Detection of plant parasitic nematodes in the soil of crop field in Meiktila area, Myanmar

The occurrence of soil nematodes from groundnut and chilli crop fields were investigated during the period from November 2013 to February 2014. From the collected soil samples, 13 genera belonging to seven families of three orders under two classes were recorded. Among the observed genera, Meloidogyene, was found to be the predominant on the soil samples of both groundnut and chilli crop fields. Moreover, Meloidogyene, Heterodera and Helicotylenchus were found with prominent values of 138, 92 and 85, respectively and occurred in 16%, 11% and 10% of all soil samples, respectively. Paratrichodorus was found to be the lowest in numbers 27 (3%). The data from recent study indicated that the soil samples of groundnut crop field showed higher incidence of nematodes (57%) than that of chilli crop field (43%)

Epidemiological survey on porcine cysticercosis in Nay Pyi Taw Area,

Cross-sectional surveys were conducted to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of Taenia solium cysticercosis in pigs within Nay Pyi Taw area, Myanmar. Meat inspection in three slaughterhouses, ELISA test, and questionnaire surveys were conducted in this study. Three hundred pigs were inspected in slaughterhouses and 364 pigs were randomly selected and examined from 203 households from three townships in Nay Pyi Taw area. The prevalence of porcine cysticercosis in meat inspection was 23.67% (71/300). Seroprevalence of T. solium cysticercosis in pigs in the study area was 15.93% (58/364). Significant associated risk factors with T. solium cysticercosis were gender (OR = 3.0; 95% CI = 1.7-5.4), increased age (OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.2-4.2), husbandry system (OR = 5.1; 95% CI = 2.4-11.2), feed type (OR = 16.9; 95% CI = 2.3-124.3), not using anthelmintics in pigs (OR = 11.9; 95% CI = 5.0-28.5), not using anthelmintics in owner (OR = 2.5; 95% CI = 1.4-4.4), no hand-washing before feeding (OR = 31.5; 95% CI = 4.3-230.9), and pork consumption of owner (OR = 37.4; 95% CI = 9.0-156.1) in the study area. This is the first report of porcine cysticercosis in Myanmar

Re-evaluation of the phylogeny based on mitochondrial cytochrome b gene in the house shrew, Suncus murinus-S. montanus species complex, with special reference to Yemen and Myanmar populations

The house shrew (Suncus murinus-S. montanus species complex) is considered to have been unintentionally introduced by humans from their original range to other regions around the　Indian Ocean and neighboring seas, but this has yet not fully been investigated. A phylogenetic tree and haplotype network were reconstructed　based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene nucleotide sequences (1140 bp) of 179 individuals of house shrews from 46 localities in southern East Asia, Southeast Asia, West Asia, and islands in the western Indian Ocean. There was small genetic variation among shrews in Japan (Okinawa), southern China, Vietnam, and insular Southeast Asia. However, the shrew populations in Myanmar and Sri Lanka showed of a variety of different haplotypes. In the region of the western Indian Ocean, three interesting findings were obtained. First, the shrews on Zanzibar Island (Tanzania) shared same haplotype as those in southwestern Iran, and the haplotype was close to a group in Pakistan, despite these three regions being distantly located. Second, inferring from the haplotype network, it was suggests that the shrews in Yemen might have derived from Madagascar/Comoros populations. Third, the shrews on Réunion Island were genetically different from other populations around the western Indian Ocean but closer to Malaysia and Myanmar populations. Thus, the present study demonstrates that there have been dynamic immigration/emigration processes in the house shrews, especially for those around the western Indian Ocean. In addition, the house shrews in Myanmar may include several different species

Potential of ferritin 2 as an antigen for the development of a universal vaccine for avian mites, poultry red mites, tropical fowl mites, and northern fowl mites

IntroductionPoultry red mites (PRMs, Dermanyssus gallinae), blood-sucking ectoparasites, are a threat to the poultry industry because of reduced production caused by infestation. In addition, tropical fowl mites (TFMs, Ornithonyssus bursa) and northern fowl mites (NFMs, Ornithonyssus sylviarum) are hematophagous, distributed in various regions, genetically and morphologically close to PRMs, and cause similar problems to the poultry industry. Vaccine approaches have been studied for PRM control, and several molecules have been identified in PRMs as candidates for effective vaccine antigens. The development of an anti-PRM vaccine as a universal vaccine with broad efficacy against avian mites could improve the productivity of poultry farms worldwide. Molecules that are highly conserved among avian mites and have critical functions in the physiology and growth of mites could be ideal antigen candidates for the development of universal vaccines. Ferritin 2 (FER2), an iron-binding protein, is critical for the reproduction and survival of PRMs and has been reported as a useful vaccine antigen for the control of PRMs and a candidate for the universal vaccine antigen in some tick species.Method and resultsHerein, we identified and characterized FER2 in TFMs and NFM. Compared with the sequence of PRM, the ferroxidase centers of the heavy chain subunits were conserved in FER2 of TFMs and NFMs. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that FER2 belongs to clusters of secretory ferritins of mites and other arthropods. Recombinant FER2 (rFER2) proteins from PRMs, TFMs, and NFMs exhibited iron-binding abilities. Immunization with each rFER2 induced strong antibody responses in chickens, and each immune plasma cross-reacted with rFER2 from different mites. Moreover, mortality rates of PRMs fed with immune plasma against rFER2 from TFMs or NFMs, in addition to PRMs, were higher than those of control plasma.DiscussionrFER2 from each avian mite exhibited anti-PRM effects. This data suggests that it has the potential to be used as an antigen candidate for a universal vaccine against avian mites. Further studies are needed to access the usefulness of FER2 as a universal vaccine for the control of avian mites

