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The current study was carried out for the purpose of comparative evaluation of vegetable market waste degradation potential of three earthworm species (Eisenia fetida, Perionyx excavatus and Eudrilus eugeniae). The vegetable waste used as substrate in this study was collected from Mission Chariali vegetable market in Tezpur, Assam, India. Non-biodegradable materials such as polythenes, plastic etc. were segregated and organic waste was sun-dried. Cow dung was mixed with the substrate in 1:3 proportion and subjected to vermicomposting with three earthworms species separately. The data on physicochemical properties of the compost bed along with earthworm activity were collected every 10 days interval. The experiment was continued until 70 days. Analysis of the data indicated that E. fetida posed maximal nutrient mineralization and reduction in C:N ratio when compared with the data of day 0 with of day 70. Also, the values of vermicomposting coefficient were maximum for E. fetida. Moreover, the mean individual weight of E. fetida was also maximum during the decomposition period. Although Eu. eugeniae increased in total biomass much more rapidly than E. fetida, nevertheless, the cocoon production rate was greatest (78.67) in case of E. fetida, indicating the differential resource allocation with trade-off between sex allocation and growth by Eu. eugeniae in a non-conducive environment during its life cycle. Overall, the results indicate suitability of E. fetida for vegetable waste degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aedes aegypti mosquito is responsible for transmitting human diseases like dengue and chikungunya. Personal or space protection with insect repellents is a practical approach to reducing human mosquito contact, thereby minimizing disease transmission. Essential oils are natural volatile substances from plants used as protective measure against blood-sucking mosquitoes. Methods: Twenty-three essential oils were evaluated for their repellent effect against Ae. aegypti female mosquito in laboratory conditions using Y-tube olfactometer. Results: The essential oils exhibited varying degree of repellency. Litsea oil showed 50.31%, 60.2 %, and 77.26% effective mean repellency at 1 ppm, 10 ppm and 100 ppm respectively, while DEET exhibited 59.63%, 68.63%, 85.48% and DEPA showed 57.97%, 65.43%, and 80.62% repellency at respective above concentrations. Statistical analysis revealed that among the tested essential oils, litsea oil had effective repellency in comparison with DEET and DEPA against Ae. aegypti mosquito at all concentration. Essential oils, DEET and DEPA showed significant repellence against Ae. aegypti (P< 0.05) at all 3 concentration tested. Conclusion: Litsea oil exhibited effective percentage repellency similar to DEET and DEPA. The essential oils are natural plant products that may be useful for developing safer and newer herbal based effective mosquito repellents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study aimed to determine the cardiac toxicities of T-2 toxin, a representative mycotoxin that frequently contaminates maize, cereals, and other agricultural products, harvested and stored under damp and cold conditions. Dermal exposure to T-2 toxin caused severe cardiotoxicity in experimental Wistar rats. Electrocardiography studies showed the conduction abnormalities including prolongation of the QT and corrected QT interval, shortening of the PR interval, and tachycardia. Biochemical studies also reported the toxicity of T-2 toxin. T-2 toxin induced acute cardiotoxicity in rats and characterized by significant (p < 0.05) elevation of serum troponin I, creatine kinase (CK) isoenzyme MB, CK isoenzyme NAC, and lactate dehydrogenase as compared to control rats. It is concluded that cardiotoxicity effects of T-2 toxin are thought to be due to direct action on electrocardiac potentials and biochemical changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anopheles culicifacies is an important vector of malaria in Southeast Asia, contributing to almost 70% of malaria cases in India. It exists as a complex of five morphologically indistinguishable species A, B, C, D and E with varied geographical distribution patterns. In India, 8% of the total population of Madhya Pradesh (Central India) contributes about 30% of total malaria cases, 60% of total falciparum cases and 50% of malaria deaths. An. culicifacies is the major malaria vector in this state. Vector control mainly relies on the proper identification and distribution of vector species exists in a particular area. The present study was carried out to identify the distribution of An. culicifacies sibling species in certain endemic district of Central India, Madhya Pradesh. Methods: The An. culicifacies mosquitoes collected from the study districts were identified morphologically. The