Sudden Natural Deaths in Infancy and Childhood.- Post-Mortem Investigation of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI): Role of Autopsy in Classification of Death.- Sudden Death from Pulmonary Causes.- Sectioning of the Heart, Searching for Pathology Under the Microscope and the Cardiac Proteomics Approach in the Study of Sudden Cardiac Death Cases.- Endocrine disorders with potentially fatal outcome.- Sudden Death From Infectious Disease.- Aviation Deaths.- Fatalities in general aviation: from balloons to helicopters.- The 9-11 Attacks: The Medicolegal Investigation of the World Trade Center Fatalities.- Injuries and Fatalities in All-Terrain Vehicle Crashes.- Advances in Entomological Methods for Death Time Estimation.- Tissue Fluorescence Spectroscopy in Death Time Estimation.- Heat-flow finite element models in Death Time Estimation.- The Use of Protein Markers for the Estimation of the Postmortem Interval.- Alcohol and drug fatalities in transportation - forensic-toxicological implications

Forensic Pathology Reviews

Since the discovery of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) in 1976, extensive literature has proved its efficacy to control mosquitoes and black flies, of which many species are known as important vectors of diseases or simply as pests of humans and animals. Since 1978, Bti has been used in many countries on all continents and numerous studies have been made on target mosquitoes and black flies, as well as nontarget organisms (NTO). This review analyses the results of 75 studies on these organisms covering approximately 125 families, 300 genera and 400 species. Different factors such as species, instar, feeding behaviour and environmental parameters (larval density, water temperature, suspended matter etc.) may drastically affect the efficacy of the Bti products. This is addressed in detail by reviewing the main factors affecting mosquitoes as well as black flies. The results of a wide range of laboratory and field experiments using different target and nontarget species, various preparations an...

Effects of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis on Target and Nontarget Organisms: A Review of Laboratory and Field Experiments

Aromatic plant-derived essential oil: an alternative larvicide for mosquito control.

The effects of pyriproxyfen were tested against a local population of Aedes aegypti (L.) in Iquitos, Peru. Bioassays showed that, when applied to late instars, pyriproxyfen prevented adult emergence at extremely low concentrations (LC50 = 0.012 ppb). There was no adult emergence from water sampled from storage tanks that had been seeded with the equivalent of 50–83 ppb (AI) pyriproxyfen. Five months after treatment, despite constant dilution of these tanks, water sampled from these sources continued to be lethal to larvae and pupae. Additional studies, carried out in the laboratory, showed that groups of five or 20 female blood-fed mosquitoes, exposed to residues of ≈0.003 g (AI) pyriproxyfen/m2, could transfer enough chemical to new oviposition sites to prevent ≈80% of adult emergence from larvae developing in that previously uncontaminated water. Moreover, although the fecundity of the adult females used as the transfer vehicles in these tests was unaffected, the subsequent eclosion of the eggs that these mosquitoes laid was decreased by 70–90%. It also was shown that, at very high concentrations (>30,000 ppb), pyriproxyfen-treated water sources were as likely to be used as oviposition sites as untreated sources. These data suggest that treated sites might act as sinks for mosquito reproduction and moreover that such sites might act as dissemination sources for the horizontal transfer of larvicides to new environments by mature females. We review the literature on the environmental and human health effects of this compound and discuss its potential for use as a mosquito control agent in the field.

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Potential Use of Pyriproxyfen for Control of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Iquitos, Perú

Toxicity assessment of pyriproxyfen in vertebrate model zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio): A multi biomarker study.

Laboratory and field evaluations were conducted in southeastern Queensland, Australia, to determine the toxicities of 2 organophosphate compounds (temephos and pirimiphosmethyl), an insect growth regulator (s-methoprene), and Bacillus thuringienis variety israelensis de Barjac (Bti) to Aedes vigilax (Skuse), an Australian saltmarsh mosquito vector of Ross River virus. The toxicity of these compounds to Leander tenuicornis Say, a cohabiting nontarget shrimp species, was also assessed, s-Methoprene and Bti were found to be the most selective for Ae. vigilax, with selectivity ratios (LC nontarget/LC target) of 255,000 and 38,000, respectively. In contrast, selectivity ratios of 13 and 0.01 were calculated for temephos and pirimiphos-methyl, respectively. As predicted by the laboratory studies, the field applications of s-methoprene and Bti were highly effective against Ae. vigilax, while not affecting L. tenuicornis survival. In contrast, although temephos and pirimiphos-methyl were both effective against Ae. vigilax, these products also killed 100% of caged L. tenuicornis, s-Methoprene and Bti did not affect water quality, whereas temephos and pirimiphos-methyl significantly influenced pH and turbidity. Accordingly, based on the high selectivity ratios, excellent field efficacy, and lack of influence on abiotic water characteristics, smethoprene and Bti were ideal for insecticide control of Ae. vigilax in Australian saltmarsh pools.

