Andrew Rotich

About Andrew Rotich

https://www.genbioconsortium.africa/

Posts by Andrew Rotich:

Larvicidal activity of Acacia nilotica extracts against Culex pipiens and their suggested mode of action by molecular simulation docking

March 19, 2024

Mosquitoes are one of the deadliest and most hazardous animals on Earth, where they transmit several diseases that kill millions of people annually. There is an ongoing search almost everywhere in the world for more effective and contemporary ways to control mosquitoes other than pesticides. Phytochemicals are affordable, biodegradable biological agents that specialize in eliminating […]

Heatwaves are detrimental to fertility in the viviparous tsetse fly

March 14, 2024

Heatwaves are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change, pushing animals beyond physiological limits. While most studies focus on survival limits, sublethal effects on fertility tend to occur below lethal thresholds, and consequently can be as important for population viability. Typically, male fertility is more heat-sensitive than female fertility, yet direct comparisons are […]

First report of natural infection of Anopheles gambiae s.s. and Anopheles coluzzii by Wolbachia and Microsporidia in Benin: a cross-sectional study

March 13, 2024

Recently, bacterial endosymbiont, including Wolbachia and Microsporidia were found to limit the infection of Anopheles mosquitoes with Plasmodium falciparum. This study aimed to investigate the natural presence of key transmission-blocking endosymbionts in Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii in Southern Benin. Aggregated data for HLCs and PSCs showed a sporozoite rate (SR) of 0.80% (95% CI […]

Role of seasonal importation and genetic drift on selection for drug-resistant genotypes of Plasmodium falciparum in high-transmission settings

March 8, 2024

Historically Plasmodium falciparum has followed a pattern of drug resistance first appearing in low-transmission settings before spreading to high-transmission settings. Several features of low-transmission regions are hypothesized as explanations: higher chance of symptoms and treatment seeking, better treatment access, less within-host competition among clones and lower rates of recombination. Upon controlling for the timing of […]

Efficacy of Wolbachia-based mosquito control: Predictions of a spatially discrete mathematical model

March 7, 2024

Wolbachia is an endosymbiont bacterium present in many insect species. When Wolbachia-carrying male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes mate with non-carrier females, their embryos are not viable due to cytoplasmic incompatibility. This phenomenon has been exploited successfully for the purpose of controlling mosquito populations and the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses: Wolbachia carriers are bred and released into […]