Geographical distribution of Burkholderia pseudomallei in soil in Myanmar.

BACKGROUND: Burkholderia pseudomallei is a Gram-negative bacterium found in soil and water in many tropical countries. It causes melioidosis, a potentially fatal infection first described in 1911 in Myanmar. Melioidosis is a common cause of sepsis and death in South and South-east Asia, but it is rarely diagnosed in Myanmar. We conducted a nationwide soil study to identify areas where B. pseudomallei is present. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We collected soil samples from 387 locations in all 15 states and regions of Myanmar between September 2017 and June 2019. At each site, three samples were taken at each of three different depths (30, 60 and 90 cm) and were cultured for B. pseudomallei separately, along with a pooled sample from each site (i.e. 10 cultures per site). We used a negative binomial regression model to assess associations between isolation of B. pseudomallei and environmental factors (season, soil depth, soil type, land use and climate zones). B. pseudomallei was isolated in 7 of 15 states and regions. Of the 387 sites, 31 (8%) had one or more positive samples and of the 3,870 samples cultured, 103 (2.7%) tested positive for B. pseudomallei. B. pseudomallei was isolated more frequently during the monsoon season [RR-2.28 (95% CI: 0.70-7.38)] and less in the hot dry season [RR-0.70 (95% CI: 0.19-2.56)] compared to the cool dry season, and in the tropical monsoon climate zone [RR-2.26; 95% CI (0.21-6.21)] compared to the tropical dry winter climate zone. However, these associations were not statistically significant. B. pseudomallei was detected at all three depths and from various soil types (clay, silt and sand). Isolation was higher in agricultural land (2.2%), pasture land (8.5%) and disused land (5.8%) than in residential land (0.4%), but these differences were also not significant. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This study confirms a widespread distribution of B. pseudomallei in Myanmar. Clinical studies should follow to obtain a better picture of the burden of melioidosis in Myanmar

Observational study of adult respiratory infections in primary care clinics in Myanmar: understanding the burden of melioidosis, tuberculosis and other infections not covered by empirical treatment regimes.

BACKGROUND: Lower respiratory infections constitute a major disease burden worldwide. Treatment is usually empiric and targeted towards typical bacterial pathogens. Understanding the prevalence of pathogens not covered by empirical treatment is important to improve diagnostic and treatment algorithms. METHODS: A prospective observational study in peri-urban communities of Yangon, Myanmar was conducted between July 2018 and April 2019. Sputum specimens of 299 adults presenting with fever and productive cough were tested for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (microscopy and GeneXpert MTB/RIF [Mycobacterium tuberculosis/resistance to rifampicin]) and Burkholderia pseudomallei (Active Melioidosis Detect Lateral Flow Assay and culture). Nasopharyngeal swabs underwent respiratory virus (influenza A, B, respiratory syncytial virus) polymerase chain reaction testing. RESULTS: Among 299 patients, 32% (95% confidence interval [CI] 26 to 37) were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB), including 9 rifampicin-resistant cases. TB patients presented with a longer duration of fever (median 14 d) and productive cough (median 30 d) than non-TB patients (median fever duration 6 d, cough 7 d). One case of melioidosis pneumonia was detected by rapid test and confirmed by culture. Respiratory viruses were detected in 16% (95% CI 12 to 21) of patients. CONCLUSIONS: TB was very common in this population, suggesting that microscopy and GeneXpert MTB/RIF on all sputum samples should be routinely included in diagnostic algorithms for fever and cough. Melioidosis was uncommon in this population

Socializing One Health: an innovative strategy to investigate social and behavioral risks of emerging viral threats

In an effort to strengthen global capacity to prevent, detect, and control infectious diseases in animals and people, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) PREDICT project funded development of regional, national, and local One Health capacities for early disease detection, rapid response, disease control, and risk reduction. From the outset, the EPT approach was inclusive of social science research methods designed to understand the contexts and behaviors of communities living and working at human-animal-environment interfaces considered high-risk for virus emergence. Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, PREDICT behavioral research aimed to identify and assess a range of socio-cultural behaviors that could be influential in zoonotic disease emergence, amplification, and transmission. This broad approach to behavioral risk characterization enabled us to identify and characterize human activities that could be linked to the transmission dynamics of new and emerging viruses. This paper provides a discussion of implementation of a social science approach within a zoonotic surveillance framework. We conducted in-depth ethnographic interviews and focus groups to better understand the individual- and community-level knowledge, attitudes, and practices that potentially put participants at risk for zoonotic disease transmission from the animals they live and work with, across 6 interface domains. When we asked highly-exposed individuals (ie. bushmeat hunters, wildlife or guano farmers) about the risk they perceived in their occupational activities, most did not perceive it to be risky, whether because it was normalized by years (or generations) of doing such an activity, or due to lack of information about potential risks. Integrating the social sciences allows investigations of the specific human activities that are hypothesized to drive disease emergence, amplification, and transmission, in order to better substantiate behavioral disease drivers, along with the social dimensions of infection and transmission dynamics. Understanding these dynamics is critical to achieving health security--the protection from threats to health-- which requires investments in both collective and individual health security. Involving behavioral sciences into zoonotic disease surveillance allowed us to push toward fuller community integration and engagement and toward dialogue and implementation of recommendations for disease prevention and improved health security

Effects of Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria, Azotobacter spp. and Azospirillum spp. on the Growth of Rice Oryza sativa L.