genomic DNA was isolated from the mosquitoes and subjected to Allele specific PCR targeting D3 domain of 28S ribosomal DNA. Results: The mean prevalence of An. culicifacies during the study period was in the range of 8-120 per man per hour (PMH). From the study areas species B was identified from Jabalpur, Chindwara and Hoshangabad, Species C from Hoshangabad only, Species D from Narsinghpur and Khandwa and sibling species E from Mandla, Chindwara and Hoshangabad respectively. Conclusion: This is the first report to detect species E from Madhya Pradesh region which necessitate for reconsideration of species distribution of each An. culicifacies sibling species that would enable to develop required vector control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Euphorbia hirta L. (Euphorbiaceae) is a traditional herbal medicine used for treatment of various diseases. Objective: E. hirta was investigated for in vitro/in vivo wound healing activity using human dermal fibroblast cell line and Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: Petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol and water successive extracts of E. hirta leaves were evaluated for antioxidant, antimicrobial and fibroblast proliferation activities. Among different extracts, the promising methanol extract was screened for wound healing activity in Wistar rats, using gentamicin sulfate (0.01% w/w) as a reference. Wound contraction, hydroxyproline content and the protein expression of COL3A1, bFGF, Smad-2,-3,-4 and -7 were measured. Results: The E. hirta methanol extract showed a potent antimicrobial (MIC 0.250 mg/ml against Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, both), antioxidant activities (IC50 = 10.57 µg/ml, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl; 850.23 µg/ml, superoxide-anion radical scavenging activity and 23.63 mg gallic acid equivalent per gram extract) with significant fibroblast proliferating activity (112% at 12.5 µg/ml) as compared to other extracts. In vivo study also supported the wound healing potential of methanol extract, as evidenced by faster wound contraction, higher hydroxyproline (4.240 mg/100 mg tissue) and improved histopathology of granulation tissue as compared to control groups and gentamicin sulfate-treated ones. Western blot also revealed a significantly altered expression of Smad-mediated proteins resulting in collagen production. Conclusion: The study suggested that E. hirta accelerates the wound healing by augmenting the fibroblast proliferation and Smad-mediated collagen production in wound tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Simulium, black fly ( Diptera), comprises >1800 species worldwide, of which 67 species under six subgenera have been well studied in India. While at the extreme, black fly bites can cause onchocerciasis or river blindness, the majority of clinical observations indicate mainly severe pain and continuous itching at bite sites. This investigation experimentally observed that black fly salivary extract (BFSE) causes unique biologic effects including immunomodulation, anti-coagulation, and hypersensitivity reactions in Wistar rats. Salivary glands from black flies were isolated, extracted in saline, and then ≈800 ng extract (BFSE) subcutaneously injected into rats. To evaluate potential immunosuppressive activity of the BFSE, serum levels of interleukins [IL]-6 and -10 and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]- α were assayed. To assess the BFSE impact on coagulation, activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), prothrombin time (PT), and bleeding time, as well as generation of coagulation activated factors I, IX, and X were analyzed. Anaphylaxis induction was monitored via electrocardiogram (ECG) and measures of blood pressure and rectal temperature. The data showed that BFSE treatment resulted in a significantly prolonged aPTT, PT, and bleeding time and reversibly inhibited generation of coagulation activated factors I, IX, and X. The extract also led to a prolonged (up to 48 h) suppression of serum IL-6, IL-10, and TNF α production. While these results suggest that BFSE possesses anti-thrombotic, anti-coagulant, and immunomodulatory activities, importantly, they also indicate that the extract has a capacity to induce anaphylaxis and acute cardiotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitex negundo is a common herb in different herbal formulation. The potential acute and sub-chronic dermal toxicities were evaluated as per OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) guidelines 402 and 411, respectively. Both sexes of Wistar rats were exposed to Vitex negundo oil of 2000 mg/kg body weight for acute dermal toxicity, whereas in the dermal sub-chronic toxicity study, rats were exposed to Vitex negundo oil 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight, respectively, for five times a week for 