Reduced Disease Incidence Research Articles

Single and coinoculation of Serendipita herbamans with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi reduces Fusarium wilt in tomato and slows disease progression in the long-term

Soil-borne plant pathogens are difficult to control, and the application of individual biocontrol agents is often limited. This limitation calls for an integrated approach, and the combination of microorganisms might result in more effective control than individual inoculations. In our study, we investigated the effects of single inoculation and coinoculation of the endophytic fungus Serendipita herbamans and the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Funneliformis mosseae in protecting tomato plants from the soil-borne pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol). We conducted two independent greenhouse experiments in which plants were grown for either eight or sixteen weeks. Plants cultivated for eight weeks received Fol chlamydospores on the day of transplanting (simultaneous Fol inoculation), whereas plants grown for sixteen weeks obtained Fol either simultaneously or two weeks later (delayed Fol inoculation). S. herbamans was inoculated via root dipping for 24 h, while AMF was applied on the day of transplanting. The disease incidence was reduced by 67% when S. herbamans was inoculated individually or by 53% when it was coinoculated with AMF in the eight-week cultivation period. Even until sixteen weeks, a reduction in disease incidence by 25% and 42%, respectively, was evident. Delayed inoculation with Fol did not affect the disease incidence, but the disease severity was increased in plants treated solely with AMF. With regard to the other parameters, the AMF partner colonized the roots readily, enhanced the phosphorus status and compensated for the growth of tomato plants challenged with Fol. In combination with the bioprotective effect mediated by the endophyte, AMF strengthened the morphological and nutritional features, providing tomato plants a long-term protective advantage when challenged with Fol.

Preventing Multiple Sclerosis: The Pediatric Perspective.

Pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) is a predominantly relapsing-remitting neuroinflammatory disorder characterized by frequent relapses and high magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesion burden early in the disease course. Current treatment for pediatric MS relies on early initiation of disease-modifying therapies designed to prevent relapses and slow progression of disability. When considering the concept of MS prevention, one can conceptualize primary prevention (population- or at-risk population interventions that prevent the earliest facet of MS pathobiology and hence reduce disease incidence), or secondary prevention (prevention of disease consequence, such as reducing relapse frequency and lesion accrual, enhancing focal lesion repair, promoting CNS resilience against the more global facets of disease injury, and ultimately, preventing progression of neurological disability). Studying the pediatric MS population provides a unique opportunity to explore early-life exposures that contribute to the development of MS including perinatal and environmental risk determinants. Research is ongoing related to targeting these risk factors for potential MS primary prevention. Here we review these key risk factors, their proposed role in the pathogenesis of MS, and their potential implications for primary MS prevention.

Managing Botrytis blossom blight of wild blueberry through field sanitation, lime sulfur and Trichoderma application

Botrytis blossom blight is an important disease of wild blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium) and causes substantial yield loss annually. Field trials that involve primary inoculum reduction and disease reduction techniques were conducted for the 2015/2016 and 2019/2020 growing seasons. The aim of this study was to evaluate the single and combined effects of thermal treatment, calcium polysulphide and Trichoderma harzianum T-22 application on Botrytis blossom blight development, physical plant structure and harvestable yield over the 2-year production cycle of the crop. The treatments were such that fields were thermally treated in May after pruning, followed by calcium polysulphide application in November 2015 and 2019. Trichoderma harzianum was applied in June 2016 and 2020 as single and combined treatments. Thermal treatment + calcium polysulphide + T. harzianum and thermal treatment + calcium polysulphide combinations reduced Botrytis blossom blight incidence and severity by over 50% and 74%, respectively, compared with the untreated control in both seasons. Plots receiving only the thermal treatment and calcium polysulphide as well as the calcium polysulphide + T. harzianum combination showed reductions in disease incidence of over 51, 38 and 81%, and reductions in disease severity of 55, 39 and 68%, respectively, compared with the untreated control. Plots that received thermal treatment combined with calcium polysulphide had taller stems, and a higher number of floral and vegetative buds. Results from this study have demonstrated that Botrytis blossom blight in wild blueberry fields can be adequately reduced when calcium polysulphide is used tandem with thermal treatment and biofungicides.

Endurance exercise ameliorates phenotypes in Drosophila models of spinocerebellar ataxias.