In order to evaluate the effect of Azotobacter and Azospirillum inoculants on the growth of rice, pot experiment with four treatments (Azotobacter sugarcane 1-T1, Azotobacter maize 2- T2, Azospirillum sugarcane 3-T3 and Azospirillum maize 2 -T4) and one control (without bacteria) each with six replicates was carried out in Zoology Department, University of Mandalay during March to November 2011. The results indicated that the shoot length of treatment increased over control with a range of 8.04 to 33.14% and the root length of treatments increased over control with a range of 2.13 to 132.89%. The fresh shoot weight and fresh root weight of treatments increased over control with a range of 0 to 1160% and 0 to 462.92% respectively. The dry shoot and root weights of treatments at maturity stage increased significantly (p<0.01) over control with a range of 53.31 to 109.28% and 163.89 to 280.56% respectively. In this study, panicle length and total seed numbers per panicle of treatments increased significantly (p<0.01) over control with a range of 18.75 to 35.02% and 96.55 to 114.83% respectively. Azotobacter sugarcane 1 is found to be the most effective species for the growth of rice and all tested bacteria could be useful as biofertilizers to increase the productivity of crops

Active deformation of the Central Myanmar Forearc Basin : insight from post-Pleistocene inversion of the Pyay Fault

Pyay sub-basin is located in the southern part of the Central Myanmar Forearc Basin, an elongate belt of en-echelon folds and thrust faults formed as a result of the hyper-oblique convergence of the India and Asia plates. Limited neotectonic studies suggest that the Pyay Fault is a major Pliocene inverted structure that trapped the hydrocarbons in Pyay sub-basin, where only sparse field-based observations are available to address the nature of very recent neotectonic processes. This study focuses on structural deformation related to active inversion of the Pyay Fault using field-based geological observations and interpretations of industrial seismic data. We map the ∼105 km long Pyay Fault, an east- dipping high-angle reverse fault with a significant dextral strike-slip component. The fault underlies the western limb of the major NNW-SSE- striking anticlinal ridge that forms the western margin of Pyay sub- basin. Growth strata within the Pliocene-Pleistocene Irrawaddy Formation, imaged in the shallow part (<1 km) of 2D seismic profiles, reflects the deposition of Pliocene-Pleistocene sediments synchronously with the inversion of the underlying Pyay Fault. In addition, uplifted fluvial terraces of the Ayeyarwady River on the hanging wall of Pyay Fault reflect the post-Pleistocene inversion of the Pyay sub-basin. This study suggests that the Pyay Fault is a prime example of active deformation of the Central Myanmar Forearc Basin which plays an important role in the basin evolution and an earthquake source potential of the Myanmar territory.Ministry of Education (MOE)National Research Foundation (NRF)Published versionThis work is a part of the first author’s Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Yangon, Myanmar. The first author would like to thank to U Thit Lwin, Pyay University and his graduate students for their help in various ways during the field work. The authors would like to express sincere appreciation to Prof. Punya Charusiri, Chulalongkon University and Dr. Jonathan R. Weiss, University of Potsdam for their reviews that greatly improved the quality of this manuscript. Our thanks are also extended to Prof. Khin Zaw, University of Tasmania for handling the manuscript and editorial input. We also thank Dr. Kyaw Linn Oo, Petronas Myanmar Exploration and Dr. Wang Yu, National Taiwan University for their comments on an earlier draft. Field surveys for this work were partially supported by Resource and Environment Myanmar Ltd. and Myanmar Earthquake Committee. This research was supported by the Earth Observatory of Singapore via its funding from the National Research Foundation Singapore and the Singapore Ministry of Education under the Research Centres of Excellence initiative. This work comprises EOS contribution number 343

Some recent evidence of the presence of the Critically Endangered Gyps vulture populations in northern Shan State, Myanmar

Presence of the Critically Endangered Gyps vulture populations in northern Shan State, Myanmar. On 27 November 2018, we observed a flock of G. bengalensis, G. tenuirostris, and G. himalayanensis in Man Sant Village, Mong Yai Township, Northern Shan State, Myanmar. The most notable feature of our observation was the presence of G. bengalensis and G. tenuirostris: we could observe as many as 38 vultures of three species

