November 2015

Molecular detection of bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) in captured Culicoides spp. in the northeastern regions of Mexico

Midges of Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) captured in 2013 (February to November) in four micro-regions located in the northeast of Mexico were analyzed to determine the presence of genetic sequences of the viruses of Bluetongue (BT) and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction  (RT-PCR). In all the micro-regions sampled, it was possible to detect the...

Author(s): Lozano-Rendón, J. A.,  Contreras-Balderas, A. J., Fernández-Salas, I., Zarate-Ramos, J. J. and Avalos-Ramírez, R.

November 2015

Use of immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the detection of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in experimentally and naturally infected birds

The objective of the present study was to standardize an immunohistochemical reaction (IHC) for the diagnosis of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in tissue samples. In order to achieve this aim, pigeons (Columba livia) and chicken (Gallus gallus) were experimentally infected with a pathogenic sample of NDV (São Joao do Meriti strain). The IHC reaction was standardized and tested in samples of lung, liver, spleen and...

Author(s): Adriano de Oliveira Torres Carrasco, Meire Christina Seki, Tiago Wilson Patriarca Mineo, Jayme Augusto Peres, Laura Marques Knychala, Mario Henrique Alves, Jyan Lucas Benevenute, Priscila Ikeda and Aramis Augusto Pinto

November 2015

Is the recently described Macrophomina pseudophaseolina pathogenically different from Macrophomina phaseolina?

Charcoal rot disease causes heavy yield losses to many hosts including cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and groundnut (Arachis hypogea) in Senegal. The causal agent of the disease was a longtime considered to be Macrophomina phaseolina. However, a new Macrophomina species, Macrophomina pseudophaseolina was reported recently to also cause charcoal rot disease alone or in association with M. phaseolina on several hosts in...

Author(s): Mbaye Ndiaye, Mame P. Sarr, Ndiaga Cisse and Ibrahima Ndoye

November 2015

Diversity and antibiotic susceptibilities of bacterial species from surfaces of publicly used equipment in a medical education setting

Medical and health science colleges have firm links to hospitals and health services centres through clinical training activities. Such colleges are expected to house microorganisms of nosocomial-infection significance that can be transmitted to and from students’ hands and bodies through publicly used equipment, including food and drink vending machines, elevators and computer keyboards. This study aimed to...

Author(s): Nazik Mustafa, Badriah Ibrahim, Mariam Jasim, Mira Salim, Qumasha Abdalla and Shaima Saleh