scholarly journals Using the rDNA Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 to Identify the Invasive Pest Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae) in North America

Author(s):  
Norman B Barr ◽  
Daniel Garza ◽  
Lisa A Ledezma ◽  
David A Salinas

Abstract The cherry-infesting fruit fly Rhagoletis cerasi Loew is a significant commercial pest in Europe that has recently invaded North America. To date, it has been trapped only in Canada and northwestern counties of New York. It has the potential to spread further and threaten production and movement of cherry commodities. Timely diagnosis of the pest will facilitate surveys and quick response to new detections. Adult morphology of the pest is distinct from other flies in North America. However, when flies are significantly damaged on traps or the immature life stages are found in fruits, molecular methods of identification are important to confirm presence and host-use records. Other than DNA sequencing of genes from flies which takes over a day to complete, there are no timely methods of molecular identification for this pest. In this study, we report the first sequence record of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) from R. cerasi and develop two diagnostic tests for the pest based on ITS1 differences among species in North America. The tests use loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and multiplex, conventional polymerase chain reaction (mcPCR) technologies that target the same region of the R. cerasi ITS1 sequence. Both tests performed well when tested against collections of R. cerasi from North America and Europe, generating Diagnostic Sensitivity estimates of 98.4–99.5%. Likewise, the tests had relatively high estimates of Diagnostic Specificity (97.8–100%) when tested against Rhagoletis Loew species present in North America that also use cherry as a developmental host.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicki Cottrell

Abstract Coleophora deauratella is a moth species native to Europe, eastern Siberia and the Middle East. It was introduced into North America in the 1960s, becoming a significant pest of Trifolium pratense seed crops in Ontario, Canada in 1989. Based on a study of genetic diversity from a limited number of European populations of C. deauratella, the most probable source of North American populations was found to be Switzerland; further sampling within Europe may improve geographical resolution of the source population. Within North America, C. deauratella has been identified as an invasive in Alberta and Ontario in Canada and Oregon and New York in the USA. It has been an invasive pest in New Zealand since its discovery there in 2015, where it has devastated T. pratense crops.


2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (5) ◽  
pp. 2300-2309
Author(s):  
Brian A Nault ◽  
Lindsy E Iglesias ◽  
Riley S Harding ◽  
Ethan A Grundberg ◽  
Teresa Rusinek ◽  
...  

Abstract Allium leafminer, Phytomyza gymnostoma Loew, is the newest invasive pest of allium crops in North America. Larvae initially feed in the upper canopy before mining toward the base of the plant to pupate. Crop loss occurs when larvae destroy vascular tissue, facilitating infection by bacterial and fungal pathogens that cause rot. Contamination also occurs when larvae and pupae are present at harvest. In response to this invasion, efficacy of 14 insecticide active ingredients applied via foliar sprays, transplant treatments, and drip chemigation was evaluated for managing P. gymnostoma. Multiple field studies were conducted in onions, leeks, and scallions in Pennsylvania and New York, United States in 2018 and 2019. The highest and most consistent levels of P. gymnostoma control occurred using foliar applications of dinotefuran, cyantraniliprole and spinetoram (84–89% reduction in damage; 95% reduction in P. gymnostoma densities). Despite the success of dinotefuran and cyantraniliprole applied as foliar sprays, neither was effective in controlling P. gymnostoma when administered via drip chemigation. Other foliar-applied insecticides that significantly reduced densities of P. gymnostoma in one or two experiments included abamectin, acetamiprid, cyromazine, imidacloprid, lambda-cyhalothrin, methomyl, and spinosad. Active ingredients that never controlled P. gymnostoma included azadirachtin, kaolin clay, pyrethrin, and spirotetramat. Spinosad applied to bare-root and plug-tray transplants immediately before transplanting reduced P. gymnostoma damage in the field by >90%. Implications of using these insecticides and application strategies are discussed within the context of developing a sustainable IPM program.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghady Haidar ◽  
Ashley Ayres ◽  
Wendy C King ◽  
Mackenzie McDonald ◽  
Alan Wells ◽  
...  