90 d. In acute and sub-chronic toxicity studies, all animals were normal without any behavioral, serum biochemistry, hematology, necroscopical and histopathological changes. The no observed effect level (NOEL) and no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of Vitex negundo oil were 250 and 1000 mg/kg/day, respectively. Vitex negundo oil is under the category 5 (Unclassified) according to the Globally Harmonized System, with an LD50 value of over 2000 mg/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vermiwash (VW), a liquid extract obtained from vermicomposting beds, is used as an organic fertilizer for crop plants. The current study investigated the effect of a vermiwash foliar spray on the response of bhut jolokia (Capsicum assamicum) exposed to two different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF: Rhizophagus irregularis, RI and G. mosseae, GM) in acidic soil under naturally ventilated greenhouse conditions. The VW spray significantly influenced the growth of plants receiving the dual treatment of AMF+VW. Plant growth was more prominent in the GM+VW treatment group than that in the RI+VW treatment group. The plant-AMF interactions in relation to growth and nutrient requirements were also significantly influenced by the application of VW. Interestingly, the VW treatment appeared to contribute more N to plants when compared to that under the AMF treatment, which led to changes in the C:N:P stoichiometry in plant shoots. Furthermore, the increased potassium dependency, as observed in the case of the dual treatments, suggests the significance of such treatments for improving crop conditions under salt stress. Overall, our study shows that the VW foliar spray modifies the response of a crop to inoculations of different AMF with regard to growth and nutrient utilization, which has implications for the selection of an efficient combination of nutrient source for improving crop growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cleome viscosa L. (Cleomaceae) is an important traditional medicine of the Indian-Ayurvedic and Chinese-medicine system documented for rheumatic arthritis, hypertension, malaria, neurasthenia, and wound healing. The plant is also known as Asian spider flower and is distributed throughout the greater part of India. The present study explored the wound healing property of C. viscosa methanol extract (CvME) and its related mechanism using Wistar rat cutaneous excision wound model. Wound contraction rate, hydroxyproline quantification, and histopathological examination of wound granulation tissue were performed. The healing potential was comparatively assessed with a reference gentamicin sulfate hydrogel (0.01% w/w).Western blot forCOL3A1, bFGF, and Smad-2, Smad-3, Smad-4, and Smad-7 was performed with 7-day postoperative granulation tissue. Results revealed that the topical application of CvME (2.5% w/w) significantly accelerated the wound contraction rate (95.14%, 24 postoperative days), increased the hydroxyproline content (3.947mg/100mg tissue), and improved histopathology of wound tissue as compared to control groups. Western blot analysis revealed that CvME significantly upregulated the expression of COL3A1 and bFGF and increased the Smadmediated collagen production in granulation tissue. These findings suggest that C. viscosa promoted the wound repair process by attenuating the Smad-mediated collagen production in wound granulation tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Ixora coccinea L. (Rubiaceae) has been documented for traditional use in hypertension, menstrual irregularities, sprain, chronic ulcer, and skin diseases. In the present study, I. coccinea was subjected to in vitro and in vivo wound healing investigation. Methods. Petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol, and water sequential I. coccinea leaves extracts were evaluated for in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial, and fibroblast proliferation activities. The promising I. coccinea methanol extract (IxME) was screened for in vivo wound healing activity in Wistar rat using circular excision model. Wound contraction measurement, hydroxyproline quantification, and western blot for collagen type III (COL3A1), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and Smad-2, -3, -4, and -7 was performed with 7-daypostoperative wound granulation tissue. Gentamicin sulfate (0.01% w/w) hydrogel was used as reference standard. Results. IxME showed the potent antimicrobial, antioxidant activities, with significant fibroblast proliferation inducing activity, as compared to all other extracts. In vivo study confirmed the wound healing accelerating potential of IxME, as evidenced by faster wound contraction, higher hydroxyproline content, and improved histopathology of granulation tissue. Western blot analysis revealed that the topical application of I. coccinea methanol extract