scholarly journals Molecular Investigation of Canine Parvovirus-2 (CPV-2) Outbreak in Nevis Island: Analysis of the Nearly Complete Genomes of CPV-2 Strains from the Caribbean Region

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1083
Author(s):  
Kerry Gainor ◽  
April Bowen ◽  
Pompei Bolfa ◽  
Andrea Peda ◽  
Yashpal S. Malik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parallel Evolution ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Canine Parvovirus ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Low Frequencies ◽  
Veterinary Clinic ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Distinct Cluster ◽  
Sporadic Cases ◽  
The Caribbean

To date, there is a dearth of information on canine parvovirus-2 (CPV-2) from the Caribbean region. During August–October 2020, the veterinary clinic on the Caribbean island of Nevis reported 64 household dogs with CPV-2-like clinical signs (hemorrhagic/non-hemorrhagic diarrhea and vomiting), of which 27 animals died. Rectal swabs/fecal samples were obtained from 43 dogs. A total of 39 of the 43 dogs tested positive for CPV-2 antigen and/or DNA, while 4 samples, negative for CPV-2 antigen, were not available for PCR. Among the 21 untested dogs, 15 had CPV-2 positive littermates. Analysis of the complete VP2 sequences of 32 strains identified new CPV-2a (CPV-2a with Ser297Ala in VP2) as the predominant CPV-2 on Nevis Island. Two nonsynonymous mutations, one rare (Asp373Asn) and the other uncommon (Ala262Thr), were observed in a few VP2 sequences. It was intriguing that new CPV-2a was associated with an outbreak of gastroenteritis on Nevis while found at low frequencies in sporadic cases of diarrhea on the neighboring island of St. Kitts. The nearly complete CPV-2 genomes (4 CPV-2 strains from St. Kitts and Nevis (SKN)) were reported for the first time from the Caribbean region. Eleven substitutions were found among the SKN genomes, which included nine synonymous substitutions, five of which have been rarely reported, and the two nonsynonymous substitutions. Phylogenetically, the SKN CPV-2 sequences formed a distinct cluster, with CPV-2b/USA/1998 strains constituting the nearest cluster. Our findings suggested that new CPV-2a is endemic in the region, with the potential to cause severe outbreaks, warranting further studies across the Caribbean Islands. Analysis of the SKN CPV-2 genomes corroborated the hypothesis that recurrent parallel evolution and reversion might play important roles in the evolution of CPV-2.

PCR-Ribotyping of Xenorhabdus andPhotorhabdus Isolates from the Caribbean Region in Relation to the Taxonomy and Geographic Distribution of Their Nematode Hosts

1998 ◽  
Vol 64 (11) ◽  
pp. 4246-4254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Fischer-Le Saux ◽  
Hervé Mauléon ◽  
Philippe Constant ◽  
Brigitte Brunel ◽  
Noël Boemare
Keyword(s):  
Entomopathogenic Nematodes ◽  
16S Rrna Genes ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Polymorphism Analysis ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Pcr Ribotyping ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
And Cluster Analysis ◽  
Reference Strains

ABSTRACT The genetic diversity of symbiotic Xenorhabdus andPhotorhabdus bacteria associated with entomopathogenic nematodes was examined by a restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes (rDNAs). A total of 117 strains were studied, most of which were isolated from the Caribbean basin after an exhaustive soil sampling. The collection consisted of 77 isolates recovered from entomopathogenic nematodes in 14 Caribbean islands and of 40 reference strains belonging toXenorhabdus and Photorhabdus spp. collected at various localities worldwide. Thirty distinctive 16S rDNA genotypes were identified, and cluster analysis was used to distinguish the genus Xenorhabdus from the genusPhotorhabdus. The genus Xenorhabdusappears more diverse than the genusPhotorhabdus, and for both genera the bacterial genotype diversity is in congruence with the host-nematode taxonomy. The occurrence of symbiotic bacterial genotypes was related to the ecological distribution of host nematodes.

Life stage descriptions, taxonomic notes, and new records for the mayfly family Leptohyphidae (Ephemeroptera)

Zootaxa ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 332 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID E. BAUMGARDNER ◽  
STEVEN K. BURIAN ◽  
DAVID BASS
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Central America ◽  
New Records ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Larval Stages ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Ecological Region ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
First Time

The larval stages of Tricorythodes fictus Traver, T. cobbi Alba-Tercedor and Flannagan, and T. mosegus Alba-Tercedor and Flannagan are described for the first time based upon reared specimens. The rarely reported Asioplax dolani (Allen) is newly documented from the Austroriparian ecological region of Texas. Leptohyphes zalope Traver, known from the southwestern United States and much of Central America, is newly documented from the Caribbean Islands of Grenada and Tobago. This represents only the second leptohyphid mayfly known from both Continental America and the Caribbean region. Additional Caribbean records of Allenhyphes flinti (Allen) are also given.

