Highest Infestation Rate Research Articles

Infestation rates, seasonal distribution, and genetic diversity of ixodid ticks from livestock of various origins in two markets of Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Little is known about the impact of ticks on livestock and humans in Cameroon. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, seasonal variation, and genetic diversity of hard ticks in the country. Ticks were collected during a cross-sectional survey on domestic livestock in two markets of Yaoundé in 2019 and 2020 and identified using morphological keys, 16S ribosomal DNA, (16S rDNA), and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (Cox1) genes. The infestation rates were 39.18%, 11.53%, and 2.74% in cattle, sheep, and goats respectively. Three genera of ticks were identified, Rhipicephalus, Amblyomma, and Hyalomma comprising eleven tick species. The main species were Rhipicephalus decoloratus (30.25%), R. microplus (24.43%), and Amblyomma variegatum (12.96%). Rhipicephalus spp. (81.31%) and Amblyomma variegatum (51.54%) were abundant during the rainy season, while Hyalomma spp. (83.86%) during the dry season (p-value <0.00001). Cox1 and 16S rDNA analysis showed a high level of genetic diversity among tick species with sequences close to those observed across Africa. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that our R. microplus belong to clade A and we identified R. sanguineus s.l. as R. linnea. This study shows a high tick infestation rate in cattle, while low in small ruminants with an extensive diversity of tick species, including several known vectors of important tick-borne diseases.

INFECTION WITH METACERCARIAS OPISTHORCHIS FELINEUS RIVOLTA, 1884 (TREMATODA) IN SOME SPECIES OF FISH OF THE FAMILY CYPRINIDAE IN THE KEMEROVO REGION

The materials of parasitological study of fish of the family Cyprinidae in some points of the Kemerovo Region, which is located in the zone of a large West Siberian focus of opisthorchiasis, belonging to the Ob-Irtysh basin, are presented. The studies were carried out in order to detect changes in the infestation of previously studied species of fish of the family Cyprinidae in comparison with the data obtained in 2012– 2013 by students of the "Club of Beginning Parasitologists" (GUDO "Regional Children's Ecological and Biological Station", Kemerovo). To detect infection of fish with O. felineus metacercariae, the method of muscle tissue compression was used. Quantitative indicators of infestation and distribution of metacercariae were assessed using the indices: extensiveness of invasion (EI) and intensity of invasion (II). Infestation rates of fish of the family Cyprinidae slightly increased in 2021 compared to 2013: EI 25.15% and 22.58%, respectively. Out of 214 caught fish of four species: Alburnus alburnus, Rutilus rutilus lacustris, Rutilus rutilus, Carassius gibelio, the highest infestation rates were noted for R. rutilus lacustris – 58.64%, the lowest for R. rutilus and C. gibelio – 2.32% and 2.11% respectively. The total infestation of fish in the Tom River within the city of Kemerovo was 35.35%, in the Zhurgavan – 27.14%, in the Demyanovka – 18.56%. The largest number of larvae was noted in the muscles of the R. rutilus lacustris, the smallest – in the R. rutilus from the Tom River in the Zhurgavan and C. gibelio in the Demyanovka. The study of the infestation of some species of cyprinids with O. felineus metacercariae at three points in the Kemerovo Region indicates that the state of water bodies is not well enough in relation to opisthorchiasis and the likelihood of infestation of residents with this helminthiasis.

TINGKAT INFESTASI CACING SALURAN PENCERNAAN PADA KAMBING DI GABUNGAN KELOMPOK TERNAK MENDO SEWU DI KECAMATAN SUKOHARJO KABUPATEN PRINGSEWU

