Fig 1. Solanum mammosum (L.) botanical voucher.
Pilaquinga F, Morejón B, Ganchala D, Morey J, Piña N, Debut A, Neira M. (2019) Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Solanum mammosum L. (Solanaceae) fruit extract and their larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae). PLoS ONE 14(10): e0224109
This article is the result of a multi-disciplinary collaboration between PUCE's Nanotechnology Laboratory, the Center for Research on Health in Latin America (CISeAL), Spain's University of the Balearic Islands and the Center for Nanosciences and Natotechnology at the Ecuadorian Armed Forces University (ESPE). In the manuscript, authors Ma. Fernanda Pilaquinga, Bianca Morejón et al. detail the preparation and characterization of silver nanoparticles synthetized using a "green chemistry" method that uses an extract obtained from the fruits of Solanum mammosum (a plant native to the andean and coastal areas of Ecuador), as well as the evaluation of said particle's insecticidal activity against the mosquito Aedes aegypti, the main vector of diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya around the world.
The results presented show that both the pure S. mammosum extract and the nanoparticles coated with said extract exhibited measurable insecticidal activity. However, the nanoparticles (which were prepared using an easy, cheap and environmentally friendly method) presented an increase in efficiency of approximately 25,000 fold compared to the extract alone.
These results suggest that both S. mammosum and the nanoparticles coated with its extract have the potential to be developed as novel control tools against one the most important species of insect vector of human disease, and possibly against other insect species of major medical and economic relevance.
Read the full article: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0224109#pone-0224109-g005
By: Jordan Puckett Ramírez
It has been 26 years since the United Nations first declared today, October 17th, as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Those living in poverty are at the center of this commemoration. It is important to take this opportunity to listen to those living and fighting against poverty as part of their daily lives. Over 700 million people still live in extreme poverty. That is 10% of the world’s population. Poverty also disproportionally affects children, with 1 in 5 living in extreme poverty. The UN has set an ambitious goal to eradicate extreme poverty in its entirety by 2030.
"One of the keys to ending child poverty is addressing poverty in the household, from which it often stems”- UN Secretary-General António Guterres
Ohio University
A parasite, largely thought to be asexual, has been shown to reproduce sexually after scientists uncover clues hidden in its genomic code.
Trypanosoma cruzi is the parasite responsible for Chagas Disease, found in Latin America. Around eight million people are currently infected by the disease, which can cause irreversible damage to the heart and digestive tract.
Chagas disease is mostly spread by insects known as Triatominae, or "kissing bugs", but can also be transmitted by food contaminated with T. cruzi. While some medication can cure patients if given early enough, once the disease is established it is less effective.
By: Jordan Ramirez Puckett (Student at Ohio University)
Ecology Letters cover, October issue, 2019. Picture credits: Esteban Baus
The belief that mosquito-borne disease thrives in the warmest and wettest weather conditions is a common misconception in held in popular culture and literature. While temperature is a key factor in the mosquito lifecycle and the rate of disease transmission, warmer weather does not mean an increase in pathogen transmission in all cases. Through modeling, researchers have shown that the effects of temperature is non-linear. Diseases such as Zika, dengue, and malaria each have their own optimum temperature for transmission. Therefore, the question becomes how global warming will affect the spreading of mosquito-based illnesses.
By Elijah Hendrix (Ohio University student and TDR participant)
Sunset at Loja province, panoramic view of Cariamanga.
I have always felt a connection to service, health, and doing the right thing for the benefit of others and as a Cutler Scholar at Ohio University, I am encouraged to participate in service projects each year and this summer was not the exception. Through the lectures in my public health class and the conversations I had with my professors, I was able to come to the issue of Neglected Tropical Diseases, specifically, Chagas Disease research in Ecuador.
Throughout my participation in the program, I had many reflection opportunities. I am able to sum up my experience in three words: learning, community and service. Before this trip started, I only thought of learning as a one-way street. For example, in school, a professor stands in front of a classroom of 200 people and there is little to no interaction within the flow of information. I was prepared to have small talk with the people of the communities that we would be visiting and teach them what I know. The night before the first day, my cohort and I discussed the importance of sitting back and listening before acting to ensure the most collaboration between our team and the communities. I did not quite understand the meaning of listening first, but I kept an open mind.
By Luis E. Mendoza
Image: hablemosdechagas
Every April 14 the International Day of People Affected by Chagas Disease is celebrated. However, what few know is that this date also commemorates the discovery of this disease by the Brazilian biologist Carlos Chagas.
This article will share relevant information about Chagas disease, as well as collaborative work between the Center for Research on Health in Latin America (CISeAL), from PUCE, and the Infectious and Tropical Diseases Institute (ITDI), from Ohio University in order to prevent and control this disease.
The people affected by Chagas disease will claim this 14th of April as World Chagas Day in the hope of increasing global awareness, and building on the progress already made against this disease, which has been neglected for more than one century.
11 April 2019.
The International Federation of Associations of People Affected by Chagas disease (FINDECHAGAS) has launched an online petition through the platform change.org (Link) in support of the official declaration of April 14th as their World Day. This proposal will be tabled at the 72nd World Health Assembly, to be held in Geneva at the end of May 2019. The particular date has been chosen because on that same day, 110 years ago, the Brazilian doctor Carlos Chagas confirmed the first case of the disease in a child, called Berenice Soares.
The official recognition of this anniversary in the global calendar of World Days will raise the visibility of this global health challenge, which forms part of the list of neglected tropical diseases, according to the classification of the World Health Organization (WHO). FINDECHAGAS aims to engage governments and health decision makers to encourage them to take sustainable political actions in order to overcome numerous barriers regarding access to diagnosis and treatment, as well as to increase visibility and awareness about the stigmatization and discrimination suffered by people affected by the disease.
