Distribution and incidence of faba bean necrotic yellows virus in Jordan

Faba bean necrotic yellows virus (FBNYV) was isolated from naturally infected faba bean plants in Jordan. The identification was based on host range, mode of transmission, symptomatology and serological properties. FBNYV occurred naturally in several leguminous crops including cultivated legumes and wild forage legumes, such as species of Medicago , Trifolium and Lathyrus . and infected other plant species belonging to the Malvaceae, such as Malva parviflora and Hibiscus esculentus . Such hosts may act as important natural reservoirs for both the virus and its aphid vectors. This is the first report of infection of M. parviflora and H. esculentus with FBNYV. The virus was not recovered from samples taken from some cultivated crops, including squash, cucumber, tomato, eggplant and pepper, growing near to faba bean fields. Also, it was not detected in commercial faba bean seeds collected from local companies or in seeds collected from infected faba bean plants. It was transmitted efficiently by Aphis craccivora . Serological testing of 1392 samples from faba beans showing virus-like symptoms and collected randomly from 16 locations (fields) in the Jordan Valley and Jarash areas showed that FBNYV occurred in 54.5% of the samples. These results indicate that FBNYV was an important pathogen of beans during the growing season of 1996 in Jordan.     

Effects of margosan-o™, azatin™ and RD9-repelin® on spiders,and on predacious and phytophagous mites

The effects of Margosan-O^TM, Azatin^TM and RD9-Repelin on the phytophagous miteTetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisd.), the predacious miteTyphlodromus athiasae, and the predatory spiderChiracanthium mildei were studied and compared in laboratory experimentsr.-No toxic effect of any of these neem formulations was observed onC. mildei. Margosan-O and Azatin were not toxic to eitherT. cinnabarinus orT. athiasae, but RD9-Repelin was highly toxic to both the phytophagous and the predacious mite.     

The potential of middle eastern flora as a source of new safe bio-acaricides to control<Emphasis Type="Italic">Tetranychus cinnabarinus</Emphasis>, the carmine spider mite

Twenty-nine plant extracts of local species were evaluated for their potential as a source of bioactive ingredients with significant acaricidal activity that could lead to the development of new and safe bio-acaricides. The crude extracts (70% ethanol) of these plants were tested for their acaricidal activity against the carmine spider miteTetranychus cinnabarinus in a bioassay under controlled conditions. Mortality, repellency, and the number of eggs laid were measured. Extracts fromEucalyptus camaldulensis andInula viscosa caused more than 25% mortality. Sixteen plant extracts showed significant repellency compared with the control. The six best extracts, resulting in more than 75% repellency, were fromAllium sativum, Capparis spinosa, Cupressus sempervirens, Lupinus pilosus, Rhus coriaria andTamarix aphylla. Extracts from 16 plants were found to cause a significant reduction in the number of eggs laid compared with the control. The greatest reduction was achieved by extracts fromC. spinosa, Cyperus rotundus, E. camaldulensis, L. pilosus, Punica granatum, R. coriaria andT. aphylla. A relatively negative fit was found between the mean number of repelled mites and the number of eggs laid (r=−0.65), which might indicate that most repelled mites were unable to lay eggs before leaving the leaf discs of the bioassay. Our results show that several plant extracts have good potential for acaricidal activity and are worth further investigation. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Dec. 16, 2003.     

Heartworm and Wolbachia: therapeutic implications

A safer, more effective adulticidal treatment and a safe method for reducing microfilaremia and breaking transmission of heartworm disease early in the treatment are needed. The present study evaluated efficacy of ivermectin (IVM) and doxycycline (DOXY) alone or together (with or without melarsomine [MEL]) in dogs with induced adult heartworm infection and assessed the ability of microfilariae from DOXY-treated dogs to develop to L3 in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and subsequently to become reproductive adults in dogs. Thirty beagles were each infected with 16 adult heartworms by intravenous transplantation. Six weeks later, dogs were ranked by microfilarial count and randomly allocated to 6 groups of 5 dogs each. Beginning on Day 0, Group 1 received IVM (6 mcg/kg) weekly for 36 weeks. Group 2 received DOXY (10 mcg/(kgday)) orally Weeks 1-6, 10-11, 16-17, 22-25, and 28-33. Groups 3 and 5 received IVM and DOXY according to doses and schedules used for Groups 1 and 2. At Week 24, Groups 3 and 4 received an intramuscular injection of MEL (2.5 mg/kg), followed 1 month later by two injections 24h apart. Group 6 was not treated. Blood samples were collected for periodic microfilaria counts and antigen (Ag) testing (and later immunologic evaluation and molecular biology procedures). Radiographic and physical examinations, hematology/clinical chemistry testing, and urinalysis were done before infection, before Day 0, and periodically during the treatment period. At 36 weeks, the dogs were euthanized and necropsied for worm recovery, collection of lung, liver, kidney, and spleen samples for examination by immunohistochemistry and conventional histological methods. All dogs treated with IVM + DOXY (with or without MEL) were amicrofilaremic after Week 9. Microfilarial counts gradually decreased in dogs treated with IVM or DOXY, but most had a few microfilariae at necropsy. Microfilarial counts for dogs treated only with MEL were similar to those for controls. Antigen test scores gradually decreased with IVM + DOXY (with or without MEL) and after MEL. Antigen scores for IVM or DOXY alone were similar to controls throughout the study. Reduction of adult worms was 20.3% for IVM, 8.7% for DOXY, 92.8% for IVM + DOXY + MEL, 100% for MEL, and 78.3% for IVM + DOXY. Mosquitoes that fed on blood from DOXY-treated dogs had L3 normal in appearance but were not infective for dogs. Preliminary observations suggest that administration of DOXY+IVM for several months prior to (or without) MEL will eliminate adult HW with less potential for severe thromboembolism than MEL alone.     