stimulates the fibroblast growth factor and Smad mediated collagen production in wound tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was designed to evaluate the effects of hydromethanolic extract of tuberous root of M. jalapa and its terpenoid and flavonoid fractions on cutaneous wound healing in Wistar Albino rats. The hydromethanolic extract was subfractionated by sequential extraction in solvents (moderately nonpolar to polar). The extract and its (terpenoid and flavonoid) fractions were used for cutaneous wound healing studies by using excision wound model on rat. Their effects on wound contraction rate, biochemical and histological changes, and expression of growth factors such as collagen 3A, basic fibroblast growth factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor were investigated. The results indicated that flavonoid treated group showed significant decrease (P < 0.05) in antioxidant enzyme level as compared to control in wound healing process, whereas terpenoid fraction showed significant increase (P < 0.05) in expression of growth factor levels but regeneration and remodeling stages were delayed due to formation of thicker ulcus layer and also there were no hair follicle-like blood capillaries formation which ultimately may lead to formation of hypertrophic scar of wound. Therefore, from this study, it can be concluded that terpenoid fraction prolongs proliferation phase and hence may have tendency to convert the wound into hypertrophic wound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus is a ubiquitous species that serves as a major vector for west nile virus and lymphatic filariasis. Ingestion of bloodmeal by females triggers a series of physiological processes in the midgut and also exposes them to infection by these pathogens. The bacteria normally harbored in the midgut are known to influence physiology and can also alter the response to various pathogens. The midgut bacteria in female Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes collected over a large geographical area from India was studied. Examination of 16S ribosomal DNA amplicons from culturable microflora revealed the presence of 83 bacterial species belonging to 31 bacterial genera. All of these species belong to three phyla i.e. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. Phylum Proteobacteria was the most dominant phylum (37 species), followed by Firmicutes (33 species) and Actinobacteria (13 species). Phylum Proteobacteria, was dominated by members of γ-proteobacteria class. The genus Staphylococcus was the largest genus represented by 11 species whereas Enterobacter was the most prevalent genus and recovered from all the field stations except Leh. Highest bacterial prevalence was observed from Bhuj (22 species) followed by Nagrota (18 species), Masimpur (18 species) and Hathigarh (16 species). Whereas, least species were observed from Leh (8 species). It has been observed that individual mosquito harbor extremely diverse gut bacteria and have very small overlap bacterial taxa in their gut. This variation in midgut microbiota may be one of the factors responsible for variation in disease transmission rates or vector competence within mosquito population. The present data strongly encourage further investigations to verify the potential role of the detected bacteria in mosquito for the transmission of lymphatic filariasis and west nile virus. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study on midgut microbiota of wild Cx. quinquefasciatus from over a large geographical area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of a suitable genetic transformation system is the backbone of transgenic technology for efficient recovery of Jatropha curcas plants with desirable traits. Although in vitro plant regeneration protocols for shoot tip, leaf, and hypocotyl explants of J. curcas have been reported, these protocol have not been translated into efficient genetic transformation systems. The objective of this study was to standardize the parameters influencing transient β-glucuronidase reporter gene expression following Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation using shoot tip, leaf, and hypocotyl explants of Jatropha curcas. Disarmed Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA105, harboring pCAMBIA2301 carrying neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII) as a selectable marker and the β-glucuronidase (GUS) as a reporter gene, were used for transformation. Frequencies of GUS gene expression of 86.7%, 78.3%, and 74.2% were obtained for leaf, hypocotyls, and shoot tip explants, respectively. The transgenic nature of the kanamycin-resistant explants was also confirmed by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Because, to date, there is no report on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of shoot tip, leaf, and hypocotyl explants of Jatropha curcas, our findings/protocol should be useful for recovering stable transgenic Jatropha curcas plants from these explants. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on a research conducted in order to determine the susceptibility status of the malaria vector mosquitoes, Anopheles stephensi and Anopheles subpictus to adulticides and larvicides in arid and semi-arid areas of India. It describes the susceptibility status by conducting adulticide bioassay for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), malathion, deltamethrin and larvicide bioassay for fenthion, temephos, chlorpyriphos and malathion using diagnostic doses.

Any reduction in water spread area at a specified elevation over a time period is indicative of sediment deposition at this level. This when integrated over a range of water stages helps in computing volume of storage lost through sedimentation. This study relates to estimation of capacity loss due to sedimentation of Hirakud reservoir, located in Orissa, India. Satellite data of 5 optimal dates corresponding to various water stages from minimum to maximum draw down levels were used in estimating the water spread areas. Simple ratiod (NIR/RED) image were generated to identify the water pixels and then verifying the standard FCC. The non-water pixels were then identified with the ratiod (GREEN/NIR) image and removed to have the total water spread. The water spread area on different satellite overpass dates and corresponding elevations were then used to find the total reservoir storage capacity with the help of Elevation area curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Culex mosquitoes are important vectors of various pathogens to both humans and animals. The present study describes a new species to science as Culex (Culex) kodaikanalensis Suman, Veer and Chandra sp. nov. based on morphology, morphometrics of adult females and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I and 16S rRNA genes. This species, Cx. kodaikanalensis, belongs to Mimeticus subgroup of Culex genus represented by banded or spotted wings. It can be identified with the absence of longitudinal pale stripes on anterior surface of all tibiae and presence of pale spot on furcation of both R and M veins. In addition, the length of pale spots on R4+5 (0.18 to 0.9) and Anal (0.1 to 0.5) veins of Cx. kodaikanalensis also differ from other species of the subgroup. The mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (562 bp) and 16S rRNA (539 bp) gene sequences of Cx. kodaikanalensis established the close affinity with Mimeticus subgroup species in comparison to other culicine species being the closest to Culex gaugleri. These pieces of evidence confirm the status of Cx. kodaikanalensis as an individual species. Culex kodaikanalensis is prevalent at high altitudes (> 1500 m) of Kodaikanal hills in Tamil Nadu, India. The prevalence of the larval habitats near the residential areas suggests further studies on host feeding behaviour of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the major global health problems, especially in economically under-developed or developing countries. HBV infection can lead to a number of clinical outcomes including chronic infection, cirrhosis and liver cancer. It ranks among the top 10 causes of death, being responsible for around 1 million deaths every year. Despite the availability of a highly efficient vaccine and potent antiviral agents, HBV infection still remains a significant clinical problem, particularly in those high endemicity areas where vaccination of large populations has not been possible due to economic reasons. Although HBV is among the smallest viruses in terms of virion and genome size, it has numerous unique features that make it completely distinct from other DNA viruses. It has a partially double stranded DNA with highly complex genome organization, life cycle and natural history. Remarkably distinct from other DNA viruses, it uses an RNA intermediate called pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) and reverse transcriptase for its genome replication. Genome replication is accomplished by a complex mechanism of primer shifting facilitated by direct repeat sequences encoded in the genome. Further, the genome has evolved in such a manner that every single nucleotide of the genome is used for either coding viral proteins or used as regulatory regions or both. Moreover, it utilizes internal in-frame translation initiation codons, as well as different reading frames from the same RNA to generate different proteins with diverse functions. HBV also shows considerable genetic variability which has been related with clinical outcomes, replication potential, therapeutic response etc. This review aims at reviewing fundamental events of the viral life cycle including viral replication, transcription and translation, from the molecular standpoint, as well