Endurance exercise is a potent intervention with widespread benefits proven to reduce disease incidence and impact across species. While endurance exercise supports neural plasticity, enhanced memory, and reduced neurodegeneration, less is known about the effect of chronic exercise on the progression of movement disorders such as ataxias. Here, we focused on three different types of ataxias, spinocerebellar ataxias type (SCAs) 2, 3, and 6, belonging to the polyglutamine (polyQ) family of neurodegenerative disorders. In Drosophila models of these SCAs, flies progressively lose motor function. In this study, we observe marked protection of speed and endurance in exercised SCA2 flies and modest protection in exercised SCA6 models, with no benefit to SCA3 flies. Causative protein levels are reduced in SCA2 flies after chronic exercise, but not in SCA3 models, linking protein levels to exercise-based benefits. Further mechanistic investigation indicates that the exercise-inducible protein, Sestrin (Sesn), suppresses mobility decline and improves early death in SCA2 flies, even without exercise, coincident with disease protein level reduction and increased autophagic flux. These improvements partially depend on previously established functions of Sesn that reduce oxidative damage and modulate mTOR activity. Our study suggests differential responses of polyQ SCAs to exercise, highlighting the potential for more extensive application of exercise-based therapies in the prevention of polyQ neurodegeneration. Defining the mechanisms by which endurance exercise suppresses polyQ SCAs will open the door for more effective treatment for these diseases.

The Epidemiology of Sudden Oak Death Disease Caused by Phytophthora ramorum in a Mixed Bay Laurel-Oak Woodland Provides Important Clues for Disease Management.

Epidemiological models are important for the understanding of disease progression in plants and for the design of control strategies. Phytophthora ramorum, the pathogen responsible for the disease known as Sudden Oak Death, causes lethal infection on several oaks but relies on California bay laurels for transmission. Here, repeated surveys of bay laurels and oaks indicated that bay laurel disease incidence was positively correlated with rainfall, bay laurel density, and an eastern aspect, and negatively correlated with bay laurel basal area. Oak infection only occurred in years when rainfall was higher than the 30-year average, and although infection rates were greater among larger trees, mortality was greater among smaller trees. Additionally, larger oaks closer to infected bay laurels exhibited greater infection rates. Disease incidence differed among sites, and only a fraction of bay laurels were disease superspreaders, while even fewer individuals were refugial trees harboring active infections during dry periods. Based on this study, reducing bay laurel density in denser stands and the number of superspreaders or refugial trees in less dense stands may reduce disease incidence. However, the selective removal of bay laurel trees 0–10 m from oaks is likely to be more effective in preventing infection of specific oaks.

Effect of foliar-applied silicon sources on brown rot (Moniliniafructicola)

The prevention of brown rot symptoms caused by Monilinia fructicola fungus in stone fruits is usually achieved by the repetitive use of chemical fungicides. However, foliar-applied silicon (Si) sources either alone or combined with fungicides, can be an effective alternative to reduce disease incidence, with beneficial cost and environmental impact. We carried out a set of experiments in field conditions with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of foliar-applied Si sources, either in combination or not with fungicides, and applied at different phenological stages in preventing the brown rot occurrence in peach fruits. Three experiments were carried out in an 11-year-old Eldorado peach orchard, located in southern Brazil. Experiment 1 compared eight strategies in order to optimize the application timing. Experiment 2 was carried out to define the Si effect alone or combined with fungicides. Experiment 3 consisted of five treatments to verify the effect of different Si sources. The effects of the strategies in the pre and post-harvest brown rot incidence in fruits, fruit quality parameters and Si concentration in leaves and fruits were evaluated. Fruit anatomical investigation analysis was also performed. Si was effective in controlling brown rot in fruits. Six treatments with Si showed a similar effect compared to six fungicide applications. Si allowed a reduction of three fungicide applications, regardless of application period. Si foliar-treated trees revealed an increased leaf and fruit Si concentration. Si sources showed similar effectiveness in preventing the occurrence of brown rot incidence in fruits. Si represents a potential alternative in preventing brown rot incidence.

A New Strategy to Improve Management of Citrus Mal Secco Disease Using Bioformulates Based on Bacillusamyloliquefaciens Strains.

