Benefits of participatory plant breeding (PPB) as exemplified by the first-ever officially released PPB-bred sweet potato cultivar

NASPOT 11 is a recently released sweet potato cultivar, bred by participatory plant breeding (PPB) in Uganda. It is already grown extensively by farmers who call it Tomulabula. In on-farm and on-station yield trials, Tomulabula yielded as well as the researcher-bred variety NASPOT 1 and sometimes more than the local landraces Dimbuka and New Kawogo, which have also been released. Farmers were asked to what extent Tomulabula, NASPOT 1 (the most popular station bred cultivar in Uganda) and the local indigenously bred cultivar they were currently growing satisfied 52 attributes previously identified by farmers as beneficial in sweet potato. Those cultivars whose breeding involved farmers (Tomulabula and the local cultivar) were perceived mostly to satisfy a broad range of attributes (i.e. had few ‘Very Bad’ scores) while those which involved researchers (Tomulabula and NASPOT 1) were the most frequently rated as ‘Very Good’ for specific attributes. Instances were observed and accounts given of how Tomulabula is sold at a premium and how it had improved farmers’ lives. These outcomes are attributed to PPB combining the strengths of farmers and researchers. The involvement of the Ugandan National Sweetpotato Program (UNSP) ensures that planting material will be conserved and also available in adequate amounts for official distribution

Emergence of levofloxacin-non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae and treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in children in South Africa: a cohort observational surveillance study

Background: Use of fluoroquinolones to treat paediatric cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis could affect the emergence of resistance to this class of drugs. Our aim was to estimate the incidence of, and risk factors for, invasive pneumococcal disease caused by fluoroquinolone-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in children in South Africa. Methods: 21 521 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease were identified by active national surveillance between 2000 and 2006, with enhanced surveillance at 15 sentinel hospitals in seven provinces introduced in 2003. We screened 19 404 isolates (90% of cases) for ofloxacin resistance and measured levofloxacin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for all isolates that were ofloxacin resistant. Non-susceptibility to levofloxacin was defined as an MIC of 4 mg/L or more. Nasopharyngeal pneumococcal carriage was assessed in 65 children in two tuberculosis hospitals where invasive pneumococcal disease caused by levofloxacin-non-susceptible S pneumoniae had been detected. Findings: 12 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease were identified as being non-susceptible to levofloxacin, all in children aged under 15 years. All isolates were rifampicin resistant. Outcome was known for 11 of these patients; five (45%) died. Invasive disease caused by levofloxacin-non-susceptible S pneumoniae was associated with a history of tuberculosis treatment (eight [89%] of nine children with non-susceptible isolates had a history of treatment vs 396 [18%] of 2202 children with susceptible isolates; relative risk [RR] 35·78, 95% CI 4·49-285·30) and nosocomial invasive pneumococcal disease (eight [80%] of ten children with non-susceptible isolates had acquired infection nosocomially vs 109 [4%] of 2709 with susceptible isolates; RR 88·96, 19·10-414·29). 31 (89%) of 35 pneumococcal carriers had bacteria that were non-susceptible to levofloxacin. Interpretation: Our data suggest that the use of fluoroquinolones to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in children has led to the emergence of invasive pneumococcal disease caused by levofloxacin-non-susceptible S pneumoniae and its nosocomial spread. Funding: National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service (South Africa), US Agency for International Development Antimicrobial Resistance Initiative, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Articl