Anthropogenic interferences lead to gut microbiome dysbiosis in Asian elephants and may alter adaptation processes to surrounding environments

Human activities interfere with wild animals and lead to the loss of many animal populations. Therefore, efforts have been made to understand how wildlife can rebound from anthropogenic disturbances. An essential mechanism to adapt to environmental and social changes is the fluctuations in the host gut microbiome. Here we give a comprehensive description of anthropogenically induced microbiome alterations in Asian elephants (n = 30). We detected gut microbial changes due to overseas translocation, captivity and deworming. We found that microbes belonging to Planococcaceae had the highest contribution in the microbiome alterations after translocation, while Clostridiaceae, Spirochaetaceae and Bacteroidia were the most affected after captivity. However, deworming significantly changed the abundance of Flavobacteriaceae, Sphingobacteriaceae, Xanthomonadaceae, Weeksellaceae and Burkholderiaceae. These findings may provide fundamental ideas to help guide the preservation tactics and probiotic replacement therapies of a dysbiosed gut microbiome in Asian elephants. More generally, these results show the severity of anthropogenic activities at the level of gut microbiome, altering the adaptation processes to new environments and the subsequent capability to maintain normal physiological processes in animals

Saw Bawm's Quick Files

The Quick Files feature was discontinued and it’s files were migrated into this Project on March 11, 2022. The file URL’s will still resolve properly, and the Quick Files logs are available in the Project’s Recent Activity

Management and Control of <em>Eimeria</em> Infection in Goats

Coccidian parasites of the genus Eimeira cause coccidiosis in farm animals, which develop in both the small and the large intestines. Coccidiosis is a major economic concern in many livestock, especially in young animals, as a result of losses caused by clinical infection (diarrhea) and subclinical (poor weight gain in particular) and the required treatment costs. Herein, we summarize geographical distribution of Eimeria parasites, their life cycle, pathogenesis, clinical signs, economic losses due to coccidiosis, diagnosis, recent information on control and prevention, and anticoccidial drugs for Eimeria infection in goats. With regard to poverty alleviation in most developing agricultural countries, it is important to maintain and develop goat-related industries. Proper management should be used to prevent losses and reduce the productivity from coccidiosis in young animals by: reducing the level of environmental contamination by infectious oocysts; minimizing stress; and avoiding overcrowding

Species and genetic diversity of Bandicota (Murinae, Rodentia) from Myanmar based on mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences

Bandicoot rats (genus Bandicota), widely known as rodent pests, are abundant and widespread throughout the continental part of the Indo-Malayan realm. However, their evolutionary history is not yet well understood. The molecular phylogenetic relationships of the three bandicoot rat species, Bandicota bengalensis, Bandicota indica, and Bandicota savilei, were assessed based on the gene sequences of the specimens collected from Myanmar, where all three species occur along with database sequences. Early divergence of B. savilei (1.5-1.7 million years ago) was inferred from the mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) gene and the nuclear interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (Irbp), and melanocortin 1 receptor (Mc1r) gene sequences. The Cytb lineage of B. bengalensis from Sri Lanka was distinct from the monophyletic lineage of the continental lineages of B. bengalensis and B. indica. This can be explained by the preservation of ancient mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the insular population owing to female philopatry and male dispersal, given that no substantial intraspecies geographic subdivision was observed in the nuclear markers. The paraphyletic relationship of B. bengalensis with B. indicamay be explained by introgression of the mtDNA from B. bengalensis to B. indica, but further investigation is required to confirm this. B. bengalensis Cytb sequences from a wide area of Myanmar had limited nucleotide diversity (π = 0.00079), implying that the genetic diversity of B. bengalensisin Myanmar was acquired through Holocene human activities

First detection of

Coccidiosis is of great economic importance in many farm animals. This study involved analysis of 280 faecal samples collected from 12 traditional goat farms from Nay Pyi Taw area, Myanmar. Faecal samples were examined by the flotation method and concentrated oocysts were identified on the basis of morphological characters. Of 280 faecal samples examined, 168 (60.0%) were positive for Eimeria oocysts. Three different Eimeria species were identified and their positive detection rates in the herd were: E. arloingi (25.4%), followed by E. hirci (20.7%) and E. christenseni (13.9%). Identifications were confirmed by 18S rDNA and COI sequences. 18S rDNA sequences showed 100% homology with, respectively, E. christenseni reported from Australia, E. arloingi reported from Australia and Iran, and E. hirci from Australia. COI sequences of E. christenseni, E. hirci, and E. arloingi, respectively, exhibited 98.9%, 98.4%, and 98.5% similarities with those reported from Australia. This is the first report of Eimeria infection in Myanmar goats