Abstract: Maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease caused by a dual infection of maize with Maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV) and any cereal potyvirus such as Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), Maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV) or Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) was first reported in Kenya in 2011 in Bomet County. This study was aimed at determining the presence and genetic variability of MCMV and SCMV in cereal crops,wild and domesticated grasses and the spatial distribution of alternative hosts in...
Abstract: Avocado is a horticultural crop of increasing economic importance in Kenya and around the world. Avocado production has been declining partly due to inadequate pollination. This decline in avocado pollination is currently linked to habitat fragmentation and climate change that negatively affects insect pollinators, especially in high altitude areas such as Taita Hills in coastal Kenya. However, there is scarcity of information on avocado flower visiting insects in Taita Hills. The ...
Abstract: Frankliniella schultzei Trybom is an important pest of ornamental and vegetable crops worldwide and a vector of Tospoviruses, which are plant viruses belonging to the family Bunyaviridae. It occurs as two color forms (dark and pale) which are morphologically very similar hence has been considered as one species. However, differences in vector competency and geographic spread has led to debate on whether they are one or separate species. Moreover, evidence is lacking on whether thes...
Abstract: The braconid larval parasitoid Cotesia flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was introduced into Kenya from Pakistan and India for the control of the exotic crambid stem borer Chilo partellus Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). In Africa, maize fields are usually islands surrounded by land occupied by wild gramineous plants. Many of the wild plants harbour borer species not found on crops. It is not known if the exotic parasitoid C. flavipes follows these borers into the wild ha...
Abstract: Xenorhabdus is a bacteria genus of the family Enterobacteriaceae. Bacteria of this genus form a mutualistic relationship with Steinernema entomopathogenic nematodes. More so, their antimicrobial production serves as a potential source of novel antibiotics in the wake of growing antimicrobial resistance. This study aimed to establish the phylogenetic relationship of three Xenorhabdus isolates to the 24 described species of the genus based on the 16s rRNA gene. Secondly, it aimed to ...
Abstract: Anopheles gambiae mosquito, the principle Afro-tropical vector of malaria, has been documented in habitats with heavy metals in excess of natural loads. The mosquito has also displayed resistance to most conventional insecticides, and potential to resist challenges by heavy metals. Investigations were conducted in strains of An. gambiae ss, in which tolerance to cadmium and lead heavy metals were established. This study was undertaken to determine any putative relationship between ...
Abstract: Tsetse flies are important agricultural and medical vectors of African trypanosomes, the causative agents of trypanosomosis in humans and animals. The life cycle of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma, in its invertebrate vector begins when the tsetse fly feeds on an infected mammalian host. An important step in the establishment of tsetse midgut infection involves transformation of bloodstream-form trypanosomes into procyclic forms. This process is mediated by a wide variety of fac...
Abstract: One of the greatest challenges facing the people of sub-Saharan Africa is the production of sufficient food to feed a rapidly increasing population in the face of dwindling finances. As the population grows at 3% and food production at 2% per annum, an annual shortage of 250 million tons of food is expected by year 2020. The greatest obstacle to increasing the production of maize and sorghum, the staple food in many African communities south of the Sahara, is damage by phytophagous...
Abstract: Many successful laboratory studies have demonstrated the potential of using the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana against malaria mosquitoes. This study focussed on infection of wild malaria mosquitoes with the entomopathogeriic fungus B. bassiana under field conditions. Four experiments were carried out under laboratory conditions by use of World Health Organization bioassay cones, for exposure of3-6 days old, non-blood fed laboratory-reared Anopheles arabiensis mosquito...
Abstract: Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a mosquito borne viral infection, first reported in the Rift Valley province of Kenya in 1912 and identified in 1931. Major outbreaks have been reported in Kenya in 1997/1998 and 2006/2007. Baringo, Garissa and Kilifi district of Kenya were hot spots in the last major RVF outbreak that occurred in the country in 2006/2007. Investigations were conducted during the outbreak to establish putative mosquito vectors and vertebrate host of RVF virus. Engorged fe...
Abstract: Sampling insects in and around Napier grass fields revealed that 21 Homopteran insect species exploit Napier Grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach 1827) canopy. Leafhopper Cicadulina sp., and plant hoppers; Leptodelphax dymas Young, and Sogatella manentho Horvath, are the most dominant Napier canopy insects. This study developed a Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification of DNA (LAMP) for rapid detection of phytoplasma 16S rDNA. LAMP was simple, sensitive, specific, robust and very ra...
Abstract: Sustainable mango production will rely increasingly on alternatives to conventional chemical insecticides that are environmentally friendly for the management of fruit flies. The use of microbial control agents such as fungi in pest suppression is considered suitable since micro-organisms usually exert low environmental impact and are target specific. Application methods of bio-pesticides in the environment, which use minimal amount of inoculum is currently under improvement from i...
Abstract: Several studies have shown that Rhipicephalus appendiculatus from geographically isolated areas differ in their susceptibilities to Theileria paIva, the haemoprotozoan causative agent of East Coast Fever. In Kenya, R. appendiculatus from Muguga have been reported to be less susceptible to T parva infection than those from Rusinga Islands. As the same tick species from different areas shows variation in vector competence, it was considered to be of epidemiological interest to determ...
Abstract: This research work on the role of termites in an arid ecosystem covered eleven months (August 1981 to .June 1982). It was conducted at the site of the UNESCO integrated project in Arid Lands (UNESCO - !PAL} . This area is in Western Marsabit district, Kenya . About 80% of this area is semi-arid thorn bush scrubland and receives annual rainfall from about 100 to 600 mm. A survey of the termite fauna as a whole was carried out around most of the !PAL Field camps. Main investigation s...
Abstract: Malaria is an infectious disease that continues to be associated with considerable morbidity and mortality and significant social and economic impact on developing societies. Approximately 300 million people worldwide are affected and between 1 and 1.5 million people die from it every year. The disease is caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Plasmodium. Four species are known to cause malaria in man; these are Plasmodium falciparum, P, vivax, P.ovale and P malariae. The para...