Search results for "Madagascar"
showing 10 items of 60 documents
Prevention of Tungiasis and Tungiasis-Associated Morbidity Using the Plant-Based Repellent Zanzarin: A Randomized, Controlled Field Study in Rural Ma…
2013
Background Tungiasis, a parasitic skin disease caused by the female sand flea Tunga penetrans, is a prevalent condition in impoverished communities in the tropics. In this setting, the ectoparasitosis is associated with important morbidity. It causes disfigurement and mutilation of the feet. Feasible and effective treatment is not available. So far prevention is the only means to control tungiasis-associated morbidity. Methodology In two villages in Central Madagascar, we assessed the efficacy of the availability of closed shoes and the twice-daily application of a plant-based repellent active against sand fleas (Zanzarin) in comparison to a control group without intervention. The study pop…
A new species of the genus Spiroxys (Nematoda: Gnathostomatidae) from Madagascan pleurodiran turtles (Pelomedusidae)
2008
AbstractSpiroxys ankarafantsika, sp. nov. is described from Madagascar in two species of freshwater turtles, Pelusios castanoides and Pelomedusa subrufa. Spiroxys ankarafantsika differs from other species of the genus in having pseudolabial teeth only on the median lobes and no other cuticular prominences, a smooth cuticular collar, deirides as cervical minute spine-like projections, and a gubernaculum without tubes. This is the first record of a nominal species of the genus Spiroxys from the Ethiopian region.
Molecular phylogeny of Malagasy poison frogs, genus Mantella (Anura: Mantellidae): homoplastic evolution of colour pattern in aposematic amphibians
2002
Abstract We studied the evolution of colour pattern in Malagasy poison frogs, genus Mantella , a group of diurnal and toxic frogs endemic to Madagascar. Based on a phylogeny reconstructed using 1130 bp of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, the genus can be divided into five species groups. Within some of these groups, interspecific genetic divergences were very low (1.2–2.8% sequence divergence) while colour patterns were markedly different. In contrast, Mantella madagascariensis and M . baroni , two species which show extremely similar dorsal coloration patterns, were not included in the same clade. This conclusion was supported by high bootstrap values and by significant rejection of altern…
Gastrointestinal helminths found in the three freshwater turtles (Erymnochelys madagascariensis, Pelomedusa subrufa and Pelusios castanoides) from An…
2007
Abstract We conducted a survey of the presence, prevalence and diversity of gastrointestinal helminths in faecal samples and stomach contents of three turtle species, — Erymnochelys madagascariensis (Chelonia: Podocnemididae), Pelomedusa subrufa and Pelusios castanoides (Chelonia: Pelomedusidae), — from several localities in Madagascar. Four nematode species were detected: Atractis chabaudi, Camallanus chelonius, Falcaustra pelusios, and Spiroxys sp. E. madagascariensis, with all four species, had the greatest helminth diversity. A. chabaudi was the community’s core species, whereas Spiroxys sp. was a satellite species. Only two species (A. chabaudi and Spiroxys sp.) were found in P. subruf…
Hybridization of mouse lemurs: different patterns under different ecological conditions
2011
Abstract Background Several mechanistic models aim to explain the diversification of the multitude of endemic species on Madagascar. The island's biogeographic history probably offered numerous opportunities for secondary contact and subsequent hybridization. Existing diversification models do not consider a possible role of these processes. One key question for a better understanding of their potential importance is how they are influenced by different environmental settings. Here, we characterized a contact zone between two species of mouse lemurs, Microcebus griseorufus and M. murinus, in dry spiny bush and mesic gallery forest that border each other sharply without intermediate habitats…
Paradox between malnutrition and nutritional richness of foods in Madagascar: the example of Moringa oleifera
2013
Madagascar has two faces: a developing country with a high percentage of population under poverty scale, and a country rich in natural resources. Only few studies examined this paradox between malnutrition prevalence and food availability. In other developing countries Moringa oleifera (MO) was proposed as a potential solution for its high nutritional value. In Madagascar this plant grows in the wild.The present research investigated why MO leaves are not part of Malagasy diet and how it could be introduce as daily food. A first study examined the actual nutritional composition of Malagasy MO leaves, and a second one the perceived nutritional value of these leaves by Malagasy people.Results …
Multiple overseas dispersal in amphibians
2003
Amphibians are thought to be unable to disperse over ocean barriers because they do not tolerate the osmotic stress of salt water. Their distribution patterns have therefore generally been explained by vicariance biogeography. Here, we present compelling evidence for overseas dispersal of frogs in the Indian Ocean region based on the discovery of two endemic species on Mayotte. This island belongs to the Comoro archipelago, which is entirely volcanic and surrounded by sea depths of more than 3500 m. This constitutes the first observation of endemic amphibians on oceanic islands that did not have any past physical contact to other land masses. The two species of frogs had previously been tho…
The colposcopic atlas of schistosomiasis in the lower female genital tract based on studies in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and South Africa.
2014
Background Schistosoma (S.) haematobium is a neglected tropical disease which may affect any part of the genital tract in women. Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) may cause abnormal vaginal discharge, contact bleeding, genital tumours, ectopic pregnancies and increased susceptibility to HIV. Symptoms may mimic those typical of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and women with genital schistosomiasis may be incorrectly diagnosed. An expert consensus meeting suggested that the following findings by visual inspection should serve as proxy indicators for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis of the lower genital tract in women from S. haematobium endemic areas: sandy patches appearing as (1) …
First Data on the Molecular Phylogeography of Scincid Lizards of the Genus Mabuya
2000
A 487-bp fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene was sequenced in 26 species of the circumtropical lizard genus Mabuya and used to analyze phylogenetic relationships within the genus. The species from Africa and Madagascar formed a monophyletic group relative to the included Asian and South American taxa. The Malagasy species included (M. elegans, M. cf. dumasi, and M. comorensis) did not appear as a monophylum. Combined and separate analysis of the 16S data and additional sequences of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA, ND4, and cytochrome b genes (a total of 2255 bp) in one Asian, two Malagasy, and two African species also did not result consistently in a monophyletic grouping of the Malagasy…
Stephanotis floribunda infetta da TSWV in Liguria.
2010
Il genere Stephanotis (famiglia delle Asclepiadaceae ) comprende cinque specie di piante rampicanti, sempreverdi, originarie del Madagascar. La più nota ed apprezzata è la specie S. floribunda Brongn., i cui fiori tubulosi, bianchi, leggermente carnosi, riuniti in ombrelle ascellari, sbocciano da maggio ad ottobre emanando un intenso e gradevole profumo. Questi fiori ricordano molto quelli del gelsomino, pur essendo più grandi e cerosi, ma questa somiglianza è bastata ad attribuire alla pianta l’appellativo “gelsomino del Madagascar”. S. floribunda costituisce una coltura di recente introduzione nella Piana di Albenga (Savona): la sua coltivazione è per ora limitata a poche aziende che prod…