The study which was conducted at a goat farm belonging to a livestock group of Mendo Sewu in Sukoharjo District, Pringsewu Regency, Lampung Province in February-April 2021 aimed to determine the level of intestinal worm infestation in goats. This study used a survey method with data sampling was done by proportional method. The number of samples obtained was 85 samples. The data obtained were presented in tabulated form and then analyzed descriptively. Examination of faecal samples was carried out at the Lampung Veterinary Center using the Mc. Master and Sedimentation. The results showed that the level of intestinal worm infestation in goats kept by livestock groups in Sukoharjo District was 67.05%. The highest worm infestation was found in goats reared by the Mekar 4 and Sidomakmur livestock groups with a value of 81.25%, while the lowest worm infestation was found in goats reared by the Rukun Amri Sentosa livestock group, which was 58.49%. The types of worms found in goats kept by livestock groups in Sukoharjo District were from the Nematoda class (Haemonchus sp., Oesophagostomum sp., Trichostrongylus sp., Strongyloides sp., and Trichuris sp.), Cestoda class (Moniezia sp.), and Trematodes (Fasciola sp.). Gastrointestinal worm infestation rate found in goats reared by Mekar 4, Sidomakmur and Rukun Amri Santosa livestock groups were in a high digestive worm infestation rate of 67.05%. &#x0D; Keywords: Gastrointestinal worms, Goat, Infestation rate

Post-drought conditions and hydraulic dysfunction determine tree resilience and mortality across Mediterranean Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) populations after an extreme drought event.

Drought-related tree mortality is a global phenomenon that currently affects a wide range of forests. Key functional variables on plant hydraulics, carbon economy, growth and allocation have been identified and play a role in tree drought responses. However, tree mortality thresholds based on such variables are difficult to identify, especially under field conditions. We studied several Aleppo pine populations differently affected by an extreme drought event in 2014, with mortality rates ranging from no mortality to 90% in the most severely affected population. We hypothesized that mortality is linked with high levels of xylem embolism, i.e., hydraulic dysfunction, which would also lead to lower tree resistance to drought in subsequent years. Despite not finding any differences among populations in the vulnerability curves to xylem embolism, there were large differences in the hydraulic safety margin (HSM) and the hydraulic dysfunction level. High mortality rates were associated with a negative HSM when xylem embolism reached values over 60%. We also found forest weakening and post-drought mortality related to a low hydraulic water transport capacity, reduced plant growth, low carbohydrate contents and high pest infestation rates. Our results highlight the importance of drought severity and the hydraulic dysfunction level on pine mortality, as well as post-drought conditions during recovery processes.

Flying Activity and Seasonal Abundance of Carob Moth Ectomyelois ceratoniae Zeller and its Population Dynamics on Different Hosts in Lattakia, Syria

Arab, A., E. Al-Jouri, I. Okasha, D. Fayoud, R. Yousef and N. El-Ali. 2022. Flying Activity and Seasonal Abundance of Carob Moth Ectomyelois ceratoniae Zeller and its Population Dynamics on Different Hosts in Lattakia, Syria. Arab Journal of Plant Protection, 40(3): 201-208. https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-40.3.201208 The carob moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae Zeller, is an important frugivorous pest worldwide. A study was carried out on pomegranate, citrus orchards and carob sites in Lattakia governorate during 2013-2014 to monitor the flying activity and seasonal abundance of the carob moth using synthetic pheromone traps (Russell IPM). The population dynamics of carob moth on pomegranate and navel orange fruits and carob pods were estimated. The results showed that the flying activity was between late March and early December. The highest monthly abundance of the insect was in June, in both years. The results also showed a medium significant correlation between temperature and insect flight activity and weekly catch rate, whereas the correlation with relative humidity was not significant. The highest infestation rate with carob moth was 40% on pomegranate, 37% on carob and 7% on navel orange in September 2013, whereas it was 36% on pomegranates, 30% on carob and 4% on navel oranges in September 2014. Keywords: Carob moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae, seasonal abundance, pomegranate, orange, carob

Infestation Rate and Abundance of Fruit Fly Species (Diptera, Tephritidae) on Solanum aethiopicum, Solanum lycopersicum, and Capsicum spp in Eastern of the Democratic Republic of Congo

This study assessing the infestation rate of fruit fly species on Solanum aethiopicum, Solanum lycopersicum, and Capsicum spp, using incubation method, was conducted in Agricultural entomology laboratory of Research Centre in Natural Sciences (CRSN) Lwiro, at Kabare in The South Kivu Province in eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Five species of Tephritidae flies observed, i.e. Bactrocera dorsalis, B. latifrons, Dacus bivitatus, Ceratitis capitata, and Zeugodacus Cucurbitae. The highest infestation rate was observed on B. dorsalis and following C. capitata in those solanaceous chilli pepper (C. frutescens), eggplant (S. aethiopicum) and tomato (S. lycopersicum) than Z. cucurbitae, B. latifrons and D. bivittatus. However, the localities Kamakombe, Buhandahanda, Lwiro, Bishibiru have predominant in the majority of hosts in chilli pepper, eggplant and tomato.

