An Oxford Nanopore Technology-Based Hepatitis B Virus Sequencing Protocol Suitable For Genomic Surveillance Within Clinical Diagnostic Settings.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a significant public health concern, particularly in Africa, where there is a substantial burden. HBV is an enveloped virus, with isolates being classified into ten phylogenetically distinct genotypes (A - J) determined based on full-genome sequence data or reverse hybridization-based diagnostic tests. In practice, limitations are noted in that diagnostic sequencing, generally using Sanger sequencing, tends to focus only on the S-gene, yielding little or no information on intra-patient HBV genetic diversity with very low-frequency variants and reverse hybridization detects only known genotype-specific mutations.

An emerging clade of Chikungunya West African genotype discovered in real-time during 2023 outbreak in Senegal.

Chikungunya (CHIKV) is a re-emerging endemic arbovirus in West Africa. Since July 2023, Senegal and Burkina Faso have been experiencing an ongoing outbreak, with over 300 confirmed cases detected so far in the regions of Kédougou and Tambacounda in Senegal, the largest recorded outbreak yet. CHIKV is typically maintained in a sylvatic cycle in Senegal but its evolution and factors contributing to re-emergence are so far unknown in West Africa, leaving a gap in understanding and responding to recurrent epidemics.

Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron lineages BA.4 and BA.5 in South Africa.

Three lineages (BA.1, BA.2 and BA.

Wastewater treatment works change the intestinal microbiomes of insectivorous bats.

Mammals, born with a near-sterile intestinal tract, are inoculated with their mothers' microbiome during birth. Thereafter, extrinsic and intrinsic factors shape their intestinal microbe assemblage. Wastewater treatment works (WWTW), sites synonymous with pollutants and pathogens, receive influent from domestic, agricultural and industrial sources.

Inside environmental Clostridium perfringens genomes: antibiotic resistance genes, virulence factors and genomic features.

Until recently, research has focused on Clostridium perfringens in clinical settings without considering environmental isolates. In this study, environmental genomes were used to investigate possible antibiotic resistance and the presence of virulence traits in C. perfringens strains from raw surface water.

Draft Genome Sequences of Potentially Pathogenic Clostridium perfringens Strains from Environmental Surface Water in the North West Province of South Africa.

Surface water systems in South Africa are experiencing a major decline in quality due to various anthropogenic factors. This poses a possible health risk for humans. Here, we present the draft genome sequences of three isolates obtained from a fecally polluted river system in the North West province of South Africa.

Transcriptome and differentially expressed genes of Busseola fusca (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae challenged with Cry1Ab toxin.

Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a major insect pest of maize in sub-Saharan Africa, has developed high levels of non-recessive resistance to Cry1Ab toxin expressed in genetically modified Bt maize. Multiple resistance mechanisms to various Cry toxins have been identified in Lepidoptera, but no study has yet been done to determine the mechanism of Cry1Ab resistance in B. fusca.

Draft Genome Assemblages of 10 Xanthomonas vasicola pv. zeae Strains, Pathogens Causing Leaf Streak Disease of Maize in South Africa.

Maize bacterial leaf streak disease has spread across maize crops in South Africa and therefore potentially poses a threat to maize production and food security. Until recently, this pathogen was identified as a pathovar, whereas our South African genomes seem to be more divergent and create their own subclade.

Co-expressed mitochondrial genomes: recently masculinized, recombinant mitochondrial genome is co-expressed with the female-transmitted mtDNA genome in a male Mytilus trossulus mussel from the Baltic Sea.

Background: Few exceptions have been described from strict maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA in animals, including sea mussels (Mytilidae), clams (Donacidae, Veneridae and Solenidae) and freshwater mussels (Unionoidae) order. In these bivalves mitochondria and their DNA are transferred through two separate routes. The females inherit only the maternal mitochondrial DNA whereas the males inherit maternal as well as paternal mitochondrial DNA, which is usually present only in gonads and sperm.