Fleas associated with different rodent species are considered as the major vectors of bubonic plague, which is still rampant in different parts of the world. The objective of this study was to investigate the contribution of land use to rodent flea load distribution at fine scale in the plague endemic area of north-eastern Tanzania. Data was collected in three case areas namely, Shume, Lukozi and Mwangoi, differing in plague incidence levels. Data collection was carried out during both wet and dry seasons of 2012. Analysis of Variance and Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) statistical methods were used to clarify the relationships between fleas and specific land use characteristics. There was a significant variation (P ≤ 0.05) of flea indices in different land use types. Fallow and natural forest had higher flea indices whereas plantation forest mono-crop and mixed annual crops had the lowest flea indices among the aggregated land use types. The influence of individual land use types on flea indices was variable with fallow having a positive effect and land tillage showing a negative effect. The results also demonstrated a seasonal effect, part of which can be attributed to different land use practices such as application of pesticides, or the presence of grass strips around fields. These findings suggest that land use factors have a major influence on rodent flea abundance which can be taken as a proxy for plague infection risk. The results further point to the need for a comprehensive package that includes land tillage and crop type considerations on one hand and the associated human activities on the other, in planning and implementation of plague control interventions.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/thrb.v16i3.10 | DOI Listing |
Sci Total Environ
January 2025
Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, School of Engineering, 5th Floor, Engineering A, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. Electronic address:
In Santiago, Chile, 315,000 liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors are discarded annually. Of this amount, the formal sector of refurbishment and recycling manages only 5 %, creating the conditions for the emergence of informal management systems. This study provides the first comprehensive environmental and circularity assessment of monitor treatment across multiple impact categories, identifying trade-offs associated with formal and informal operations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Microbiology Division, Defence Research and Developmental Establishment, Jhansi Road, Gwalior, 474002, India.
Yersinia pestis, a Gram-negative bacterium is the causative agent of the fatal communicable disease plague. The disease had a profound impact on human history. Plague bacteria are usually transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected rat flea.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParasit Vectors
December 2024
Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, 4324 Old Register Rd., Statesboro, GA, 30460, USA.
Background: Fleas are insect vectors that transmit several Gram-negative bacterial pathogens acquired by ingesting infected vertebrate blood. To combat foodborne illness, insect midgut epithelial cells are armed with efficient microbial recognition and control systems, such as the immune deficiency (IMD) pathway that regulates the expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). However, despite their medical and veterinary importance, relatively little is known about the IMD signaling pathway and production of AMPs in the digestive tract of cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiodivers Data J
December 2024
Systematic Entomology Laboratory, MRC-168 Washington, United States of America Systematic Entomology Laboratory MRC-168 Washington United States of America.
Background: The univoltine leaf beetle (Curtis, 1837b) is native to the Palaearctic Region from Japan to western Europe.This species was previously evaluated as a potential biological control agent against invasive populations of the woodland weed (Bieb.) Cavara & Grande (Brassicaceae) in North America, but rejected because it could harm native and at-risk populations of Brassicaceae.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExp Parasitol
December 2024
Postgraduate Veterinary Sciences Program, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Pharmaceutical Science Department, Health and Biological Science Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address:
The flea Ctenocephalides felis felis and the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus are ectoparasites of great importance in veterinary medicine that can affect pets, also impacting the lives of owners due to the possible transmission of zoonoses. Due to the negative impact on animals, owners and the environment, synthetic chemicals are being replaced by natural alternatives. Eugenol and carvacrol stand out as bioactive substances with potential antiparasitic activity.
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