The effectiveness of biological commercial products based on Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strains was evaluated through in vitro and in vivo experiments against Plenodomus tracheiphilus. The activity of bacterial cells, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and culture filtrates of bacteria were tested in vitro against different isolates of P. tracheiphilus. Afterwards, the virulence of these isolates was evaluated on Citrus volkameriana plants to select the most virulent isolate to use in the in vivo experiments. To evaluate the effectiveness of products, C. volkameriana seedlings were pre-treated, twice with biological products and once with standard fungicides, before pathogen inoculation. Moreover, in order to determine the endophytic ability of the bacteria, the population density within the treated citrus stem was determined. Comprehensively, bacterial cells, filtrates, and VOCs were able to significantly reduce the average mycelial diameter of P. tracheiphilus, with some variability according to pathogen isolate. In planta experiments showed that the biological products on average were less effective than fungicides, although all formulates were able to significantly reduce disease incidence and symptom severity, except B. amyloliquefaciens strain D747 (Amylo-X) for symptom severity (SS) 20 days after inoculation. Bacteria were re-isolated from the internal woody tissue of treated plants, showing strong endophytic ability. This work is important as commercial biological products based on B. amyloliquefaciens strains could represent a promising and sustainable alternative for the integrated management of mal secco disease.

Exploring rhizo-microbiome transplants as a tool for protective plant-microbiome manipulation

The development of strategies for effectively manipulating and engineering beneficial plant-associated microbiomes is a major challenge in microbial ecology. In this sense, the efficacy and potential implications of rhizosphere microbiome transplant (RMT) in plant disease management have only scarcely been explored in the literature. Here, we initially investigated potential differences in rhizosphere microbiomes of 12 Solanaceae eggplant varieties and accessed their level of resistance promoted against bacterial wilt disease caused by the pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum, in a 3-year field trial. We elected 6 resistant microbiomes and further tested the broad feasibility of using RMT from these donor varieties to a susceptible model Solanaceae tomato variety MicroTom. Overall, we found the rhizosphere microbiome of resistant varieties to enrich for distinct and specific bacterial taxa, of which some displayed significant associations with the disease suppression. Quantification of the RMT efficacy using source tracking analysis revealed more than 60% of the donor microbial communities to successfully colonize and establish in the rhizosphere of recipient plants. RTM from distinct resistant donors resulted in different levels of wilt disease suppression, reaching up to 47% of reduction in disease incidence. Last, we provide a culture-dependent validation of potential bacterial taxa associated with antagonistic interactions with the pathogen, thus contributing to a better understanding of the potential mechanism associated with the disease suppression. Our study shows RMT from appropriate resistant donors to be a promising tool to effectively modulate protective microbiomes and promote plant health. Together we advocate for future studies aiming at understanding the ecological processes and mechanisms mediating rates of coalescence between donor and recipient microbiomes in the plant rhizosphere.

Biocontrol Activity of Nonpathogenic Strains of Fusarium oxysporum: Colonization on the Root Surface to Overcome Nutritional Competition.

Fusarium oxysporum is a soil-borne fungal pathogen that causes vascular wilts in a wide variety of crops. Certain nonpathogenic strains of F. oxysporum are known to protect crops against F. oxysporum pathogens. We assessed the biocontrol activities of nonpathogenic mutants of F. oxysporum ff. spp. melonis and lycopersici generated by disruption of the FOW2 gene, which encodes a Zn(II)2Cys6-type transcriptional regulator essential for their pathogenicity. Pre-inoculation of melon or tomato roots with strain ΔFOW2 conidia markedly reduced disease incidence caused by the parental wild-type strain in a concentration-dependent manner of conidial suspensions of ΔFOW2 strains. The biocontrol effect caused by the ΔFOW2 pre-inoculation lasted for at least 7 days. Pre-inoculation of melon roots with the wild-type or ΔFOW2 strain of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici and nonpathogenic F. oxysporum strain also led to biocontrol activity against F. oxysporum f. sp. melonis, indicating that the biocontrol activity of ΔFOW2 strains is due to its nonpathogenic nature, not to the FOW2 disfunction. Conidial germination and hyphal elongation of only the wild-type strain were inhibited on melon root surface pre-inoculated with conidia of strains nonpathogenic to melon plants. Expression of defense-related genes was not significantly induced in roots and aboveground parts of melon seedlings preinoculated with ΔFOW2 conidia. Carbon source competition assay showed that nonpathogenic strains competed with the wild-type strain for a carbon source in soil. Strain ΔFOW2 also competed with the oomycete pathogen Pythium aphanidermatum for carbon source and protected melon plants from P. aphanidermatum. Our results suggest that the biocontrol activity of the nonpathogenic F. oxysporum strains used in this study mainly depends on their extensive colonization of the root surface and outcompeting pathogens for nutrients.

