First report of the visceral leishmaniasis vector Phlebotomus martini (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Tanzania.

Phlebotomus martini is a known vector of visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania donovani in sub-Saharan Africa. The disease is known to be endemic in areas of north and south Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Somalia but has not been reported from Tanzania. In this report we present the first documented collection of P. martini and P. vansomerenae in Tanzania. Sand flies were collected using standard dry-ice baited CDC light traps (John W. Hock Company, Gainesville, FL) from five sampling sites in the Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions from 14 to 20 July 2010. Phlebotomus martini was collected from all sites and represented 6.6% of the total identified sand flies. Phlebotomus martini ranged from 4.5 to 9.4% of the total identified catch from the four sites in the Kilimanjaro region and 17.9% of the total identified catch at the one collection site in the Arusha region. In addition, one male specimen of the sibling species, Phlebotomus vansomerenae, was found at Chemka Springs in the Kilimanjaro region. These data indicate the presence of an established population(s) of P. martini in northern Tanzania that could support L. donovani transmission in an area with no prior case history of visceral leishmaniasis.

Use of sleeve nets to improve survival of the Boisduval silkworm, Anaphe panda, in the Kakamega forest of western Kenya.

Prospects for development of a wild silk industry in Africa would be improved if silkworm survival during mass production could be improved. A study on the survival of the Boisduval silkworm, Anaphe panda (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Thaumetopoeidae) was conducted with and without protection by net sleeves in two different forest habitats (natural and modified) in the Kakamega forest of western Kenya. Overall, cohort survival was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the natural than in the modified forest, but larval survival was improved over three-fold by protection with net sleeves in both habitat types. In the modified forest, only 16.8% of unprotected larvae survived to the pupal stage and formed cocoons, whereas 62.3% survived in the same environment when they were protected with net sleeves. In the natural forest, 20.4% of unprotected larvae survived, whereas 67.7% survived in net sleeves. There was also a significant effect of season; cohorts of larvae that eclosed in the wet season had significantly lower survival than those eclosing in the dry season (P = 0.02). Sources of mortality appeared to be natural enemies (parasites, predators and diseases) and climatic factors.

Vector competence of Kenyan Culex zombaensis and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes for Rift Valley fever virus.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) continues to be a significant problem in Kenya as well as in Egypt, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia. In order to determine the ability of Kenyan mosquitoes to transmit RVF virus (RVFV), we collected mosquitoes in the Lake Naivasha region of Kenya and evaluated them for their potential to transmit RVFV under laboratory conditions. After feeding on a hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) with a viremia of 10(9.7) plaque-forming units of virus/ml of blood, Culex zombaensis were highly susceptible to infection with RVFV, with 89% becoming infected. In contrast, Cx. quinquefasciatus that were fed on the same hamsters were marginally susceptible, with only 20% becoming infected. Differences in percentages of mosquitoes that developed a disseminated infection were equally disparate, with 55% and 8%, for Cx. zombaensis and Cx. quinquefasciatus, respectively. Forty-eight percent of the Cx. zombaensis with a disseminated infection that fed on a susceptible hamster transmitted virus by bite, indicating a moderate salivary gland barrier. However, the presence of a salivary gland barrier could not be determined for Cx. quinquefasciatus because none of the 18 mosquitoes that took a 2nd blood meal had a disseminated infection. These studies illustrate the need to identify the ability of individual mosquito species to transmit RVFV so that correct decisions can be made concerning the application of appropriate control measures during an outbreak.

Successful pregnancy in a diabetic patient treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

In this article we describe the successful management of pregnancy and delivery in a 26-yr-old patient with advanced diabetic nephropathy and chronic renal failure. Targets for control of blood urea and hemoglobin were achieved with the aid of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Peritoneal dialysis did not interfere with normal recovery from cesarean section. With CAPD, successful pregnancy is now possible in this group of patients, among whom fetal loss would otherwise be high.