An ounce of prevention is better : Monitoring wildlife health as a tool for pandemic prevention.

Long-term observations of wildlife are key to understanding the ecological foundations of disease emergence. They provide unique opportunities to detect pathogens with zoonotic potential that could threaten human health but also pose a threat for the animals. [Image: see text]

The Spread of Peste Des Petits Ruminants Virus Lineage IV in West Africa.

Monitoring the transboundary spread of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) virus is an essential part of the global efforts towards the eradication of PPR by 2030. There is growing evidence that Lineage IV is becoming the predominant viral lineage, replacing Lineage I and II in West Africa. As part of a regional investigation, samples collected in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea and Ghana were screened for the presence of PPRV.

A Phylogeographic Analysis of Porcine Parvovirus 1 in Africa.

Porcine parvovirus 1 (PPV1) is recognized as a major cause of reproductive failure in pigs, leading to several clinical outcomes globally known as SMEDI. Despite being known since the late 1960s its circulation is still of relevance to swine producers. Additionally, the emergence of variants such as the virulent 27a strain, for which lower protection induced by vaccines has been demonstrated, is of increasing concern.

Non-invasive genomics of respiratory pathogens infecting wild great apes using hybridisation capture.

Human respiratory pathogens have repeatedly caused lethal outbreaks in wild great apes across Africa, leading to population declines. Nonetheless, our knowledge of potential genomic changes associated with pathogen introduction and spread at the human-great ape interface remains sparse. Here, we made use of target enrichment coupled with next generation sequencing to non-invasively investigate five outbreaks of human-introduced respiratory disease in wild chimpanzees living in Taï National Park, Ivory Coast.

Evidence against Zika virus infection of pets and peri-domestic animals in Latin America and Africa.

Decades after its discovery in East Africa, Zika virus (ZIKV) emerged in Brazil in 2013 and infected millions of people during intense urban transmission. Whether vertebrates other than humans are involved in ZIKV transmission cycles remained unclear. Here, we investigate the role of different animals as ZIKV reservoirs by testing 1723 sera of pets, peri-domestic animals and African non-human primates (NHP) sampled during 2013-2018 in Brazil and 2006-2016 in Côte d'Ivoire.

Tolerance and Persistence of Ebola Virus in Primary Cells from , a Potential Ebola Virus Reservoir.

Although there have been documented Ebola virus disease outbreaks for more than 40 years, the natural reservoir host has not been identified. Recent studies provide evidence that the Angolan free-tailed bat (), an insectivorous microbat, is a possible ebolavirus reservoir. To investigate the potential role of this bat species in the ecology of ebolaviruses, replication, tolerance, and persistence of Ebola virus (EBOV) were investigated in 10 different primary bat cell isolates from .

Leprosy in wild chimpanzees.

Humans are considered as the main host for Mycobacterium leprae, the aetiological agent of leprosy, but spillover has occurred to other mammals that are now maintenance hosts, such as nine-banded armadillos and red squirrels. Although naturally acquired leprosy has also been described in captive nonhuman primates, the exact origins of infection remain unclear. Here we describe leprosy-like lesions in two wild populations of western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Cantanhez National Park, Guinea-Bissau and Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa.

Serological Surveillance of Influenza D Virus in Ruminants and Swine in West and East Africa, 2017-2020.

Influenza D virus (IDV) was first isolated in 2011 in Oklahoma, USA from pigs presenting with influenza-like symptoms. IDV is known to mainly circulate in ruminants, especially cattle. In Africa, there is limited information on the epidemiology of IDV, although the virus has likely circulated in the region since 2012.

Epidemiology of Newcastle disease in Africa with emphasis on Côte d'Ivoire: A review.

For decades, Newcastle disease (ND) has long been recognized as a frontline viral disease that constrains poultry production throughout Africa. The need to update on the epidemiology of the disease is rife, due to the increasing importance of poultry farming. In addition, poultry farming serves as the top animal food source globally.

The African Network for Improved Diagnostics, Epidemiology and Management of common infectious Agents.

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, acute respiratory infections (ARI), acute gastrointestinal infections (GI) and acute febrile disease of unknown cause (AFDUC) have a large disease burden, especially among children, while respective aetiologies often remain unresolved. The need for robust infectious disease surveillance to detect emerging pathogens along with common human pathogens has been highlighted by the ongoing novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The African Network for Improved Diagnostics, Epidemiology and Management of Common Infectious Agents (ANDEMIA) is a sentinel surveillance study on the aetiology and clinical characteristics of ARI, GI and AFDUC in sub-Saharan Africa.

Development of a multiplex microsphere immunoassay for the detection of antibodies against highly pathogenic viruses in human and animal serum samples.

Surveillance of highly pathogenic viruses circulating in both human and animal populations is crucial to unveil endemic infections and potential zoonotic reservoirs. Monitoring the burden of disease by serological assay could be used as an early warning system for imminent outbreaks as an increased seroprevalance often precedes larger outbreaks. However, the multitude of highly pathogenic viruses necessitates the need to identify specific antibodies against several targets from both humans as well as from potential reservoir animals such as bats.

Multiple DNA viruses identified in multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) populations from across regions of sub-Saharan Africa.

The multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis; M. natalensis) serves as the main reservoir for the zoonotic arenavirus Lassa virus (LASV), and this has led to considerable investigation into the distribution of LASV and other related arenaviruses in this host species. In contrast to the situation with arenaviruses, the presence of other viruses in M.

