Abstract Communicating climate change remains an integral aspect of the quest to manage the impacts of climate change. Communicating climate change largely takes the western scientific approach without much consideration of African traditional knowledge. Communicating climate change has not elicited the desired response from the community that lives adjacent to Kakamega Forest. Abaluhyia people have had ways of conserving their forests, which ensured their posterity. The study aimed to asses...
Abstract Paraoxon is an emerging organophosphate pollutant that is commonly used as a pesticide and a drug, hence increasing the risk of contamination of water supplies. Its intensive use for vector control has led to pollutions in soil and water. Paraoxon is very toxic, with an LD50 of 2 to 30 mg/kg in rats. It can be metabolized in the body from parathion; thus, exposure can lead to serious health effects. In this study, zero valent iron (Fe°/ZVI NPs) nanoparticles were synthesized and in...
Abstract/Overview The full-scale impact of odour-baited technology on the surveillance, sampling and control of vectors of infectious diseases is partly limited by the lack of methods for the efficient and sustainable dispensing of attractants. In this study we investigated whether locally-available and commonly used textiles are efficient substrates for the release of synthetic odorant blends attracting malaria mosquitoes. METHODS The relative efficacy of (a) polyester, (b) cotton, (c) c...
Abstract There is still unexplored reservoir of microorganisms from sediments and water within Lakes Olbolosat and Oloiden using culture dependent technique. The current study compares bacterial diversity within Lake Olbolosat a freshwater lake and Lake Oloiden a saline alkaline lake. Out of 60 isolates obtained from sediments and water samples, 35 were from Lake Olbolosat and 25 from Lake Oloiden. Microbial count ranged between 0-1.75× 10 5 cfu/ml from both lakes. There was a significant d...
Abstract/Overview The use of odor baits for surveillance and control of malaria mosquitoes requires robust dispensing tools. In this study, the residual activity of a synthetic mosquito attractant blend dispensed from nylon or low density polyethylene (LDPE) sachets was evaluated at weekly intervals for one year without re-impregnation. The potential role of bacteria in modulating the attraction of mosquitoes to odor-treated nylon that had been used repeatedly over the one year study peri...
Abstract/Overview Most odour baits designed to attract host-seeking mosquitoes contain carbon dioxide (CO2), which enhances trap catches, given its role as a mosquito flight activator. However, the use of CO2 is expensive and logistically demanding for prolonged area-wide use. METHODS: This study explored the possibility of replacing organically-produced CO2 with 2-butanone in odour blends targeting host-seeking malaria mosquitoes. During semi-field and field experiments MM-X traps were b...
Abstract/Overview Monitoring of malaria vector populations provides information about disease transmission risk, as well as measures of the effectiveness of vector control. The Suna trap is introduced and evaluated with regard to its potential as a new, standardized, odour-baited tool for mosquito monitoring and control. METHODS Dual-choice experiments with female Anopheles gambiae sensu lato in a laboratory room and semi-field enclosure, were used to compare catch rates of odour-baited S...
Abstract Invasive Gelechiidae pest species, namely Tuta absoluta, Phthorimaea operculella, Aproaerema simplixella, Sitotroga cerealella, and Pectinophora gossypiella are among the major constraints hampering agricultural economy in Kenya. Infestation levels were determined on respective host crops sampled from different localities and P. operculella recorded the highest infestation of 68.00 ± 4.92% on stored potato. Aproaerema simplixella and T. absoluta accounted for 61.33 ± 5.35% and 51....
Abstract Longhorn beetles are ecologically important insects in forest ecosystems as decomposers of woody substrates, microhabitat engineers, and as components of forest food webs. These species can be greatly affected both positively and negatively by modern forestry management practices, and should be monitored accordingly. Through headspace sampling, coupled gas chromatographyelectroantennography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and field bioassays, we identified two compounds, 2-me...
Abstract Sweet potato is one of the most important staple food crops consumed in Kenya and throughout Africa but yields are greatly reduced by plant parasitic nematodes (PPN). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of PPN in Kenyan sweet potato fields and their relationship with soil and climatic variables. Soil samples were collected from sweet potato fields in Busia, Teso, Kisii, Embu and Makueni counties. Thirteen nematode genera were identified across the five counties wit...
Abstract Lake Magadi and Little Magadi are saline, alkaline lakes lying in the southern part of Kenyan Rift Valley. Their solutes are supplied by a series of alkaline hot springs with temperatures as high as 86°C. Previous culture-dependent and independent studies have revealed diverse prokaryotic groups adapted to these conditions. However, very few studies have examined the diversity of fungi in these soda lakes. In this study, amplicons of Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region on Tota...
Abstract Natural disturbances and human activities are significantly affecting indigenous trees species in forests. Warburgia ugandensis is a plant highly valued for its medicinal properties, timber and fuel among other uses. Many rural communities use it as a remedy for a number of ailments. Investigations into the value of its chemical content reveal that it has antibiotic, antifungal, anti inflammatory and antiseptic effects. W. ugandensis has been rated as the second highest medicinal pl...
Abstract Phytoplankton biodiversity studies in Kenya's standing waters were carried out between 2001 and 2003. Toxin producing cyanobacteria were recorded in twelve water bodies. Microcystis and Anabaena were the most common species in freshwaters while Anabaena and Anabaenopsis were common in alkaline saline lakes. Seven lakes with cyanobacteria blooms and a hot spring had detectable levels of microcystins and anatoxin-a. Cell bound microcystins (LR equivalents) concentration ranged from 1....
Abstract Increasing degradation of the water quality, caused by overuse and salinization, leads to considerable changes of the phytoplankton composition in Kenyan Rift Valley lakes. Exemplarily, the phytoplankton communities and biomasses of deteriorating freshwater Lake Naivasha and salinizing Lake Oloidien were studied between 2001 and 2005, accompanied by physico-chemical measurements (pH, total phosphorus and nitrogen, alkalinity, conductivity). Over the last three decades, the ecology o...
Abstract Molecular markers have effectively been applied to study genetic diversity and as markers of particular traits. This study assessed the diversity of twenty four (24) coffee genotypes using 10 Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers and 2 microsatellites (M24 and Sat 235). A total of 35 polymorphic bands were generated by the RAPD primers. The bands were scored for presence (1) and absence (0) of amplified products. The data was subjected to cluster analysis using R statistic...