Morphological and Molecular Identification of Cimex hemipterus Fabricius, 1803 (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) and First Report of C. lectularius Linnaeus, 1758, in Madagascar.

Bed bugs are hematophagous insects with a long history of presence in human communities. Over the last three decades, infestations by bed bugs in human dwellings have drastically increased, leading to a rise in bed bug concerns. This study was conducted in May 2019 in the Miarinarivo district of Madagascar. Eight locations with suspected infestations were inspected. Of these, five locations were found with active bed bug infestations. Overall, 23 (19 adults and four nymphs) specimens with numbers per apartment ranging from 2 to 6 were collected and analyzed using morphological and molecular approaches. Of 19 adults collected, 18 were morphologically identified as Cimex hemipterus (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), with the final adult identified as C. lectularius. Morphological identification of adults was confirmed by sequencing 450 bp fragment of COI gene. All four nymphs were also identified molecularly as C. hemipterus. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree of COI gene and sequence alignment of C. hemipterus specimens revealed the presence of two groups (first group clustered with previously reported haplotype from Asian and African countries and the second group encompassed a lesser known haplotype exclusively from Africa (Kenya and Senegal). This study presents low genetic diversity among C. hemipterus specimens and, for the first time, reports the occurrence of C. lectularius, known as temperate species, in Madagascar. These results can be helpful in control management strategies against these ectoparasites in this country.

Onychomycosis: experience of the laboratory of parasitology-mycology of CHU-Joseph Ravoahangy Andrianavalona, Antananarivo, Madagascar.

INTRODUCTION: onychomycosis is defined as a fungal infection of the nails. They represent the main cause of onychopathy. They constitute a public health problem because of their increased prevalence in the world ranging between 20 to 30%. However, they remain under documented in Madagascar. This study was conducted in order to determine the mycological profile of onychomycosis diagnosed in the Parasitology Mycology laboratory of CHU-JRA. METHODS: a descriptive retrospective study was taken over a 13-year period from June 2005 to December 2018. The data presenting onychomycosis on the mycological outcome register were included in the study. Results showing the presence of fungi on direct examination and / or culture were considered positive. RESULTS: during the study period, a prevalence of 17.75% (180/1014) was observed. The age of our patients ranged from 3 to 76 years. Women were the most affected in 68.34% (n = 123) with a sex ratio of 0.46. Onychomycosis was localized in 64.65% of the fingers (n = 128). Simultaneous involvement of the hands and feet was found in 10% of the cases (n = 18). Candida albicans (C. albicans) was the most isolated in 33.03% (n = 71) of cases, followed by other species of Candida (24.65%, n = 53) and Trichophyton spp (9.3%, n=17). Mixed infections associating dermatophytes, Yeasts and molds were found in 23.33% (n = 42) of the cases. CONCLUSION: this is the first investigation dealing with onychomycosis in Madagascar. These data may be useful for future research and in the development of preventive and educational strategies.