C-banding patterns in Japanese grasshoppers belonging to the subfamily Podisminae: Podisma sapporensis Shiraki (2n •‰=23, NF=23), Parapodisma subastris Huang, Parapodisma tenryuensis Kobayashi, Parapodisma yamato Tominaga et Storozhenko, Parapodisma mikado (I. Bolivar), Fruhstorferiola okinawaensis (Shiraki) (2n d=21, NF =21), and Sinopodisma punctata Mistshenko (2nd = 21, all chromosomes are two-armed) were studied. Cytogenetic similarities and differences between particular species are discussed using the C-banding method.

Ethiopia and South Africa are among the few countries to still implement indoor residual spraying with dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) for malaria vector control. In this study, we investigated the levels and ecological risks of DDT and its metabolites in liver tissues of house rat, as a sentinel animal, for providing an early warning system for public health and wildlife intervention from Ethiopia and South Africa. The results showed that ΣDDT concentration ranged from 127 to 9155 μg/kg wet weight, and the distribution order of DDT and its metabolites in the analyzed liver samples was p,p'-DDD > p,p'-DDE >> p,p'-DDT, o,p'-DDT, and o,p'-DDD. The risk assessment indicated a potential adverse impact on humans, especially for pregnant women and children, because they spend majority of their time in a DDT-sprayed house. The ecological assessment also showed a concern for birds of prey and amphibians like frogs. This study is the first report on DDT contamination in liver tissues of house rats from Ethiopia and South Africa, and henceforth, the data will serve as a reference data for future studies.

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Many countries with incidence of malaria, including those surrounding Maputo Bay, use dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) to reduce mosquitoes. This study is the first to estimate the human health risk associated with consumption of marine fish from Maputo Bay contaminated with DDTs. The median for ∑DDTs was 3.8 ng/g ww (maximum 280.9 ng/g ww). The overall hazard ratio for samples was 1.5 at the 75th percentile concentration and 28.2 at the 95th percentile. These calculations show increased potential cancer risks due to contamination by DDTs, data which will help policy makers perform a risk-benefit analysis of DDT use in malaria control programs in the region.