dotlah! dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
Social Links
  • zedreviews.com
  • citi.io
  • aster.cloud
  • liwaiwai.com
  • guzz.co.uk
  • atinatin.com
0 Likes
0 Followers
0 Subscribers
dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
  • Lah!
  • Science
  • Technology

Increasing The Accuracy Of Mosquito Vector Surveillance

  • August 24, 2021
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

NUS doctoral student Ms Yeo Huiqing (left) and undergraduate student Ms Yeoh Tze Xuan (right), who were part of the research team, sampling mosquito larvae from standing water on dried leaves. (Photo: Nalini Puniamoorthy)

A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS), led by Assistant Professor Nalini Puniamoorthy from the Department of Biological Sciences, has developed an integrative approach that increases the accuracy of mosquito surveillance and management.

Many vector-borne diseases are transmitted by blood-sucking flies, such as mosquitoes. Understanding the transmission risks of such diseases requires knowledge of potential vectors in the area, including information on vector diversity and abundance. In their study, the researchers demonstrated the limitations of standard mosquito community surveillance methods and identification techniques which lead to inaccurate reflections of mosquito community structures across different habitats.

To address this, the researchers took an integrative approach comprising a two-pronged strategy to boost accuracy in sampling by including mosquito larvae, and species identification using short DNA sequences, known as mini-barcodes, generated from a high technology Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) platform. The enhanced data accuracy can reduce error cascades in downstream analyses for both ecological studies and vector surveillance. The approach can potentially be applied to other blood-sucking flies of medical interest such as biting midges and sandflies as well.

The findings were published in the Journal of Applied Ecology on 5 August 2021.

Reducing error cascades by enhancing data accuracy

Traditional estimates of mosquito diversity are typically based on adult female trapping methods targeting host-seeking species. However, these may represent a biased snapshot of an area’s mosquito community structure as larval stages are overlooked.

Including mosquito larvae sampling in various field sites in Singapore improved overall diversity estimates by 38 per cent compared to a sample comprising adult-only data. The enhanced estimate contributes to baseline knowledge on potential vectors in Singapore as some of these mosquito species have been found to harbour various pathogens in other countries. Sampling larvae also facilitates targeted management of mosquito species at the larval stage.

Identification of mosquitoes using traditional surveillance methods based on external characteristics also poses a challenge due to physical similarities between different species, as well as variations within individual species. The team employed a variety of sampling methods to target both adult and larval mosquitoes, and demonstrated that the use of mini-barcodes can differentiate species such as Aedes (Downsiomyia), Anopheles barbirostris complex and Culex (Lophoceraomyia) that are challenging to identify based on adult appearances alone. The NUS researchers were the first to successfully use the mini-barcodes on mosquitoes, and show its utility to reduce misidentification in species estimation. Their results led to more accurate reports on species diversity and the facilitation of vector control efforts, especially for medically-relevant insect groups. In addition, damaged specimens can be processed and identified using mini-barcodes, unlike standard surveillance methods.

A male mosquito belonging to the Culex (Lophoceraomyia) group from Singapore. (Photo: Yeo Huiqing)

Navigating a fragmented landscape

“Rapid urbanisation and land use changes in Singapore have resulted in a highly fragmented landscape which increases contact zones between forests and densely populated urban spaces. Our approach plays a crucial role to enhance understanding of the diversity and composition of different species, and can help facilitate early-warning detection and design of suitable management strategies,” said Asst Prof Nalini.

The researchers also plan to conduct further studies on scaling up species identification capabilities using DNA barcoding and industry applications for the integrated approach.

Total
0
Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Share
Related Topics
  • Mosquito Vector Surveillance
  • National University of Singapore
  • NUS
dotlah.com

Previous Article
  • Lah!

