Source: RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY submitted to NRP
BIOLOGY, ECOLOGY & MANAGEMENT OF EMERGING DISEASE VECTORS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0224811
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
NE-1043
Project Start Date
Aug 1, 2009
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2014
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
3 RUTGERS PLZA
NEW BRUNSWICK,NJ 08901-8559
Performing Department
Entomology
Non Technical Summary
The mosquito could be considered the most dangerous creature on earth. Diseases transmitted by mosquitoes have killed more people than all the wars in history. Each year there are 300 - 500 million cases of malaria reported, resulting in up to 2.7 million deaths, mostly children. By contrast, the AIDS virus afflicts <6 million people annually. In addition, introduced mosquitoes (i.e. mosquitoes transported accidentally from one country to another, usually associated with cargo of goods or people) are usually critical disease vectors and have led to disease outbreaks such as yellow fever and in the recent past, West Nile virus. Although mosquito control for disease control has a long history, it has often been reactive, which means that intensive mosquito control only occurs following a disease outbreak and is often performed under an emergency mentality. As a result it has often relied on massive application of insecticides or habitat destruction without careful attention to either the population dynamics of the target species, nor the potential development of insecticide resistance. Interestingly, one of the success stories has been the development of strategies for control of Ae. sollicitans, the salt marsh mosquito, a tremendous biting nuisance that delayed the settling of coastal NJ. Although this species can vector deadly Eastern Equine encephalitis virus, its control was not spurred by panic but by the desire to live mosquito free. Careful study of the life-history of the species led to the realization that its eggs hatch only during Spring tides. This singular knowledge led to proactive and effective control. We are developing a mathematical set of equations to predict the timing of occurrence of different life-stages of the invasive and relentless bitter, Ae. albopictus. This mosquito is a critical vector of chikungunya and dengue fevers and can act as a vector of yellow fever. It is a day-biting species originally from Eastern Asia and was first discovered established in the US in 1985 in Texas. Ae. albopictus arrived in New Jersey around 1995, and is the main source of complaints regarding mosquitoes in most of the thirty states it has now invaded. Our objective is to apply control strategies pro-actively, focusing mostly on source-reduction and larvicides (that kill the aquatic stages). We are working to understand the factors underlying both the early egg hatch and larval development as well as the large exponential growth phase of the adult (biting) populations of this species around the middle of July in NJ. This timing is also shared by other critical vector species such as Culex pipiens. We are also examining the existence and development of insecticide resistance both pre-existing and potentially as a result of our activities. To understand better the effectiveness of different methods, the impact of multiple introductions from other states and from abroad, the rate of insecticide resistance, and to identify new methodology for mosquito control, we are sequencing the mosquito genome using state of the art Next Generation sequencing methodology (Illumina).
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
3043110104010%
3043110107010%
3113110104010%
3113110107010%
3153110104010%
3153110107010%
7213110104010%
7213110107010%
7223110104010%
7223110107010%
Knowledge Area
311 - Animal Diseases; 722 - Zoonotic Diseases and Parasites Affecting Humans; 304 - Animal Genome; 315 - Animal Welfare/Well-Being and Protection; 721 - Insects and Other Pests Affecting Humans;

Subject Of Investigation
3110 - Insects;

