Syeda Tullu Bukhari

icipe – International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology | ICIPE · Department of Human Health

Exposure of mosquitoes to numerous eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbes in their associated microbiomes has probably helped drive the evolution of the innate immune system. To our knowledge, a metagenomic catalog of the eukaryotic microbiome has not been reported from any insect. Here we employ a novel approach to preferentially deplete host 18S rib...

The recently discovered Anopheles symbiont, Microsporidia MB, has a strong malaria transmission-blocking phenotype in Anopheles arabiensis, the predominant Anopheles gambiae species complex member in many active transmission areas in eastern Africa. The ability of Microsporidia MB to block Plasmodium transmission together with vertical transmission...

Entomopathogenic fungi have been explored as a potential biopesticide to counteract the insecticide resistance issue in mosquitoes. However, little is known about the possibility that genetic resistance to fungal biopesticides could evolve in mosquito populations. Here, we detected an important genetic component underlying Anopheles coluzzii surviv...

Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) have resulted in a major decrease in malaria transmission. However, it has become apparent that malaria can be effectively transmitted despite high coverage of LLINs/IRS. Residual transmission can occur due to Plasmodium-carrying Anopheles mosquitoes that are insecticide resi...

Background: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light traps are widely used for sampling mosquitoes. However, this trap, manufactured in the USA, poses challenges for use in sub-Saharan Africa due to procurement costs and shipping time. Traps that are equally efficient than the CDC light trap, but which are amenable for use in remote...

Background Understanding the ecology and behaviour of disease vectors, including the olfactory cues used to orient and select hosts and egg-laying sites, are essential for the development of novel, insecticide-free control tools. Selected graminoid plants have been shown to release volatile chemicals attracting malaria vectors; however, whether the...

Background: Understanding the ecology and behaviour of disease vectors, including the olfactory cues used to orient and select hosts and egg-laying sites, are essential for the development of novel, insecticide-free control tools. Selected graminoid plants have been shown to release volatile chemicals attracting malaria vectors, however, whether th...

Background: Strategies that involve manipulations of the odour-orientation of gravid malaria vectors could lead to novel attract-and-kill interventions. Recent work has highlighted the potential involvement of graminoid plants in luring vectors to oviposition sites. This study aimed to analyse the association between water-indicating graminoid plan...

Background : Strategies that involve manipulations of the odour-orientation of gravid malaria vectors could lead to novel attract-and-kill interventions. Recent work has highlighted the potential involvement of graminoid plants in luring vectors to oviposition sites. This study aimed to analyse the association between water-indicating graminoid pla...

Background: A good understanding of mosquito ecology is imperative for integrated vector control of malaria. In breeding sites, Anopheles larvae are concurrently exposed to predators and parasites. However, to our knowledge, there is no study on combined effects of predators and parasites on development and survival of larvae and their carry-over...

Background: A good understanding of mosquito ecology is imperative for integrated vector control of malaria. In breeding sites, Anopheles larvae are concurrently exposed to predators and parasites. However, to our knowledge, there is no study on combined effects of predators and parasites on development and survival of larvae and their carry-over e...

Chromosome inversions suppress genetic recombination and establish co-adapted gene complexes, or supergenes. The 2La inversion is a widespread polymorphism in the Anopheles gambiae species complex, the major African mosquito vectors of human malaria. Here we show that alleles of the 2La inversion are associated with natural malaria infection levels...

Entomopathogenic fungi have shown to be effective in biological control of both larval and adult stages of malaria mosquitoes. However, a small fraction of mosquitoes is still able to emerge after treatment with fungus during the larval stage. It remains unclear whether fitness of these adults is affected by the treatment during the larval stage an...

The two main interventions presently being deployed for control of malaria vectors, that is, long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) involve the use of chemical insecticides and target adult mosquitoes. Meanwhile, the potential of larval control is increasingly being acknowledged for the reduction of ins...

Rice paddies harbour a large variety of organisms including larvae of malaria mosquitoes. These paddies are challenging for mosquito control because their large size, slurry and vegetation make it difficult to effectively apply a control agent. Aquatain, a monomolecular surface film, can be considered a suitable mosquito control agent for such bree...

The entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana have demonstrated effectiveness against anopheline larvae in the laboratory. However, utilising these fungi for the control of anopheline larvae under field conditions, relies on development of effective means of application as well as reducing their sensitivity to UV radiatio...

Abstract Background Entomopathogenic fungi have shown great potential for the control of adult malaria vectors. However, their ability to control aquatic stages of anopheline vectors remains largely unexplored. Therefore, how larval characteristics (Anopheles species, age and larval density), fungus (species and concentration) and environmental eff...

Our research addresses the chemical ecology of mosquitoes, the ecology of aquatic stages of malaria vectors, the development of entomopathogenic fungi for malaria vector control and the population biology and vector-host interactions of disease vectors in natural areas. In western Kenya, significant differences in malaria risk between villages were...

Monomolecular films are used for mosquito control because of their asphyxiating effect on larvae and pupae. Compared with other films, Aquatain mosquito formulation (AMF) has an improved spreading ability and flexibility on a water surface. In the laboratory, AMF showed larvicidal, pupicidal, and oviposition deterrent effects against the malaria ve...

Malaria remains a key hindrance to the improvement of health in Africa. Transmission rates and the risk of the disease can be greatly reduced by vector control. At present, control of adult mosquitoes is almost exclusively based on chemical insecticides. However, develop- ment of resistance to chemicals is of great concern for sustainable malaria c...