Spatiotemporal changes in prevalence of Sodalis glossinidius, Spiroplasma spp. and trypanosome species in wild Glossina tachinoides from Sora-Mboum animal African trypanosomiasis focus in northern Cameroon.

Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) has proven effective to reduce tsetse population density in large infected areas where animal African trypanosomosis (AAT) and human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) elimination was difficult to achieve. However, the decrease in mass production of insectary-reared tsetse and the limited but incomplete knowledge on symbiont-trypanosome interaction over time, impede large-scale use of SIT. We investigated the spatiotemporal changes in symbiont prevalence and symbiont-trypanosome interactions in wild tsetse of Sora-Mboum AAT focus in northern Cameroon, collected in 2019 and 2020, to provide insights into the mass production of refractory tsetse.

Comparative genomics and transcriptomics of the Spiroplasma glossinidia strain sGff reveal insights into host interaction and trypanosome resistance in Glossina fuscipes fuscipes.

Tsetse ( spp.) are vectors of African trypanosomes, the causative agents of Human and African Animal trypanosomiases, diseases that remain significant medical and socioeconomic challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to trypanosomes, tsetse harbor both obligate and facultative symbiotic bacteria that can influence vector competence and reproductive biology.

Summary of taxonomy changes ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) from the Animal DNA Viruses and Retroviruses Subcommittee, 2025.

The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) holds a ratification vote annually after review of newly proposed taxa by ICTV Study Groups and members of the virology community. In March 2025, the vote outcome of the 11 proposals within the mandate of the Animal DNA Viruses and Retroviruses Subcommittee was made public. Here, we provide a summary of the newly accepted proposals.

New tsetse (Glossina fuscipes fuscipes) genomes generated from wild and laboratory-reared specimens.

Tsetse (Glossina spp.) are vectors of African trypanosomes that cause devastating human and animal African trypanosomiases. While much of the research to better understand tsetse genetics and physiology relies on colony-reared flies, these flies may not represent the genetic diversity found in natural wild populations due to their long-term captivity.

Stress in dipteran insects mass-reared for sterile insect technique applications.

Stress may be viewed as the disturbance of homeostasis of an organism. Stress may arise from the external or internal environment of living organisms and plays a significant role in the fight or flight responses of animals. An organism's potential to resist stress is determined by its ability to mount up an effective response against the stress factors.

Evaluating the impact on F1 sterility of tsetse pupae Glossina morsitans morsitans irradiated following short-term hypoxic conditioning.

The sterile insect technique (SIT) for tsetse involves releasing sterilized males to outcompete wild males in mating, resulting in nonviable progeny. Balancing optimum sterility and male quality is crucial. While irradiation in hypoxia or anoxia is routine for tephritid flies, its effect on tsetse, especially postrelease, is not well understood.

Spiroplasma infection in colonized Glossina fuscipes fuscipes: impact on mass rearing and the sterile insect technique.

Tsetse flies (Glossina spp.) can vector the parasites (Trypanosoma spp.) that cause the socioeconomically devastating neglected tropical diseases human and animal African trypanosomoses.

Effect of Spiroplasma infection on the mating behavior of Glossina fuscipes fuscipes.

Tsetse flies are insects of significant public health and zoonotic importance as they are the main vectors of African trypanosomes. To date, an effective vaccine is unavailable and efforts to limit the spread of the disease primarily rely on controlling the tsetse populations. The discovery of Spiroplasma (class Mollicutes) in Glossina fuscipes fuscipes (Gff) (palpalis subgroup), offers promising insights into its potential use as a biological control agent to hinder trypanosomes infection in tsetse flies.

High-throughput screening reveals high diversity and widespread distribution of viruses in black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens).

Virus discovery in mass-reared insects is a growing topic of interest due to outbreak risks and for insect welfare concerns. In the case of black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens, BSF), pioneering bioinformatic studies have uncovered exogenous viruses from the orders Ghabrivirales and Bunyavirales, as well as endogenous viral elements from five virus families. This prompted further virome investigation of BSF metagenomes and metatranscriptomes, including from BSF individuals displaying signs and symptoms of disease.

Dual suppression of using entomopathogenic fungal-based biopesticides and sterile insect technique.

Tsetse flies and trypanosomosis significantly impact bovine production and human health in sub-Saharan Africa, exacerbating underdevelopment, malnutrition, and poverty. Despite various control strategies, long-term success has been limited. This study evaluates the combined use of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) and the sterile insect technique (SIT) to combat tsetse flies.

Impact of long-term mass-rearing on the genetic structure of tsetse fly Glossina palpalis gambiensis colonies.

