A Large-Scale Serological Survey in Pets From October 2020 Through June 2021 in France Shows Significantly Higher Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in Cats Compared to Dogs.

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has the potential to infect various animals, including domestic pets like dogs and cats. Many studies have documented infection in companion animals by molecular and serological methods. However, only a few have compared seroprevalence in cats and dogs from the general population, and these studies were limited by small sample sizes and collections over short periods.

Serological evidence of natural exposure to rabies in rural populations in Gabon.

Rabies is one of the oldest known zoonotic diseases, with dogs being the main reservoir for 99% of the cases of human rabies. However, wild animals may also be rabies vectors. In most cases, contact with a rabid animal results in rabies without pre- or post-exposure prophylaxis, and the disease is nearly always fatal.

Prevalence and Genetic Diversity of Bat Hepatitis B Viruses in Bat Species Living in Gabon.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection leads to around 800,000 deaths yearly and is considered to be a major public health problem worldwide. However, HBV origins remain poorly understood. Here, we looked for bat HBV (BtHBV) in different bat species in Gabon to investigate the role of these animals as carriers of ancestral hepadnaviruses because these viruses are much more diverse in bats than in other host species.

First Detection of Antibodies Specific to Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Rural Populations of Gabon.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne viral disease with a mortality rate reaching up to 40% in humans. Currently, CCHF affects three continents: Asia, Europe, and Africa. An increase in confirmed cases in Africa has been observed since 2000.

Whole-Genome Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 Reveals Simultaneous Circulation of Three Variants and a Putative Recombination (20B/20H) in Pets, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.

Following the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, cases of pets infected with variants circulating among humans were reported. In order to evaluate the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 circulation among pets in the Republic of the Congo, we conducted a ten-month study of dogs and cats living in COVID-19-positive households in Brazzaville and neighboring localities. Real-time PCR and the Luminex platform were used to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA and antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 RBD and S proteins, respectively.

HPV genotypes in high-grade cervical lesions and invasive cervical carcinoma detected in Gabonese women.

Background: Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among women worldwide, but particularly affects women living in sub-Saharan Africa. Screening and vaccination programs are two prevention approaches that can reduce cervical cancer incidence. However, effective vaccination campaigns require better knowledge of the prevalence of the main human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes reported in high-grade neoplastic lesions and invasive carcinomas in women.

First Evidence of Natural SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Domestic Rabbits.

We tested 144 pet rabbits sampled in France between November 2020 and June 2021 for antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by microsphere immunoassay. We reported the first evidence of a natural SARS-CoV-2 infection in rabbits with a low observed seroprevalence between 0.7% and 1.

Early Circulation of SARS-CoV-2, Congo, 2020.

To determine when severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 arrived in Congo, we retrospectively antibody tested 937 blood samples collected during September 2019-February 2020. Seropositivity significantly increased from 1% in December 2019 to 5.3% in February 2020, before the first officially reported case in March 2020, suggesting unexpected early virus circulation.

Infection with SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 detected in a group of dogs and cats with suspected myocarditis.

Background: Domestic pets can contract severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection; however, it is unknown whether the UK B.1.1.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in two cats during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in France.

Although there are several reports in the literature of SARS-CoV-2 infection in cats, few SARS-CoV-2 sequences from infected cats have been published. In this study, SARS-CoV-2 infection was evaluated in two cats by clinical observation, molecular biology (qPCR and NGS), and serology (microsphere immunoassay and seroneutralization). Following the observation of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in two cats, infection status was confirmed by RT-qPCR and, in one cat, serological analysis for antibodies against N-protein and S-protein, as well as neutralizing antibodies.

Report of One-Year Prospective Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Dogs and Cats in France with Various Exposure Risks: Confirmation of a Low Prevalence of Shedding, Detection and Complete Sequencing of an Alpha Variant in a Cat.

Despite the probable zoonotic origin of SARS-CoV-2, only limited research efforts have been made to understand the role of companion animals in SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology. According to recent serological prevalence studies, human-to-companion animal transmission is quite frequent, which led us to consider that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from animal to human, albeit negligible in the present context, may have been underestimated. In this study, we provide the results of a prospective survey that was conducted to evaluate the SARS-CoV-2 isolation rate by qRT-PCR in dogs and cats with different exposure risks and clinical statuses.

Herpes Infections in Suspected Cases of Yellow Fever in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In the battle to quickly identify potential yellow fever arbovirus outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, active syndromic surveillance of acute febrile jaundice patients across the country is a powerful tool. However, patients who test negative for yellow fever virus infection are too often left without a diagnosis. By retroactively screening samples for other potential viral infections, we can both try to find sources of patient disease and gain information on how commonly they may occur and co-occur.

Potential Association between Zika Infection and Microcephaly during 2007 Fever Outbreak, Gabon.

Although Zika virus (ZIKV) circulates in sub-Saharan Africa, no case of ZIKV-associated microcephaly has thus far been reported. Here, we report evidence of a possible association between a 2007 outbreak of febrile illness and an increase in microcephaly and possibly ZIKV infection in Gabon.

At Least Seven Distinct Rotavirus Genotype Constellations in Bats with Evidence of Reassortment and Zoonotic Transmissions.

Bats host many viruses pathogenic to humans, and increasing evidence suggests that rotavirus A (RVA) also belongs to this list. Rotaviruses cause diarrheal disease in many mammals and birds, and their segmented genomes allow them to reassort and increase their genetic diversity. Eighteen out of 2,142 bat fecal samples (0.

Detection of Ebola Virus Antibodies in Fecal Samples of Great Apes in Gabon.

Based on a large study conducted on wild great ape fecal samples collected in regions of Gabon where previous human outbreaks of Ebola virus disease have occurred between 1994 and 2002, we provide evidence for prevalence of (EBOV)-specific antibodies of 3.9% (immunoglobulin G (IgG)) and 3.5% (immunoglobulin M (IgM)) in chimpanzees and 8.

Natural infection of free-ranging mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) by enteroviruses and astroviruses in southern Gabon.

Enteroviruses (Picornaviridae) and astroviruses (Astroviridae) cause various diseases in humans and animals, including in non-human primates (NHPs). Some enteroviruses and astroviruses detected in NHPs are genetically related to those infecting humans, indicating the occurrence of interspecies transmissions. In this study, we screened 200 fecal samples of 56 free-ranging mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) by nested reverse transcription-PCR with primers targeting the VP1 and RdRp genes, to evaluate the diversity of enterovirus and astrovirus infection, respectively, and the associated zoonotic risk.

High prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in pets from COVID-19+ households.

In a survey of household cats and dogs of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients, we found a high seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, ranging from 21% to 53%, depending on the positivity criteria chosen. Seropositivity was significantly greater among pets from COVID-19+ households compared to those with owners of unknown status. Our results highlight the potential role of pets in the spread of the epidemic.

A Second Genome Sequence of an Enterovirus C99 Detected in a Healthy Chimpanzee.

We report the nearly complete genome sequence of an enterovirus 99 strain (Cpz-IJC08) detected in a healthy chimpanzee from the Tchimpounga Sanctuary in the Republic of Congo. According to the phylogeny, Cpz-IJC08 clustered with Cpz-IJC04, a previously identified chimpanzee enterovirus from the same sanctuary, isolated from an animal with signs of acute flaccid paralysis.