Defeating Huanglongbing Pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus With Indigenous Citrus Endophyte Bacillus subtilis L1-21.

Huanglongbing (HLB) has turned into a devastating botanical pandemic of citrus crops, caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). However, until now the disease has remained incurable with very limited control strategies available. Restoration of the affected microbiomes in the diseased host through the introduction of an indigenous endophyte Bacillus subtilis L1-21 isolated from healthy citrus may provide an innovative approach for disease management. A novel half-leaf method was developed in vitro to test the efficacy of the endophyte L1-21 against CLas. Application of B. subtilis L1-21 at 104 colony forming unit (cfu ml−1) resulted in a 1,000-fold reduction in the CLas copies per gram of leaf midrib (107 to 104) in 4 days. In HLB-affected citrus orchards over a period of 2 years, the CLas incidence was reduced to < 3%, and CLas copies declined from 109 to 104 g−1 of diseased leaf midribs in the endophyte L1-21 treated trees. Reduction in disease incidence may corroborate a direct or an indirect biocontrol effect of the endophytes as red fluorescent protein-labeled B. subtilis L1-21 colonized and shared niche (phloem) with CLas. This is the first large-scale study for establishing a sustainable HLB control strategy through citrus endophytic microbiome restructuring using an indigenous endophyte.

Response of modified microclimates on growth, yield, and incidence of rhizome rot disease of ginger in Assam, India.

Field experiments were conducted at Biswanath, Assam, India (26° 42' N and 93° 15' E), during 2016, 2017, and 2018, to evaluate the effect of microclimates on growth, yield, and disease incidence in the ginger crop. The ginger variety Nadia was grown under six microclimates, viz., under shade net for the entire crop season (T1), under shade net from planting to mid-October (T2), with pigeon pea (T3), with maize (T4), with okra (T5), and as a sole crop (T6) in three replicated RBD. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), net radiation (Rn), temperature above the ginger canopy, soil temperature, and soil moisture were measured during the critical crop growth period under different microclimates. Recording of rhizome rot disease incidence was done periodically and genomic analysis of pathogen was carried out. PAR recorded above the ginger canopy under T6 was 1688.1 μ mol s-1m-2, which was attenuated up to 80.1% in other microclimates. The Rn load of the ginger canopy was maximum (446.4Wm-2) under T6, which reduced to below 50Wm-2 under both T3 and T4. Both air temperatures above the ginger canopy and soil temperatures under T3 and T4 were reduced by 3.3°C and 4.6°C, respectively, as compared to T6. The pathogen causing the disease in the experimental site was identified as Fusarium oxysporum. Considerable increase in soil and air temperature and soil moisture favored disease incidence (90.3%) under shade net (T1 and T2) treatments, while opposite reason causing significant reduction in disease incidence (16.1%) was observed under T3 and T4. More yield of ginger recorded in treatments T3 (6.21 t ha-1) or T4 (6.48 t ha-1) was attributed to better crop growth and diminutive disease incidence, while the crop was almost damaged due to severe disease incidence under shade net (T1 and T2) treatments.

Biocontrol Potential of Chitin and Chitosan Extracted from Black Soldier Fly Pupal Exuviae against Bacterial Wilt of Tomato.