Abstract Background We implemented a preprocedural severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) screening initiative designed to sustain health care during a time when the extent of SARS-CoV-2 infection was unknown. Methods This was a prospective study of patients undergoing procedures at 3 academic hospitals in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (April 21–June 11), and 19 community hospitals across Middle/Western Pennsylvania and Southwestern New York (May 1–June 11). Patients at academic hospitals underwent symptom screening ≤7 days preprocedure, then SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing 1–4 days preprocedure. A subset also underwent day-of-procedure testing. Community hospital patients underwent testing per local protocols. We report SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity rates, impact, and barriers to testing encountered through June 11. PCR positivity rates of optional preprocedural SARS-CoV-2 testing for 2 consecutive periods following the screening initiative are also reported. Results Of 5881 eligible academic hospital patients, 2415 (41.1%) were tested (April 21–June 11). Lack of interest, distance, self-isolation, and nursing home/incarceration status were barriers. There were 11 PCR-positive patients (10 asymptomatic) among 10 539 patients tested (0.10%; 95% CI, 0.05%–0.19%): 3/2415 (0.12%; 95% CI, 0.02%–0.36%) and 8/8124 (0.10%; 95% CI, 0.04%–0.19%) at academic and community hospitals, respectively. Procedures were performed as scheduled in 40% (4/10) of asymptomatic PCR-positive patients. Positivity increased during subsequent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) surges: 54/34 948 (0.15%; 95% CI, 0.12%–0.20%) and 101/24 741 (0.41%; 95% CI, 0.33%–0.50%) PCR-positive patients from June 12–September 10 and September 11–December 15, respectively (P < .0001). Conclusions Implementing preprocedural PCR testing was complex and revealed low infection rates (0.24% overall), which increased during COVID-19 surges. Additional studies are needed to define the COVID-19 prevalence threshold at which universal preprocedural screening is warranted.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S275-S275
Author(s):  
Ioannis Zacharioudakis ◽  
Fainareti Zervou ◽  
Prithiv Prasad ◽  
Yongzhao Shao ◽  
Atreyee Basu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The Infectious Diseases Society of America has identified the potential use of SARS-CoV-2 genomic load for prognostication purposes as a key research question. Methods We designed a retrospective cohort study that included adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who had at least 2 positive nasopharyngeal tests at least 24 hours apart to study the correlation between the change in the genomic load of SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal samples, as reflected by the Cycle threshold (Ct) value of the real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay, with change in clinical status. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was used as a surrogate for patients’ clinical status. A linear mixed-effects regression analysis was performed. Results Among 457 patients who presented to the emergency department between 3/31/2020- 4/10/2020, we identified 42 patients who met the inclusion criteria. The median initial SOFA score was 2 (IQR 2–3). 20 out of 42 patients had a lower SOFA score on their subsequent tests. We identified a statistically significant inverse correlation between the change in SOFA score and change in the Ct value with a decrease in SOFA score by 0.05 (SE 0.02; p < 0.05) for an increase in Ct values by 1. This correlation was independent of the duration of symptoms. Flow chart A graph of the Cycle Threshold (Ct) values of the of Cepheid Xpert® Xpress SARS-CoV-2 assay measured on repeat screening of the 42 included patients. Graph of the fitted SOFA scores based on the Cycle Threshold values per patient. Conclusion Our findings suggest that an increasing Ct value in sequential tests may be of prognostic value for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia. Before repeat testing can be recommended routinely in clinical practice as a predictor of disease outcomes, prospective studies with a standardized interval between repeat tests should confirm our findings. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


2021 ◽  
Vol 95 (S83) ◽  
pp. 1-41
Author(s):  
John S. Peel

AbstractAn assemblage of 50 species of small shelly fossils is described from Cambrian Series 2 (Stage 4) strata in North Greenland, the present day northernmost part of the paleocontinent of Laurentia. The fossils are derived from the basal member of the Aftenstjernesø Formation at Navarana Fjord, northern Lauge Koch Land, a condensed unit that accumulated in a sediment-starved outer ramp setting in the transarctic Franklinian Basin, on the Innuitian margin of Laurentia. Most other small shelly fossil assemblages of similar age and composition from North America are described from the Iapetan margin of Laurentia, from North-East Greenland south to Pennsylvania. Trilobites are uncommon, but include Serrodiscus. The Australian bradoriid Spinospitella is represented by a complete shield. Obolella crassa is the only common brachiopod. Hyoliths, including Cassitella, Conotheca, Neogloborilus, and Triplicatella, are abundant and diverse, but most are represented just by opercula. Sclerites interpreted as stem-group aculiferans (sachitids) are conspicuous, including Qaleruaqia, the oldest described paleoloricate, Ocruranus?, Inughuitoconus n. gen., and Hippopharangites. Helcionelloid mollusks are diverse, but not common; they are associated with numerous specimens of the bivalve Pojetaia runnegari. The fauna compares best with that of the upper Bastion Formation of North-East Greenland, the Forteau Formation of western Newfoundland, and the Browns Pond Formation of New York, but several taxa have a world-wide distribution. Many specimens are encrusted with crystals of authigenic albite. New species: Anabarella? navaranae, Stenotheca? higginsi, Figurina? polaris, Hippopharangites groenlandicus, Inughuitoconus borealis, and Ocruranus? kangerluk.UUID: http://zoobank.org/160a17b1-3166-4fcf-9849-a3cabd1e04a3


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