Singapore Changi Airport Community Donates Oxygen Concentrators To Indonesia To Support Fight Against COVID-19

  • August 22, 2021
View Post
Next Article
  • Lah!
  • Technology

Mapping The Undiscovered

  • August 24, 2021
View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • Gears
  • Technology

Meet Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Series: Packing Everything You Expect From a Premium Tablet

  • Dean Marc
  • September 4, 2025
View Post
  • Technology

Malaysia’s ‘ASEAN Shenzhen’ needs some significant legal reform to take off — here’s how

  • dotlah.com
  • August 25, 2025
View Post
  • Gears
  • Technology

Samsung Electronics Debuts Odyssey G7 Monitors, Showcasing Top Games on Its Displays at Gamescom 2025

  • Dean Marc
  • August 20, 2025
View Post
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Technology

Thoughts on America’s AI Action Plan

  • Dean Marc
  • July 24, 2025
View Post
  • Technology

ESWIN Computing launches the EBC77 Series Single Board Computer with Ubuntu

  • dotlah.com
  • July 17, 2025
View Post
  • Gears
  • Technology

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7: Raising the Bar for Smartphones

  • Dean Marc
  • July 9, 2025
View Post
  • Cities
  • Technology

Meralco PowerGen’s PacificLight starts up 100 MW fast-response plant in Singapore

  • dotlah.com
  • June 20, 2025
View Post
  • Technology

Apple services deliver powerful features and intelligent updates to users this autumn

  • Dean Marc
  • June 12, 2025


Trending
  • digital-twin-023359 1
    • Cities
    • Technology
    Connecting Urban Environments With IoT And Digital Twins
    • December 4, 2020
  • 2
    • Lah!
    • Science
    • Technology
    Avant And A*STAR’S Bioprocessing Technology Institute Collaborate To Accelerate Cultivated Fish Technology For Mass Market
    • September 28, 2021
  • 3
    • Environment
    • People
    The 4 Plausible Futures Of The World: Humans Inc.
    • March 23, 2020
  • 4
    • Cities
    • Lah!
    GrabSupermarket Launches In Singapore, To Offer Over 10,000 Products With Next-Day Delivery
    • May 29, 2021
  • 5
    • Cities
    • Lah!
    Novel Window Design Reduces Outdoor Noise And Improves Ventilation
    • February 4, 2021
  • 6
    • Science
    • Technology
    Futurology: How A Group Of Visionaries Looked Beyond The Possible A Century Ago And Predicted Today’s World
    • September 6, 2019
  • 7
    • Cities
    • Lah!
    Singapore Airlines First In World To Pilot IATA’s Travel Pass App
    • March 10, 2021
  • Craft | Art 8
    • Features
    • People
    Essence Of Elegance. A Guide To The Top Ingredients In Perfumery.
    • June 21, 2023
  • 9
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • People
    • Technology
    3 Ways Companies Can Mitigate The Risk Of AI In The Workplace
    • January 19, 2024
  • 10
    • Lah!
    • Technology
    Apple’s Second Singapore Store To Open In July At Jewel Changi Airport
    • July 11, 2019
  • 11
    • Society
    Safer Ramadan FASTing For People With Diabetes
    • May 12, 2020
  • 12
    • Cities
    • Lah!
    Pilot Project To Develop High-Powered Fast-Charging Plaza For Electric Vehicles
    • August 7, 2021
Trending
  • 1
    Apple unveils iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the most powerful and advanced Pro models ever
    • September 9, 2025
  • 2
    Apple debuts iPhone 17
    • September 9, 2025
  • Fruits and vegetables for cooking. For food processors. 3
    Food Processor: The Swiss Army Knife of the Kitchen – Best All-Around Picks in 2025
    • September 8, 2025
  • 4
    Meet Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Series: Packing Everything You Expect From a Premium Tablet
    • September 4, 2025
  • 5
    Malaysia’s ‘ASEAN Shenzhen’ needs some significant legal reform to take off — here’s how
    • August 25, 2025
  • French Fries 6
    Air Fryer: The One Cooking Appliance to Rule Them All – Best All-Around Picks in 2025
    • August 22, 2025
  • 7
    Samsung Electronics Debuts Odyssey G7 Monitors, Showcasing Top Games on Its Displays at Gamescom 2025
    • August 20, 2025
  • 8
    HP Cranks Up the Game with Smarter Systems, Cooler Builds, and Gear That Hits Different
    • August 14, 2025
  • 9
    New Trump tariffs: early modelling shows most economies lose – the US more than many
    • August 6, 2025
  • Scuba Diving 10
    Wetsuit or Drysuit? As always, it depends. This quick guide can help you choose.
    • August 2, 2025
Social Links
dotlah! dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
Connecting Dots Across Asia's Tech and Urban Landscape

Input your search keywords and press Enter.