The status of environmental education in elementary and middle public schools of East Tennessee : a teacher perspective

Worldwide efforts are being made to improve the quality of human life and the quality of the environment. In order to achieve these ends, educators must prepare individuals to become environmentally literate citizens and well-informed decision-makers in a fast changing technological world. This descriptive study used surveys to determine the status of environmental education in East Tennessee school systems as perceived by elementary and middle school teachers. Through this study, information was provided about what is being done and what needs to be done to improve environmental education in the State of Tennessee. A valid and reliable instrument, developed and used in Wisconsin, was mailed to 958 elementary and middle school teachers who were randomly selected from 316 schools in 33 East Tennessee public school systems. Out of the 958 surveys mailed, 432 were returned. The research findings suggest that teachers believe that it is important to take time to integrate environmental concepts and issues into subjects and at all grade levels of elementary and middle schools. Teachers indicated that a lack of resources/funding was the primary reason they do not infuse education about the environment into their curriculum. Over two-thirds of the respondents never received either pre- or in-service training in environmental education. In addition, this study also revealed that teachers would infuse environmental education into their curriculum if they had better access to resources/aids for teaching environmental concepts. In light of the results of this study, most teacher education programs in East Tennessee are not providing environmental education courses to pre- and in-service teachers who, in general, have positive attitudes toward teaching environmental education concepts in elementary and middle schools. Moreover, teachers in East Tennessee generally are not equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to successfully integrate environmental education into their curricula

Usutu virus in Africa.

Usutu virus (USUV) was discovered in South Africa in 1959. Since then, it has been reported in several African countries including Senegal, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, and Morocco. In 2001, USUV has been identified for the first time outside of Africa, namely in Europe, where it caused a significant mortality among blackbirds in Vienna, Austria. In 2009, the first two human cases of USUV infection in Europe have been reported in Italy, causing encephalitis in immunocompromised patients. The host range in Africa includes mainly Culex mosquitoes, birds, and also humans with one benign and one severe case. Given its role as a potential human pathogen and the similar appearance compared with other emerging arboviruses, it is essential to investigate the natural history and ecology of USUV in Africa. In this regard, we review the emergence of USUV in Africa, summarizing data about isolations, host range, and potential vectors, which should help to improve our understanding of the factors underlying the circulation of USUV in Europe and Africa

Workshop on mobile laboratories deployed in the Ebola outbreak in West-Africa 2014-2015

First paragraph: Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a haemorrhagic fever caused by Ebola virus (EBOV) with high infectivity and mortality. EBOV is an enveloped, single-stranded, and negative-sense RNA virus belonging to the Filoviridae family. In contrast to the genus Marburgvirus which contains one single species, the genus Ebolavirus contains 5 species: Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV), Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV), Taï Forest ebolavirus (TAFV), Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV) which are pathogenic for humans, and Reston Ebolavirus (RESTV) which infects non human primates. EBOV was first discovered in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and simultaneously in Sudan. Since 1976, EVD has appeared sporadically in DRC, Sudan, Gabon, Uganda, and Congo, with small to large outbreaks and lethality ranging from 50 to 100% with about 2500 cumulative cases until 2013

Mise en évidence de l’activité anti-inflammatoire des sous-fractions méthanoliques des feuilles de Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) chez le rat

