Scaling up collaborative TB-HIV activities in Latin America.

TB-HIV collaborative activities are one of the cornerstones of TB control in the Stop TB strategy. Since 2003, most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have been gradually implementing TB-HIV collaborative activities; however, limited information is currently available on the degree of implementation. This study is therefore aimed at describing to what degree TB-HIV collaborative activities are being implemented in 17 countries selected for the study. These countries were asked to complete a semi-structured questionnaire. An analysis of this questionnaire revealed that the challenges for TB-HIV collaboration lie in the fields of human resources, surveillance and HIV testing of TB patients.

Potato Psyllid (Hemiptera: Triozidae) Response to Insecticides Under Controlled Greenhouse Conditions.

Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) is a common pest of solanaceous crops largely known for vectoring "psyllid yellows" in potatoes. In recent years, however, this pest has attracted considerable attention for vectoring Zebra Chip, a devastating bacterial disease that was first reported in the United States in 2004 and has spread across the southern and northwestern states, causing significant economic losses to potato growers and the industry. Management of the disease is mainly achieved by reducing the psyllid population using insecticides, including pyrethroids and neonicotinoids; however, new insecticides with different modes of action are needed to avoid the acquisition of resistance. In the current study, the immediate and residual effects of conventional and new materials were tested under greenhouse conditions against adults and nymphs. Cyantraniliprole at a high rate and spinetoram showed the highest immediate and residual activity against adults, whereas cyantraniliprole and oxamyl (low and high rates) were effective against nymphs, with no differences between rates. Soil applications of cyantraniliprole, oxamyl, and imidacloprid were still toxic to adults and nymphs 7 and 14 d after treatment. Also, cyantraniliprole and tolfenpyrad were detrimental to psyllid reproduction. The incorporation of new chemistry in rotation programs may provide a useful management tool against this pest.