent developments in the molecular evolutionary analysis offer us more information in-depth regarding the virus emergence, molecular epidemiology, virulence and evolutionary concepts, adding to the conventional strategies in viral epidemiology. The nucleotide sequences were retrieved from NCBI. The present study revealed the genetic variability of CoV, 2019-nCoV against previously reported corona viruses. Moreover, the genetic variability of COVID-19 from different affected corners of the globe are evaluated to get a better understanding of their modes and routes of spread across our planet.Such nucleotide sequence-analyzed information gathered from this investigation will definitely assist the intention and implementation of effective pandemic control measures.</jats:p