Laboratory and Field Evaluation of the Efficacy of Four Insecticides for Aedes vigilax (Diptera: Culicidae) and Toxicity to the Nontarget Shrimp Leander tenuicornis (Decapoda: Palaemonidae)

Because the larvivorous fish Pseudomugil signifer is native to southeastern Queensland and is abundant in shallow estuarine habitats, intertidal marshes, wetland habitats, and freshwater streams, it was chosen as an indicator species for toxicologic studies with pesticides. Acute toxicity studies with 2 organophosphorus pesticides (pirimiphos-methyl and temephos) and 3 alternate compounds under evaluation for registration in Australia (Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis, s-methoprene, and pyriproxyfen), were tested in 96-h laboratory trials. Pirimiphos-methyl was the most toxic compound, with a median lethal concentration (LC50) of 0.091 ppm (0.3 times the estimated field concentration [EFC] for a 15-cm-deep pool). Temephos had an LC50 value of 0.594 ppm (9.9 times the EFC). Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis and pyriproxyfen produced LC50 values of 6.1 x 10(11) International Toxic Units (477 times the EFC) and 0.854 ppm (106 times the EFC), respectively. s-Methoprene was the least toxic compound, with no mortality recorded at 500 times the EFC.

Acute toxicity of selected pesticides to the Pacific blue-eye, Pseudomugil signifer (Pisces).

Laboratory toxicity studies were conducted in southeastern Queensland, Australia, to determine the acute lethal effects of a 1-h pulse exposure of selected insecticides to adult and juvenile (<72 h old) crimson-spotted rainbowfish, Melanotaenia duboulayi (Castlenau). In addition, to its ecological significance, this native fish is a predator of mosquitoes. Two organophosphate (OP) compounds (temephos and pirimiphos-methyl), an entomophathogenic bacterium (Bacillus thuringiensis variety israelensis [Bti]) and two insect growth regulators (IGRs) (s-methoprene and pyriproxyfen) were evaluated. Although none of the five insecticides were acutely toxic to adult M. duboulayi under the test conditions, temephos and pirimiphos-methyl were found to be toxic to juveniles, with 24 h pulse exposure LC50 values of 27 and 15 microg/liter (ppb), respectively. Of the two OPs, pirimiphos-methyl was the most toxic, with a lethal dose ratio (pulse exposure LC50 temephos/ pulse exposure LC50 pirimiphos-methyl) of 1.8 (95% CL 0.5-6.4). These pulse exposure LC50 values represented 40 and 4.5% of the estimated environmental concentrations (EEC) for a 15 cm deep water body, respectively. Bti and the two IGRs had no acute toxic effects at up to 10 and 12.5 times the EEC, respectively. Accordingly, in the interests of environmental conservation and integrated pest management (IPM), preference should be given to the latter three insecticides for control of mosquito larvae in juvenile M. duboulayi habitat.

Pulse-Exposure Effects of Selected Insecticides to Juvenile Australian Crimson-Spotted Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia duboulayi)

Laboratory bioassay studies of the efficacy of VectoBac 12AS (active ingredient: 1,200 International Toxic Units [ITU]/mg Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis) against field-collected late 3rd/early 4th-instar larvae of Culex sitiens indicated excellent control potential. A 95% lethal concentration (LC95) value of 1.381 x 10(7) ITU was calculated, which equated to a dosage of 0.011 liters/ha. This dosage represented 1.8% of the recommended lowest dosage rate for the product. A field trial of VectoBac 12AS against late 3rd/early 4th-instar field specimens of Cx. sitiens in floating mesh cylinders was then conducted in salt-marsh pools near Coomera Marina, southeast Queensland, Australia. At a rate of 0.5 liters/ha, 100% mortality of Cx. sitiens larvae was recorded at 24 h posttreatment.

Laboratory and field evaluation of efficacy of VectoBac 12AS against Culex sitiens (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae.

The shrimp Leander tenuicornis is abundant in southeastern Queensland intertidal marsh pools and was chosen as an indicator species for toxicological studies with pesticides. Acute toxicity to this crustacean of temephos and 3 pesticide compounds under evaluation for registration in Australia (Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis, s-methoprene, and pyriproxyfen) was tested in 96-h laboratory trials. Temephos was the most toxic compound, with a median lethal concentration (LC) of 0.01 ppm (0.33 times the estimated field concentration [EFC] for a 15-cm-deep pool). s-Methoprene was the least toxic compound, with an LC of 14.32 ppm (1,790 times the EFC). Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis and pyriproxyfen produced LC values of 60.9 × 10 ITU (176 times the EFC) and 0.098 ppm (12.25 times the EFC), respectively.

D Thomas

Papers

Laboratory and Field Evaluation of the Efficacy of Four Insecticides for Aedes vigilax (Diptera: Culicidae) and Toxicity to the Nontarget Shrimp Leander tenuicornis (Decapoda: Palaemonidae)

Acute toxicity of selected pesticides to the Pacific blue-eye, Pseudomugil signifer (Pisces).

Pulse-Exposure Effects of Selected Insecticides to Juvenile Australian Crimson-Spotted Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia duboulayi)

Laboratory and field evaluation of efficacy of VectoBac 12AS against Culex sitiens (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae.

Acute toxicity of selected pesticides to the estuarine shrimp Leander tenuicornis (Decapoda: Palaemonidae)