Chikungunya outbreak in Al-Hudaydah, Yemen, 2011: epidemiological characterization and key lessons learned for early detection and control

Little is known about the occurrence of chikungunya fever in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the World Health Organization [WHO]. In January 2011, the Ministry of Public Health and Population [MoPH and P] of Yemen reported to WHO an increasing number of "dengue-like" acute febrile illnesses of unknown origin from one of its coastal governorates. An epidemiological investigation was conducted in Al-Hudaydah governorate between 23 and 26 January 2011 by a joint team of WHO, the MoPH and P of Yemen and the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit [NAMRU-3] in Cairo, Egypt. The investigation led to the detection of an outbreak of chikungunya in Yemen which was the first time ever from any of the 22 countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of WHO. Appropriate public health control measures were strengthened following the investigation, and the outbreak was contained. This paper provides a short description of the outbreak and its epidemiological characteristics and highlights the important lessons that were learned for early detection and control of chikungunya in countries where competent vectors for transmission of the virus exist

Pathogenicity of two entomopathogenic hyphomycetes, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae to the housefly Musca domestica l

The pathogenicity of three isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae and two isolates of Beauveria bassiana originating from different insect species and localities was tested against housefly larvae. Only one isolate of M. Anisopliae [Ma23] and two isolates of B. bassiana [Bb2 and Bb108] significantly reduced the percentage of emerging adults. At the highest tested concentration 107 spores/ml, the reduction in the percentage of adult emergence was 93.8%, 61.3% and 49% for Bb2, Ma23 and Bbl08, respectively. Based on the LC50 values, Bb2 was the most virulent isolate, followed by Ma23 and Bbl08. The ability of adult flies to pick up conidiospores from contaminated media and the possibility of isolate recycling through cadavers of fungus-killed adults were also investigated. The results showed that adults were able to pick up conidiospores from the contaminated media. All contaminated adult cadavers subsequently sporulated, when placed under high relative humidity conditions. When adult flies were exposed to mycotised cadavers, 12, 75 and 76% of the adults exposed to Bb2, Ma23 and Bbl08, respectively, sporulated under high relative humidity conditions

Enzymatic changes and cytotoxic effects of Metarhizium anisopliae fungal extracts on the Egyptian cotton leaf worm Spodoptera littoralis [SL 96] cell line

The extra- and intracellular extracts of two Metarhizium anisopliae isolates [Ma23 and MR3] were introduced to a cell line of Spodoptera littoralis. The cell line [S196] was established in the Entomovirology Center from S. littoralis ovaries. MR3 extracellular fluid-treated culture had an increase in the acid phosphatase [AcP] level as compared either with the untreated cell line or with the fungal extract alone. Moreover, the enzymatic tests showed that alpha and beta-glucosidases were detected only after the treatment with extracellular fluid of MR3. The elevation of AcP level that appeared after the treatment of MR3 coincided with a conspicuous decrease of about one third of the initial number [96 x 103] of the S196 cell, vacuolization and lysis of some cells. Deformation of the cells and shrinkage of cell membrane were observed in the case of Ma23 treatments. Crystal formation was restricted to the treatment of MR3 extracellular extract. The results are discussed in the light of the possibility that the cytotoxic effects and enzymatic changes are attributed to the virulence of the fungal isolates