Soil substrate as a cascade of capillary barriers for conserving water in a desert environment:lessons learned from arid nature

Interaction between soil pedogenesis, subsurface water dynamics, climate, vegetation and human ingenuity in a desert environment has been found to result in a unique ecohydrological system with an essentially three dimensional sedimentation structure in the bed of a recharge dam in Oman. A 3-D array of silt blocks sandwiched by dry sand-filled horizontal and vertical fractures was studied in pot experiments as a model of a natural prototype. Pots are filled with a homogenous sand-silt mixture(control) or artificially structured(smart design, SD) soil substrates. Rhodes grass and ivy(Ipomea, Convolvulaceae) were grown in the pots during the hottest season in Oman. Soil moisture content(SMC) was measured at different depths over a period of 20 days without irrigation. SD preserved the SMC of the root zone for both ivy and grass(SMC of around 25%–30% compared to 10% for control, 3 days after the last irrigation). Even after 20 days, SMC was around 18% in the SD and 7% in the control. This, similar to the case of a natural prototype, is attributed to the higher upward capillary movement of water in control pots and intensive evaporation. The capillary barrier of sand sheaths causes discontinuity in moisture migration from the micro-pores in the silt blocks to sand pores. The blocks serve as capillarity-locked water buffers, which are depleted at a slow rate by transpiration rather than evaporation from the soil surface. This creates a unique ecosystem with a dramatic difference in vegetation between SD-pots and control pots. Consequently, the Noy-Meir edaphic factor, conceptualizing the ecological impact of 1-D vertical heterogeneity of desert soils, should be generalized to incorporate 3-D soil heterogeneity patterns. This agro-engineering control of the soil substrate and soil moisture distribution and dynamics(SMDaD) can be widely used by desert farmers as a cheap technique, with significant savings of irrigation water.     

Dietary Chitosan Nanoparticles: Potential Role in Modulation of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Antibacterial Defense and Intestinal Immunity against Enteric Redmouth Disease

Bio-nanotechnology employing bio-sourced nanomaterial is an emerging avenue serving the field of fish medicine. Marine-sourced chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) is a well-known antimicrobial and immunomodulatory reagent with low or no harm side effects on fish or their human consumers. In this study, in vitro skin mucus and serum antibacterial activity assays along with intestinal histology, histochemical, and gene expression analyses were performed to evaluate the impact of dietary CSNPs (5 g kg⁻¹ dry feed) on rainbow trout resistance against ‘enteric redmouth’ disease. Two treatment conditions were included; short-term prophylactic-regimen for 21 days before the bacterial challenge, and long-term therapeutic-regimen for 21 days before the challenge and extended for 28 days after the challenge. Our results revealed higher antibacterial defense ability and positive intestinal histochemical and molecular traits of rainbow trout after dietary CSNPs. The prophylactic-regimen improved trout health while the therapeutic regimen improved their disease resistance and lowered their morbidity. Therefore, it is anticipated that CSNPs is an effective antibacterial and immunomodulatory fish feed supplement against the infectious threats. However, the CSNPs seem to be more effective in the therapeutic application rather than being used for short-term prophylactic applications.     

Effects of dietary essential amino acid deficiencies on the growth performance and humoral immune response in silvery‐black porgy (Sparidentex hasta) juveniles

A 6‐week feeding trial was conducted for determining the effects of dietary essential amino acids (EAA) deficiencies on growth performance and non‐specific immune responses in silvery‐black porgy juveniles (4.7 ± 0.1 g initial weight). Eleven isoproteic (ca. 47%) diets were formulated including a control diet containing the optimum quantity of EAA, and ten EAA‐deficient diets. All diets contained 36% fish meal and 18.5% crystalline EAA and non‐essential amino acids (NEAA) as the main source of dietary proteins. All the EAA and NEAA incorporated in the crystalline amino acids mixture of the control diet simulated the amino acids profile of the fish meal. The other 10 EAA‐deficient diets were formulated by the deletion of each of the 10 EAA (crystalline form) from the control diet and replaced by a mixture of NEAA for the adjustment of dietary nitrogen contents. At the end of the experiment, fish fed with threonine‐deficient diet showed the lowest survival rate (p < .05), whereas growth performance decreased in fish fed all EAA‐deficient diets, although the reduction in body growth varied depending on the EAA considered. Plasma total protein decreased in all experimental groups except for fish fed the phenylalanine‐deficient diet. Fish fed with arginine‐ and lysine‐deficient diets had the lowest plasma C3, C4, lysozyme, total immunoglobulin and total superoxide dismutase activity (p < .05). Present results indicated that lysine, methionine and threonine were the most limiting EAA in terms of growth performance; however, arginine, threonine and lysine were the most limiting EAA for innate immunity responses in silvery‐black porgy juveniles.     