Globally, Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) is ranked one of the most destructive bacterial pathogens inducing rapid and fatal wilting symptoms on tomatoes. Yield losses on tomatoes vary from 0 to 91% and most control measures are unaffordable to resource-poor farmers. This study investigated the antimicrobial activities of chitin and chitosan extracted from black soldier fly (BSF) pupal exuviae against R. solanacearum. Morphological, biochemical, and molecular techniques were used to isolate and characterize R. solanacearum for in vitro pathogenicity test using disc diffusion technique. Our results revealed that BSF chitosan significantly inhibited the growth of R. solanacearum when compared to treatments without chitosan. However, there was no significant difference in the antibacterial activities between BSF and commercial chitosan against R. solanacearum. Soil amended with BSF-chitin and chitosan demonstrated a reduction in bacterial wilt disease incidence by 30.31% and 34.95%, respectively. Whereas, disease severity was reduced by 22.57% and 23.66%, when inoculated tomato plants were subjected to soil amended with BSF chitin and chitosan, respectively. These findings have demonstrated that BSF pupal shells are an attractive renewable raw material for the recovery of valuable products (chitin and chitosan) with promising ability as a new type of eco-friendly control measure against bacterial wilt caused by R. solanacearum. Further studies should explore integrated pest management options that integrate multiple components including insect-based chitin and chitosan to manage bacterial wilt diseases, contributing significantly to increased tomato production worldwide.

Trichoderma-Induced Resistance to Botrytis cinerea in Solanum Species: A Meta-Analysis.

With the idea of summarizing the outcomes of studies focusing on the resistance induced by Trichoderma spp. against Botrytis cinerea in tomato, the present paper shows, for the first time, results of a meta-analysis performed on studies published from 2010 to 2021 concerning the cross-talk occurring in the tomato–Trichoderma-B. cinerea system. Starting from an initial set of 40 papers, the analysis was performed on 15 works and included nine parameters, as a result of a stringent selection mainly based on the availability of more than one article including the same indicator. The resulting work not only emphasizes the beneficial effects of Trichoderma in the control of grey mold in tomato leaves (reduction in disease intensity, severity and incidence and modulation of resistance genes in the host), but carefully drives the readers to reply to two questions: (i) What are the overall effects of Trichoderma on B. cinerea infection in tomato? (ii) Do the main effects of Trichoderma differ based on the tomato species, Trichoderma species, amount, type and duration of treatment? At the same time, this meta-analysis highlights some weak points of the available literature and should be seen as an invitation to improve future works to better the conceptualization and measure.

Management of strawberry gray mold disease using some essential oils and molecular identification of pathogen fungus

Background Evaluation of preharvest application with some essential oils (EOs) for controlling gray mold disease of strawberry plants was studied.Objective In vitro trails, five EOs, that is, thyme, nerol, citral, methyl anthranilate, and clove oils, were evaluated for their capability to suppress fungal growth of Botrytis cinerea. At the National Center for Biotechnology Information, alignment showed the percentage of identity (100%) of B. cinerea between our isolates and Gene bank isolate.Materials and methods Five EOs were evaluated for their capability to suppress fungal linear growth of B. cinerea. Certain volume of each oil was added to autoclaved potato dextrose agar medium flasks to obtain the proposed concentrations of 00.0, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0% with 0.1% Tween-80. Molecular identification using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rRNA Trimmed sequences (ITS 573 bp) was conducted.Results and conclusion B. cinerea isolate no. 3 was identified molecular using the ITS region of rRNA Trimmed sequences (ITS 573 bp) compared with different isolates of B. cinerea. All tested oils significantly reduced linear growth of B. cinerea fungus. Complete inhibition was obtained with concentration of 1.0% with all tested EOs and at 0.5% with thyme, citral, and methyl anthranilate, whereas concentration 0.25% showed moderate effect. Moreover, in vivo trails all tested EOs treatments at concentration of 0.5% significantly reduced disease incidence under natural infection. The most effective treatments are citral, methyl anthranilate, and thyme that reduced the disease incidence by 64.3%, 67.9%, and 67.9% on average at 5°C and 75.8%, 82.3%, and77.4% on average at 20°C, respectively, whereas other treatments showed moderate effect. The same trend was observed with disease severity. Meanwhile, under artificial infection, the highest reduction was obtained with citral, methyl anthranilate, and thyme that reduced the disease incidence by 68.2%, 75.0%, and 68.0% at 5°C and 76.0%, 77.0%, and 78.0% on average at 20°C, respectively. However, other treatments showed moderate effect. The same trend was observed with disease severity. As for fruit quality, all tested treatment had no negative effect on all tested characters of fruit quality. The most effective treatments are citral, methyl anthranilate, and thyme that reduced the decay incidence by 71.0%, 71.0%, and 69.3% and weight loss percentage by 79.4%, 78.2%, and 78.8%, respectively. Also, other treatments showed moderate effect, whereas methyl anthranilate, followed by thyme and clove increased the total soluble solid by 56.9%, 41.4%, and 36.2%, respectively. As for total soluble phenol, the highest increase was obtained with all tested oils. As for, titratable acidity, there are no significant differences between all tested treatments as compared with control fruits.