as, highlights the clinical relevance of genetic variability of HBV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A faunistic study, to record the tabanid fauna of Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Karnataka State, India, was conducted for two years (June 2003 to May 2005). The study showed a total 20 species of tabanids belonging to 5 genera of 3 sub families. The following three species viz., Haematopota cordigera Bigot 1891, Tabanus dorsilinea Wiedmann, 1824, and T. monotaeniatus Bigot, 1882 are being reported for the first time from south India while seven of the collected species viz Atylotus virgo Wiedmann, 1824, Chrysops dispar Fabricius 1798, H. javana Wiedmann, 1821, T. diversifrons Ricardo, 1911, T. gertrudae Philip, 1960, T. speciosus Ricardo, 1911, and T. triceps Thunberg, 1827 are new records for Karnataka. Five of the recorded species viz A. agrestis, A. virgo, C. dispar, T. dorsilinea, T. rubidus, and T. striatus, have been reported as vectors of surra or trypanosomiasis, a deadly disease in wild and domestic animals, while H. montana, T. indianus, and T. rubidus are potential vectors of anthrax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the use of bacteriophages (or 'phages') against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria including Pseudomonas aeruginosa has drawn considerable attention, globally. In this work, we report the isolation and detailed characterization of a highly lytic Pseudomonasphage DRL-P1 isolated from wastewater. Under TEM, DRL-P1 appeared as a member of the phage family Myoviridae. DRL-P1 featured rapid adsorption (~ 5 min), short-latency (~ 30 min), and large burst size (~ 100 PFU per infected cell). DRL-P1 can withstand a wide temperature range (4 °C to 40 °C) and pH (5.0 to 10.0) conditions. The 66,243 bp DRL-P1 genome (MN564818) encodes at least 93 ORFs, of which 36 were functionally annotated based on homology with similar phage proteins available in the databases. Comparative analyses of related genomes suggest an independent evolutionary history and discrete taxonomic position of DRL-P1 within genus Pbunavirus. No toxin or antibiotic resistance genes was identified. DRL-P1 is tolerant to lyophilization and encapsulation techniques and retained lytic activity even after 18 months of storage. We also demonstrated decontaminating potentials of DRL-P1 in vitro, on an artificially contaminated cover-slip model. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first Pbunavirus to be reported from India. Our study suggests DRL-P1 as a potential candidate for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cholera is often caused when drinking water is contaminated through environmental sources. In recent years, the drastic cholera epidemics in Odisha (2007) and Haiti (2010) were associated with natural disasters (flood and Earthquake). Almost every year the state of Assam India witnesses flood in Brahamputra River valley during reversal of wind system (monsoon). This is often followed by outbreak of diarrheal diseases including cholera. Beside the incidence of cholera outbreaks, there is lack of experimental evidence for prevalence of the bacterium in aquatic environment and its association with cholera during/after flood in the state. A molecular surveillance during 2012–14 was carried out to study prevalence, strain differentiation, and clonality of Vibrio cholerae in inland aquatic reservoirs flooded by Brahamputra River in Assam. Water samples were collected, filtered, enriched in alkaline peptone water followed by selective culturing on thiosulfate bile salt sucrose agar. Environmental isolates were identified as V. cholerae , based on biochemical assays followed by sero-grouping and detailed molecular characterization. The incidence of the presence of the bacterium in potable water sources was higher after flood. Except one O1 isolate, all of the strains were broadly grouped under non-O1/non-O139 whereas some of them did have cholera toxin (CT). Surprisingly, we have noticed Haitian ctx B in two non-O1/non-O139 strains. MLST analyses based on pyrH , recA and rpoA genes revealed clonality in the environmental strains. The isolates showed varying degree of antimicrobial resistance including tetracycline and ciprofloxacin. The strains harbored the genetic elements SXT constins and integrons responsible for multidrug resistance. Genetic characterization is useful as phenotypic characters alone have proven to be unsatisfactory for strain discrimination. An assurance to safe drinking water, sanitation and monitoring of the aquatic reservoirs is of utmost importance for combating the impending epidemic threat in the flood affected areas. Further, the management of flood through multi-prong approaches and sustainable utilization of environmental resources would be effective in disease management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]