Field Postmortem Rabies Rapid Immunochromatographic Diagnostic Test for Resource-Limited Settings with Further Molecular Applications.

Functional rabies surveillance systems are crucial to provide reliable data and increase the political commitment necessary for disease control. To date, animals suspected as rabies-positive must be submitted to a postmortem confirmation using classical or molecular laboratory methods. However, most endemic areas are in low- and middle-income countries where animal rabies diagnosis is restricted to central veterinary laboratories.

Serological evidence for human exposure to Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis in the villages around Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire.

Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis (Bcbva) is an untypical anthrax-causing pathogen responsible for high wildlife mortality in Taï National Park (TNP), Côte d'Ivoire. However, nothing is known about its effect on the rural population living in the region bordering TNP. Contact to bushmeat is a known risk factor for exposure to a variety of zoonotic pathogens, but no human infections with Bcbva were noted so far.

Monkeypox virus emergence in wild chimpanzees reveals distinct clinical outcomes and viral diversity.

Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease on the rise across endemic habitats. Despite the growing importance of monkeypox virus, our knowledge on its host spectrum and sylvatic maintenance is limited. Here, we describe the recent repeated emergence of monkeypox virus in a wild, human-habituated western chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus, hereafter chimpanzee) population from Taï National Park, Ivory Coast.

Microbiomes in the insectivorous bat species Mops condylurus rapidly converge in captivity.

Bats are well known reservoir hosts for RNA and DNA viruses. The use of captive bats in research has intensified over the past decade as researchers aim to examine the virus-reservoir host interface. In this study, we investigated the effects of captivity on the fecal bacterial microbiome of an insectivorous microbat, Mops condylurus, a species that roosts in close proximity to humans and has likely transmitted viral infections to humans.

Utility of primary cells to examine NPC1 receptor expression in Mops condylurus, a potential Ebola virus reservoir.

The significance of the integral membrane protein Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) in the ebolavirus entry process has been determined using various cell lines derived from humans, non-human primates and fruit bats. Fruit bats have long been purported as the potential reservoir host for ebolaviruses, however several studies provide evidence that Mops condylurus, an insectivorous microbat, is also an ebolavirus reservoir. NPC1 receptor expression in the context of ebolavirus replication in microbat cells remains unstudied.

Disentangling the role of Africa in the global spread of H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza.

The role of Africa in the dynamics of the global spread of a zoonotic and economically-important virus, such as the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5Nx of the Gs/GD lineage, remains unexplored. Here we characterise the spatiotemporal patterns of virus diffusion during three HPAI H5Nx intercontinental epidemic waves and demonstrate that Africa mainly acted as an ecological sink of the HPAI H5Nx viruses. A joint analysis of host dynamics and continuous spatial diffusion indicates that poultry trade as well as wild bird migrations have contributed to the virus spreading into Africa, with West Africa acting as a crucial hotspot for virus introduction and dissemination into the continent.

Evolution of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus in Poultry, Togo, 2018.

In 2015, highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses reemerged in poultry in West Africa. We describe the introduction of a reassortant clade 2.3.

Dendritic Cells Generated From , a Likely Filovirus Reservoir Host, Are Susceptible to and Activated by Zaire Ebolavirus Infection.

Ebola virus infection of human dendritic cells (DCs) induces atypical adaptive immune responses and thereby exacerbates Ebola virus disease (EVD). Human DCs, infected with Ebola virus aberrantly express low levels of the DC activation markers CD80, CD86, and MHC class II. The T cell responses ensuing are commonly anergic rather than protective against EVD.

Novel Polyomaviruses in Mammals from Multiple Orders and Reassessment of Polyomavirus Evolution and Taxonomy.

As the phylogenetic organization of mammalian polyomaviruses is complex and currently incompletely resolved, we aimed at a deeper insight into their evolution by identifying polyomaviruses in host orders and families that have either rarely or not been studied. Sixteen unknown and two known polyomaviruses were identified in animals that belong to 5 orders, 16 genera, and 16 species. From 11 novel polyomaviruses, full genomes could be determined.

Detection of possible spillover of a novel hantavirus in a Natal mastomys from Guinea.

To date, only two rodent-borne hantaviruses have been detected in sub-Saharan Africa. Here, we report the detection of a yet unknown hantavirus in a Natal mastomys (Mastomys natalensis) in Méliandou, Guinea, in 2014. The phylogenetic placement of this virus suggests that it might represent a cross-order spillover event from an unknown bat or eulipotyphlan host.

A Novel Orthohepadnavirus Identified in a Dead Maxwell's Duiker () in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire.

New technologies enable viral discovery in a diversity of hosts, providing insights into viral evolution. We used one such approach, the virome capture sequencing for vertebrate viruses (VirCapSeq-VERT) platform, on 21 samples originating from six dead Maxwell's duikers () from Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire. We detected the presence of an orthohepadnavirus in one animal and characterized its 3128 bp genome.

Experimental infection of cattle with wild type peste-des-petits-ruminants virus - Their role in its maintenance and spread.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a major Transboundary animal disease (TADs) of sheep and goats in tropical regions caused by PPRV which can also infect cattle without any clinical signs but inducing seroconversion. However the epidemiological role of cattle in the maintenance and spread of the disease is not known. For the purposes of the present study, cattle were infected with a wild type candidate from each of the four lineages of PPRV and placed in separate boxes.