Moringa oleifera est une plante de la pharmacopée africaine, très utilisée en médecine traditionnelle pour ses nombreuses applications thérapeutiques. L’objectif de la présente étude était de fractionner la fraction méthanolique de l’extrait hydro-alcoolique de ses feuilles dont les propriétés anti-inflammatoires avaient été démontrées antérieurement et d’identifier la sous-fraction méthanolique la plus active. La méthode de séparation liquide-liquide a été utilisée pour partitionner la fraction méthanolique. Trois sous-fractions méthanoliques (F1, F2 et F3) sont obtenues à l’issue du fractionnement. L’activité anti-inflammatoire de ces extraits a été testée sur un modèle pharmacologique d’oedème aigu de la patte de rat induit par la carraghénine en comparaison à celle de l’aspirine utilisée comme substance de référence. Après administration par gavage, l’aspirine (30 mg/kg) et les extraits (15 et 30 mg/kg) préviennent de manière significative, l’oedème de la patte des rats de la 1ère à la 5ème heure de l’expérience. L’étude montre globalement une activité anti-inflammatoire des sous-fractions F1, F2 et F3. L’effet le plus important est observé avec la F3 durant les trois 1ères heures de l’expérience avec une cinétique d’inhibition de l’oedème comparable à celle de l’aspirine. Ces résultats suggèrent que les feuilles de Moringa oleifera pourraient constituer une source potentielle d’antiinflammatoires dans le traitement des pathologies ayant une composante inflammatoire.© 2016 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Mots clés: Moringa oleifera, feuilles, anti-inflammatoire, sous-fractions méthanoliquesEnglish Title: Study of the anti-inflammatory activity of methanolic sub-fractions of the leaves of Moringa Oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) in ratEnglish AbstractMoringa oleifera is an African pharmacopoeia plant, widely used in traditional medicine for its many therapeutic applications. This study aimed at partitioning the methanolic fraction of hydro-alcoholic leaves extract of which anti-inflammatory properties have been previously demonstrated and to identify the most active methanolic sub-fraction. The liquid/liquid fractionation method was used to partition the methanolic  fraction. Three methanolic sub-fractions (F1, F2 and F3) were obtained from the fractionation. Antiinflammatory activity of extracts was tested using pharmacological model of carrageenan-induced acute paw oedema in rats compared to that of aspirin (reference). After oral administration, aspirin (30 mg/kg) and extracts (15 and 30 mg/kg) significantly prevented carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats from the 1st to 5th hours of experimentation. Study showed overall anti-inflammatory activity of methanolic sub-fractions. The most important effect was observed with the F3 during the first three hours with a kinetic inhibition of oedema similar to that of aspirin. These results suggest that the leaves of Moringa oleifera could be a potential source of anti-inflammatory drugs in treatment of diseases with an inflammatory component.© 2016 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Moringa oleifera, leaves, anti-inflammatory, methanolic sub-fraction

Quantitative real-time PCR detection of Zika virus and evaluation with field-caught mosquitoes

BACKGROUND Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito borne flavivirus is a pathogen affecting humans in Asia and Africa. ZIKV infection diagnosis relies on serology-which is challenging due to cross-reactions with other flaviviruses and/or absence or low titer of IgM and IgG antibodies at early phase of infection- virus isolation, which is labor intensive, time consuming and requires appropriate containment. Therefore, real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) is an appealing option as a rapid, sensitive and specific method for detection of ZIKV in the early stage of infection. So far, only one rRT-PCR assay has been described in the context of the outbreak in Micronesia in 2007. In this study, we described a one step rRT-PCR for ZIKV which can detect a wider genetic diversity of ZIKV isolates from Asia and Africa. RESULTS The NS5 protein coding regions of African ZIKV isolates were sequenced and aligned with representative flaviviruses sequences from GenBank to design primers and probe from conserved regions. The analytical sensitivity of the assay was evaluated to be 32 genome-equivalents and 0.05 plaque forming unit (pfu). The assay was shown to detect 37 ZIKV isolates covering a wide geographic in Africa and Asia over 36 years but none of the 31 other flaviviruses tested showing high analytical specificity. The rRT-PCR could be performed in less than 3 hours. This method was used successfully to detect ZIKV strains from field-caught mosquitoes. CONCLUSION We have developed a rapid, sensitive and specific rRT-PCR for detection of ZIKV. This assay is a useful tool for detection of ZIKV infection in regions where a number of other clinically indistinguishable arboviruses like dengue or chikungunya co-circulate. Further studies are needed to validate this assay in clinical positive samples collected during acute ZIKV infection

Multinomial logistic model for coinfection diagnosis between arbovirus and malaria in Kedougou

In tropical regions, populations continue to suffer morbidity and mortality from malaria and arboviral diseases. In Kedougou (Senegal), these illnesses are all endemic due to the climate and its geographical position. The co-circulation of malaria parasites and arboviruses can explain the observation of coinfected cases. Indeed there is strong resemblance in symptoms between these diseases making problematic targeted medical care of coinfected cases. This is due to the fact that the origin of illness is not obviously known. Some cases could be immunized against one or the other of the pathogens, immunity typically acquired with factors like age and exposure as usual for endemic area. Then, coinfection needs to be better diagnosed. Using data collected from patients in Kedougou region, from 2009 to 2013, we adjusted a multinomial logistic model and selected relevant variables in explaining coinfection status. We observed specific sets of variables explaining each of the diseases exclusively and the coinfection. We tested the independence between arboviral and malaria infections and derived coinfection probabilities from the model fitting. In case of a coinfection probability greater than a threshold value to be calibrated on the data, duration of illness above 3 days and age above 10 years-old are mostly indicative of arboviral disease while body temperature higher than 40{\textdegree}C and presence of nausea or vomiting symptoms during the rainy season are mostly indicative of malaria disease

