Ancient evolutionary origins of hepatitis E virus in rodents.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV; family ) infections cause >40,000 human deaths annually. Zoonotic infections predominantly originate from ungulates and occasionally from rats, highlighting the zoonotic potential of rodent-associated hepeviruses. We conducted host genomic data mining and uncovered two genetically divergent rodent-associated hepeviruses, and two bat-associated hepeviruses genetically related to known bat-associated strains.

MHC-I alleles mediate clearance and antibody response to the zoonotic Lassa virus in Mastomys rodent reservoirs.

West African Mastomys rodents are the primary reservoir of the zoonotic Lassa virus (LASV). The virus causes haemorrhagic Lassa fever and considerable mortality in humans. To date, the role of Mastomys immunogenetics in resistance to, and persistence of, LASV infections is largely unknown.

Immunogenetics, sylvatic plague and its vectors: insights from the pathogen reservoir Mastomys natalensis in Tanzania.

Yersinia pestis is a historically important vector-borne pathogen causing plague in humans and other mammals. Contemporary zoonotic infections with Y. pestis still occur in sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania and Madagascar, but receive relatively little attention.

Circulation of Lassa virus across the endemic Edo-Ondo axis, Nigeria, with cross-species transmission between multimammate mice.

We phylogenetically compared sequences of the zoonotic Lassa virus (LASV) obtained from rodents in seven localities across the highly endemic Edo and Ondo States within Nigeria. Sequencing 1641 nt from the S segment of the virus genome, we resolved clades within lineage II that were either limited to Ebudin and Okhuesan in Edo state (2g-beta) or along Owo-Okeluse-Ifon in Ondo state (2g-gamma). We also found clades within Ekpoma, a relatively large cosmopolitan town in Edo state, that extended into other localities within Edo (2g-alpha) and Ondo (2g-delta).

Racial and ethnic differences in sickle cell disease within the United States: From demographics to outcomes.

Introduction: Sickle cell disease mainly affects African Americans, and studies on racial differences in sickle cell disease outcomes are scanty. This study examined racial and ethnic differences in sickle cell disease prevalence, comorbidities, and outcomes.

Methods: Using the National Inpatient Sample database from 2016 to 2018, we identified patients' records with a diagnosis of sickle cell disease using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes.