The Global Impact of COVID-19: Historical Development, Molecular Characterization, Drug Discovery and Future Directions.

In December 2019, an outbreak of a respiratory disease called the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a new coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began in Wuhan, China. The SARS-CoV-2, an encapsulated positive-stranded RNA virus, spread worldwide with disastrous consequences for people's health, economies, and quality of life. The disease has had far-reaching impacts on society, including economic disruption, school closures, and increased stress and anxiety. It has also highlighted disparities in healthcare access and outcomes, with marginalized communities disproportionately affected by the SARS-CoV-2. The symptoms of COVID-19 range from mild to severe. There is presently no effective cure. Nevertheless, significant progress has been made in developing COVID-19 vaccine for different therapeutic targets. For instance, scientists developed multifold vaccine candidates shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak after Pfizer and AstraZeneca discovered the initial COVID-19 vaccines. These vaccines reduce disease spread, severity, and mortality. The addition of rapid diagnostics to microscopy for COVID-19 diagnosis has proven crucial. Our review provides a thorough overview of the historical development of COVID-19 and molecular and biochemical characterization of the SARS-CoV-2. We highlight the potential contributions from insect and plant sources as anti-SARS-CoV-2 and present directions for future research.

Mango anthracnose disease: the current situation and direction for future research.

Mango anthracnose disease (MAD) is a destructive disease of mangoes, with estimated yield losses of up to 100% in unmanaged plantations. Several strains that constitute Colletotrichum complexes are implicated in MAD worldwide. All mangoes grown for commercial purposes are susceptible, and a resistant cultivar for all strains is not presently available on the market. The infection can widely spread before being detected since the disease is invincible until after a protracted latent period. The detection of multiple strains of the pathogen in Mexico, Brazil, and China has prompted a significant increase in research on the disease. Synthetic pesticide application is the primary management technique used to manage the disease. However, newly observed declines in anthracnose susceptibility to many fungicides highlight the need for more environmentally friendly approaches. Recent progress in understanding the host range, molecular and phenotypic characterization, and susceptibility of the disease in several mango cultivars is discussed in this review. It provides updates on the mode of transmission, infection biology and contemporary management strategies. We suggest an integrated and ecologically sound approach to managing MAD.

Bioactivity of an organic farming aid with possible fungistatic properties against some oil palm seedling foliar pathogens.

Synthetic fungicides are necessary evil in crop production, their usage cannot be neglected or abandoned but must be alternated/supplemented with other control measures such as cultural, host resistance and biocontrol methods to reduce their detrimental effect on the environment and living organisms. A bioproduct (wood vinegar) was evaluated against oil palm seedling pathogens at CSIR-Oil Palm Research Institute, Kusi at different concentrations and compared with an inorganic fungicide at the manufacturer's recommended dosage. Disease pathogens were isolated from collected diseased leaf samples and pure cultures were established on cPDA. PDA was amended with wood vinegar ranging from 0 to 3.35% and 0.1%v/v of carbendazim as a positive control. Daily colony growth was measured in two diagonal lengths and averages of day 6 and day 7 were used to calculate the inhibition percentage for both pathogens. 11 mm/day was the lowest average growth rate recorded for 2.68% v/v of wood vinegar and 14.17 mm/day on control plate of Curvularia species. There was no significant difference between 0.1%v/v carbendazim, 2.68 and 3.35% v/v against Curvularia species whilst significantly, there was difference between 0.1%v/v carbendazim and 2.68 and 3.35%v/v of wood vinegar against Pestalotiopsis species.

Morphometric Characterisation of Root-Knot Nematode Populations from Three Regions in Ghana.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production in Ghana is limited by the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita, and yield losses over 70% have been experienced in farmer fields. Major management strategies of the root-knot nematode (RKN), such as rotation and nematicide application, and crop rotation are either little efficient and harmful to environments, with high control cost, respectively. Therefore, this study aims to examine morphometric variations of RKN populations in Ghana, using principal component analysis (PCA), of which the information can be utilized for the development of tomato cultivars resistant to RKN. Ninety (90) second-stage juveniles (J2) and 16 adult males of M. incognita were morphometrically characterized. Six and five morphometric variables were measured for adult males and second-stage juveniles (J2) respectively. Morphological measurements showed differences among the adult males and second-stage juveniles (J2). A plot of PC1 and PC2 for M. incognita male populations showed clustering into three main groups. Populations from Asuosu and Afrancho (Group I) were more closely related compared to populations from Tuobodom and Vea (Group II). There was however a single nematode from Afrancho (AF4) that fell into Group III. Biplots for male populations indicate, body length, DEGO, greatest body width, and gubernaculum length serving as variables distinguishing Group 1 and Group 2 populations. These same groupings from the PCA were reflected in the dendogram generated using Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC). This study provides the first report on morphometric characterisation of M. incognita male and juvenile populations in Ghana showing significant morphological variation.