Mosquito-Borne Diseases and Their Control Strategies: An Overview Focused on Green Synthesized Plant-Based Metallic Nanoparticles
Hudson Onen,
Miryam M. Luzala,
Stephen Kigozi,
Rebecca M. Sikumbili,
Claude-Josué K. Muanga,
Eunice N. Zola,
Sébastien N. Wendji,
Aristote B. Buya,
Aiste Balciunaitiene,
Jonas Viškelis,
Martha A. Kaddumukasa,
Patrick B. Memvanga
Affiliations
Hudson Onen
Department of Entomology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Plot 51/59 Nakiwogo Road, Entebbe P.O. Box 49, Uganda
Miryam M. Luzala
Laboratory of Pharmaceutics and Phytopharmaceutical Drug Development, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa B.P. 212, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Stephen Kigozi
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kyambogo University, Kampala P.O. Box 1, Uganda
Rebecca M. Sikumbili
Centre de Recherche et d’Innovation Technologique en Environnement et en Sciences de la Santé (CRITESS), University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa B.P. 212, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Claude-Josué K. Muanga
Laboratory of Pharmaceutics and Phytopharmaceutical Drug Development, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa B.P. 212, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Eunice N. Zola
Laboratory of Pharmaceutics and Phytopharmaceutical Drug Development, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa B.P. 212, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Sébastien N. Wendji
Laboratory of Pharmaceutics and Phytopharmaceutical Drug Development, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa B.P. 212, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Aristote B. Buya
Laboratory of Pharmaceutics and Phytopharmaceutical Drug Development, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa B.P. 212, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Aiste Balciunaitiene
Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, 54333 Babtai, Lithuania
Jonas Viškelis
Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, 54333 Babtai, Lithuania
Martha A. Kaddumukasa
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kyambogo University, Kampala P.O. Box 1, Uganda
Patrick B. Memvanga
Laboratory of Pharmaceutics and Phytopharmaceutical Drug Development, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa B.P. 212, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mosquitoes act as vectors of pathogens that cause most life-threatening diseases, such as malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya, Yellow fever, Zika, West Nile, Lymphatic filariasis, etc. To reduce the transmission of these mosquito-borne diseases in humans, several chemical, biological, mechanical, and pharmaceutical methods of control are used. However, these different strategies are facing important and timely challenges that include the rapid spread of highly invasive mosquitoes worldwide, the development of resistance in several mosquito species, and the recent outbreaks of novel arthropod-borne viruses (e.g., Dengue, Rift Valley fever, tick-borne encephalitis, West Nile, yellow fever, etc.). Therefore, the development of novel and effective methods of control is urgently needed to manage mosquito vectors. Adapting the principles of nanobiotechnology to mosquito vector control is one of the current approaches. As a single-step, eco-friendly, and biodegradable method that does not require the use of toxic chemicals, the green synthesis of nanoparticles using active toxic agents from plant extracts available since ancient times exhibits antagonistic responses and broad-spectrum target-specific activities against different species of vector mosquitoes. In this article, the current state of knowledge on the different mosquito control strategies in general, and on repellent and mosquitocidal plant-mediated synthesis of nanoparticles in particular, has been reviewed. By doing so, this review may open new doors for research on mosquito-borne diseases.