Establishment and new hosts of the non-native seed beetle Stator limbatus (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae) on acacias in Europe

Stator limbatus is a phytophagous beetle native to warm regions of North and Central America, feeding on Fabaceae seeds and one of the most polyphagous species within the subfamily Bruchinae, here reported for the first time in Europe and on new hosts. Adult beetles emerged from Acacia spp. seeds collected in the islands of Corsica (France), and Sardinia (Italy). The wide presence in Sardinia and Corsica supports the hypothesis that this alien species was introduced several years ago. In both islands, S. limbatus emerged from Acacia mearnsii seeds, with infestation rates of up to 74.2 and 90.8% in 2019 and 2020, respectively. This seed beetle also emerged from two previously unreported host species, Acacia saligna and A. pycnantha, showing highest infestation rates of 4.0 and 95.1%, respectively. Both Acacia species are reported as new host associations with S. limbatus. Overall, seed infestation rates recorded in 2019 and 2020 indicate that S. limbatus is well established and that Mediterranean bioclimatic conditions are suitable for its population increase in size. This study lays the foundations for further research on known and potential host species and the spread and distribution of S. limbatus in Europe.

Parasitism, seasonality, and diversity of trombiculid mites (Trombidiformes: Parasitengona, Trombiculidae) infesting bats (Chiroptera) in Poland

The study aims to ascertain the diversity of trombiculid species associated with Chiroptera in Poland, and for the first time in the case of research on Central European Trombiculidae, we use both DNA and morphology in an integrative taxonomic approach to determine species identities of trombiculids. The research was carried out from 2015 to 2019. In total, 2725 larvae were collected from 300 specimens of bats belonging to 11 species. Deutonymphs were obtained through laboratory rearing of larvae; few larvae and deutonymphs were collected also from bats' daily roosts. The presence of trombiculid larvae on hosts was observed between July and April of the following year, with the highest numbers recorded in autumn, during bat swarming. Male bats were infested more often than females (16.4 vs. 6.6%). The highest infestation rate was recorded for Barbastella barbastellus, Myotis nattereri and Plecotus auritus, and the highest prevalence of chiggers (> 30%) for Myotis bechsteinii and P. auritus. The larvae found on bats occupied the areas with free access to the host’s skin: auricles, tragus, and snout. Morphological identification of specimens to the species level was hindered by the mosaic distribution of diagnostic traits. Morphological analyses indicated the presence of Leptotrombidium russicum and Leptotrombidium spp. in the examined material, whereas molecular analyses additionally suggested three other potential species assigned to the same genus based on the assessed scope of intrageneric variation (ASAP method). We argue that the identification of the parasitic larvae (chiggers) using morphological characters does not address the question of actual species boundaries, which, in turn, affects the inferences about host specificity and host range.

Variation of dipteran ectoparasites (Streblidae) on Anoura geoffroyi Gray, 1838 (Phyllostomidae) in two caves in southeastern Brazil.

Bats are parasitized by many different arthropods, among which the dipteran families Nycteribiidae and Streblidae are exclusive to bats. Researches that relate the ecology of ectoparasites with their hosts are fundamental for understanding issues related to the interactions between these two groups, in addition to epidemiological aspects of pathogen transmission. The present study evaluated the rate of infestation by dipteran (Streblidae) ectoparasites in two colonies of Anoura geoffroyi associated with caves in the southeastern Brazil. It also evaluated whether parasitological indices differ significantly with regard to host sex and reproductive condition. A total of 1377 bats were captured, of which 84% were parasitized. From these, a total of 5047 streblid bat flies belonging to three species of three genera were collected and identified. The most abundant was Exastinion clovisi (57%), followed by Anastrebla modestini (30%) and Trichobius propinquus (13%). In general, the populations of ectoparasites fluctuated throughout the year, with peaks of abundance during the rainy season. The sex ratios for the species of ectoparasites were close to one, which differs from what is reported in the literature. In addition, there were significant differences in parasitism rates in relation to host sex and reproductive condition. In both populations, ectoparasite infestation of pregnant or lactating females was significantly higher than for non-reproductive females. New studies aimed at assessing whether these higher rates of infestation have any effect on female bat reproduction are needed.