Field Of Science
1040 - Molecular biology; 1070 - Ecology;
Goals / Objectives
Strengthen basic and applied research on the mosquito, pathogen, hosts, and environmental factors that influence disease emergence. Use knowledge of mosquito, pathogen, vertebrate reservoir, and environmental interactions to enhance ability to predict conditions leading to disease. Develop strategies to control mosquito vectors. Enhance surveillance technologies for mosquitoes and mosquito-borne pathogens. Develop strategies for sustainable mosquito control by including training at all levels.
Project Methods
We are developing, parameterizing, and ground-truthing using resources and results from Area-wide USDA-ARS-58-6615-8-105 in which I am the PI at Rutgers, a mathematical model of the population dynamics of container mosquitoes. The model is customized for the recent invasive Aedes albopictus, but we will test its applicability to the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, the West Nile virus vector, Culex pipiens, as well as other introduced species such as Aedes japonicus. This umbrella model addresses all five objectives of Multistate NE1043. The development of the necessary components for building the model is being done through literature reviews and detailed laboratory experiments. The model is novel because it incorporates both classical environmental forcing variables such as degree-day and humidity, but also a bottom-up approach by incorporating patterns of bacterial/protozoa growth as mediators in intra and inter-specific competitive interactions that have been shown to prevail in these container habitats. Species competition can determine community composition and as a result patterns of disease transmission (e.g. the classical studies of competition between Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus). We have uncovered previously unknown food mediated interactions between introduced disease vectors that affect their ability to successfully establish. We are using NextGen Illumina to develop the tools to successfully perform comparative population genomics of Ae. albopictus. We are optimizing a large number (~1,000) of genetic markers (Single-Nucleotide-Polymorphisms) to obtain information on location of source populations, dispersal rates and rates of re-invasion of Ae. albopictus in treated areas. We are also working with more standard mitochondrial and nuclear genes to pinpoint the source, number, and timing of introductions of Ae. albopictus to the US. We are continuing to develop this approach with another introduced species, Ae. japonicus . We performing chromosome sorting and NextGen sequencing of cell cultures of Culex pipiens pallens to uncover the mechanisms of sex-determination in Culex and Aedes mosquitoes. We are also examining the mechanisms by which hybridization between species leads to the transfer of genetic adaptive material. We are examining and characterizing the baseline levels and molecular basis of insecticide resistance in populations of Aedes and Culex mosquitoes in New Jersey. Together with the new insecticides and optimized application technology resulting from the Area-wide project (USDA-ARS-58-6615-8-105), this project will provide glaringly missing information on best management practices for mosquito control that will critical to mosquito control professionals as well as the general public.

