Association of hepatitis C virus genotype 2 spread with historic slave trade and commerce routes in Western Africa.

The hepatitis C virus genotype 2 (HCV2) is endemic in Western and Central Africa. The HCV2 evolutionary origins remain uncertain due to the paucity of available genomes from African settings. In this study, we investigated the molecular epidemiology of HCV infections in rural Guinea, Western Africa, during 2004 and 2014.

The importance of well protected forests for the conservation genetics of West African colobine monkeys.

In tropical forests, anthropogenic activities are major drivers of the destruction and degradation of natural habitats, causing severe biodiversity loss. African colobine monkeys (Colobinae) are mainly folivore and strictly arboreal primates that require large forests to subsist, being among the most vulnerable of all nonhuman primates. The Western red colobus Piliocolobus badius and the King colobus Colobus polykomos inhabit highly fragmented West African forests, including the Cantanhez Forests National Park (CFNP) in Guinea-Bissau.

Predicting future coastal land use/cover change and associated sea-level impact on habitat quality in the Northwestern Coastline of Guinea-Bissau.

The assessment of coastal land use/cover (LULC) change is one of the most precise techniques for detecting spatio-temporal change in the coastal system. This study, integrated Land Change Modeler, Habitat Quality Model, and Digital Shoreline Analysis System, to quantify spacio-temporal coastal LULC change and driving forces between 2000 and 2020. Combined the CA-Markov Model with Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM), merged local SLR data with future representative concentration pathway (RCP8.

Spatial and seasonal variation in macrozoobenthic density, biomass and community composition in a major tropical intertidal area, the Bijagós Archipelago, West-Africa.

The coastal intertidal ecosystem of the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau, one of the largest and most important in West Africa, sustains a considerable proportion of the migratory shorebird populations of the East Atlantic Flyway and operates as a nursery area for benthic fish in the region. The macrozoobenthos in these mudflats constitute the main food source for both groups so that spatial and temporal variation in their abundance and community composition is likely to influence the abundance and distribution of fish and birds. In this study we described the spatial and temporal dynamics in the density, biomass, and community composition of macrozoobenthos across six intertidal flats in three islands of the Bijagós Archipelago.

Incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis in suburban Bissau, Guinea-Bissau between 2004 and 2020: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: Previous studies have found declining incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. This study aimed to report incidence rates of TB for the period 2004-2020, stratifying by sex, smear-status, and HIV-status, as well as describe developments in TB case fatality rate and diagnostic delay.

Design And Methods: Data from the Bandim Health Project HDSS and the TB registry from Jan 1st, 2004 to Dec 31st, 2020 were used.

Can BCG vaccination at first health-facility contact reduce early infant mortality? Study protocol for a cluster-randomised trial (CS-BCG).

Introduction: Increasing evidence suggests that the BCG vaccine has non-specific effects, altering the susceptibility to non-tuberculous infections. Thus, early BCG vaccination may reduce mortality. BCG is recommended at birth but is often delayed.

Trace elements in relation to trophic ecology of long-distance migratory shorebirds and seabirds in West Africa.

Shorebirds and seabirds are abundant predators in coastal habitats worldwide, relying upon a high diversity of benthic invertebrates and fish, respectively. While occupying different trophic guilds, they are differently exposed to element contamination entering the coastal food web. Therefore, these birds have been used as bioindicators of environmental contamination in marine ecosystems.

Oral polio revaccination is associated with changes in gut and upper respiratory microbiomes of infants.

After the eradication of polio infection, the plan is to phase-out the live-attenuated oral polio vaccine (OPV). Considering the protective non-specific effects (NSE) of OPV on unrelated pathogens, the withdrawal may impact child health negatively. Within a cluster-randomized trial, we carried out 16S rRNA deep sequencing analysis of fecal and nasopharyngeal microbial content of Bissau-Guinean infants aged 4-8 months, before and after 2 months of OPV revaccination (revaccinated infants = 47) vs.

Intra-Patient Evolution of HIV-2 Molecular Properties.

Limited data are available on the pathogenesis of HIV-2, and the evolution of Env molecular properties during disease progression is not fully elucidated. We investigated the intra-patient evolution of molecular properties of HIV-2 Env regions (V1-C3) during the asymptomatic, treatment-naïve phase of the infection in 16 study participants, stratified into faster or slower progressors. Most notably, the rate of change in the number of potential N-linked glycosylation sites (PNGS) within the Env (V1-C3) regions differed between progressor groups.

Red, Gold and Green: Microbial Contribution of Rhodophyta and Other Algae to Green Turtle () Gut Microbiome.

The fitness of the endangered green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) may be strongly affected by its gut microbiome, as microbes play important roles in host nutrition and health. This study aimed at establishing environmental microbial baselines that can be used to assess turtle health under altered future conditions. We characterized the microbiome associated with the gastrointestinal tract of green turtles from Guinea Bissau in different life stages and associated with their food items, using 16S rRNA metabarcoding.

One vaccine to counter many diseases? Modeling the economics of oral polio vaccine against child mortality and COVID-19.

