Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in which case it is known as latent tuberculosis. Around 10% of latent infections progress to active disease that, if left untreated, kill about half of those affected. Typical symptoms of active TB are chronic cough with blood-containing mucus, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Infection of other organs can cause a wide range of symptoms.
Termites are a group of detritophagous eusocial insects which consume a variety of decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, and soil humus. They are distinguished by their moniliform antennae and the soft-bodied and often unpigmented worker caste for which they have been commonly termed "white ants"; however, they are not ants, being more closely related to cockroaches. About 2,972 extant species are currently described, 2,105 of which are members of the family Termitidae.
Mycobacterium is a genus of over 190 species in the phylum Actinomycetota, assigned its own family, Mycobacteriaceae. This genus includes pathogens known to cause serious diseases in mammals, including tuberculosis and leprosy in humans. The Greek prefix myco- means 'fungus', alluding to this genus' mold-like colony surfaces. Since this genus has cell walls with a waxy lipid-rich outer layer containing high concentrations of mycolic acid, acid-fast staining is used to emphasize their resistance to acids, compared to other cell types.
The Formosan termite is a species of termite local to southern China and introduced to Taiwan, Japan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Hawaii, and the continental United States.
Mycobacterium celatum is a species of the phylum Actinomycetota, belonging to the genus Mycobacterium.
Mycobacterium kansasii is a bacterium in the Mycobacterium genus. It is an environmental bacteria that causes opportunistic infections in humans, and is one of the leading mycobacterial causes of human disease after tuberculosis and leprosy.
Porphyromonas is a Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, obligately anaerobic and non-motile genus from the family Porphyromonadaceae. There were 16 different Porphyromonas species documented as of 2015, which reside in both animal and human reservoirs. It was discovered more recently that Porphyromonas also exist in the environment, albeit to a lesser extent. This genus is notably implicated in the modulation of oral cavity, respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract disease states. It is suggested that Porphyromonas either operate as benign bacteria pertinent to host immunity or are potential pathobionts that opportunistically provoke diseased states when homeostasis is disrupted. Despite its characterization not being fully elucidated due to sparse research, various studies report the prevalence of this genus at 58.7% in healthy states compared with 41.3% in diseased states.
Rhinotermitidae is a family of wood-soil interface feeding termites commonly known as the Subterranean termites. Many members of this family are known pests that can cause extensive damage to buildings or other wooden structures. Most species establish colonies in wood before migrating to the ground to create diffuse nests connecting to multiple pieces of wood, with some taxa such as Coptotermitinae creating mounds or centralized carton nests within wood. All members forage via shelter tubes through the soil to sources of food. In addition, Rhinotermitidae are known for having a higher level of social complexity as compared to other termites. Communication takes place through chemical activity, more specifically through traces of cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC), or semiochemicals, acting as pheromones to send signals to the king and queen of the nest. About 345 species are recognized, among these are severe pests such as Coptotermes formosanus, Coptotermes gestroi, and Reticulitermes flavipes.
Coptotermes gestroi, commonly known as the Asian subterranean termite is a small species of termite that lives underground. Both this species and the Formosan subterranean termite are destructive pests native to Asia, but have spread to other parts of the world including the United States. In Asia, this species is known as the Philippine milk termite.
Comamonas odontotermitis is a Gram-negative, aerobic, weak oxidase- and catalase-positive, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped, motile bacterium from the genus of Comamonas, which was isolated from the gut of the termite Coptotermes formosanus.
Coptotermes is a genus of termites in the family Rhinotermitidae. Many of the roughly 71 species are economically destructive pests. The genus is thought to have originated in Southeast Asia. Worker termites from this genus forage underground and move about in roofed tunnels that they build along the surface.
Falcataria falcata, commonly known as the Moluccan albizia, is a species of fast-growing tree in the family Fabaceae. It is native to the Maluku Islands, New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the Solomon Islands. It is cultivated for timber throughout South Asian and Southeast Asian countries. This tree is considered to be invasive in Hawaii, American Samoa and several other island nations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It reaches about 30 m (100 ft) tall in nature, and has a massive trunk and an open crown.
Desmospora is a bacterial genus from the family of Thermoactinomycetaceae.
Desmospora activa is a Gram-positive and aerobic bacterium from the genus of Desmospora which has been isolated from the sputum from a patient with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis in Germany.
Coptotermes emersoni, is a species of subterranean termite of the genus Coptotermes. It is native to India, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. Though it is a wood destroying termite, it was first found from an electrical wire case in the National Museum of Colombo.
Coptotermes gaurii, is a species of subterranean termite of the genus Coptotermes. It is native to South India and Sri Lanka. It is a serious pest of tea in Sri Lanka.
Reticulitermes virginicus is a species of subterranean termite native to North America, found often in the southern United States. It was described in 1907.
Odontotermes formosanus is a species of fungus-growing termite in the family Termitidae. It is native to southeastern Asia and was first described from Taiwan. This termite cultivates a symbiotic fungus in a special chamber in the nest. Workers and soldiers gather vegetable detritus which they bring back to the colony, chewing the material to a pulp to make a suitable substrate on which to grow the fungus.
Holomastigotoides is a genus of parabasalids found in the hindgut of lower termites. It is characterized by its dense, organized arrangement of flagella on the cell surface and the presence of a mitotic spindle outside its nucleus during the majority of its cell cycle. As a symbiont of termites, Holomastigotoides is able to ingest wood and aid its host in digestion. In return, Holomastigotoides is supplied with a stable habitat and steady supply of food. Holomastigotoides has notably been studied to observe the mechanisms of chromosomal pairing and segregation in haploid and diploid cells.
