title: Effect of ionising (gamma) radiation on female Anopheles arabiensis.
abstract: In a mosquito sterile insect technique programme the ideal scenario is to release male mosquitoes only. However, because there are currently no sex separation strategies which guarantee total female elimination, this study investigated the effect of irradiation on physiological and reproductive fitness of females of an Anopheles arabiensis genetic sexing strain.
  
  
  
  Female pupae were irradiated at 70 Gy and the effects of irradiation on adult emergence, longevity, blood-feeding capability, mating ability, fecundity and fertility were assessed.
  
  
  
  Irradiation reduced adult emergence and fecundity but did not affect adult survivorship, mating and blood feeding ability, which suggests that irradiated female mosquitoes can transmit disease pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Wits Research Institute for Malaria, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.|Center for Opportunistic, Tropical and Hospital Infections, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Sandringham, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Leonard C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Dandalo
authors.affiliation: Special Viral Pathogens Laboratory, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Sandringham, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.affiliation: Wits Research Institute for Malaria, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.|Center for Opportunistic, Tropical and Hospital Infections, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Sandringham, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Lizette L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Koekemoer
authors.affiliation: Wits Research Institute for Malaria, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.|Center for Opportunistic, Tropical and Hospital Infections, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Sandringham, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Givemore
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Munhenga
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000528:radiation effects; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000528:radiation effects; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008018:Life Cycle Stages / Q000528:radiation effects; D009032:Mosquito Control / Q000379:methods*; D011679:Pupa / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000528:radiation effects; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000528:radiation effects
keywords: Gamma irradiation; Genetic sexing strain; Physiological and reproductive fitness; South Africa; Sterile insect technique