A research team led by Prof. Dr. Shahin Abbas Mustafa from the College of Agriculture, University of Kirkuk, in collaboration with researchers from the College of Agriculture, University of Cairo, has published a scientific paper in an international journal.
The researcher explained that the published study addresses some bio-ecological aspects of the predatory water bug Sphaerodema (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) and its medical importance.
He added that the study aimed to examine the habitat environment of the predatory belostomatid bug Sphaerodema nepoides (F.) and some of its eco-biological aspects in the Abu Rawash area of Giza Governorate, Egypt, as well as its medical significance as a potential vector of the bacterium Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of Buruli ulcer.
The researcher pointed out that all tests came back negative for the presence of the disease-causing bacterium, supporting the World Health Organization’s 2023 report which stated that the disease is not endemic in Egypt.