Vital economic threat of predatory birds and parasites to cultivated fishes in Egypt

Despite continuing worldwide expansion in production and demand, recent performance in the aquaculture sector in Egypt has been volatile, and yield has reduced. The most significant and visible problems arise from parasitic diseases and predation by birds. In this study, we examine the impact of local parasite fauna and bird predation in relation to economic loss in fish farms, with a focus on the importance of water quality. Water, fish, and bird samples were obtained from private fish farms at El-Abbasa in northern Egypt. Results showed significant (P < 0.05) production losses between 54.08 ± 1.88% and 62.11 ± 2.37%. Eleven predatory bird species were observed, with two species feeding in a variety of ways. The estimated total loss from fish eaten by predatory birds was ~1.59 tons over the six-month production cycle, valued at USD 1, 990. The studied fish had high rates of parasitic infestation: 63.89% in Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) and 75.85% in Clarias gariepinus (African sharptooth catfish). Zoonotic fish parasites that may constitute a health hazard for those consuming the farmed fish were recovered. Hemato-biochemical indices showed significant decreases in red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and total protein, and significant increases in white blood cell count, activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, and levels of glucose and uric acid in parasitized fish. Water physicochemical factors deviated significantly from norms in the majority of metrics. This study's results could help us gain a better understanding of production losses at fish farms. Overall, the combined effects of predation by birds and parasite infection increased fish loss and resulted in significant negative economic effects at fish farms.

A multidisciplinary, collaborative, inter-agency and comprehensive approach for the control of Chagas Disease as a public health problem in Guatemala

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has defined Chagas Disease hotspots in Central America associated with the vector Triatoma spp. Triatoma dimidiata is a native vector adapted to multiple environments, including intra-domestic and peri-domestic habitats. A multi-institutional project named “Alliances for the elimination of Chagas in Central America” was created to help reduce the incidence of the disease in the region. Activities performed in the field as part of the project included aspects of vector surveillance and control, improvement of houses, diagnosis and treatment of individuals, health promotion, training of human resources and identification of access barriers to diagnosis and treatment. As a base line study, eleven villages, comprised of 1,572 households, were entomologically evaluated (83.4% overall participation); five were found to have very high infestation rates (>20%), three had high infestation rates (8-20%) and three had low-infestation rates (<8%), coinciding with the category of infestation-risk of the houses within each village. Serological tests were carried out in 812 people (>80% participation) in two of the 11 villages and none of the 128 children tested, less than 5 years of age, were positive for Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Community participation in all the activities was high (>70%). The collaboration between several subnational, national, and international institutions, each with specific roles, promoted community participation in the activities of vector control and patient care, thus, establishing a baseline to continue implementing and monitoring project progress.

Effects of Epibiotic Diatoms on the Productivity of the Calanoid Copepod Acartia tonsa (Dana) in Intensive Aquaculture Systems

We evaluated here the effects of the epibiotic diatom Tabularia sp. on the productivity of the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa (Dana) for assessing their risk on copepod intensive aquaculture industry for the provision of live feed. In the first experiment, uninfested and intensively infested females were cultivated individually for the assessment of egg production. Intensively infested females appeared to have a significantly lower egg production (5.0–9.0 eggs/female/d) than uninfested females (22.0–26.0 eggs/female/d) during 5 consecutive days. In the second experiment, effects of culture densities on diatom epibiosis were investigated in 9 L cultures at three different densities (200, 400, and 600 ind. L–1). Another culture at higher volume (250 L) and lowest density (200 ind. L–1) was also carried out to test the effect of culture volume on diatom epibiosis. The infestation rate (%), infestation intensity (ratio of surface diatom coverage levels, classified as levels 0–3) and daily egg harvest rate (number of harvested eggs per day per liter) were evaluated among the four culture populations. The copepods had higher infestation rate (53.69–60.14%) and intensity rate (high ratios at level 2 and 3) when the densities were increased from 200 ind./L to 400 and 600 ind./L. Although egg harvest increased with increasing culture density, it seemed that the diatom-infested A. tonsa population reach a saturated egg production when the density was higher than 400 ind./L. Nevertheless, the differences of culture volumes (250 and 9 L) appeared to be not to have any effect when the copepods were cultivated at the same density (200 ind./L). This study reveals for the first time that the epibiosis of the diatom Tabularia sp. reduces the individual egg production, and egg harvest rate in high-density culture of the copepod A. tonsa. Our findings implicate that diatom epibiosis should be avoid in copepod intensive culture systems.