Deployment of the Institut Pasteur de Dakar team to Guinea in the Ebola virus Disease outbreak in West-Africa 2014-2016

First paragraph: The unit of Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Viruses at the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD), a WHO-approved collaborating Centre was the first laboratory deployed to Conakry in the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West-Africa. On 20 March 2014, the IPD laboratory received a letter from the WHO and the Guinean Ministry of Health, informing about a suspected haemorrhagic fever outbreak and difficulties to send collected samples to IPD. They therefore requested the deployment of experts to Guinea for technical support in order to diagnose the haemorrhagic fever of unknown origin. The outbreak was identified by the Institut Pasteur (France) on 21 March 2014 [1,2] in samples shipped to France by a Médecins sans Frontières investigation team

Full-genome characterization and genetic evolution of West African isolates of Bagaza virus

Bagaza virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus, first isolated in 1966 in Central African Republic. It has currently been identified in mosquito pools collected in the field in West and Central Africa. Emergence in wild birds in Europe and serological evidence in encephalitis patients in India raise questions on its genetic evolution and the diversity of isolates circulating in Africa. To better understand genetic diversity and evolution of Bagaza virus, we describe the full-genome characterization of 11 West African isolates, sampled from 1988 to 2014. Parameters such as genetic distances, N-glycosylation patterns, recombination events, selective pressures, and its codon adaptation to human genes are assessed. Our study is noteworthy for the observation of N-glycosylation and recombination in Bagaza virus and provides insight into its Indian origin from the 13th century. Interestingly, evidence of Bagaza virus codon adaptation to human house-keeping genes is also observed to be higher than those of other flaviviruses well known in human infections. Genetic variations on genome of West African Bagaza virus could play an important role in generating diversity and may promote Bagaza virus adaptation to other vertebrates and become an important threat in human health

Vector competence of Aedes vexans (Meigen), Culex poicilipes (Theobald) and Cx. quinquefasciatus Say from Senegal for West and East African lineages of Rift Valley fever virus

Background Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV; Phlebovirus, Bunyaviridae) is a mosquito–borne, zoonotic pathogen. In Senegal, RVFV was first isolated in 1974 from Aedes dalzieli (Theobald) and thereafter from Ae. fowleri (de Charmoy), Ae. ochraceus Theobald, Ae. vexans (Meigen), Culex poicilipes (Theobald), Mansonia africana (Theobald) and Ma. uniformis (Theobald). However, the vector competence of these local species has never been demonstrated making hypothetical the transmission cycle proposed for West Africa based on serological data and mosquito isolates. Methods Aedes vexans and Cx. poicilipes, two common mosquito species most frequently associated with RVFV in Senegal, and Cx. quinquefasciatus, the most common domestic species, were assessed after oral feeding with three RVFV strains of the West and East/central African lineages. Fully engorged mosquitoes (420 Ae. vexans, 563 Cx. quinquefasciatus and 380 Cx. poicilipes) were maintained at 27 ± 1 °C and 70–80 % relative humidity. The saliva, legs/wings and bodies were tested individually for the RVFV genome using real-time RT-PCR at 5, 10, 15 and 20 days post exposure (dpe) to estimate the infection, dissemination, and transmission rates. Genotypic characterisation of the 3 strains used were performed to identify factors underlying the different patterns of transmission. Results The infection rates varied between 30.0–85.0 % for Ae. vexans, 3.3–27 % for Cx. quinquefasciatus and 8.3–46.7 % for Cx. poicilipes, and the dissemination rates varied between 10.5–37 % for Ae. vexans, 9.5–28.6 % for Cx. quinquefasciatus and 3.0–40.9 % for Cx. poicilipes. However only the East African lineage was transmitted, with transmission rates varying between 13.3–33.3 % in Ae. vexans, 50 % in Cx. quinquefasciatus and 11.1 % in Cx. poicilipes. Culex mosquitoes were less susceptible to infection than Ae. vexans. Compared to other strains, amino acid variation in the NSs M segment proteins of the East African RVFV lineage human-derived strain SH172805, might explain the differences in transmission potential. Conclusion Our findings revealed that all the species tested were competent for RVFV with a significant more important role of Ae. vexans compared to Culex species and a highest potential of the East African lineage to be transmitted