Introduction: Recent reviews summarize evidence that some vaccines have heterologous or non-specific effects (NSE), potentially offering protection against multiple pathogens. Numerous economic evaluations examine vaccines' pathogen-specific effects, but less than a handful focus on NSE. This paper addresses that gap by reporting economic evaluations of the NSE of oral polio vaccine (OPV) against under-five mortality and COVID-19.

Moringa as a household water purification method - community perception and pilot study in Guinea-Bissau.

Background: Public perceptions of water-related issues are still under-researched topics. The current paper intends to explore a local community's perceptions regarding household water purification (HWP) strategies, namely before and after trying a new method: moringa seeds powder (moringa-teabag).

Methods: In September 2020, six focus group discussions (N = 65) assessing perceptions about the usefulness of Moringa oleifera Lam (Moringaceae) as a HWP method (before moringa-based HWP trials), and questionnaires (N = 104) evaluating successes and identifying difficulties (after one week of moringa-based HWP trials).

Inherited myopathies in patients from Sub-Saharan Africa: Results from a retrospective cohort.

The clinical epidemiology of inherited myopathies in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is unknown but likely underdiagnosed due to problems of scientific research and social issues. We report a case series of patients born in SSA, evacuated to Portugal through an international health protocol and seen at a single neuromuscular disorders centre, between January/2004 and August/2021. We identified 9 patients (5 males), 35.

Exploring the nexus between natural resource depletion, renewable energy use, and environmental degradation in sub-Saharan Africa.

This study explores the nexus between natural resource depletion, renewable energy use, and environmental degradation in 48 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries from the period 2000 to 2020 using generalized panel quantile regression. The findings show that, at 90 quantiles the magnitude of natural resource depletion is positive and stronger associated with environmental degradation in SSA. This is probably attributed by countries with higher natural resource depletion such as Congo Republic (37.

Sexual and Reproductive Health Service Needs Associated with Underage Initiation of Selling Sex among Adult Female Sex Workers in Guinea-Bissau.

Objective: To assess the prevalence and predictors of underage initiation of selling sex among female sex workers (FSW) in Guinea-Bissau.

Methods: 505 adult FSW recruited using respondent-driven sampling were surveyed in 2017. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial characteristics associated with initiation of selling sex while underage (<18 years).

Hierarchical Clustering and Trajectory Analyses Reveal Viremia-Independent B-Cell Perturbations in HIV-2 Infection.

Time to AIDS in HIV-2 infection is approximately twice as long compared to in HIV-1 infection. Despite reduced viremia, HIV-2-infected individuals display signs of chronic immune activation. In HIV-1-infected individuals, B-cell hyperactivation is driven by continuous antigen exposure.

Point-of-care testing allows successful simultaneous screening of sickle cell disease, HIV, and tuberculosis for households in rural Guinea-Bissau, West Africa.

Diagnosis of noncommunicable genetic diseases like sickle cell disease (SCD) and communicable diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or tuberculosis (TB) is often difficult in rural areas of Africa due to the lack of infrastructures, trained staff, or capacity to involve families living in remote areas. The availability of point-of-care (POC) tests for the above diseases offers the opportunity to build joint programs to tackle all conditions. We report successful simultaneous screening of SCD, HIV, and TB utilizing POC tests in 898 subjects in Fanhe, in rural Guinea-Bissau.

Behaviour Insight Shadowing: examining daily life settings for the prevention of neglected tropical disease.

Background: Adaptation of daily behaviours can play a significant role in disease prevention. Behaviour Insight Shadowing (BIS) is a novel qualitative methodology, designed and used for the first time in this study, which applies the Behaviour Settings Theory as a framework for interrogating daily life patterns and identifying optimal opportunities for behaviour change.

Methods: Nine participant households were shadowed for a day, in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea Bissau.

Neonatal Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Vaccination to Prevent Early-Life Eczema: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Increasing evidence suggests that early-life bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine could prevent atopic eczema through its beneficial off-target effects. In this meta-analysis, 3 randomized control trials with similar methods were included and enabled robust estimations with low heterogeneity, involving a total of 5655 children randomized to early-life BCG Denmark (n = 2832) or no BCG (n = 2823). Meta-analyses suggest a beneficial effect of BCG to prevent eczema (risk ratio [RR], 0.

The Sea Swallowed our Houses and Rice Fields: The Vulnerability to Climate Change of Coastal People in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa.

Guinea-Bissau remains among the African countries most vulnerable to climate change due to its flat topography and large meandering coastal area invaded by the tides.We present a case study of the island-village of Djobel, showing the dramatic consequences of socio-environmental change. The inhabitants' attempts to mitigate the impact of extreme weather events and sea-level rise and adapt to the new circumstances have been hampered by the seizure of their upland territory by a neighboring village.

The prevalence of onchocerciasis in Africa and Yemen, 2000-2018: a geospatial analysis.

Background: Onchocerciasis is a disease caused by infection with Onchocerca volvulus, which is transmitted to humans via the bite of several species of black fly, and is responsible for permanent blindness or vision loss, as well as severe skin disease. Predominantly endemic in parts of Africa and Yemen, preventive chemotherapy with mass drug administration of ivermectin is the primary intervention recommended for the elimination of its transmission.

Methods: A dataset of 18,116 geo-referenced prevalence survey datapoints was used to model annual 2000-2018 infection prevalence in Africa and Yemen.