Degree of damage and infestation of coconut leaf beetle Brontispa longissima (Gestro) on seedlings of selected coconut varieties

The Coconut Leaf Beetle, scientifically known as Brontispa longissima (Gestro), is an introduced species that is becoming an alarming pest of coconuts in the Philippines. The infestation caused by this pest is damaging to all stages of coconut growth. This study was conducted to assess the degree of damage and infestation caused by Brontispa longissima on the seedlings of 10 selected tall and dwarf coconut varieties in the National Coconut Research Center at Visayas State University, Leyte, Philippines. Among the selected varieties, seedlings of Baybay Tall (green and brown) and Albuera Dwarf varieties succumbed to more damage by B. longissima beetles compared with the other varieties observed with 41-80% of the first openned leaf area damaged. Seedlings of Malayan Yellow Dwarf and Malayan Red Dwarf varieties had the least damage with 0-20% of the first openned leaf area damaged. The high damage ratings of Baybay Tall and Albuera Dwarf were expected because these varieties had high infestation rates and harbored the most numbers of B. longissima adults, eggs, and larval stages, which indicated the preference of B. longissima for these varieties. The developmental period of B. longissima in Baybay Tall and Albuera Dwarf of 44 days and 45 days on the average, respectively, was shorter than in other varieties, indicating that these are suitable and preferred hosts. Baybay Tall seemed to be the most preferred variety. The beetles had least preference for Malayan Yellow Dwarf and Malayan Red Dwarf varieties.

A study of the incidence of Lucilia sericata fly in ovine in Mosul city

The objective of the current study is to examine the incidence of Lucilia sericata larvae in the sheep in Mosul city, Iraq. From a total of 670 sheep examined, 92 sheep of them 13.7% were infested with Lucilia sericata larvae. For the 516 larvae found in the sheep, 146 (28.3%) was detected to be of the first instars larva, 120 (23.3%) was second in stars larva and 250 (48.4) as third instars larva. As the average number of larvae in the infested animals was 5.6. The infestation percentage in males was higher 26.3% compared to the females 4.2%, where there is no significant difference reported concerning with the age. The prevalence of Lucilia sericata larvae was 8.4% in spring, 38.9 % in summer, 2.4% in autumn and 1.5% in winter. The difference in terms of seasons were statistically significant. Sheep in the rural areas had higher infestation rate in comparison to the sheep in urban area. Most lesions occurred in the breech region, flank, leg and inter digital space of a foot. The percentage of adult flies that merged was 73.3% and the pupariation period was 12 to 20 hours, while the incubation and moulting periods were 7 to 10 days. All flies were similar in the external appearance and belonging to Lucilia sericata causing strike disease in sheep.

Functional land cover scale for three insect pests with contrasting dispersal strategies in a fragmented coffee-based landscape in Central Kenya

In the Eastern Africa highlands, the gradual transformation of natural ecosystems to smallholding coffee-based agrosystems has resulted in more fragmented landscapes. Major pests of coffee find appropriate living conditions leading to high infestation rates and the need for smallholder farmers to implement pest control measures. This study aims to understand the influence of landscapes on the ecology of three major coffee pests: the coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei, and the Antestia bugs Antestiopsis thunbergii (ABT) and A. facetoides (ABF). The study was conducted on a typical smallholder coffee-based landscape in central Kenya. The pest abundance was assessed monthly for two years in a network of 30 coffee plots spread across the coffee agro-ecological subzones (AEsZ), namely upper midland UM1 and UM2, and the transition zones between UM1 and UM2 and between UM2 and UM3, herein referred to as TZ1 and TZ2, respectively. Landscape metrics, viz. patch density, Euclidean nearest neighbour distance, proximity index, contagion index, interspersion and juxtaposition index were derived from a spatially explicit land cover map, based on 10 m Sentinel 2 data for nine buffer zones of radius ranging from 50 m to 1000 m around each sampled plot. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to establish the relationships between the observed pest abundances and landscape metrics, elevation, and AEsZ. Landscape indicators achieved the highest correlation with the pest abundances within a 300 m radius (Adjusted R2 > 0.5). Whereas beyond 300 m landscape scale, the predictor variables resulted in weak relationships (Adjusted R2 < 0.5) between the pests abundance and landscape metrics. We noted a strong influence of elevation and adjacency to cropland on Antestia bug populations. Specifically, ABF populations were negatively correlated with low elevation, whereas ABT’s were positively correlated with high elevation zone. On the other hand, CBB was strongly influenced by contiguous coffee patches, especially in UM1 and UM2. Therefore, we recommend reducing connectivity between coffee patches for the management of CBB, whereas further studies should be conducted to identify secondary hosts of Antestia bugs that should not be adjacent or within coffee stands.

