Clupeid fish hosts a Peniculus sp.(Pennellidae,Siphonostomatoida, Copepoda)—First report on new host and season dependent prevalence

Pennellid copepod Peniculus fistula fistula(Nordmann, 1832)(Synonym: Peniculus fistula Nordmann, 1832,Aphia ID: 745880), a worldwide distributed species, has been recovered from at least 19 teleost families. The present paper reports for the first time from the Malabar coast(South India), not only the existence of a new host family, Clupeidae, hosting this parasitic copepod species(P. fistula fistula) but also their season dependent hosting. A total of 123 marine fish species, belonging to 77 genera and 38 families surveyed along the Malabar coast, only the clupeid, Anadontostoma chacunda(Hamilton, 1822) was shown to be infected by this copepod species; all the recovered(copepod) parasites were invariably found attached at the mid portion of the caudal fin lobes and lying parallel to the host body, indicating the strict site-specific parasitisation. There is a discrete seasonality in the prevalence(P0.05) as the sign of infection was noticed during the period from September to May with relatively high prevalence during winter months(November–January). During the monsoon months(June–August), the host fish was found completely free from Peniculus infection. Interestingly, all the 229 recovered specimens(P. fistula fistula) were gravid females having paired uniserrate egg sacs with the length more than its own body length.     

地方病高发区成井用胶质水泥浆的试验研究

通过地方病高发区成井用胶质水泥浆的试验研究，以普通水泥和膨润土为基本材料，同时添加改善材料性能的外加剂，研制了一种用于高砷、高氟、高矿化度地区水井成井的止水材料，具有流动性好、抗渗性高、不收缩、完全无毒、价格低廉等特点，特别是其高抗渗性和不收缩性非常适合地方病区成井时隔离劣质含水层，保证优质含水层与劣质含水层互不串通、不渗漏、不污染。     

GIS-based stratification of malaria risk zones for Zimbabwe

Abstract

Malaria burden has considerably declined in the last 15 years mainly due to large-scale vector control. The continued decline can be sustained through malaria risk stratification. Malaria stratification is the classification of geographical areas according to malaria risk. In this study, ecological niche modelling using the maximum entropy algorithm was applied to predict malaria vector habitat suitability in terms of bioclimatic and topographic variables. The output vector suitability map was integrated with malaria prevalence data in a GIS to stratify Zimbabwe into different malaria risk zones. Five improved and validated malaria risk zones were successfully delimited for Zimbabwe based on the World Health Organization classification scheme. These results suggest that the probability of occurrence of major vectors of malaria is a key determinant of malaria prevalence. The delimited malaria risk zones could be used by National Malaria Control programmes to plan and implement targeted malaria interventions based on vector control.     

SARS流行期的天气学尺度分析

本文以香港和北京为例,对SARS流行期的天气特征做了事件相关分析和统计分析.研究发现,在SARS流行期,SARS疫情高发可能与大约8日前的气温日较差阶段性降低有关系.但是当气温日较差过程发生趋势性变化时,疫情过程的响应时间为5～10天.SARS疫情高发还可能与8日前空气相对湿度偏低有关系,同时也与11～12日前的相对湿度峰值有关.前者较多的表现在香港,后者较多表现在北京.初步认为,略低于相对湿度75%的某个值附近,相对湿度对于疫情发展有促进作用;相对湿度具有二重性.空气污染有助于SARS病毒的扩散传染,它的影响滞后期在8～10天.     

Seasonal fluctuation of Myxobolus gibelioi (Myxosporea) plasmodia in the gills of the farmed allogynogenetic gibel carp in China

ＩＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＭｙｘｏｓｐｏｒｅａｎｓａｒｅｖｅｒｙｃｏｍｍｏｎｐａｒａｓｉｔｅｓｏｆｆｉｓｈ .Ｔｈｅｉｒｓｅａｓｏｎａｌｆｌｕｃｔｕａｔｉｏｎｓｉｎｐｒｅｖａｌｅｎｃｅａｎｄｉｎｔｅｎｓｉｔｙｏｆｉｎｆｅｃｔｉｏｎｗｅｒｅｄｅｓｃｒｉｂｅｄｂｙｓｏｍｅａｕｔｈｏｒｓ (Ｍｉｔｃｈｅｌｌ,1 989;Ｓｉｔｊａ ＢｏｂａｄｉｌｌａａｎｄＡｌｖａｒｅｚ Ｐｅｌｌｉｔｅｒｏ,1 990 ;Ｃｏｎｅ ,1 994 ) .Ｈｏｗｅｖｅｒ,ａｌｍｏｓｔｎｏｒｅｌａｔｅｄｉｎｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎｉｓａｖａｉｌａｂｌｅｉｎＣｈｉｎ…     

Spatiotemporal analysis of climate variability impacts on malaria prevalence in Ghana

There are conflicting results from research on the impacts of temperature and rainfall on malaria prevalence. As a result predicting malaria prevalence still remains a challenge. Generating relevant information on the role of temperature, rainfall, and humidity on malaria prevalence at different geographic scales is critical to efforts to combat the burden of prevalence. For better understanding of climate variability and the impacts on malaria prevalence, this study examined the varying spatial and seasonal distribution in malaria prevalence over time in Ghana. We used trajectory and time series analyses for temporal distribution and conducted GIS-based analyses of the spatial distribution of yearly malaria incidence and climate variables. We observed that the national annual malaria incidence has increased. Considerable inter-annual variations were also detected in the intensity of incidence across regions characterized with varying rainfall and temperature regimes. The results indicated that temperature and humidity have some association with malaria prevalence in Ghana. Although annual rainfall in the model was found to be less significant, there is evidence of rainfall as a predictor of malaria in Ghana. These findings show that public health resource allocations should focus on the areas with the highest malaria risk in Ghana.     

Siphonostomatoid copepods infecting Squalus acutipinnis Regan, 1908 off South Africa

Squalus acutipinnis (previously included in S. megalops) individuals caught off the east, south and west coasts of South Africa were examined for siphonostomatoid copepod infection. Collected siphonostomatoids were fixed and preserved in 70% ethanol and studied under microscopes using both transmitted and incidental light. The copepods were identified and the host-parasite associations estimated by calculating their prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance. The siphonostomatoids represented four families and six species, and included new host records for Nemesis sp., Lernaeopoda sp. and Eudactylina acanthii, and a new geographical record for E. acanthii. Squalus acutipinnis individuals were infected by relatively low loads of siphonostomatoids. The most commonly found species was Achtheinus pinguis, the only species found off all three coasts. There was no difference in the prevalence of A. pinguis in sharks sampled off the three coasts but the highest mean intensity was found on the East Coast followed by the West Coast. The overall prevalence of A. pinguis was 33.6%, and was an order of magnitude higher than that of the other siphonostomatoids recorded. At such low levels of infection it will thus be necessary to examine a large number of hosts to determine the biodiversity of siphonostomatoids and geographical differences in prevalence in South African waters.