Effects of doxycycline on early infections of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs

The antifilarial effects of tetracycline drugs were first demonstrated when they were found to be highly effective against L(3) and L(4) of Brugia pahangi and Litomosoides sigmodontis in rodent models. Tetracyclines are also now known to have activity against microfilariae and adult Dirofilaria immitis, but assessment of their activity against larval and juvenile heartworms has not been reported previously. This study assessed the effects of doxycycline administered orally at 10mg/kg twice daily for 30-day periods at selected times during the early part of the life cycle of D. immitis in dogs with dual infections of D. immitis and B. pahangi. Twenty beagles were randomly allocated by weight to four groups of five dogs each. On Day 0, each dog was given 50 D. immitis L(3) and 200 B. pahangi L(3) by SC injection. Dogs received doxycycline on Days 0-29 (Group 1); Days 40-69 (Group 2); or Days 65-94 (Group 3). Group 4 served as untreated controls. Blood samples were collected for microfilariae counting and antigen testing. Necropsy for collection of adult heartworms and selected tissues were performed Days 218-222. Heartworms recovered were examined by immunohistology, conventional microscopy/transmission electron microscopy, and molecular biology techniques. No live heartworms were recovered from dogs in Group 1; dogs in Group 2 had 0 to 2 live worms (98.4% efficacy), and dogs in Group 3 had 0-36 live worms (69.6% efficacy). All control dogs had live adult heartworms (25-41). The live worms recovered from dogs in Groups 2 and 3 were less developed and smaller that worms from control dogs. Microfilariae were not detected in any dogs in Groups 1 and 2; one dog in Group 3 had 1 microfilariae/ml at necropsy. All control dogs had microfilariae at necropsy. One dog in Group 1 was antigen positive at one sampling (Day 166). One dog in Group 2 was antigen positive Days 196 and 218-222 and three dogs in Group 3 were antigen positive at one or more samplings All five control dogs were antigen positive at all three sampling times. These findings suggest that doxycycline at 10mg/kg orally twice daily for 30 days has efficacy against migrating tissue-phase larvae and juvenile worms and will delay or restrict microfilarial production.     

Encapsulation rates of the parasitoid <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Anagyrus</Emphasis> sp. nr. <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">pseudococci</Emphasis>, by three mealybug species (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

Laboratory studies assessing the degree of suitability of the mealybugs Planococcus ficus (Signoret), Planococcus citri (Risso) and Pseudococcus calceolariae (Maskell), towards the Sicilian ecotype of the encyrtid parasitoid Anagyrus sp. nr. pseudococci were carried out. All three species of mealybugs were shown to encapsulate the eggs of the encyrtid; however, significant differences were revealed among them in rates of encapsulation and/or superparasitism. The level of aggregate encapsulation and effective encapsulation of the parasitoid eggs by P. citri (74.95 ± 0.87 and 60.19 ± 1.70, respectively) was significantly higher than that recorded for P. ficus (aggregate encapsulation = 58.43 ± 0.83 and effective encapsulation = 31.31 ± 1.55) and significantly lower than the values found in Ps. calceolariae (93.99 ± 0.97 and 88.61 ± 2.03, respectively). As such, rates of parasitism were significantly lower for P. ficus compared with both P. citri and Ps. calceolariae. The two latter species of mealybugs showed similar rates of parasitism by A. sp. nr. pseudococci. Moreover, a significantly higher rate of superparasitism was found for Ps. calceolariae compared with both P. citri and P. ficus, whereas no significant differences were found between the two species of Planococcus for this parameter.     

Modulation of calf immune responses by Ostertagia ostertagi: the effect of diet during trickle infection.

The effects of Ostertagia ostertagi infection and diet on antibody responses to O. ostertagi third stage larval (L3) antigen and to an unrelated antigen, Keyhole Limpet Haemocyanin (KLH) were determined in calves experimentally infected with 3000 L3 on alternate days for 6 weeks. Calves were given one of two diets, and were either infected or not infected with O. ostertagi L3. The diets were either high (H) or low (L) in protein/energy and were within the range of normal husbandry practice in the UK. Both IgG1 and IgG2, but not IgA, responses to L3 antigen were increased in the L-diet compared with the H-diet. IgA responses to L3 antigen were not affected by dietary treatment. The effects of diet and infection on anti-KLH IgG1 were independent of each other; IgG1 anti-KLH responses were decreased by infection and by the L-diet compared with the H-diet. The data suggest that there is a strong interrelationship between diet and immunity during nematode infections.