Maribel Jiménez

Dr. Maribel Jiménez

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

33Years (1994-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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1 November 2012 in Veterinary Parasitology
Verified
Journal Article
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RMRicardo Molina
Ricardo Molina
MJMaribel Jiménez
Maribel Jiménez
ICIsra CRUZ
Isra CRUZ
AIA. Iriso
A. Iriso
Ines Martín MartínInes Martín Martín
Ines Martín Martín
JBJ. Bernal
J. Bernal

22 February 2016 in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
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Journal Article
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BABulent Salih Alten
Bulent Salih Alten
Carla MaiaCarla Maia
Carla Maia
MAMaria Odete Afonso
Maria Odete Afonso
LCLenea Campino
Lenea Campino
MJMaribel Jiménez
Maribel Jiménez
LGLuigi Gradoni
Luigi Gradoni
The recent geographical expansion of phlebotomine vectors of Leishmania infantum in the Mediterranean subregion has been attributed to ongoing climate changes. At these latitudes, the activity of sand flies is typically seasonal; because seasonal phenomena are also sensitive to general variations in climate, current phenological data sets can provide a baseline for continuing investigations on sand fly population dynamics that may impact on future scenarios of leishmaniasis transmission. With this aim, in 2011–2013 a consortium of partners from eight Mediterranean countries carried out entomological investigations in sites where L. infantum transmission was recently reported. A common protocol for sand fly collection included monthly captures by CDC light traps, complemented by sticky traps in most of the sites. Collections were replicated for more than one season in order to reduce the effects of local weather events. In each site, the trapping effort was left unchanged throughout the survey to legitimate inter-seasonal comparisons. Data from 99,000 collected specimens were analyzed, resulting in the description of seasonal dynamics of 56,000 sand flies belonging to L. infantum vector species throughout a wide geographical area, namely P. perniciosus (Portugal, Spain and Italy), P. ariasi (France), P. neglectus (Greece), P. tobbi (Cyprus and Turkey), P. balcanicus and P. kandelakii (Georgia). Time of sand fly appearance/disappearance in collections differed between sites, and seasonal densities showed variations in each site. Significant correlations were found between latitude/mean annual temperature of sites and i) the first month of sand fly appearance, that ranged from early April to the first half of June; ii) the type of density trend, varying from a single peak in July/August to multiple peaks increasing in magnitude from May through September. A 3-modal trend, recorded for P. tobbi in Cyprus, represents a novel finding for a L. infantum vector. Adults ended the activity starting from mid September through November, without significant correlation with latitude/mean annual temperature of sites. The period of potential exposure to L.infantum in the Mediterranean subregion, as inferred by adult densities calculated from 3 years, 37 sites and 6 competent vector species, was associated to a regular bell-shaped density curve having a wide peak center encompassing the July-September period, and falling between early May to late October for more than 99% of values. Apparently no risk for leishmaniasis transmission took place from December through March in the years considered. We found a common pattern of nocturnal females activity, whose density peaked between 11 pm and 2 am. Despite annual variations, multiple collections performed over consecutive years provided homogeneous patterns of the potential behavior of leishmaniasis vectors in selected sites, which we propose may represent sentinel areas for future monitoring. In the investigated years, higher potential risk for L. infantum transmission in the Mediterranean was identified in the June-October period (97% relative vector density), however such risk was not equally distributed throughout the region, since density waves of adults occurred earlier and were more frequent in southern territories. Recent projections on global warming indicate a constant rise of temperatures in the Mediterranean subregion in the near-mid future. While this phenomenon already caused geographical expansion of several arthropod-borne diseases, it is likely to affect also temporal parameters of seasonally transmitted diseases such as leishmaniasis, a protozoan infection spread by the bite of phlebotomine sand flies. Phenology of sand flies consists in the periods of emergence of adults and their disappearance from collections following an activity period during warm months, which can be characterized by peaks of abundance. Current phenological observations can be important for continuing investigations on sand fly dynamics that may impact on leishmaniasis transmission in the future. With this aim, partners from eight Mediterranean countries identified sites with documented Leishmania infantum transmission by six different vector species and performed multiannual trappings. From the high number of 56,000 specimens collected throughout an area spanning from Portugal at west to Georgia at east, the current seasonal dynamics of Mediterranean vectors was obtained. Both, period of adults emergence and type of density trend were found to be significantly correlated with latitude or mean annual temperature of trapping sites. At the southernmost latitudes, vector activity started as early as begin of April and ended by late November, showing that the no-risk period of potential exposure to L. infantum lasted only 4 months.

1 May 2014 in Veterinary Parasitology
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Journal Article
Closed access
MJMaribel Jiménez
Maribel Jiménez
EGEstela Gonzalez
Estela Gonzalez
Ines Martín MartínInes Martín Martín
Ines Martín Martín
SHSonia Hernández
Sonia Hernández
RMRicardo Molina
Ricardo Molina

1 July 2010 in Acta Tropica
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Journal Article
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RGR. Gálvez
R. Gálvez
MDM.A. Descalzo
M.A. Descalzo
GMGUADALUPE MIRÓ Miró
GUADALUPE MIRÓ Miró
MJMaribel Jiménez
Maribel Jiménez
OMO. Martín
O. Martín
RMRicardo Molina
Ricardo Molina

28 March 2013 in Parasitology Research
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Journal Article
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MJMaribel Jiménez
Maribel Jiménez
EGEstela Gonzalez
Estela Gonzalez
AIAndrés Iriso
Andrés Iriso
EMElisa Marco
Elisa Marco
AAAna Alegret
Ana Alegret
RMRicardo Molina
Ricardo Molina

1 February 2013 in Vaccine
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
JMJuan A. Moreno-Cid
Juan A. Moreno-Cid
JLJosé Pérez de la Lastra
José Pérez de la Lastra
MVMargarita Villar
Margarita Villar
MJMaribel Jiménez
Maribel Jiménez
RPRocío Pinal
Rocío Pinal
Jose De La FuenteJose De La Fuente
Jose De La Fuente