Abstract: Ticks are haematophagous ectoparasites capable of transmitting diseases to vertebrates and, therefore, constitute a threat to human, livestock and wildlife health. Though synthetic chemical aearicides have made a tremendous impact over the years in the control and management of the vector on livestock, ticks have developed resistance to most of them. In addition, the chemicals are toxic to non-target organisms. In some parts of Kenya, powdered parts of some plants, including those ...
ABSTRACT Insecticide resistance affects the re-emergence of vector borne diseases and their control. Resistance to insecticides poses a risk to compromise the role of chemical vector control as a component of the integrated vector management. The kdr (knock down resistance) allele is characterised by a single base pair substitution causing a change from leu to phe (West Africa) or leu to see (East African) in codon 1014 of the voltage sensitive sodium channel protein sequence. In Ken...
Abstract: Onset of uncomplicated malaria is characterized by fever, headache, joint pains, myalgia and lack of appetite. These non-specific signs and symptoms also present in patients with arthropod borne viral (arboviral) infections complicate differential diagnoses. The lack of diagnostics that can detect arboviral infections in Kenyan public hospitals coupled with malaria diagnostic tools incapable of detecting low Plasmodiumparasitemia,has led to diagnosis based on clinical symptoms only...
Abstract: Late stage Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) is manifested by brain degeneration following infection by Trypanasoma brucei rhodensiense and Trypanasoma brucei gambiense parasites. This stage can only be treated with melarsoprol (Mel B) which inadvertently induces Post Treatment Reactive Encephalopathy (PTRE) and a mortality of 5% among HAT infected patients. This is an unacceptable mortality for a modern human drug. Investigations were conducted to establish the protective role o...
Abstract: The Lake Victoria region of western Kenya is malaria endemic with a suitable environment throughout the year for the transmission of Plasmodium parasites by its primary mosquito vector, Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.), as well as other secondary vectors. Malaria control largely depends on vector control using long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) that protect humans from infectious bites while sleeping. However, the success of this strategy is greatly threatened by resistance ...
Abstract: African animal trypanosomosis, transmitted by the tsetse fly (Glossina spp.) remains a major constraint to food security in areas of Africa that hold the continent's greatest potential for expanded agriculture production. The flies also transmit the parasite responsible for human sleeping sickness. Other haematophagous arthropods like stable flies also transmit trypanosomes mechanically. Mechanical transmission only accounts for a small percentage (-16 % ) of the trypanosomes trans...
Abstract: Tsetse fly is an insect of great economic importance to man because it transmits sleeping sickness to both man and his livestock. The insect feeds on a bloodmeal thereby transmitting the disease from infected to healthy individuals. The tsetse fly, Glossina spp. belongs to the order Diptera and family Glossinidae and 22 species have been identified. The fly is mainly found in humid areas especially along the river valleys and bushes in Sub-Saharan Africa . Insects are known to poss...
Abstract: Various neem (Azadirachta indica. A. Juss) formulations were evaluated under laboratory and greenhouse conditions for their effects on two-spotted spider mites, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae), on tomatoes, Lycopersicum esculentum. Four neem formulations (Neemros: neem seed powder with 0.5% azadirachtin, Neemroc: a water miscible emulsifiable concentrate oil, with 0.03% azadirachtin, Saroneem: an alcohol extract; extracted in isopropyl alcohol, containing 1% a...
Abstract: Tsetse flies are vectors of African trypanosomes, the protozoan agent of devastating disease, trypanosomiasis that afflicts both humans and animals. Currently, there is no promising vaccine in the horizon and treatment efforts are further constrained by the rapid increase in parasite drug resistance observed in patients. In addition, little effort is being made to develop new and effective drugs. Alternative methods to control trypanosomiasis and its transmission are therefore requ...
Abstract: The tsetse fly is an insect of great economic importance to man as a vector of both human and animal trypanosomiasis. Trypanosomes are ingested by the tsetse fly vector with a bloodmeal taken from .an infected host. In the midgut, these parasites are exposed to a hostile environment which comprises of lectins/ trypanoagglutinins, proteolytic enzymes, trypanolysins and other unknown factors. Lectins or agglutinins are a group of proteins of non-immune in origin, that bind carbohydra...
Abstract: Soil is the primary reservoir for fungi of which Aspergillus and Fusarium species are the main causal agents of maize ear rot and mycotoxin production. Season and cropping systems are known to influence soil fungal community structure. It is imperative to establish the distribution and density of soil fungal communities as a requisite for formulating strategies for management of ear rot infections and mycotoxin contamination. The current study was carried out to investigate the dis...
Abstract: Malaria is a strong selective force in the human genome, selecting genes for resistance to disease in human populations living in malaria endemic areas. Selection by malaria has generated genetic variations, providing evolutionary driving force mediating polymorphisms such as Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase deficiency and sickle-cell anaemia. Genes encoding erythrocyte receptors of Plasmodium falciparum especially the sialoglycoproteins, glycophorins A, B and C, which are the mai...
The main purpose of this study was to establish the pathway(s) by which PEP from glucose catabolism is catabolised , the end products formed in the presence and absence of SHAM, the sub cellular localisation of some key enzymes involved in PEP catabolism and to partially characterise PEPCK in bloodstream T. congolense.
Abstract: The relationship between Pseudotheraptus wayi (cashew pest), Anacardium occidentale (cashew plant), and Oecophylla longinoda (natural enemy) is a trophic interaction that is very important in cashew nut production. However, the chemical ecology of the interaction, specifically between the cashew plant and natural enemy as well as the pest and natural enemy was little investigated. Based on the hypothesis that both interactions were mediated by chemical signals, the objective of thi...
Abstract: In a previous study using three plant species (maize, sorghum and Napier grass), naïve gravid B fusca females significantly preferred sorghum and maize over Napier grass for oviposition a phenomenon, which was partly related to plant physical characteristics such as leaf surface texture and sheath toughness. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine the importance of plant chemical characteristics (volatiles as well as surface compounds) in host selection for ovipositio...