New species of Trimeresurus of the «green» pit vipers group is described from Himalayas in Central Nepal. Its comparison with the most related mountain species from Tibet, China is given with discussion of the proportion, coloration, pholidosis and hemipenis structure.
Effects of infection by the mistletoe Scurrula elata (Edgew.) Danser, on wood properties of its common host Rhododendron arboreum Sm., were studied in the Annapurna Conservation Area of Central Nepal Himalaya. Heavy infection by mistletoes invariably causes decline of the host. Infested branches show inhibition of growth, defoliation and eventual death of branch parts distal to the site of infection. Anatomical properties of wood were compared in samples of branches proximal to the infection and in uninfected branches. The hypothesis that infection induces changes in basic wood anatomy could not be proven. Vessel density, vessel area, percentage lumen area and mean vessel diameter of the wood of infested and uninfected branches did not show any significant differences. The studied anatomical parameters were not correlated to the diameter of the host branch. These results show that infection by S. elata did not cause any changes in basic wood anatomy of its host R. arboreum. It appears that the studied anatomical parameters of Rhododendron wood are fairly stable and are not changed by stress due to infection by mistletoes. The damage to the host distal to the infected area most likely results from an insufficiency of total conductive area to supply both mistletoe and host. Unfortunately we could not determine annual conductive area increment, because R arboreum does not develop usable annual tree rings in the climate of the study area.
Key words: Himalayas, mistletoe. Rhododendron arboreum, Scurrula elata, water stress, wood anatomy.
Ecoprint Vol.11(1) 2004.
Scrub typhus is a vector-borne, acute febrile illness caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi. Scrub typhus continues to be an important but neglected tropical disease in Nepal. Information on this pathogen in Nepal is limited to serological surveys with little information available on molecular methods to detect O. tsutsugamushi. Limited information exists on the genetic diversity of this pathogen. A total of 282 blood samples were obtained from patients with suspected scrub typhus from central Nepal and 84 (30%) were positive for O. tsutsugamushi by 16S rRNA qPCR. Positive samples were further subjected to 56 kDa and 47 kDa molecular typing and molecularly compared to other O. tsutsugamushi strains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Nepalese O. tsutsugamushi strains largely cluster together and cluster away from other O. tsutsugamushi strains from Asia and elsewhere. One exception was the sample of Nepal_1, with its partial 56 kDa sequence clustering more closely with non-Nepalese O. tsutsugamushi 56 kDa sequences, potentially indicating that homologous recombination may influence the genetic diversity of strains in this region. Knowledge on the circulating strains in Nepal is important to the development of diagnostic tests and vaccines to support public health measures to control scrub typhus in this country.
Gastrochilus nepalensis, a new species of orchids from central Nepal is described. A key to its allied species is provided. Thirteen species are reported as new records for Nepal: Epipogium japonicum, Goodyera nankoensis, Habenaria davidii, Habenaria wolongensis, Herminium chloranthum, Herminium kamengense, Herminium longilobatum, Herminium pusillum, Liparis campylostalix, Peristylus calcaratus, Platanthera stenochila, Platanthera roseotincta, Platanthera yadongensis.
Scrub Typhus and Molecular Characterization of Orientia tsutsugamushi from Central Nepal
