1
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Bangura U, Davis C, Lamin J, Bangura J, Soropogui B, Davison AJ, Nichols J, Vucak M, Dawson M, Ansumana R, Sondufu D, Cadar D, Rieger T, Thomson E, Sahr F, Magassouba N, Ghersi B, Bird BH, Fichet-Calvet E. Spatio-temporal spread of Lassa virus and a new rodent host in the Mano River Union area, West Africa. Emerg Microbes Infect 2024; 13:2290834. [PMID: 38047354 PMCID: PMC10919312 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2290834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
The spread of Lassa virus (LASV) in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, which together are named the Mano River Union (MRU) area, was examined phylogeographically. To provide a reliable evolutionary scenario, new rodent-derived, whole LASV sequences were included. These were generated by metatranscriptomic next-generation sequencing from rodents sampled between 2003 and 2020 in 21 localities of Guinea and Sierra Leone. An analysis was performed using BEAST to perform continuous phylogeographic inference and EvoLaps v36 to visualize spatio-temporal spread. LASV was identified as expected in its primary host reservoir, the Natal multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis), and also in two Guinean multimammate mice (Mastomys erythroleucus) in northern Sierra Leone and two rusty-bellied brush-furred mice (Lophuromys sikapusi) in southern Sierra Leone. This finding is consistent with the latter two species being secondary host reservoirs. The strains in these three species were very closely related in LASV lineage IV. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the most recent common ancestor of lineage IV existed 316-374 years ago and revealed distinct, well-supported clades from Sierra Leone (Bo, Kabala and Kenema), Guinea (Faranah, Kissidougou-Guekedou and Macenta) and Liberia (Phebe-Ganta). The phylogeographic scenario suggests southern Guinea as the point of origin of LASV in the MRU area, with subsequent spread to towards Mali, Liberia and Sierra Leone at a mean speed of 1.6 to 1.1 km/year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umaru Bangura
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Joyce Lamin
- Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory, Bo, Sierra Leone
| | - James Bangura
- University of Makeni and University of California, Davis One Health Program, Makeni, Sierra Leone
| | - Barré Soropogui
- Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Conakry, Guinea
| | | | - Jenna Nichols
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK
| | - Matej Vucak
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK
| | | | | | | | - Dániel Cadar
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Toni Rieger
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Emma Thomson
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK
| | - Foday Sahr
- College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | | | - Bruno Ghersi
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Brian H. Bird
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Hamburg, Germany
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2
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Fan Y, Hou Y, Li Q, Dian Z, Wang B, Xia X. RNA virus diversity in rodents. Arch Microbiol 2023; 206:9. [PMID: 38038743 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03732-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Many zoonotic disease emergencies are associated with RNA viruses in rodents that substantially impact public health. With the widespread application of meta-genomics and meta-transcriptomics for virus discovery over the last decade, viral sequences deposited in public databases have expanded rapidly, and the number of novel viruses discovered in rodents has increased. As important reservoirs of zoonotic viruses, rodents have attracted increasing attention for the risk of potential spillover of rodent-borne viruses. However, knowledge of rodent viral diversity and the major factors contributing to the risk of zoonotic epidemic outbreaks remains limited. Therefore, this study analyzes the diversity and composition of rodent RNA viruses using virus records from the Database of Rodent-associated Viruses (DRodVir/ZOVER), which covers the published literatures and records in GenBank database, reviews the main rodent RNA virus-induced human infectious diseases, and discusses potential challenges in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yayu Fan
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, People's Republic of China
| | - Yutong Hou
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Li
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziqin Dian
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, People's Republic of China
| | - Binghui Wang
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xueshan Xia
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, People's Republic of China.
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3
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Hastie KM, Melnik LI, Cross RW, Klitting RM, Andersen KG, Saphire EO, Garry RF. The Arenaviridae Family: Knowledge Gaps, Animal Models, Countermeasures, and Prototype Pathogens. J Infect Dis 2023; 228:S359-S375. [PMID: 37849403 PMCID: PMC10582522 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Lassa virus (LASV), Junin virus (JUNV), and several other members of the Arenaviridae family are capable of zoonotic transfer to humans and induction of severe viral hemorrhagic fevers. Despite the importance of arenaviruses as potential pandemic pathogens, numerous gaps exist in scientific knowledge pertaining to this diverse family, including gaps in understanding replication, immunosuppression, receptor usage, and elicitation of neutralizing antibody responses, that in turn complicates development of medical countermeasures. A further challenge to the development of medical countermeasures for arenaviruses is the requirement for use of animal models at high levels of biocontainment, where each model has distinct advantages and limitations depending on, availability of space, animals species-specific reagents, and most importantly the ability of the model to faithfully recapitulate human disease. Designation of LASV and JUNV as prototype pathogens can facilitate progress in addressing the public health challenges posed by members of this important virus family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Hastie
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Lilia I Melnik
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Robert W Cross
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston National Laboratory, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Raphaëlle M Klitting
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Kristian G Andersen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Erica Ollmann Saphire
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Robert F Garry
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Zalgen Labs LLC, Frederick, Maryland, USA
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4
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Cuypers LN, Gryseels S, Van Houtte N, Baird SJE, Sabuni CA, Katakweba AS, van den Burg SRM, Bryja J, Leirs H, Goüy de Bellocq J. Subspecific rodent taxa as the relevant host taxonomic level for mammarenavirus host specificity. Virology 2023; 581:116-127. [PMID: 36958216 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
Mastomys natalensis-borne mammarenaviruses appear specific to subspecific M. natalensis taxa rather than to the whole species. Yet mammarenaviruses carried by M. natalensis are known to spill over and jump hosts in northern sub-Saharan Africa. Phylogeographic studies increasingly show that, like M. natalensis, small mammals in sub-Saharan Africa are often genetically structured into several subspecific taxa. Other mammarenaviruses may thus also form virus-subspecific host taxon associations. To investigate this, and if mammarenaviruses carried by M. natalensis in southern Africa are less prone to spill-over, we screened 1225 non-M. natalensis samples from Tanzania where many small mammal taxa meet. We found mammarenavirus RNA in 6 samples. Genetic/genomic characterisation confirmed they were not spill-over from M. natalensis. We detected host jumps among rodent tribe members and an association between mammarenaviruses and subspecific taxa of Mus minutoides and Grammomys surdaster, indicating host genetic structure may be crucial to understand virus distribution and host specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Cuypers
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Sophie Gryseels
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium; OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Natalie Van Houtte
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Stuart J E Baird
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Christopher A Sabuni
- Institute of Pest Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3110 Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Abdul S Katakweba
- Institute of Pest Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3110 Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Sebastiaan R M van den Burg
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Josef Bryja
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Herwig Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Joëlle Goüy de Bellocq
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic
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Abstract
Individuals living in endemic hotspots of Lassa fever have recurrent exposure to Lassa virus (LASV) via spillover from the primary host reservoir Mastomys natalensis. Despite M. natalensis being broadly distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, Lassa fever is only found in West Africa. In recent years, new LASV reservoirs have been identified. Erudition of rodent habitats, reproduction and fecundity, movement patterns, and spatial preferences are essential to institute preventative measures against Lassa fever. Evolutionary insights have also added to our knowledge of closely related mammarenavirus distribution amongst rodents throughout the continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison R Smither
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
| | - Antoinette R Bell-Kareem
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
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6
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Luna Virus and Helminths in Wild Mastomys natalensis in Two Contrasting Habitats in Zambia: Risk Factors and Evidence of Virus Dissemination in Semen. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11111345. [DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11111345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmission dynamics and the maintenance of mammarenaviruses in nature are poorly understood. Using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and RT-PCR, we investigated the presence of mammarenaviruses and co-infecting helminths in various tissues of 182 Mastomys natalensis rodents and 68 other small mammals in riverine and non-riverine habitats in Zambia. The Luna virus (LUAV) genome was the only mammarenavirus detected (7.7%; 14/182) from M. natalensis. Only one rodent from the non-riverine habitat was positive, while all six foetuses from one pregnant rodent carried LUAV. LUAV-specific mNGS reads were 24-fold higher in semen than in other tissues from males. Phylogenetically, the viruses were closely related to each other within the LUAV clade. Helminth infections were found in 11.5% (21/182) of M. natalensis. LUAV–helminth co-infections were observed in 50% (7/14) of virus-positive rodents. Juvenility (OR = 9.4; p = 0.018; 95% CI: 1.47–59.84), nematodes (OR = 15.5; p = 0.001; 95% CI: 3.11–76.70), cestodes (OR = 10.8; p = 0.025; 95% CI: 1.35–86.77), and being male (OR = 4.6; p = 0.036; 95% CI: 1.10–18.90) were associated with increased odds of LUAV RNA detection. The role of possible sexual and/or congenital transmission in the epidemiology of LUAV infections in rodents requires further study, along with the implications of possible helminth co-infection.
