Publications by authors named "Wade Abel"

Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as a significant threat to global health, with the World Health Organization (WHO) classifying it among the top 10 public health threats. However, more epidemiological information is needed to support policy and stewardship programs. This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial resistance profiles of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus spp.

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The global spread of African swine fever (ASF) in recent decades has led to the need for technological advances in sampling and diagnostic techniques. The impetus for these has been the need to enable sampling by lay persons and to obtain at least a preliminary diagnosis in the field for early control measures to be put in place before final laboratory confirmation. In rural Africa, rapid diagnosis is hampered by challenges that include lack of infrastructure as well as human and financial resources.

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Article Synopsis
  • African swine fever (ASF) is a serious virus affecting pigs, first identified in Georgia in 2007, and is caused by a large double-stranded DNA virus.
  • The genetic diversity of ASFV comes from variations in certain multigene families, and changes in its genome happen slowly, making traditional sequencing methods less effective for tracking its evolution.
  • Researchers report new full genome sequences from Cameroonian ASF isolates from 1982, 1994, and 2018, revealing novel genetic variations that could enhance studies on ASF epidemiology in Western Africa and elsewhere.
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African swine fever virus has been endemic in Cameroon since 1982. Here, we announce the sequences of Cameroon/2016/C1, Cameroon/2016/C5, Cameroon/2017/C-A2, Cameroon/2018/C02, and Cameroon/2018/CF3, five genotype 1 African swine fever virus genomes collected from domestic pigs between 2016 and 2018.

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Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a reemerging virus of global concern. An outbreak of clade I MPXV affected 20 captive chimpanzees in Cameroon in 2016. We describe the epidemiology, virology, phylogenetics, and clinical progression of this outbreak.

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  • Rabies is a serious zoonotic disease affecting both animals and humans in Cameroon, with dogs as the primary transmission source and limited data on the prevalence in bats, which could act as potential reservoirs.
  • A study examined 212 bats from various families in the North Region of Cameroon, finding that 26.9% tested positive for rabies, with a higher prevalence in adult bats compared to younger ones, and identified several risk factors for human exposure.
  • The research confirmed the presence of Lyssavirus in bats, indicating a public health risk and highlighting the need for increased awareness and a "One Health" strategy to manage rabies in both animals and humans.
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Lack of hygiene and biosecurity measures in poultry farms has influence on the emergence of pathogens and antimicrobial use. Antimicrobial residues in poultry meat and their excretion by poultry can exert a selective pressure and the occurrence of multidrug resistant bacteria in litter. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance using Escherichia coli as indicator isolated from poultry litter.

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Porcine circovirus-2 (PCV-2) is associated with several disease syndromes in domestic pigs that have a significant impact on global pig production and health. Currently, little is known about the status of PCV-2 in Africa. In this study, a total of 408 archived DNA samples collected from pigs in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia between 2000 and 2018 were screened by PCR for the presence of PCV-2.

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African swine fever (ASF) has been endemic in sub-Saharan Africa since the 1960s. Following its introduction in Senegal, in 1957, ASF steadily progressed through West Africa, reaching Burkina Faso in 2003, and later Mali in 2016. Despite the heavy burden of disease on pig production, little information is available on the genetic diversity of Africa swine fever virus (ASFV) in Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal.

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Residues of antimicrobials used in farm can exert selective pressure and accelerate the occurrence of multidrug resistant bacteria in litter. This study aimed to investigate the resistance profile of isolated from poultry litter. A total of 101 strains was isolated from 229 litter samples collected and stored for two months in the laboratory at room temperature.

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The present study was carried out to establish the spatiotemporal distribution of ASF between 2010 and 2017 in the Adamawa, North, and Far North regions of Cameroon. A retrospective study with data relating to the northern regions from epidemiological reports from target organizations in Cameroon was used to analyze outbreaks of ASF from 2010 to 2016. A prospective study consisting of risk factor analysis and serological investigation of anti-ASF antibodies and ASF RT-PCR antigen detection test in pig farms in the study regions with clinical suspicion of ASF was carried out in 2017.

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We conducted a pilot study to assess microbiological safety of chicken litter, an affordable organic and main fertilizer used in Cameroon and worldwide. A convenience sampling of 26 farms was done and a questionnaire was administered. Samples of litter were aseptically collected.

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Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a major viral zoonosis transmitted by mosquitoes. The virus is endemic in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa and can affect humans, livestock, and wild ungulates. Knowledge of the biology of vectors of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is essential for the establishment of effective control measures of the disease.

