IAS in the Caribbean

Asystasia gangetica known as creeping foxglove, Chinese violet, coromandel, Ganges primrose, or Philippine violet originated from India and Sri Lanka. This plant was first brought over for ornamental purposes. A.gangetica  is invasive and has been known to invade coastal habitats, disturbed sites, forest margins, open woodlands, roadsides, urban open space, and waste areas. It has […]

Plasmodium relictum is one of more than 40 species of Plasmodium that can infect birds and cause avian malaria (Valkiunas, 2005). This disease has many similarities to human malaria and these organisms were important early experimental models for studies of the human plasmodia. P. relictum has caused acute, pathogenic infections in captive wild birds in […]

The avian poxviruses (genus Avipoxvirus) constitute a group of viruses in the subfamily Chordopoxvirinae, family Poxviridae (ICTV, 2009). Depending on the authority, there are as many as 13 recognized, more or less host specific, species. The archetype, and best studied species, is fowlpox virus (Tripathy, 1993). Avian pox was one of the earliest described diseases […]

Azadirachta indica A. Juss known as Indian lilac, lilac tree, margosa or neem originated from parts of Bangladesh, India, Malaysia and Myanmar. This plant was first brought for fuelwood, shade and ornament, erosion control and restoration purposes.  A. indica A. Juss, is invasive and grows along side coastal forests, forest edges/gaps, disturbed areas, urban open […]

Fire blight is a serious disease of plants in the subfamily Maloideae, especially apple, pear, quince and loquat. Epidemics, although sporadic, are often devastating depending on the occurrence of favourable climatic conditions, the amount of initial inoculum and virulence of the pathogen, and the susceptibility of the host species. Therefore, in any given site where […]

Frosty pod rot, also called Monilia, is an invasive disease affecting cocoa caused by the fungus Moniliophthora roreri. Until the 1950s, frosty pod rot was confined to the North-western South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Western Venezuela) and was not of widespread interest to other cocoa-producing countries. Its appearance in Panama in 1956 and Costa Rica in […]

The giant African snail (Achatina fulica) is a tropical species native to East Africa. Typically about 1 cm tall, it can grow as large as 20 cm and weigh as much as a kilogram. They are hermaphrodite – having both male and female sex organs – and away from their natural enemies, after a single […]

The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is currently participating in this UNEP IAS initiative aimed at better understanding the impacts of invasive species on island biodiversities and economies. The project aims to support the conservation of biodiversity in the Caribbean region and simultaneously contribute to global efforts to safeguard biodiversity. Data shows that IAS are […]

The Asian green mussel (Perna viridis), also known as the Philippine green mussel, is a bivalve belonging to the family Mytilidae. The mussel is economically important in several countries where it is harvested for food; however it is known to harbor toxins, which are hazardous to human health and cause damage to submerged structures such […]

Jasminum fluminense Vell known as Brazilian jasmine, Gold coast jasmine or jasmine originated from tropical Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. This plant was first introduced as an ornament.  It began to invade pastures, croplands, urban open space, disturbed areas, roadsides, forest edges/gaps and riverbanks. J.fluminense Vell is known to climb into and smothers vegetation including […]