Tsetse flies are the sole cyclic vectors of African trypanosomes, which cause human and animal African trypanosomiases in Africa. Tsetse fly control remains a promising option for disease management. The sterile insect technique (SIT) stands as an environmentally friendly tool to control tsetse populations.

Rearing of Glossina morsitans morsitans tsetse flies for the sterile insect technique: evaluating the impact of irradiation and transportation during early and late-stage pupal development on the quality of emerging adults.

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) and African animal trypanosomosis (AAT) are devastating diseases spread by tsetse flies (Glossina spp.), affecting humans and livestock, respectively. Current efforts to manage these diseases by eliminating the vector through the sterile insect technique (SIT) require transportation of irradiated late-stage tsetse pupae under chilling, which has been reported to reduce the biological quality of emerged flies.

Establishment and partial characterisation of a new cell line derived from adult tissues of the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans morsitans.

Background: Insect cell lines play a vital role in many aspects of research on disease vectors and agricultural pests. The tsetse fly Glossina morsitans morsitans is an important vector of salivarian trypanosomes in sub-Saharan Africa and, as such, is a major constraint on human health and agricultural development in the region.

Methods: Here, we report establishment and partial characterisation of a cell line, GMA/LULS61, derived from tissues of adult female G.

Development and characterization of microsatellite markers for population genetics of the cocoa pod borer Conopomorpha cramerella (Snellen) (Lepidoptera: Gracillaridae).

The cocoa pod borer (CPB) Conopomorpha cramerella (Snellen) (Lepidoptera: Gracillaridae) is one of the major constraints for cocoa production in South East Asia. In addition to cultural and chemical control methods, autocidal control tactics such as the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) could be an efficient addition to the currently control strategy, however SIT implementation will depend on the population genetics of the targeted pest. The aim of the present work was to search for suitable microsatellite loci in the genome of CPB that is partially sequenced.

Development and characterization of microsatellite markers for the tsetse species Glossina brevipalpis and preliminary population genetics analyses.

Tsetse flies, the vectors of African trypanosomes are of key medical and economic importance and one of the constraints for the development of Africa. Tsetse fly control is one of the most effective and sustainable strategies used for controlling the disease. Knowledge about population structure and level of gene flow between neighbouring populations of the target vector is of high importance to develop appropriate strategies for implementing effective management programmes.

Developments in the classification and nomenclature of arthropod-infecting large DNA viruses that contain pif genes.

Viruses of four families of arthropod-specific, large dsDNA viruses (the nuclear arthropod large DNA viruses, or NALDVs) possess homologs of genes encoding conserved components involved in the baculovirus primary infection mechanism. The presence of such homologs encoding per os infectivity factors (pif genes), along with their absence from other viruses and the occurrence of other shared characteristics, suggests a common origin for the viruses of these families. Therefore, the class Naldaviricetes was recently established, accommodating these four families.

Evaluating the Effect of Irradiation on the Densities of Two RNA Viruses in .

Tsetse flies are cyclic vectors of Trypanosoma parasites, which cause debilitating diseases in humans and animals. To decrease the disease burden, the number of flies is reduced using the sterile insect technique (SIT), where male flies are sterilized through irradiation and released into the field. This procedure requires the mass rearing of high-quality male flies able to compete with wild male flies for mating with wild females.

Interactions between Glossina pallidipes salivary gland hypertrophy virus and tsetse endosymbionts in wild tsetse populations.

Background: Tsetse control is considered an effective and sustainable tactic for the control of cyclically transmitted trypanosomosis in the absence of effective vaccines and inexpensive, effective drugs. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is currently used to eliminate tsetse fly populations in an area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) context in Senegal. For SIT, tsetse mass rearing is a major milestone that associated microbes can influence.

Characterization and Tissue Tropism of Newly Identified Iflavirus and Negeviruses in Tsetse Flies.

Tsetse flies cause major health and economic problems as they transmit trypanosomes causing sleeping sickness in humans (Human African Trypanosomosis, HAT) and nagana in animals (African Animal Trypanosomosis, AAT). A solution to control the spread of these flies and their associated diseases is the implementation of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). For successful application of SIT, it is important to establish and maintain healthy insect colonies and produce flies with competitive fitness.

Mitochondrial superoxide dismutase overexpression and low oxygen conditioning hormesis improve the performance of irradiated sterile males.

The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is a successful autocidal control method that uses ionizing radiation to sterilize insects. However, irradiation in normal atmospheric conditions can be damaging for males, because irradiation generates substantial biological oxidative stress that, combined with domestication and mass-rearing conditions, may reduce sterile male sexual competitiveness and quality. In this study, biological oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity were experimentally manipulated in Anastrepha suspensa using a combination of low-oxygen conditions and transgenic overexpression of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD2) to evaluate their role in the sexual behavior and quality of irradiated males.