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Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease known to be endemic to parts of western and sub-Saharan Africa. However, the epidemiology for humans and animals remains largely unknown in many of these countries with Cameroon being a typical example. Despite common knowledge that brucellosis affects livestock, the actual number of infected animals remains unknown.

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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.

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Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is widely acknowledged as a global health problem, yet in many parts of the world its magnitude is not well elucidated. A baseline assessment of the AMR prevalence is a priority for implementation of laboratory-based AMR surveillance This review, focused on a One health approach, aimed at describing the current status of AMR in Cameroon.

Methods: PubMed, Google Scholar and African Journals Online databases were searched for articles published in English and French in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines.

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Nipah virus (NiV) and Hendra virus (HeV) are closely related members within the genus , family , for which fruit bats serve as the reservoir. The initial emergence of NiV infections in pigs and humans in Malaysia, and HeV infections in horses and humans in Australia, posed severe impacts on human and animal health, and continues threatening lives of humans and livestock within Southeast Asia and Australia. Recently, henipavirus-specific antibodies have also been detected in fruit bats in a number of sub-Saharan African countries and in Brazil, thereby considerably increasing the known geographic distribution of henipaviruses.

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Article Synopsis
  • African swine fever (ASF) is a deadly disease affecting pigs that has become a significant concern in sub-Saharan Africa since 1997, previously noted in Cameroon as early as 1982.
  • Between 2010 and 2018, research in Cameroon led to the confirmation of 428 ASF-positive samples and identified three variants of ASF virus genotype I, all linked to past outbreaks.
  • The study suggests that these virus variants share similarities with those from neighboring countries, indicating cross-border movement, and recommends joint control measures and farmer compensation to mitigate the disease's impact.
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From May 2016 to March 2017, 22 poultry outbreaks of avian influenza A(H5N1) were reported in Cameroon, mainly in poultry farms and live bird markets. No human cases were reported. In this study, we sought to describe the 2016 A(H5N1) outbreak strain and to investigate the risk of infection in exposed individuals.

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Article Synopsis
  • - In May 2016, a deadly avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak was detected in a poultry farm in Yaoundé, Cameroon, leading to a 75% mortality rate among chickens and 21 confirmed outbreaks across multiple regions until March 2017.
  • - The outbreaks accounted for approximately 138,252 bird losses, with over 44,000 deaths from infection and nearly 94,000 birds culled to control the spread.
  • - The H5N1 viruses identified belong to genetic clade 2.3.2.1c and showed signs of genetic reassortment with H9N2, indicating the need for more data to trace its origin and evolution in the region.
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Article Synopsis
  • - Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N8) viruses from clade 2.3.4.4 entered West Africa in late 2016 during bird migration.
  • - Genetic analysis of the complete genome of these viruses found in Cameroon in January 2017 showed that the viruses came from several different origins.
  • - The study indicates that both wild and domestic birds in Cameroon were affected by multiple introductions of these viral strains.
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Recent outbreaks of Ebola virus disease and Zika virus disease highlight the need for disseminating accurate predictions of emerging zoonotic viruses to national governments for disease surveillance and response. Although there are published maps for many emerging zoonotic viruses, it is unknown if there is agreement among different models or if they are concordant with national expert opinion. Therefore, we reviewed existing predictions for five high priority emerging zoonotic viruses with national experts in Cameroon to investigate these issues and determine how to make predictions more useful for national policymakers.

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Respiratory infections, although showing common clinical symptoms like pneumonia, are caused by bacterial, viral or parasitic agents. These are often reported in sheep and goats populations and cause huge economic losses to the animal owners in developing countries. Detection of these diseases is routinely done using ELISA or microbiological methods which are being reinforced or replaced by molecular based detection methods including multiplex assays, where detection of different pathogens is carried out in a single reaction.

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Background: Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is the most important chronic pulmonary disease of cattle on the African continent causing severe economic losses. The disease, caused by infection with Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides is transmitted by animal contact and develops slowly into a chronic form preventing an early clinical diagnosis.

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A better understanding of how T1 vaccination confers immunity would facilitate the rational design of improved vaccines against contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP). We show here that mycoplasmas-induced recall proliferation and IFN-γ responses are detected in cattle that received multiple shots of T1 vaccines. These anamnestic responses were under the strict control of CD4(+) T lymphocytes.

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