1.Biological control of Phlebotomus papatasi larvae by using entomopathogenic nematodes and its symbiotic bacterial toxins
El-Sadawy, H.A. ; Ramadan, M.Y. ; Abdel Megeed, K.N. ; Ali, H.H. ; El Sattar, S.A. ; Elakabawy, L.M.
Tropical Biomedicine 2020;37(No.2):288-302
The sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi is an important disease-bearing vector. Five entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) – Steinernema carpocapsae DD136, Steinernema sp. (SII), S. carpocapsae all, S. abbasi, and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora HP88 – were applied as biocontrol agents against the late third instar larvae of P. papatasi. In addition, the effect of toxin complexes (TCs) of Xenorhabdus nematophila and Photorhabdus luminescens laumondii bacteria was evaluated. Results revealed that S. carpocapsae DD136 was the most virulent species followed by Steinernema sp. (SII) and S. carpocapsae all where LC50 were 472, 565, 962 IJs/ml, respectively. Also, the crude TCs were slightly more active and toxic than their fractionated protein. Histopathological examination of infected larvae with H. bacteriophora HP88 showed negative effect on their midgut cells. In conclusion, EPNs with their symbiotic bacteria are more effective as biocontrol agents than the crude or fractionated TCs against sand fly larvae.
2.Intestinal parasitic infections frequency in referred patients to a large teaching hospital, Khuzestan, Southwest, Iran, 2017
Feiz Haddad, M.H. ; Maraghi, S. ; Ali, S.A. ; Feiz Haddad, R. ; Nasser Zadeh, R.
Tropical Biomedicine 2018;35(4):915-925
Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are among the most important infectious
diseases in Iran. A cross sectional study was designed to determine frequency of intestinal
parasites among referrals to a large teaching hospital in Khuzestan, Southwest of Iran,
2017. A total number of 5613 stool samples were examined through direct smear and
formalin-ether concentration methods to detect possible parasitic infections. Samples
consisted of 2643 (47.09%) male and 2970 (52.91%) female. A total of 1468 (26.15%)
samples were positive (13.11% male and 13.4% female) and 4145 (73.85%) were negative.
The results also showed that 255 of samples had more than one type of parasite (mix
infections). Counting single and mix parasite infections, the total number of positive cases
reached to 1723. Helminthes parasites were present in 12 (0.7%) cases, while intestinal
protozoan parasites were in 1711 (99.3%) cases. Almost equally, pathogenic and nonpathogenic
parasites infected 860 (49.91%) and 863 (50.09%) of patients, respectively. The
frequency for helminthes was determined at 0.52% with Hymenolepis nana and Enterobius
vermicularis however, Giardia lamblia in 38.54% and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar at
10.68% were concluded as protozoa elements. The IPIs frequency was recorded in female
and male patients at 49.16% and 50.14%, respectively. According to the current results the
infection rate of intestinal parasites has been significantly reduced especially for helminths
infections in this region possibly due to public attention to health issues such as; increased
awareness of people, improvement of sanitation, seasonal variations, health education
and personal hygiene.
3.Prospective evaluation of the diagnostic potential of LipL32 based latex agglutination test for Bovine leptospirosis
Sabarinath, T. ; Behera, S.K ; Chopra, S. ; Deneke, Y. ; Sharma, V. ; Ali, S.A. ; Chaudhuri, P. ; Kumar, A.
Tropical Biomedicine 2019;36(2):367-372
The Livestock Sector of India plays an important role in livelihood security and
socioeconomic development of rural households. Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic
disease responsible for septicaemia, interstitial nephritis, jaundice, abortion, reproductive
problem in most of the animal species. Reproductive disturbances in bovine population is
most often restricted to investigation of brucellosis, however apart from brucellosis, there
are many undiagnosed diseases like leptospirosis that takes a toll in the reproductive
anomalies of cattle and buffalo. Hence, the present study was elucidated to screen the
seroprevalence of Leptospira in cattle and buffalo in various hamlets of North India using
a user friendly screening test i.e. LipL32 latex agglutination test. The overall seropositivity
was found to be 26.01% (230/884) in case of bovine in this study and the LipL32 LAT
showed a profound sensitivity and specificity with level of 94.97% and 99.53% respectively.