Plant and Invertebrate Ecology

Insect Population Genetics and Ecology

Greg Devine

Dr Devine no longer works at Rothamsted Research.

Sabbatical summary

Since January 2004 I have been on extended sabbatical; based in the Amazon town of Iquitos and working in association with the Dirección de Salud (DISA-Loreto), the US Navy Medical Research Center Detachment (NMRCD) and the University of California Davis (UC Davis). In December 2004, I was also appointed to a technical advisory position within CDC (Centers of Disease Control, USA).

My remit is to gain experience of medical entomology and to identify areas of collaboration. At present, there are two strands to my work: 1) the utility of novel larval control agents and application methods for Aedes aegypti control and 2) resistance monitoring, ecology and behaviour in Anopheles darlingi. The former species is the major urban dengue vector in the region, the latter is the primary malaria vector.

In February 2005, Rothamsted Research, NMRCD, UC Davis and DISA Loreto were successful in gaining a US Department of Defence grant for a large public health trial examining the effects of the larvicide pyriproxyfen on the population dynamics and behaviour of Aedes aegypti in Iquitos, a city in the Peruvian Amazon. Lt Jeff Stancil USN (NMRCD) and I are the co-Principal Investigators.

Left to right: Local news November 2004, a street in Iquitos, typical water storage
Left to right: Local news November 2004, a street in Iquitos, typical water storage

Aedes aegypti adult and larvae
Aedes aegypti adult and larvae

1. Grants / projects:

2005-2007: Co-Principal Investigator: Evaluation of Aedes aegypti control using pyriproxyfen in Iquitos , Per ú (funded by Deployed War Fighter Protection fund, US Department of Defence, with NMRCD, UC Davis and local health authority).

2005-2007: Co-Investigator: Efficacy and implementation of two targeted control strategies to control the dengue vector Aedes aegypti (funded by WHO, with UC Davis and local health authority).

2006: Associate Investigator: Pilot study on the efficacy of a plant-derived repellent on malaria vectors in Loreto, Perú (funded by the NGO “Puerta de Cielos”, with LSHTM , UK and local health authority ).

 

2. Consultancies:

Continued appointment (expenses only) as CDC entomology coordinator for the Amazon Malaria Initiative (Perú / Bolivia ).

3. Refereed paper:

Sihuincha M, Zamora-Perea E, Orellana-Rios W, Stancil JD, López-Sifuentes V, Vidal-Oré C and Devine, G. J. (2005) The potential use of pyriproxyfen for the control of Aedes aegypti (L) (Diptera: Culicidae) in Iquitos, Perú . Journal of Medical Entomology. 42 (4) 620-630.

4. Workshop:

Taller para evaluar e implementar las metodologías de vigilancia de la resistencia a insecticidas de los vectores de malaria en la amazonía (en apoyo de la Iniciativa de Malaria en la Amazonía, AMI) . Organizado de Rothamsted Research, Laboratorio de Salud Publica, DISA-Loreto, MINSA, VIGIA, PAHO, CDC, NMRCD. Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana, Iquitos, Perú. 13 - 17 junio 2005.

5. Posters / Presentations:

Devine G J , Zamora-Perea E, Orellana-Rios W, Sihuincha M, Vidal-Oré C, Morrison A, Stancil J D. The use of pyriproxyfen for the control of Aedes aegypti in Iquitos , Perú. American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 54th Annual Meeting, December 11-15 th Washington DC 2005 (presentation).

Devine G J , Zamora-Perea E, Orellana-Rios W, Álvarez C, Sihuincha M, Vidal-Oré C, Morrison A, Stancil J D. Control de las enfermedades llevadas por vectores y la vigilancia en la Amazonía Peruana Colegio San Agustín, 12 agosto Iquitos 2005 (organised by UC San Diego) (presentation).

Zamora Perea E, Orellana Rios W, Rojas Estrella A, Álvarez C, Fernandez R, Flores C, Stancil J D, Balta R, Palomino M, Villaseca P, Mosqueda R, Diaz Rodriguez G and Devine G J. Adaptation of the ‘bottle assay’ for insecticide resistance and efficacy monitoring in the Peruvian Amazon. American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 54th Annual Meeting , December 11-15 th Washington DC 2005 (poster).

Alvarez C, Sihuincha M, Zamora-Perea E, Orellana-Rios W, Vidal-Or é C, Morrison A, Stancil J D, Devine G J. The use of pyriproxyfen for the control of Aedes aegypti in Iquitos ,  Peru . 4th International Congress Society for Vector Ecology. October 2 – 7, Reno , Nevada 2005 (poster).

Sihuincha M, Zamora Perea E, Stancil J, Lopez V, Vidal Ore C and Devine G J (2004) Effects of pyriproxyfen on eggs, pupae and fecundity in Aedes aegypti (L) (Diptera: Culicidae) from Peru. American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 53rd Annual Meeting, Miami , Florida . November 7 – November 11, 2004 (poster).

Stancil J, Flores-Mendoza C, Fernandez R, Palomino M, Villaseco P, Devine G J (2004) Insecticide resistance surveillance in Anopheles darlingi, An. albimanus and Aedes aegypti in the Coastal Desert and Amazon Basin of Peru. American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 53rd Annual Meeting, Miami , Florida . November 7 – November 11, 2004 (poster).