Open AccessHighlights of Medical Entomology 2018: The Importance of Sustainable Surveillance of Vectors and Vector-Borne Pathogens
Author(s) -
Roxanne Connelly
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of medical entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1938-2928
pISSN - 0022-2585
DOI - 10.1093/jme/tjz134
Subject(s) - entomology , biology , vector (molecular biology) , aedes albopictus , theobald , aedes , yellow fever , culex , ecology , aedes aegypti , virology , dengue fever , virus , larva , biochemistry , gene , recombinant dna
The theme of the 2018 Entomological Society of America, Entomological Society of Canada, and Entomological Society of British Columbia Joint Annual Meeting was Crossing Borders: Entomology in a Changing World. Following the theme of the meeting, papers selected for the 2018 'Highlights of Medical Entomology' included reports of expanded ranges for Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae), Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald) (Diptera: Culicidae), Culex coronator Dyar and Knab (Diptera: Culicidae), Mansonia titillans (Walker) (Diptera: Culicidae), and Wyeomyia mitchellii (Theobald) (Diptera: Culicidae); a first report of mosquito feeding on earthworms and leeches; Cache Valley virus detection in Ae. j. japonicus; surveillance in high-risk areas of Canada for Lyme Disease; and increasing lone-star tick detections in Connecticut. The selection of papers served as a reminder of the increasingly difficult challenge of sustaining vector surveillance programs. Fluctuating funding and a decline in vector taxonomists and identification expertise contribute to the erosion of vector surveillance.