The dynamic change of SARS-CoV-2 variants in Sierra Leone.

Since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the emergence of multiple new variants posed an increased risk to global public health. The aim of this study is to investigate SARS-CoV-2 variants and possible transmission of variants of concern (VOCs) in Sierra Leone. A total of 65 nasal swab samples were collected from COVID-19 cases in Sierra Leone, among which 24 samples were collected during the second wave and 41 samples were collected during the third wave.

Genotypic anomaly in Ebola virus strains circulating in Magazine Wharf area, Freetown, Sierra Leone, 2015.

The Magazine Wharf area, Freetown, Sierra Leone was a focus of ongoing Ebola virus transmission from late June 2015. Viral genomes linked to this area contain a series of 13 T to C substitutions in a 150 base pair intergenic region downstream of viral protein 40 open reading frame, similar to the Ebolavirus/H.sapiens-wt/SLE/2014/Makona-J0169 strain (J0169) detected in the same town in November 2014.

Establishing a national influenza sentinel surveillance system in a limited resource setting, experience of Sierra Leone.

Background: Acute respiratory infections remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Sierra Leone; however, similar to other African countries, little is known regarding the contribution of influenza. Routine influenza surveillance is thus a key element to improve understanding of the burden of acute respiratory infections in Africa. In 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) funded the Strengthening Influenza Sentinel Surveillance in Africa (SISA) project with the goal of developing and strengthening influenza surveillance in eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including Sierra Leone.