BackgroundIn 2008–09, evidence of Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) infection was found in domestic pigs and pig workers in the Philippines. With species of bats having been shown to be the cryptic reservoir of filoviruses elsewhere, the Philippine government, in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, assembled a multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional team to investigate Philippine bats as the possible reservoir of RESTV.MethodsThe team undertook surveillance of bat populations at multiple locations during 2010 using both serology and molecular assays.ResultsA total of 464 bats from 21 species were sampled. We found both molecular and serologic evidence of RESTV infection in multiple bat species. RNA was detected with quantitative PCR (qPCR) in oropharyngeal swabs taken from Miniopterus schreibersii, with three samples yielding a product on conventional hemi-nested PCR whose sequences differed from a Philippine pig isolate by a single nucleotide. Uncorroborated qPCR detections may indicate RESTV nucleic acid in several additional bat species (M. australis, C. brachyotis and Ch. plicata). We also detected anti-RESTV antibodies in three bats (Acerodon jubatus) using both Western blot and ELISA.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that ebolavirus infection is taxonomically widespread in Philippine bats, but the evident low prevalence and low viral load warrants expanded surveillance to elaborate the findings, and more broadly, to determine the taxonomic and geographic occurrence of ebolaviruses in bats in the region.
SUMMARYA rapid, simple method is described for estimating the area of rubber leaves from two measurements on the middle and one of the side leaflets. The relationship between the area of a leaflet (A) and its length × breadth (LB), described by the expression A = 0.654 LB, does not vary between the three leaflets or between leaves of different ages, and clonal differences are slight.
Treatments with a partially neutralized formulation of phosphorous acid containing potassium phosphite were assessed for control of Phytophthora diseases in subtropical and temperate crops in Australia. In Queensland, trunk injections of phosphite (10% solution) controlled severe root rot (Phytophthora cinnamomi) of avocado trees and resulted in the recovery of trees. Single pre‐harvest sprays (2.5 kg ha‐1) of phosphite controlled root and heart rot (P. cinnamomi) of pineapples. Foliar sprays of phosphite (64 g per tree) controlled root rot (P. nicotianae var. parasitica) and trunk canker (P. citrophthora) of mandarin trees. In Victoria, a foliar spray of phosphite (300 g ha‐1) reduced root rot (P. clandestina) of subterranean clover and increased dry matter by 1.96 to 5.11 t ha‐1. Trunk injections of phosphite (10% solution) controlled trunk rot (P. cactorum) of peach trees and foliar sprays (10 kg ha‐1) reduced severity of root rot (P. nicotianae var. nicotianae) of tomatoes.
SUMMARYA detached-leaf technique is described for assessing susceptibility of Hevea clones to Oidium heveae, based on intensity of sporulation. This offers a rapid, systematic method of screening clones in vitro against the disease, in place of the current nursery and field methods.
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