Insect Vector and Reservoir Plant of 'Fragaria × ananassa' Phyllody Phytoplasma (16SrXIII-F) in Central Region of Chile.

Strawberry phyllody has emerged as a prevalent disease affecting Chilean strawberry in recent years. The causal pathogen, 'Fragaria × ananassa' phyllody phytoplasma (StrPh), is categorized within the 16S ribosomal group XIII that is exclusively found in the Americas. In the context of economically significant crops, hemipteran insect vectors and alternative host plants play a pivotal role in their natural dissemination. This study comprehensively examined the key epidemiological facets of StrPh in the central region of Chile: the insect vector and alternative hosts. Through field surveys, we identified an abundance of an insect species, Cixiosoma sp., in an StrPh-infected strawberry field and confirmed its role as a vector of this phytoplasma through subsequent transmission assays. Moreover, we found a spontaneous weed species, Galega officinalis, to be infected with StrPh, raising the possibility of it being a potential alternative host plant for this phytoplasma. StrPh was also detected in cold-stored strawberry runners purchased from a nursery that supplies the local strawberry cultivation, suggesting a potential source of this phytoplasma in Chile. Collectively, these findings provide a significant epidemiological source of StrPh dissemination in central Chile.

Hiponatremia grave secundaria a la exposición a veneno de Phyllomedusa Bicolor (Rana Kambó): caso clínico / Severe hyponatremia secondary to Phyllomedusa bicolor (Kambó frog) poisoning: report of one case

Phyllomedusa bicolor or Kambo is a frog that lives in the Amazon rainforest. It can release through its skin a substance used in healing rituals that are common among South-American tribes, as well as in urban people of America and Europe. We report a 41-year-old female patient who, during a healing ritual consumed ayahuasca (a drink obtained from the mixture of Banisteriopsis caapi, Psychotria viridis and Mimosa hostilis) and 12 hours later received the poison of Kambo Frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor) on superficial right shoulder skin burns. The ritual included a minimum of six-liter water intake over a few hours period. She evolved with clouding of sensorium, motor agitation, frequent vomiting, and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. She presented lethargic to the emergency room, with a weak pupillary light reflex, generalized stiffness, moving all four limbs. Laboratory showed severe hyponatremia (120 mEq/L) and a creatine kinase level of 8,479 UI/L, that increased 107,216 IU/L within few days. An admission CT Brain scan was normal. The toxicological screening did not identify the presence of other substances. During hospitalization the patient developed severe psychomotor agitation controlled by a dexmedetomidine infusion, hyponatremia, low plasma osmolality (248 mOsm/kg), and disproportionately high urinary osmolality (448 mOsm/kg), suggestive of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion syndrome (SIADH). With correction of hyponatremia, the patient gradually recovered consciousness. Rhabdomyolysis was assumed to be secondary to seizure and managed by volume and bicarbonate infusions with a positive response.