Evaluation of Some Biological and Chemical Elements in Controlling Some Soil-borne Fungi and Stimulating Plant Growth

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the biocontrol fungi Chaetomium cupreum, Trichoderma viride, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae and some chemical nutrients that stimulate plant growth, such as calcium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, aqueous magnesium sulfate, copper and boron in controlling some common soil-borne pathogenic fungi and evaluating their role in stimulating plant growth. All the bioagents showed significant antagonistic efficiency In vitro against the pathogenic fungi Drechslera Halodes, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, Macrophomina phaseolina, Pythium aphanidermatum and Rhizoctonia solani. Under greenhouse conditions, BC treatment composed of biological and chemical elements, achieved the highest germination rate for tomato, cucumber and cowpea seeds inoculated with the pathogenic fungi, and reached 95.83-100.00% compared to 36.67- 47.50% for the control treatment. BC treatment also excelled in reducing disease incidence and severity, as the disease rate reached 0% compared to 95.83-99.17 % for the inoculated control treatment, and without significant difference with the non-inoculated (healthy) control. In addition, the BC treatment produced 0 % disease severity rate as compared to 82.58-85.83% for the inoculated control, and without significant difference with non-inoculated control. Furthermore, the BC treatment was superior to the rest of the treatments in increasing dry weight of all the plant species tested. Keywords: Chaetomium cupreum, Trichoderma viride, Saccharomyces cerevisia, Soil-borne fungi, biological control.

IMPACT OF SPRAYING POTASSIUM SALTS AND BACTERIAL BIOAGENTS ON GROWTH, YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY AS WELL AS POWDERY MILDEW DISEASE CONTROL OF PEPPER

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an important agricultural crop worldwide. A field experiment was conducted under sandy soil conditions during two summer seasons of 2020 and 2021 at the Experimental Farm of El-Kassasein, Hort. Res. Station, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt. Powdery mildew disease, caused by Leveillula taurica anamorph Oidiopsis taurica is one of the most serious diseases attacking pepper plants under greenhouse and open field conditions. In the present study, the effect of potassium salts and two bacterial bioagents (Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens) as foliar spray on growth, yield, fruit quality and powdery mildew incidence and severity of pepper cv Bascara. Data revealed that, by combing potassium silicate and mixture of P. fluorescens plus B. subtilis significant increase was noticed in shoot dry weight / plant, K content and uptake by shoots, total chlorophyll in leaf tissues, average fruit weight, number of fruits/ plant, yield / plant and yield /fad., dry matter percentage, total soluble solids, vitamin C and total capsaicin in fruits of pepper. Regarding powdery mildew Incidence and severity, data revealed that the highest reduction in disease incidence was obtained when mixture of the bacterial bioagents was combined with potassium silicate. Hence, usage of bioagents and potassium salts are efficient as biocontrol method to manage disease and to improve cropping systems together with saving the natural balance.

Impact of Social Distancing on Intussusception Incidence in Children.

Following nonpharmaceutical intervention (NPI) to mitigate coronavirus disease 2019 has led to drastic reduction in incidence of communicable disease. Intussusception is commonly preceded by infectious pathogens. Indirect effect from NPI implementation on incidence of intussusception has not been understood fully. We conducted a cohort study to estimate the impact of NPI on incidence of intussusception in Korean children. The net risk ratio of intussusception incidence for 2020 compared to 2010–2019 was 0.53 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43–0.64) for boys and 0.56 (95% CI, 0.44–0.71) for girls (P for difference = 0.017). Our study showed an association between NPI implementation and reduction of intussusception incidence, with more profound reduction in boys compared to girls.