Building a more Resilient and Low-Carbon Caribbean - Report 1: Climate Resiliency and Building Materials in the Caribbean

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jed Bailey ◽  
Paola Carvajal ◽  
Javier García Fernández ◽  
Christiaan Gischler ◽  
Carlos Henriquez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Climate Impact ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Standards Of Living ◽  
The Caribbean

The Caribbean islands are among the 25 most-vulnerable nations in terms of disasters per-capita or land area, and climate change is only expected to intensify these vulnerabilities. The loss caused by climate events drags the ability of the Caribbean countries to invest in infrastructure and social programs, contributing to slower productivity growth, poorer health outcomes, and lower standards of living. Within this context, building resiliency should become a priority for the Caribbean countries. The series “Building a more resilient and low-carbon Caribbean”, focuses on improving the resiliency, sustainability and decarbonization of the construction industry in the Caribbean. The results show that increasing building resiliency is economically viable for the high-risk islands of the Caribbean, generating long term savings and increasing the infrastructure preparedness to the impacts of CC. Report 1 - Climate Resiliency and Building Materials in the Caribbean, presents a quantification of the economic losses caused by climate impact events in the Caribbean Region and correlate these figures with the most common construction materials, typically used in each of the countries building typologies. The losses caused by hurricanes concentrate mostly in the residential infrastructure and are mainly caused by weaknesses in roofs and their connection to the walls. The analysis suggests that improving the resiliency of outer walls and roofs in the Caribbean could significantly reduce the regions vulnerability to hurricanes and other climate impacts.

Developing future sea level services for Small Island Developing States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana Jevrejeva ◽  
Judith Wolf ◽  
Andy Matthews ◽  
Joanne Williams ◽  
David Byrne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Small Island ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
And Sea Level

<p>The Caribbean islands encompass some of the most vulnerable coastlines in terms of sea level rise, exposure to tropical cyclones, changes in waves and storm surges. Climate in the Caribbean is already changing and sea level rise impacts are already being felt. Considerable local and regional variations in the rate, magnitude, and direction of sea-level change can be expected as a result of thermal expansion, tectonic movements, and changes in ocean circulation. Governments in the Caribbean recognise that climate change and sea level rise are serious threats to the sustainable development and economic growth of the Caribbean islands and urgent actions are required to increase the resilience and make decisions about how to adapt to future climate change (Caribbean Marine Climate Change Report Card 2017; IPCC 2014).</p><p>As part of the UK Commonwealth Marine Economies (CME) Programme and through collaboration with local stakeholders in St Vincent, we have identified particular areas at risk from changing water level and wave conditions. The Caribbean Sea, particularly the Lesser Antilles, suffers from limited observational data due to a lack of coastal monitoring, making numerical models even more important to fill this gap. The current projects brings together improved access to tide gauge observations, as well as global, regional and local water level and wave modelling to provide useful tools for coastal planners.</p><p>We present our initial design of a coastal data hub with sea level information for stakeholder access in St. Vincent and Grenadines, Grenada and St Lucia, with potential development of the hub for the Caribbean region. The work presented here is a contribution to the wide range of ongoing activities under the Commonwealth Marine Economies (CME) Programme in the Caribbean, falling within the work package “Development of a coastal data hub for stakeholder access in the Caribbean region”, under the NOC led projects “Climate Change Impact Assessment: Ocean Modelling and Monitoring for the Caribbean CME states”.</p>

The Social Relations of Bereavement in the Caribbean

2008 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Marshall ◽  
Patsy Sutherland
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Cultural Traditions ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
The Social ◽  
Before And After ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Mainstream Society

The objectives of this article are to discuss the various types of behaviors associated with grief and bereavement, and to examine the relationships, consequences, and outcomes of bereavement practices among the various religious and ethnic groups in the English-speaking Caribbean Islands of Jamaica, Trinidad, Grenada, and Barbados. The rituals associated with death and grief differs across cultures and is greatly influenced by religious beliefs and traditions. How these rituals are played out depend on the culture of origin and level of acculturation of the various groups into mainstream society. In the Caribbean region, expressions of grief represent religious and cultural traditions that may have a significant impact on social relations, particularly in multi-ethnic and multicultural societies. In the English-speaking Caribbean Islands of Jamaica, Trinidad, Grenada, and Barbados, mourning follows the patterns of traditional religious practices which have remained consistent over time. While families and friends may offer social support before and after burial or cremation, the social aspects of bereavement may also have implications for inter-group relations. Insights into bereavement practices and what it holds for ethnic and religious groups in contemporary Caribbean are presented.

scholarly journals Spintharus flavidus in the Caribbean – a 30 million year biogeographical history and radiation of a ‘widespread species’

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Austin Dziki ◽  
Greta Binford ◽  
Jonathan A Coddington ◽  
Ingi Agnarsson
Keyword(s):  
Single Species ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Dispersal Ability ◽  
Widespread Species ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Island Endemics ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
Limited Dispersal ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Caribbean

