Epididymal glutathione peroxidase (GPX) has been suggested as a major factor in combating loss of fertility of spermatozoa due to lipid peroxidation. We report here the isolation and sequence of putative GPX cDNAs from rat (Rattus rattus) and cynomolgus-monkey (Macaca fascicularis) epididymis, which exhibit marked sequence identity with known GPXs. In both species the cDNAs encode predicted pre...

A total of 519 wild animals belonging to eleven species were collected during a two year study in a cutaneous leishmaniasis endemic area in Venezuela (La Matica, Lara State). The animals were captured in home-made Tomahawk-like traps baited with maize, bananas or other available local fruits, and parasites were isolated from 27 specimens. Two different species were found naturally infected with...

Occupants of coastal and island eastern Africa-now known as the 'Swahili coast'-were involved in long-distance trade with the Indian Ocean world during the later first millennium CE. Such exchanges may be traced via the appearance of non-native animals in the archaeofaunal record; additionally, this record reveals daily culinary practises of the members of trading communities and can thus shed ...

Ecological and conservation genetics require sampling of organisms in the wild. Appropriate preservation of the collected samples, usually by cryostorage, is key to the quality of the genetic data obtained. Nevertheless, cryopreservation in the field to ensure RNA and DNA stability is not always possible. We compared several nucleic acid preservation solutions appropriate for field sampling and...

Invasive rats are some of the largest contributors to seabird extinction and endangerment worldwide. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies on seabird-rat interactions to examine which seabird phylogenetic, morphological, behavioral, and life history characteristics affect their susceptibility to invasive rats and to identify which rat species have had the largest impact on seabird mortality. ...

Wesselsbron disease is a neglected mosquito transmitted Flavivirus infection that causes abortions and has teratogenic effects on sheep and cattle in Africa. Human can also be infected. The detection of human or animal cases is complicated by the non-specific symptoms close to Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in domestic livestock species or Dengue like syndrome in humans. Then, these detections are usu...

Vol. 6, No. 6, November–December 2000 Emerging Infectious Diseases when aggressive male animals fight. Although this pattern has been observed for several host species of New World hantaviruses, this is the first known demonstration for Dobrava virus and A. flavicollis. Of the two female rodents with evidence of hantavirus infection, one had scars, and one did not. The latter was positive by PC...

Broamadiolone is an anticoagulant, recommended as 0.005% bait for controlling rodent pests. Present study was conducted to investigate the toxicity potential of sublethal doses of bromadiolone (0.001% bait) along with blood clotting response in house rat, Rattus rattus. Mature and healthy rats of both sexes were divided into three groups. Rats of group I were fed on bait containing 0.001% broma...