Neonatal Parotitis: A case report.

The following is a case report of a 17-day-old female baby, born at 35 weeks' gestation, weighing 2.6 kg. She was brought to us with reluctance to feed, swelling over the left side of her face and a fever documented at 102oF, along with an erythematous, tender, localised swelling over the left pre-auricular region that measured 2 x 1.5 cm in size. Diagnostic workup and ultrasound findings were consistent with parotitis; however, her blood culture was negative. The patient was managed on antibiotics but subsequently, developed a nosocomial infection while she was admitted in the hospital, which prolonged her hospital stay to a total of 16 days. Nevertheless, she had complete resolution of the signs and symptoms on her follow-up visit. Acute parotitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a neonate presenting with facial swelling, reluctance to feed or incessant crying. Timely and appropriate management can result in good recovery and minimising the potential for complications.

Effects of Entomopathogenic Fungi on the Biology of Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and its Reduviid Predator, Rhynocoris marginatus (Heteroptera: Reduviidae).

Entomopathogenic fungi (EPFs), Isaria fumosorosea and Beauveria bassiana, are efficient biological agents in the management of multiple arthropod pests. In this study, the effects of both EPF species on various life stages of Spodoptera litura (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and its natural enemy Rhynocoris marginatus (Fab.) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) were determined under laboratory conditions. I. fumosorosea significantly (P < .05) reduced the growth rate of the third and fourth instar larvae of S. litura. For relative consumption rate (RCR), the maximum impact was recorded for I. fumosorosea, which reduced the RCR of the larvae. The larvae of S. litura treated with I. fumosorosea showed significantly lower efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) and the larval mortality rate (58.0%) was also higher compared with B. bassiana (33.3%). Similarly, I. fumosorosea had a significant effect on the pupal formation of S. litura; however, no significant effect was found on adult emergence percentage. To determine the effect of EPF-infected prey on the adult predator, their handling time, predatory rate, consumption rate, and the survival rate were recorded. No significant effect of EPF species on the predation rate was found. Furthermore, no significant difference was found in the survival rate of predators fed on either EPF-infected prey or healthy larvae. The interaction of these EPFs with a reduviid predator suggested that both EPF species, especially I. fumosorosea, could be used together with the predator to boost the biological control of S. litura in commercial crops.