Progress 08/01/09 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Researchers and scientists. Extension specialists. Mosquito control operators and Public Health officers at the local, state, federal and international levels. Homeowners. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Andrea Egizi completed and defended her PhD in March 2014. She examined the genetics of expansion of Aedes japonicus japonicus, particularly in Hawaii and Virginia. The Virginia project is a collaboration with members of the City of Suffolk Mosquito Control (Jay Kiser and Charles Abadam). She published 2 papers on her research this year and has two other submitted. Brian Johnson also a PhD student optimized cheap rapid assays to ID native and exotic species of Culex that have long been confused. His research has elucidated the important role of Culex restuans and generated a series of testable hypothesis for the importance of "native invaders" - native species that are becoming increasingly able to exploit anthropogenically modified habitats. A publication summarizing his findings is in press in "Infection, Genetics and Evolution". Brian also examined the prevalence of target mutations in local Culex pipiens populations that make them less susceptible or even resistant to insecticides (organophosphates and pyrethroids). Dana Price, a PhD student and bioinformaticist sequenced de novo the transcriptomes of both forms of the Culex pipiens complex. That research has been accepted pending revisions in PeerJ. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Talks by Dina Fonseca - Extension talks: 2014, March 21 - moderator of 2.5 hr workshop bringing together for the first time all branches and interested parties in mosquito and vector control in the state of Maine. Organized and held at the University of Maine. Orono, Maine. 2014, September 7-10 - Oral presentation at the 12th Annual Meeting of the Mosquito Control Association of Australia, Mandurah, Australia. Title: "The need for customized mosquito control: rapid evolution in Aedes albopictus" 2014, February 5 and May 5 - 3-hour presentations to the Rutgers Environmental Stewards (at Middlesex at the Atlantic County Utility Authority). Workshops entitled "Enlightened mosquito control". Departmental seminars: 2014, October 21, Philadelphia, PA - invited seminar at the Biology Department (student invitation) University of Pennsylvania. "Domestication or invasiveness in mosquitoes: what came first?". 2014, October 10, Washington, DC - invited seminar at the National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (host Robert Fleischer, Senior Scientist and Head, Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics) "Rapid evolution in invasive mosquitoes: evidence and implications". 2014, September 12, Sydney, Australia - Invited seminar at the Marie Bashir Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney (host Cameron Webb) "Managing the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, in America: implications for exotic pathogen introduction and nuisance-biting impacts" 2014, March 28, New Brunswick, NJ - Departmental seminar at Rutgers University, Entomology Department "Area-wide management of the Asian tiger mosquito: lessons I learned". 2014, March 21, Orono, MI - Invited departmental seminar at the University of Maine, Department of Biology (host Eleanor Groden) "Post-introduction anthropogenic rescue" What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We have successfully used NextGen sequencing and bioinformatics to examine the genomes and transcriptomes of feral and domestic forms ofCulex pipiens.We identified genes involved in digestion (serine endopeptidases), innate immunity (fibrinogens and α-macroglobulins), hemostasis (D7 salivary proteins), olfaction (odorant binding proteins) and chitin binding (peritrophic matrix proteins). By examining molecular divergence between closely-related yet phenotypically-divergent forms of the same species, our results provide insights into the identity of rapidly-evolving genes between incipient species that can be targeted to develop better methods of control. We collaborated with researchers at USMRIID (DOD) and two groups in Germany to use genetic analysis to make predictions regarding vectorial capacity and disease risk. Our results underscore differences in vector competence between different genetic forms in the Cx. pipiens complex but indicate that if Rift Valley Fever virus (a class II bioterrorism agent) were to arrive in the US, competent vectors abound in the highly urbanized northeast. In our work with collaborators in Germany we found that, contrary to expectations, the German Ae. j. japonicus are not closely related to those in Belgium which are geographically nearest but are also highly inbred. German populations have a unique genotype but also evidence of mixing between two genotypes. Also unexpectedly, the populations closest to the center of the German infestation had the highest levels of admixture, indicating that separate introductions did not expand and merge but instead their expansion was driven by punctuated human-mediated transport. Critically, the resulting admixed populations have higher genetic diversity and appear invasive, as indicated by their increased abundance and recent spread across western Germany. We have developed new methodology to identify important disease vectors and the role of native vs. exotic species in local arboviral transmission in the US. Our results support the preeminence of Cx. restuans as an enzootic vector of WNV and strongly suggest this species has become a "native invasive" exploiting human modified habitats and reaching very high abundance there. Importantly, high infection rates in disturbed wetland sites with high populations of Cx. restuans suggest this species may enable the introduction of WNV to urbanized environments where both Culex contribute to transmission potentiating disease risk. We have trained 3 PhD students (Dr. Andrea Egizi received her PhD in March 2014) and have made multiple presentations at departmental seminars, national and international meetings.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Zielke DE*, Werner D, Kampen H, Schaffner F, Fonseca DM 2014 Unexpected patterns of admixture in German populations of Aedes japonicus japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae), underscore the importance of human intervention. PLoS One 9(7): e99093.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Turell MJ, Dohm DJ, Fonseca DM 2014 Comparison of the potential for different genetic forms in the Culex pipiens complex (Diptera: Culicidae) in North America to transmit Rift Valley fever virus. Journal of American Mosquito Control Association 30(4): 253-259.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Huber K, Schuldt K, Rudolf M, Marklewitz M, Fonseca DM, Kaufmann C, Tsuda Y, Junglen S, Kr�ger A, Becker N, Tannich E, Becker SC 2014 Distribution and genetic structure of Aedes japonicus japonicus populations (Diptera: Culicidae) in Germany. Parasitology Research 113(9): 3201-10.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Johnson BJ*, Fonseca DM. 2014. The effects of forced-egg retention on the blood-feeding behavior and reproductive potential of Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae). Journal of Insect Physiology 6: 53-58.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Egizi A*, Morin P.J., Fonseca DM. 2014. Unraveling microbe-mediated interactions between mosquito larvae in a laboratory microcosm. Aquatic Ecology 48(2): 179-189.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Egizi A*, Farajollahi A, Fonseca DM. 2014. Diverse host feeding on nesting birds may limit early season West Nile virus amplification. Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases 14(6): 447-453.


Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Scientists, Extension specialists, Mosquito control operators at the local, state, and fedearl level, home-owner. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Brian Johnson, a PhD student,developed laboratory experimentts examining the reproductive physiology of Culex pipiens and the effect of egg retention on reproductive output - we submitted a manusctipt to Proceedings of the Royal Society of Londin- Series B. Andrea Egizi also a PhD student, used a novel technique allowing us to sex the blood of birds found in mosquito guts. Dana Price, a PhD student in Entomology, has sequenced the transcriptome of the primary members of the Culex pipiens complex and is examining rates of evolution of different key genes across the species complex. Graduate assistant George Condon also participated in research conducted under NJ40280. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Talks by Dina Fonseca outside of the scientific meeting circuit aimed at enhancing understanding of vector-borne diseases and mosquito control: May 8, 2013: a 3-hour presentation entitled "Enlightened mosquito control" to the Rutgers Environmental Stewards, at the Duke Farms, Hillsborough, NJ. 2013, April 24 – invited oral presentation (white board discussion) about Medical Entomology to Public Health Certificate students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Public Health, Perelman School of Medicine. Host: Hilary Nelson. “Fingerprints of alien invasions” (60 min). 2013, March 26-28 – Oral presentation and symposium moderator at the 10th Arbovirus Surveillance and Mosquito Control Workshop, AMCD, St. Augustine, FL. Title: “The need for customized mosquito control: differences in genetics and behavior among US populations of Aedes albopictus" Departmental talks: 2013, September 6: New Brunswick, NJ - invited departmental seminar at Rutgers University, Department of Entomology (host Lena Breattsten) "Rapid evolution, mosquitoes, and us" 2013, February 8: College Park, MD– Invited departmental seminar at the University of Maryland, Department of Entomology (host David O’Brochta) “What makes a mosquito invasive?” What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We have two projects underway: (1) examining the effect of insecticide resistance on disease transmission in NJ and; (2) examining the paths and patterns of expansion of invasive mosquitoes..

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. We have optimized new Next-gen sequencing strategies to examine genomes of damaging insects that contain high amount of repetitive DNA. 2. Have collaborated with two groups in Germany to examine the expansion of the exotic mosquito Aedes j. japonicus across Europe. This expansion of this mosquito in Northern Europe raises the danger of Rift Valley fever outbreaks in cattle and humans. We have also examined the effects of drought on the reproductive capacity of Culex pipiens, the primary West Nile virus vector in the eastern US. 3 and 5. We have tested, optimized, and shared with the mosquito control community multiple methodologies to control Aedes albopictus. We have made multiple presentations at AMCA, ESA, NJMCA, ASTMH, made available detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and published multiple peer-reviewed publications. We have also developed a website: www.rci.rutgers.edu/~AWATM

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Egizi A, Healy SP, Fonseca DM. 2013. Rapid blood meal scoring in anthropophilic Aedes albopictus and application of PCR blocking to avoid pseudogenes. Infection, Genetics and Evolution. 16:122-128.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Micieli MV, Matacchiero AC, Muttis E, Fonseca DM, Aliota MT, Kramer LD. 2013. Vector competence of Argentine mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) for West Nile virus (Flaviviridae: Flavivirus). Journal of Medical Entomology. 50(4):853-862.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Dumas E, Atyame C, Fonseca DM, Shaikevich E, Unal S, Makoundou P, Weill M, Duron O. 2013. Population structure of Wolbachia and cytoplasmic introgression in a complex of mosquito species. BMC: Evolutionary Biology. 13(1):181 (provisional)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Kaufman MG, Fonseca DM. 2014. Invasion biology of Aedes japonicus japonicus. Annual Review of Entomology. 59:31-49.


Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Talks by Dina Fonseca outside of the scientific meeting circuit aimed at enhancing understanding of vector-borne diseases and mosquito control. May 17 and May 25, 2012: two 3-hour presentations entitled "Enlightened mosquito control" to the Rutgers Environmental Stewards, at the Atlantic County Utility Authority, NJ and the Duke Farms, Hillsborough, NJ. 2012, December 5 - Oral presentation on West Nile virus at the Emerging Infectious Diseases Conference organized by the Rutgers College of Nursing. 2012, March 28-30, Atlantic City, NJ - Annual Meeting of the NJ Mosquito Control Association "Current update on Aedes albopictus and the Asian tiger mosquito project". 2012, March 16-19, Hartford, CT - 83rd Annual Meeeting of the Entomological Society of America Eastern Branch. Xu J, Fonseca DM. "Invasiveness Associated with multiple introductions of a temperate mosquito. 2012, Feb 26-Mar 1, Austin, TX - 78th Annual Meeting of the American Mosquito Control Association "The pros and cons of egg counts". PARTICIPANTS: Andrea Egizi, PhD student. Dana Price, PhD student. Brian Johnson, PhD student - obtained a $2,000 Jobbins scholarship from the NorthEast American Mosquito Control Association. Jiawu Xu, research associate (postdoctoral) Sebastien Marcombe, postdoctoral fellow. Rhiannon Andre-Tucker, undergraduate student. Collaborators: Peter Armsbruster, Georgetown University; Laura Kramer, Wadsworth Center, NYSDH; Marm Kilpatrick, U. C. San Diego; Debashish Battacharya, Rutgers New Brunswick; Jeffrey Powell, Yale University; Donal Shepard, Brandeis University; John Worobey, Rutgers University; Peter Morin, Rutgers University; Julie Lockwood, Rutgers University. TARGET AUDIENCES: Scientific community (Ecology and Evolution, Epidemiology, Molecular Methods) - ESA, Evolution scientific presentations and peer review publications. General Public - Environmental Stewards, Nursing College of Rutgers Mosquito Control Professionals - NJMCA and AMCA presentations. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Funded by the Area-wide management of the Asian tiger mosquito (USDA-ARS) we have tested, optimized, and shared with the mosquito control community multiple methodologies to control Aedes albopictus. We have made multiple presentations at AMCA, ESA, NJMCA, ASTMH, made available detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and published multiple peer-reviewed publications.

Publications

  • Mogi M, Armbruster P, Fonseca DM. 2012. Analyses of the northern distribution limit of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) with a simple thermal index. Journal of Medical Entomology. 49(6): 1233-1243.
  • Farajollahi A, Healy SP, Unlu I, Gaugler R, Fonseca DM. 2012. Effectiveness of ultra-low volume nighttime applications of an adulticide against diurnal Aedes albopictus, a critical vector of dengue and chikungunya viruses. PLoS One. 11. e49281.
  • Shepard D, Halasa Y, Wittenberg E, Fonseca DM, Farajollahi A, Healy S, Gaugler R, Strickman D, Clark G. 2012. Willingness-to-pay for an Area-wide pest management program to control the Asian tiger mosquito in New Jersey. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. 28(3):225-236.
  • Bartlett-Healy K, Unlu I, Obenaeur P, Hughes, Healy S, Crepeau T, Farajollahi A, Kesavaraju B, Fonseca DM, Schoeler, Gaugler R, and Strickman D. 2012. Larval habitat utilization and community dynamics of Aedes albopictus and Aedes japonicus japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae) in urban, suburban, and rural areas of northeastern USA. Journal of Medical Entomology. 49:813-24.


Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Feb 28 - March 2, 2011: attended the Multistate meeting in New Haven, CT where I made a presentation of recent research by my graduate student's Andrea Egizi. The 30 min talk was entitled "Facilitation in disease vectors". June 2011: was awarded an NIH R21 "($100,000 to Rutgers in direct costs; $154,000 total) entitled "High throughput population genomics of Aedes albopictus". PARTICIPANTS: Dr. Jiawu Xu and Dr. Sebastien Marcombe have obtained extensive training in the context of this project. The NIH-R21 is a collaboration with Dr. Jeffrey Powell from Yale University. TARGET AUDIENCES: Scientific Community PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Dr. Sebastien Marcombe, a postdoc on this project funded by the Area-wide management of the Asian tiger mosquito (AW-ATM) started May 2011 and has already uncovered extensive patterns of insecticide resistance and reduced susceptibility in populations of Aedes albopictus. Dr. Jiawu Xu, funded in part by AW-ATM and in part by the new NIH-R21, has optimized 8 microsatellite loci for the Asian tiger mosquito. The NextGen sequencing project is progressing. Aided by an undergraduate student we have developed a new high throughput methodology to identify large numbers of Aedes eggs. We are preparing a manuscript to be submitted to Infection, Genetics, and Evolution.

Publications

  • Xu J and Fonseca DM (2011) One-way sequencing of multiple amplicons from tandem repetitive mitochondrial DNA control region. Mitochondrial DNA 22(5-6):155-158.