Establishment of Disease Surveillance Systems in Rural Communities of Sierra Leone

Using the native intelligence of rural people to establish a surveillance system reduces morbidity, mortality, poverty, and zoonotic and neglected disease outbreaks among humans and animals. People in rural communities constantly interact with domestic and wildlife, placing them at high risk of exposure to diseases. Health personnel is unevenly distributed, with the majority in the capital cities, making rural communities lack professional health personnel and health care service providers. Poverty limited rural people’s access to health care facilities. Emerging disease outbreaks resulting from complicated environmental changes pose a fundamental challenge in low-income countries, impacting the foundation of human and animal health. People find it difficult to reach medical centers due to a lack of funds. The Animal Health Club engaged thirty (30) villages in a focus group discussion and in-depth interview. Animal Health Club used information obtained to develop a semistructured questionnaire (600) and observed the people during the talks. Community people identify nine sources of diseases, including humans, poultry, wildlife, pets, ruminants’ crops, water, toilets, and garbage dump. The people elected/selected an executive to organize and nominate people to surveillance the nine sources of diseases. Large villages were divided into zones, while smaller villages remain the same. The people identified ten domestic animals and twenty-four wildlife animals in their communities and some diseases associated with them. They also revealed a high level of interaction between domestic, wildlife, and humans in towns and bush in their respective communities. Rural people believed animals transfer diseases to humans in various ways. However, people contract diseases more from human-human interaction than human- animals interaction. The study’s main objective was to explore livestock and wildlife disease interface and transmission chains within the human population in the selected communities and establish community-level epidemiological surveillance systems to reduce disease incidence.

Occurrence of Macrophomina phaseolina in Israel: Challenges for Disease Management and Crop Germplasm Enhancement.

Macrophomina phaseolina is a soil-borne fungal pathogen infecting many important crop plants. The fungus, which can survive on crop debris for a long period of time, causes charcoal rot disease by secreting a diverse array of cell-wall degrading enzymes and toxins. M. phaseolina thrives during periods of high temperatures and arid conditions, as typically occur in Israel and other countries with a Mediterranean climate. Crop losses due to charcoal rot can be expected to increase and spread to other countries in a warming global climate. Management of this pathogen is challenging, requiring an array of approaches for the various crop hosts. Approaches that have had some success in Israel include grafting of melons and watermelons on resistant squash rootstocks and soil application of fungicide to reduce disease incidence in melons, fumigation and alterations in planting date and mulching of strawberries, and alteration in irrigation regime of cotton. Elsewhere, these approaches, as well as soil amendments and addition of organisms that are antagonistic to M. phaseolina, have had success in some crop situations. Management through host resistance would be the most sustainable approach, but it requires identifying a resistant germplasm for each crop and introgressing the resistance into the leading cultivars. Resistance to charcoal rot is under complex genetic control in most crops, posing a great challenge for its introgression into elite germplasm. Moreover, fast, reliable methods of screening for resistance would have to be developed for each crop. The toothpick-inoculation method used by us holds great promise for selecting resistant germplasm for melons and possibly for sesame, but other methodologies have to be devised for each individual crop.

Cardiovascular disease, a major global burden: Epidemiology of stroke and ischemic heart disease in Japan.

Japan ranks the highest globally, in terms of longevity. The average life expectancy was 81.4 years for men and 87.5 years for women in 2019. Such success in health is attributable to the substantial reduction in age-standardized mortality from cardiovascular diseases, especially stroke (136 per 105 in 1980 and 24 per 105 in 2015), when stroke mortality was the highest in the world between the 1960s and the 1990s. On the other hand, ischemic heart disease mortality was the lowest in the world between the 1960s and the 1980s and has continued to decline (40 per 105 in 1980 and 17 per 105 in 2015). Such a disease profile (larger burden of stroke compared to ischemic heart disease) was observed not only in Japan but also in some countries in central Asia and Africa, where small vessel disease (arteriolosclerosis) is assumed to be more common than large vessel disease (atherosclerosis). Between 1970 and 2015, a large decline in the population with high blood pressure levels was observed for both men and women. Meanwhile, there was a moderate decline in the smoking rate among men, and an increasing trend in serum cholesterol levels in both men and women. The sharp and extensive socioeconomic development between the 1960s and 1990s contributed to these health outcomes, while preventive measures and improved emergency medical care also contributed to the reduction of risk factors, disease incidence, case-fatality, and mortality. However, there is a threat of increasing incidence of ischemic heart disease in urban male employees and middle-aged male residents. Japan, with a super-aging society, needs to develop a new model for the prevention and control of cardiovascular disease and related health issues, with emphasis on efforts towards the early (primordial) prevention of cardiovascular disease as well as the attenuation of their progress towards chronic heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and vascular dementia.