ABSTRACT
In this study the genetic diversity of local freshwater leeches (Hirudinaria spp.) was inferred using mtDNA COI gene analysis and compared with the gross external variations of 26 freshwater leech specimens obtained from the wild and leech farms. Based on a neighbor-joining tree generated from 516 COI base sequences, four distinct clades of Hirudinaria were seen with interspecific genetic divergence in the range of 7.6-14.5%. The external morphological variations based on the presence of stripes, location of gonopores, and anus separated the samples into four morphologically distinct groups matching the four clades obtained from the molecular data. Two black stripes at the ventral region were observed only in specimens found clustered with clades that contained the GenBank-reported H. manillensis, whereas the brown or dark green coloration without stripes on the ventral region was seen in samples that clustered with H. javanica and H. bpling clades.
Subject(s)
Fresh Water/parasitology , Genetic Variation/physiology , Leeches/genetics , Animals , DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics , Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics , Leeches/anatomy & histology , Malaysia , Phylogeny , Pigmentation , Species SpecificityABSTRACT
A case of meningitis and septicaemia caused by a multiply resistant strain of Haemophilus influenzae in a Saudi infant aged 7 months is reported. Haemophilus influenzae, resistant to ampicillin and chloramphenicol, was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid, the blood and throat. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for ampicillin and chloramphenicol were 64 mg/l and 16 mg/l respectively. After failure of initial therapy with high doses of ampicillin and chloramphenicol, the child made a full and uneventful recovery when treated with cefotaxime. The implications of isolating such a strain on the policy for treating meningitis in our situation are discussed.
