Investigating the population structure and genetic diversity of Arabian horses in Oman using SNP markers.

Arabian horses were selected for metabolic efficiency, beauty, efficiency and endurance. Therefore, Bedouins have for centuries traced their prized horses' ancestries. With the establishment of the World Arabian Horse Organization (WAHO), registration of Arabian horses became centralized and countries worldwide registered them in its database. Most existing Arabian horses in Oman today were imported after the 1970s and are predominantly flat-racing Arabians. This work aimed at revealing the genetic background and diversity of Omani Arabian horses by comparing them with Arabian horses from a diverse genetic background. To that end, we genotyped 63 randomly sampled Arabian horses from Oman using the Illumina Equine SNP70. For comparison, SNP genotypes of 12 Saudi Arabian horses, 27 French, 77 Egyptian, 11 Polish and 36 US Arabians were included in the study. We additionally included 17 Thoroughbred horses and 21 horses representing large and small breeds as an outgroup. Our MDS analysis and phylogenetic analysis showed that the Arabian horses in Oman cluster primarily with French Arabian horses, with a few horses clustering within the Polish/US Arabians. The French Arabian horse cluster was the closest to the Thoroughbred horses. Amongst the Arabian horses, plink average genomic inbreeding levels were highest in the Egyptian Arabian (0.169) followed by the Saudi Arabian horses (0.137) and lowest in the Omani and French Arabian horses, -0.041 and -0.079 respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the genetic background and diversity of Arabian horses in Oman. Our results demonstrated a definite subpopulation structure among Arabian horses and this information should advise future decision-making on Arabian horse breeding.

Epidemiology of rabies in Oman:a retrospective study [1991-2013]

Animal bites and rabies are under-reported in many developing countries and there is poor understanding of the disease burden. The aim of this study was to map the epidemiology of animal bites and rabies in Oman over the period 1991-2013. In a cross-sectional,descriptive, surveillance-based study, all data about animal bites and rabies from the national communicable disease surveillance system were analysed. A total of 22 788 cases of animal bites were reported. Most bites were to males [70%] and the 10-19 year age group [26%]. Cats were the most common animal and upper extremities were the most common bite site. There were 8 rabies cases reported during the study period,mostly due to bites from wild animals, with 100% mortality. Of 758 suspected animals tested,56.1% were positive for rabies; foxes had the highest positivity rate [70.1%]. The high incidence of animal bites in Oman emphasizes the importance of a rabies prevention and control programme

Les morsures d'animaux et la rage font l'objet d'une sous-notification dans de nombreux pays en développement où la charge de la maladie reste mal comprise. L'objectif de la présente étude était de cartographier l'épidémiologie des morsures d'animaux et de la rage à Oman entre 1991 et 2013. Dans une étude transversale et descriptive reposant sur la surveillance, toutes les données sur les morsures d'animaux et la rage extraites du système national de surveillance des maladies transmissibles ont été analysées.Au total, 22 788 cas de morsures d'animaux avaient été notifiés.La plupart des victimes de morsures étaient de sexe masculin [70 %] et appartenaient à la tranche d'âge des 10-19 ans[26%]. L'animal mordeur le plus fréquent était le chat et les membres supérieurs représenteraient le site le plus souvent mordu. Pendant la période de l'étude,huit cas de rage ont été rapportés, essentiellement dus à des morsures par des animaux sauvages,avec un taux de mortalité de 100 %. Sur les 758 animaux suspects dépistés, 56,1 % étaient positifs pour la rage ; les renards avaient le pourcentage positif le plus élevé [70,1 %]. Cette forte incidence des morsures animales à Oman souligne l'importance d'un programme de prévention et de lutte concernant la rage

Parasitism and Biological Control of Verticillium dahliae by Pythium oligandrum.

Pythium oligandrum was a parasite of Verticillium dahliae in dual culture, impeding the latter's ability to grow and form microsclerotia. Variation occurred among isolates of P. oligandrum in their parasitism toward isolates of V. dahliae, and isolates of V. dahliae expressed a range of susceptibilities to parasitism by P. oligandrum. Temperature and matric potential significantly affected interactions between these fungi. Populations of P. oligandrum in the rhizosphere of pepper (Capsicum annuum) were similar in a potting soil infested and noninfested with V. dahliae, but the populations of V. dahliae in combined samples of rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere soil of pepper were significantly lower in the presence of P. oligandrum than in its absence. In greenhouse experiments with pepper grown in soil infested with V. dahliae, shoot and fruit weights were significantly higher in the presence of P. oligandrum than in its absence. However, when soil was infested only with P. oligandrum, fresh weights of shoots and fruits were 40 to 50% higher than when plants were grown in its absence, evidence that this fungus significantly promoted growth of this crop. Therefore, processes responsible for improved plant health associated with soil treatment with P. oligandrum could be the result of complex interactions between pathogen, host, and mycoparasite.

Rhizosphere Competence of Pythium oligandrum.

ABSTRACT The associations of Pythium oligandrum with the root cortex, rhizoplane, and rhizosphere were measured with 11 crop species. This work was expedited by the use of a semiselective technique for isolation of P. oligandrum from soil and plant material. Cortical colonization of roots by P. oligandrum was not detected, and the rhizoplanes of the roots of most crops were free of the fungus. However, P. oligandrum was detected in large quantities with every crop tested when roots with adhering soil (rhizosphere soil) were assayed. Different crop species and cultivars of cantaloupe, cauliflower, and tomato varied in rhizosphere densities of P. oligandrum, but rhizosphere population densities of the fungus were consistently higher than in nonrhizosphere soils with plants grown in P. oligandrum-infested sterilized potting mix or an unsterilized mineral soil. After transplanting tomatoes into potting mix infested with P. oligandrum, increases in CFU occurred over time in the rhizosphere but not in the nonrhizosphere soil. In trials on delivery methods of inoculum of P. oligandrum, the rhizosphere populations of tomato plants grown in potting mix were about sixfold higher compared to seed-coat treatments when ground, alginate pelleted oospores were applied to seedlings growing in plug containers prior to transplanting or to pots containing potting mix before direct seeding.