New wasps named after Crocodile Dundee and Toblerone amongst 17 new genera and 29 species
(Pensoft Publishers) A total of 17 new genera and 29 new species of parasitoid wasps are described from across all tropical regions of the world. Amongst the novel taxa, there are three genera named after the action comedy 'Crocodile Dundee', the chocolate brand 'Toblerone', and the Madagascar spiny forests. In addition, five species are named after institutions holding some of the largest wasp collections. The findings are published in the open access Journal of Hymenoptera Research. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - June 25, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: news

A Boy Contracted the First Case of Bubonic Plague Idaho Has Seen in 26 Years
A boy in Idaho has contracted the first case of bubonic plague the state has seen for 26 years, according to health officials. The child, who remains unidentified, was treated with antibiotics in the hospital and is now recovering at home in a stable condition. The Central District Health Department, which announced the news of the bubonic plague’s return, said it was unclear whether the boy had contracted the disease in Idaho or on a recent trip to Oregon. Health officials said ground squirrels near the child’s home in Elmore County, Idaho, had tested positive for carrying the disease in 2015 and 2016, though ...
Source: TIME: Health - June 14, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Billy Perrigo Tags: Uncategorized idaho onetime Source Type: news

Missing enzymes in the biosynthesis of the anticancer drug vinblastine in Madagascar periwinkle
Vinblastine, a potent anticancer drug, is produced by Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar periwinkle) in small quantities, and heterologous reconstitution of vinblastine biosynthesis could provide an additional source of this drug. However, the chemistry underlying vinblastine synthesis makes identification of the biosynthetic genes challenging. Here we identify the two missing enzymes necessary for vinblastine biosynthesis in this plant: an oxidase and a reductase that isomerize stemmadenine acetate into dihydroprecondylocarpine acetate, which is then deacetoxylated and cyclized to either catharanthine or tabersonine via two ...
Source: ScienceNOW - June 14, 2018 Category: Science Authors: Caputi, L., Franke, J., Farrow, S. C., Chung, K., Payne, R. M. E., Nguyen, T.-D., Dang, T.-T. T., Soares Teto Carqueijeiro, I., Koudounas, K., Duge de Bernonville, T., Ameyaw, B., Jones, D. M., Vieira, I. J. C., Courdavault, V., OConnor, S. E. Tags: Biochemistry, Botany reports Source Type: news

Tiny spiders, big color
(Harvard University) There's plenty that's striking about Phoroncidia rubroargentea, a species of spider native to Madagascar, starting with their size -- at just three millimeters, they're barely larger than a few grains of salt. But the reason they caught Sarah Kariko's eye had to do with their color. Unlike many other species, which gradually see their color leach away when preserved in ethanol, the tiny spiders dazzled with brilliant, shimmering red and silver, even after decades in ethanol. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - May 11, 2018 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

Recipe to Save 700,000 Young Children a Year: Clean Water & Decent Toilets
This study adds to the evidence that the lives of hundreds of thousands of young children could be saved each year if these pillars of development were combined with other health interventions.WaterAid and Defeat DD are calling on governments and donors to align child health and water, sanitation and hygiene programmes, policies and financing to address this unnecessary health crisis more effectively and more efficiently. These investments create a positive cycle that builds human capital, strengthens economies, reduces future healthcare costs and contributes to national development.This July the UN’s Sustainable Develop...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - May 10, 2018 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Savio Carvalho Tags: Development & Aid Featured Global Global Governance Headlines Health Human Rights IPS UN: Inside the Glasshouse Poverty & SDGs TerraViva United Nations Water & Sanitation Source Type: news

Medical News Today: Unlocking the secrets of a cancer-fighting flower
The Madagascar periwinkle produces a chemical that has long been used against cancer. Until now, no one knew how, making production slow and expensive. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - May 8, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer / Oncology Source Type: news

Milestone research on Madagascar periwinkle uncovers pathway to cancer-fighting drugs
(John Innes Centre) Plant scientists have taken the crucial last steps in a 60-year quest to unravel the complex chemistry of Madagascar periwinkle in a breakthrough that opens up the potential for rapid synthesis of cancer-fighting compounds. (Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer)
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - May 3, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news

Half of All Wildlife Could Disappear from the Amazon, Galapagos and Madagascar Due to Climate Change
As much as half of wildlife and 60% of plants in the world’s richest forests could be at risk of extinction in the next century if stronger efforts aren’t taken to combat climate change, according to a new report on the risks of rising global temperatures. The landmark study was conducted by the World Wildlife Fund, University of East Anglia, and the James Cook University, and published on Tuesday in the journal Climatic Change. It warns that rising temperatures and associated phenomena, including extreme storms, erratic rainfall patterns, and prolonged droughts, could have disastrous effects on some of the wor...
Source: TIME: Science - March 14, 2018 Category: Science Authors: Eli Meixler Tags: Uncategorized climate change onetime overnight Source Type: news

High incidence of neonatal infections in Madagascar
(Institut Pasteur) Every year in the world, 4 million children die before the age of one, mainly in resource-limited countries, one-third of them due to a severe infection. In 2012, the Institut Pasteur and Institut Pasteur de Madagascar initiated the BIRDY program1 with the aim of documenting neonatal infections in the community and assessing the state of antibiotic resistance. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - February 26, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news

Madagascar:President Hery Must Avoid the Worst Plague of All
[ISS] Madagascar's President Hery Rajaonarimampianina must be feeling rather like a pharaoh of the Old Testament. During the past four years when he has governed the country it has been visited by an astonishing succession of plagues. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)
Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine - February 9, 2018 Category: African Health Source Type: news

A spider that hunts other spiders: 18 new species of this bizarre Madagascar arachnid are unveiled
Scientists have identified 18 new species of pelcian spider. Also called assassin spiders, these critters hunt other arachnids using their long fang-tipped "jaws" to impale their prey. (Source: Los Angeles Times - Science)
Source: Los Angeles Times - Science - January 26, 2018 Category: Science Authors: Sean Greene Source Type: news

Plague fears in Madagascar return
Health chiefs thought they had the 'crisis', which prompted 10 nearby African countries to be placed on high alert, under control. But panic has re-emerged after a suspected new case. (Source: the Mail online | Health)
Source: the Mail online | Health - January 23, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

WHO Director-General: invest in health to end plague in Madagascar
The Director-General of WHO has outlined his vision for a Madagascar free of plague epidemics during a three-day visit to the island nation that started on 7 January 2018. "Madagascar can make plague epidemics a thing of the past through strategic investments in its health system – including better access to healthcare, improving preparedness, surveillance and response capabilities, and implementing the International Health Regulations," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (Source: WHO news)
Source: WHO news - January 8, 2018 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Tags: plague [subject], bubonic plague, pneumonic plague, plague [subject], bubonic plague, pneumonic plague, African Region [region], Madagascar [country], Press release [doctype] Source Type: news

A botanical mystery solved by phylogenetic testing
(Missouri Botanical Garden) Missouri Botanical Garden researchers used DNA testing to rediscover Dracaena umbraculifera, which was thought to be extinct. The methods and results were published in Oryx. The authors include Garden researchers in both St. Louis and Madagascar. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - January 8, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: news