The Caribbean island biota is characterized by high levels of endemism, the result of an interplay between colonization opportunities on islands and effective oceanic barriers among them. A relatively small percentage of the biota is represented by ‘widespread species’, presumably taxa for which oceanic barriers are ineffective. Few studies have explored in detail the genetic structure of widespread Caribbean taxa. The cobweb spider Spintharus flavidus Hentz, 1850 (Theridiidae) is one of two described Spintharus species and is unique in being widely distributed from northern N. America to Brazil and throughout the Caribbean. As a taxonomic hypothesis, Spintharus “flavidus” predicts maintenance of gene flow among Caribbean islands, a prediction that seems contradicted by known S. flavidus biology, which suggests limited dispersal ability. As part of an extensive survey of Caribbean arachnids (project CarBio), we conducted the first molecular phylogenetic analysis of S. flavidus with the primary goal of testing the ‘widespread species’ hypothesis. Our results, while limited to three molecular loci, reject the hypothesis of a single widespread species. Instead this lineage seems to represent a radiation with at least 16 species in the Caribbean region. Nearly all are short range endemics with several distinct mainland groups and others being single island endemics. While limited taxon sampling, with a single specimen from S. America, constrains what we can infer about the biogeographical history of the lineage, clear patterns still emerge. Consistent with limited overwater dispersal, we find evidence for a single colonization of the Caribbean about 30 million years ago, coinciding with the timing of the GAARLandia landbridge hypothesis. In sum, S. “flavidus” is not a single species capable of frequent overwater dispersal, but rather a 30 my old radiation of single island endemics that provides preliminary support for a complex and contested geological hypothesis.

scholarly journals Chikungunya outbreak in the Caribbean region, December 2013 to March 2014, and the significance for Europe

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
W Van Bortel ◽  
F Dorleans ◽  
J Rosine ◽  
A Blateau ◽  
D Rousset ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
French Guiana ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Virus Spread ◽  
Caribbean Island ◽  
Travel History ◽  
Widespread Occurrence ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Saint Martin ◽  
The Caribbean

On 6 December 2013, two laboratory-confirmed cases of chikungunya without a travel history were reported on the French part of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, indicating the start of the first documented outbreak of chikungunya in the Americas. Since this report, the virus spread to several Caribbean islands and French Guiana, and between 6 December 2013 and 27 March 2014 more than 17,000 suspected and confirmed cases have been reported. Further spread and establishment of the disease in the Americas is likely, given the high number of people travelling between the affected and non-affected areas and the widespread occurrence of efficient vectors. Also, the likelihood of the introduction of the virus into Europe from the Americas and subsequent transmission should be considered especially in the context of the next mosquito season in Europe. Clinicians should be aware that, besides dengue, chikungunya should be carefully considered among travellers currently returning from the Caribbean region.

scholarly journals Exploring Global Health Disparities: Afro-Caribbeans’ Perceptions of the Prevalence of Type II Diabetes in Their Communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Deterville ◽  
Shewanee Howard-Baptiste ◽  
Valeria Freysinger
Keyword(s):  
Type Ii Diabetes ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
West Indians ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
The Impact

Historically, many Caribbean islands did not experience the impact of non-communicable diseases until the most recent decades. Our neighbors in the Caribbean are experiencing complications and death due to chronic conditions and comorbidities that leave many communities puzzled about how to address health concerns and chronic conditions like diabetes. Little research has been conducted on the realities of type II diabetes in the Caribbean region. Qualitative interviews were conducted with six West Indians from four predominantly Afro-Caribbean islands, who witness the daily experiences of how type II diabetes impacts their health, their families, and their communities. The data provides key insight to understand how individuals and families are affected make sense of Type II diabetes.

scholarly journals Stages of Tourism Economy Penetration and the Phenomenon of Overtourism on Caribbean Islands

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 150-166
Author(s):  
Michal Jasinski
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Economic Dimension ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Impact Index ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Tourism Economy

The purpose of the article is to determine the degree of tourism penetration on 30 island countries and dependencies of the Caribbean region. This tourism penetration is perceived as part of research in two dimensions: economic and socio-spatial. As a result of adopting such a perspective, stages of tourism penetration were determined using two indicators constructed for the research. The Tourism Economic Impact Index (TEI) measured the economic dimension, while the second indicator was the Tourist Socio-spatial Impact Index (TSI). Determining the degree of tourism penetration on these two dimensions was to identify those areas most exposed to economic threats resulting from ‘tourism monoculture’ (the final penetration phase of a tourism economy) and, as defined to discuss overtourism, the risks arising from too many inbound visitors at the same time. The research revealed that Caribbean dependent territories show the tendency to the highest penetration in both dimensions. Further analysis was made into the economic assessment of the phenomenon of ‘tourism monoculture’ and the dangers of this extreme form of export-oriented specialisation in the context of socio-economic development. Despite presenting positive premises, the phenomenon was critically assessed.

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