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Novel Microbial Compounds as a Boon in Health Management
Published in Jyoti Ranjan Rout, Rout George Kerry, Abinash Dutta, Biotechnological Advances for Microbiology, Molecular Biology, and Nanotechnology, 2022
Shubha Rani Sharma, Rajani Sharma, Debasish Kar
Mosquito belongs to the class insects. Mosquito is sanguinivorous. During the blood-sucking process, they release saliva which causes itching and rashes. They prove to be the vectors for the transmission of diseases such as dengue, malaria, yellow fever, chikungunya, etc. So, it is quite preferable to sleep under the net. Another challenge is that such mosquitoes bite during day time. It is not possible to keep an eye on mosquitoes all the time. Several measures have been taken to control the mosquito-borne disease. The first step to prevent such diseases is to prevent the mosquito from breeding. The best way for this is to use insecticides. On the other hand, the use of insecticides is not cost-effective. It also causes environmental hazards. Even the regular application of insecticides may create a resistant breed of mosquitoes (World Health Organization, 2008; Zaim and Guillet, 2002).
Synthetic Biology: From Gene Circuits to Novel Biological Tools
Published in Tuan Vo-Dinh, Nanotechnology in Biology and Medicine, 2017
Nina G. Argibay, Eric M. Vazquez, Cortney E. Wilson, Travis J.A. Craddock, Robert P. Smith
Mosquito-borne illnesses, such as malaria and dengue, constitute one of the major global sources of mortality and economic burden (Sachs and Malaney 2002). To prevent the spread of these diseases, global efforts have been placed on developing strategies to control mosquitoes. Along this line, Fu et al. engineered male mosquitoes to deliver genetic material to female mosquitoes that would render them flightless (Fu et al. 2010). After an engineered male carrying the gene encoding flightlessness mates with a nonengineered female mosquito, all females from the mating would be flightless and drown. However, the males from this mating, who do not consume blood and thus do not transmit infectious diseases, have the ability to fly and continue to contain the gene encoding flightlessness. These male mosquitoes would pass the flightlessness trait in the mosquito population, thus serving to decrease the quantity of female mosquitoes. To engineer this flightlessness gene, the authors placed a tetracycline transactivator protein (tTA) downstream of an AeAct-4 promoter. This promoter is predominantly activated in the indirect flight muscles (IFM) of female mosquitoes. High levels of tTA proteins, as well as additional lethal effector genes, are sufficient to interfere with IFM development, thus rendering the females flightless. Interestingly, the release of these engineered mosquitoes into experimental (Wise de Valdez et al. 2011) and natural (Harris et al. 2011) mosquito populations was able to transiently reduce the mosquito populations. Additional methods to control mosquito populations have also been engineered (Windbichler et al. 2011; Galizi et al. 2014).
Insect Control, Rodent Control, and Pesticides
Published in Herman Koren, Best Practices for Environmental Health, 2017
Personal protective measures include the use of mosquito repellents, screening of facilities and homes, mosquito netting over beds, long-sleeved clothing for use when outdoors especially at dawn or dusk, and public education to identify the source, potential for disease, and means of protection of the individual and family.
Deterministic and fractional analysis of a newly developed dengue epidemic model
Published in Waves in Random and Complex Media, 2023
Rahat Zarin, Mohabat Khan, Amir Khan, Abdullahi Yusuf
Dengue is a viral infection caused by the dengue virus, which is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Symptoms of dengue include high fever, severe headache, joint and muscle pain, nausea and vomiting, and rash. In severe cases, dengue can lead to dengue hemorrhagic fever, which can cause bleeding, low platelet count, and even death. Prevention of dengue is mainly focused on controlling the population of Aedes mosquitoes, which can be done by eliminating their breeding sites, such as standing water in containers. Personal protective measures include using mosquito repellent and wearing long-sleeved clothing. There is no specific treatment for dengue, and treatment mainly involves relieving symptoms and providing supportive care. In severe cases, hospitalization may be necessary. Dengue is a significant public health problem in many tropical and subtropical countries, including India, Indonesia, Brazil, and Thailand. As dengue is a mosquito-borne disease, it can be difficult to control, and outbreaks can occur suddenly. In conclusion, dengue is a serious viral infection that can cause severe illness and death. It is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes and can be prevented by controlling the population of mosquitoes and personal protective measures. There is no specific treatment for dengue, and treatment mainly involves relieving symptoms and providing supportive care.
Larvicidal activity of green synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles from Carica papaya leaf extract
Published in Inorganic and Nano-Metal Chemistry, 2023
Manish Kumar Dwivedi, Suvashish Kumar Pandey, Prashant Kumar Singh
The control of mosquito-borne diseases has been exacerbated with the emergence of insecticide-resistant mosquitoes. Some synthetic insecticides such as pyrethroids are used against insect vectors/mosquitoes, which are displaying resistance and are also known to cause adverse effects on the ecosystem. To control these vectors, researchers are trying the use of plant metabolites and their derivatives along with the development of novel and effective formulations having insecticidal properties this control different mosquito species.[32] Today secondary metabolites have emerged as major resources for drug discovery programs.[33] In recent years, the green synthesis of environment-friendly metal nanoparticles has gained interest. Such nanoparticles are being proposed as novel materials with novel biological activities. Over the years, many plant extracts have been tested for larvicidal activities.[34] To the best of our knowledge, none of the ZnO nanoparticles green synthesized using zinc acetate dehydrate and C. papaya extract have been reported for larvicidal properties. We report on the synthesis of the ZnO nanoparticles using C. papaya aqueous leaves extract and its larvicidal activity along with its toxicity analysis against human red blood cells. The free radical scavenging activity (antioxidant) of the ZnO nanoparticles is also reported.
Does Health Promotion Harm the Environment?
Published in The New Bioethics, 2020
Cheryl C. Macpherson, Elise Smith, Travis N. Rieder
Mosquito control is essential to promote health but often conflicts with protecting the environment. Mosquitoes transmit numerous diseases to human beings including malaria, dengue fever, and West Nile fever. Over 200 million people worldwide contract malaria each year and about 400,000 die from the disease (World Health Organization 2019). Controlling mosquito populations is the most effective way of preventing mosquito-borne diseases. However, some methods of mosquito control can cause significant environmental damage (World Health Organization 2014). For example, draining mosquito breeding grounds such as wetlands can destroy habitats, disrupt ecosystems, and reduce biodiversity. Spraying pesticides can have harmful effects on non-target species such as insects, birds, fish, and other aquatic organisms. Additionally, mosquitoes may become resistant to pesticides (Resnik 2012).