Publications by authors named "Charles Ntahonshikira"
Article Synopsis
- West Nile Virus (WNV) is transmitted by mosquitoes and primarily affects birds, but can also severely impact horses and humans.
- A study in Namibia found that 18.07% of sampled donkeys had antibodies to WNV, indicating the virus is present across the country, despite regional differences.
- The findings suggest donkeys can be effective in monitoring WNV, highlighting the need for potential vaccination of valuable horses and further assessment of WNV's impact on human health.
Background And Aim: African horse sickness (AHS) is a non-contagious viral disease of horses and other equids caused by an arbovirus belonging to the family and genus . AHS is an endemic disease that is responsible for the death of a high number of horses every year in Namibia. At present, there is no information on the prevalence and distribution of AHS virus (AHSV) serotypes in the different regions of Namibia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn January 2019, high mortalities were reported among African Penguins () in a breeding colony on Halifax Island, Namibia, Africa. Analysis of samples by reverse transcription quantitative PCR indicated the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N8. Sequence analysis of the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes confirmed the presence of the virus in the birds and its high similarity to HPAI subtype H5N8 identified in South Africa in 2017.
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