Seroepizootiological investigation on Goat Warble Fly Infestation (Przhevalskiana silenus) in Pothwar Plateau, Pakistan.

Goat Warble Fly Infestation (GWFI) is also known as subcutaneous myiasis caused by Przhevalskiana silenus (Diptera: Oestridae). It is widely distributed in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world. In goats, WFI is usually detected through conventional procedure which underestimated the infestation. The current study was designed to determine the serodiagonsis of GWFI (through IDEXX Hypodermosis serum antibody test) and also aimed to investigate its seroepizootiological profile in Pothwar region, Pakistan from 2013-14. The results showed that average seropositivity (ELISA kit) of GWFI was 18.5% whereas, it was 11% by using conventional procedure (Palpation method) depicting a significant difference (p<0.05). Higher seropositivity (30.8%) was observed in Jhelum district as compared to e Attock district (6%). The L1 larvae were found in September, while nodules start appearing in October to December and last until the end of February. The month wise peaks of optical density (OD) was higher in December which gradually decrease along with the end of winter season. The prevalence of GWFI revealed no significant difference among three host breeds (Jattal, Beetal and Tedy). According to the results, high infestation rate (28%) was observed in young animals of age group < 1 year as compared to old animals (> 2 years). Topographically, hilly areas (33%) provide favourable climatic conditions for the propagating of larval stages. Sex difference showed no significant difference. The seroprevalence varied significantly with respect to age, month, districts and topographical location. The current study proved that serologic diagnosis (commercial ELISA kit) as more sensitive and accurate for timely diagnosis of GWFI than traditional method. The information on the epizootiology of P. silenus in goats of Pothwar region would help in devising effective control strategies.

Control of Tutaabsoluta using pheromone traps on tomato crops under greenhouse in Algeria

The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of pheromone traps of adults of Tuta absoluta in 4 potential tomato production areas in Algeria: Tipaza (Center), Mostaganem (West), Jijel (East) and Biskra (South), during the 2012-2014 campaigns. Two tomato greenhouses were considered for each zone in which, one was protected by the setup of pheromone traps and the other as an insecticide sprayed control. Tomato leaf samples were taken from each greenhouse, each month of each year according to the areas of studies to calculate the rates of infestation. Higher infestation rates were recorded in the greenhouses with local agricultural practices (control) compared with those protected by pheromone traps. With the use of the pheromone traps, a remarkable reduction affected the infestation of the greenhouses in the 4 studied areas during the years 2012 to 2014. The southern area seemed to be the most infested and at a least degree the areas of the West, the Center and the East, respectively. The temporal evolution of infestation rates showed an increase since January until July with June and July showing the higher infestation rates. These results showed the efficacy of trapping of T. absoluta males and the importance of their sustainable use in the integrated control system against this devastating insect in Algeria.

Chagas Disease Vectors of Paraguay: Entomoepidemiological Aspects of Triatoma sordida (Stål, 1859) and Development of an Identification Key for Paraguayan Triatomines Based on Cytogenetics Data.

Approximately 150,000 people are living with Chagas disease in Paraguay. Although the country has been since 2008 considered as one of the countries that succeeded in interrupted the vector transmission of Chagas by Triatoma infestans in houses of the eastern region, there are nine other species notified in the country that are potential vectors and also deserve attention from vector control programs. Thus, we carried out an entomoepidemiological study of T. sordida in the eastern and western regions of the country and we developed an identification key for Paraguay's triatomines based on cytogenetic data. Between the years 2003 to 2004, 271 specimens of T. sordida were captured in domestic, peridomestic, and wild ecotopes, with 131 insects caught in the eastern (Alto Paraguay, Boquerón and Pte. Hayes) and 140 in the western region of Paraguay (Guairá and Paraguarí). High rates of peridomicillary infestation were observed for both regions. Besides that, the natural infection of the captured insects was detected by optical microscopy in 12% and 10%, and by PCR in 21% and 20% in the eastern and western regions, respectively. Based on cytogenetic data from nine of ten species notified in Paraguay, an identification key was developed to differentiate all taxa. Thus, given the vectorial importance of T. sordida, we highlight the need for continued attention from Paraguay's vector control programs for this species. Further, we provide a taxonomic key that assists in the correct classification of Paraguayan triatomines.

A clinical-ecological study of a triple viral epidemic: Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya/ Um estudo clínico-ecológico de uma tripla epidemia viral: Zika, Dengue e Chikungunya

In Brazil, since 2015, co-circulation of three arboviruses, Dengue (DENV), Chikungunya (CHIKV) and Zika (ZIKV), have presented diagnostic challenges, due to their similar clinical manifestations. Our goal was to analyze cases of arboviral illness using key clinical features and to ascertain house infestation indices (HII) in the study area. A total of 28,064 medical records were analyzed by clinical-epidemiological criteria for DENV, ZIKV and CHIKV in 2015 and 2016 at the public health unit in Xerem, Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro. The collection of vectors at home breeding sites in Xerem was performed to determine the HII, in March and June 2015. The total number of cases of suspected arboviral illness in 2015 was 969, of which 444 (45.8%) were due to DENV, 146 (15.1%) to ZIKV, and 11 (1.1%) to CHIKV. In 2016, the number of suspected cases of arboviral illness was 2019, of which 324 (16.0%) were classified as DENV, 779 (38.6%) as ZIKV, and 53 (2.60%) as CHIKV. The clinical manifestations prevalent in ZIKV were rash (67.8% to 79.5%) and pruritus (63.7% to 71.4%). The HII for the immature stages of Aedes in the study area, in March and June 2015, was 11.8% for Ae. aegypti and 8.1% for Ae. albopictus, both very high. There was a strong positive correlation observed for precipitation and HII for both vectors (Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus), but not for temperature levels. We conclude that a triple epidemic occurred in the studied area probably due to the high infestation rates and a naive population for the two newly introduced arboviruses; whilst there are no available specific laboratory tests a practical clinical diagnosis workout is crucial.

Occurrence of Endoparasites in Domestic Fowls (GALLUS GALLUS) And Ducks (ANAS PLATYRHYNCHOS)

A comparative study was carried out to investigate the gastrointestinal helminth infection in domestic fowls Gallus gallus (30 specimens) and ducks Anas platyrhynchos (30 specimen). A total of 1610 helminth parasites of eight species from three taxonomic classes were recovered and identified from the different parts of alimentary canal. Among the parasitic group the cestodes were turned out to be predominant with a prevalence of 50.93% (820) whereas, the rate was 27.97% (450) and 21.19% (340) in nematodes and trematodes, respectively. The prevalence of parasites species were Ascaridia galli (80%), Echinostoma revolutum (73.33%), Raillientina echinobothrida (53.33%), Echinoparyphium recurvatum (53.33%), Cotugnia digonophora (50%), Amoebotaenia sphenoids (30%), Ascaridia hermaphoridita (43.33%) and Hymenolepis cantania (26.67%). The rate of infestation was higher (90%) in fowls than in ducks (80%) and the intensity of infections was slightly higher in ducks 31.67 (31.48 in domestic fowls). In both domestic fowls and ducks, cestode parasites were most dominant, and prevalence (83.33% and 16.80±4.31) and intensity were lower in fowls than in ducks (76.67% and 17.39 ± 4.2 2). Highest rate of infestation was observed in summer both in fowl (81.82%) and duck (70%) while, winter was associated with peak intensity of parasites in fowl (46.67) and in duck (44.28) observed in summer. The prevalence of parasites was higher in caecum of both domestic fowls and ducks. Bangladesh J. Zool. 49(1): 35-46, 2021