Biology of the Cassava Mite, Tetranychus truncatus Ehara (Acari: Tetranychidae)

The duration of developmental stages of Tetranychus truncatus Ehara was studied at four different temperature regimes (20, 25, 30 and 35˚C) on excised mulberry leaves. Longevity and fecundity of fe-male and sex ratio were also observed at 30˚C. Mites completed their development within this tem-perature range. T. truncatus eggs hatched to larvae in the shortest duration of 2.38 ± 0.06 days at 35˚C and the longest duration of 7.65 ± 0.05 days at 20˚C. Development time for completion of the life cycle de-creased significantly with increasing temperature. The longest (16.93 ± 0.11 days) and the shortest (5.34 ± 0.11 days) life cycle were observed at 20˚C and 35˚C respectively. The highest immature mortality was 13.94% at 35˚C followed by 10.35% at 20˚C. A female mite laid 55.07 eggs during its oviposition period of 10.93± 0.29 days at 30˚C. The oviposition rate was 5.13± 0.24 eggs/female/day at 30˚C. The sex ratio of T. truncatus at 30˚C was 1 : 3.12 (male: female)

Nonbreeding Bird Communities Along an Urban–Rural Gradient of a Tropical City in Central Myanmar

Urbanization is known to be a major driver in abundance and species richness of birds. However, how birds respond to urbanization in tropical cities is understudied in general and entirely absent from Myanmar. We conducted a study in and around Mandalay, a large city in central Myanmar to gather first data on birds and their response to urbanization.We selected four habitats with 10 sampling points each in November 2015. We made 1,536 observations of 68 bird species. The number of species and diversity significantly differed between the four localities. Mandalay Hill and Downtown Mandalay had the lowest number of species and diversity, whereas the University Campus and Paddy Fields had the highest. The highest number of observations was in Downtown Mandalay (1,003 counts) and the lowest on Mandalay Hill (103). Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination techniques showed that the four habitat types had significantly different bird species composition. Our results indicate a large effect of urbanization on species diversity, species richness, and species composition of birds

Preparation and Structural Properties of Palm Shell

Bio-char can be produced by thermal conversion of biomass. Palm shells were obtained from palm fruits (palmira). They were air-dried to remove moisture. The dried palm shells were ground to become powder and heated at 600ºC, 800ºC and 1000ºC for 2 h respectively. After heating, bio-char was obtained. Structural properties of palm shell powder and bio-char were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe microstructure of biochar. Properties such as hydration capacity, pH were also evaluated

Seroprevalence and associated risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection among slaughterhouse workers in Yangon Region, Myanmar: A cross-sectional study

Background Toxoplasmosis, having the significant consequences affecting mortality and quality of life, is still prevalent in various places throughout the world. The major gap in surveillance for Toxoplasma gondii infection among high-risk population, slaughterhouse workers, is an obstacle for the effective policies formulation to reduce the burden of toxoplasmosis in Myanmar. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis and associated factors of seropositivity among slaughterhouse workers in Yangon Region, Myanmar. Methods A cross-sectional study that was conducted from June to November 2020 included 139 slaughterhouse workers involving at five main slaughterhouses under Yangon City Development Committee, Myanmar. The presence of IgG and IgM anti-T. gondii antibodies in serum was detected using the OnSite Toxo IgG/IgM Combo Rapid Test. A face-to-face interview was also performed using pretested structured questionnaires to obtain the detail histories: sociodemographic characteristics, level of knowledge, occupational factors, and environmental factors related to T. gondii infection. Bivariate logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with T. gondii infection. Results Of all participants, the overall seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii was 43.9% (95% CI: 35.5–52.5%), of whom 98.4% (95% CI: 91.2–100.0%) were reactive only for IgG antibody and 1.6% (95% CI: 0.0–8.8%) were reactive for IgG and IgM antibodies. The significant factors associated with the seropositivity of T. gondii antibodies were blood transfusion history (OR: 5.74, 95% CI: 1.17–28.09), low level of knowledge (OR: 2.91, 95% CI: 1.46–5.83), contact with animal organs, muscles or blood (OR: 14.29, 95% CI: 1.83–111.51), and animals most frequently slaughtered (cattle) (OR: 3.22, 95% CI: 1.16–8.93). Conclusions A high seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis was detected among slaughterhouse workers in Yangon Region and it raises a significant public health concern. Therefore, providing health education regarding toxoplasmosis, enforcement of personal hygiene practices in workplaces, the establishment of training for occupational hygiene, and commencement of the risk assessment and serological screening for toxoplasmosis are crucial to curtail the prevalence of T. gondii infection among slaughterhouse workers