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7
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Ozeki T, Abe H, Ushijima Y, Nze-Nkogue C, Akomo-Okoue EF, Ella GWE, Koumba LBM, Nso BCBB, Mintsa-Nguema R, Makouloutou-Nzassi P, Makanga BK, Nguelet FLM, Ondo GN, Mbadinga MJVM, Igasaki Y, Okada S, Hirano M, Yoshii K, Lell B, Bonney LC, Hewson R, Kurosaki Y, Yasuda J. Identification of novel orthonairoviruses from rodents and shrews in Gabon, Central Africa. J Gen Virol 2022; 103. [PMID: 36215163 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In Africa, several emerging zoonotic viruses have been transmitted from small mammals such as rodents and shrews to humans. Although no clinical cases of small mammal-borne viral diseases have been reported in Central Africa, potential zoonotic viruses have been identified in rodents in the region. Therefore, we hypothesized that there may be unrecognized zoonotic viruses circulating in small mammals in Central Africa. Here, we investigated viruses that have been maintained among wild small mammals in Gabon to understand their potential risks to humans. We identified novel orthonairoviruses in 24.6 % of captured rodents and shrews from their kidney total RNA samples. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the novel viruses, Lamusara virus (LMSV) and Lamgora virus, were closely related to Erve virus, which was previously identified in shrews of the genus Crocidura and has been suspected to cause neuropathogenic diseases in humans. Moreover, we show that the LMSV ovarian tumour domain protease, one of the virulence determination factors of orthonairoviruses, suppressed interferon signalling in human cells, suggesting the possible human pathogenicity of this virus. Taken together, our study demonstrates the presence of novel orthonairoviruses that may pose unrecognized risks of viral disease transmission in Gabon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takehiro Ozeki
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.,Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.,National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases (CCPID), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Haruka Abe
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.,National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases (CCPID), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Yuri Ushijima
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Chimène Nze-Nkogue
- Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET), Libreville BP13354, Gabon
| | | | - Ghislain W E Ella
- Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET), Libreville BP13354, Gabon
| | - Lilian B M Koumba
- Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET), Libreville BP13354, Gabon
| | - Branly C B B Nso
- Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET), Libreville BP13354, Gabon
| | | | | | - Boris K Makanga
- Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET), Libreville BP13354, Gabon
| | - Fred L M Nguelet
- Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET), Libreville BP13354, Gabon
| | - Georgelin N Ondo
- Centre de Recherche Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné BP242, Gabon
| | | | - Yui Igasaki
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Sayaka Okada
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.,National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases (CCPID), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Minato Hirano
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.,National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases (CCPID), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Kentaro Yoshii
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.,National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases (CCPID), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Bertrand Lell
- Centre de Recherche Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné BP242, Gabon.,University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72072, Germany.,Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Laura C Bonney
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JZ, UK
| | - Roger Hewson
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JZ, UK
| | - Yohei Kurosaki
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.,National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases (CCPID), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Jiro Yasuda
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.,Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.,National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases (CCPID), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
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Suu-Ire R, Obodai E, Bel-Nono SO, Ampofo WK, Mazet JAK, Goldstein T, Johnson CK, Smith B, Boaatema L, Asigbee TW, Awuni J, Opoku E, Kelly TR. Surveillance for potentially zoonotic viruses in rodent and bat populations and behavioral risk in an agricultural settlement in Ghana. ONE HEALTH OUTLOOK 2022; 4:6. [PMID: 35256013 PMCID: PMC8901269 DOI: 10.1186/s42522-022-00061-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Ghana, the conversion of land to agriculture, especially across the vegetative belt has resulted in fragmented forest landscapes with increased interactions among humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. METHODS We investigated viruses in bats and rodents, key reservoir hosts for zoonotic viral pathogens, in a small agricultural community in the vegetation belt of Ghana. We also administered questionnaires among the local community members to learn more about people's awareness and perceptions of zoonotic disease risks and the environmental factors and types of activities in which they engage that might influence pathogen transmission from wildlife. RESULTS Our study detected the RNA from paramyxoviruses and coronaviruses in rodents and bats, including sequences from novel viruses with unknown zoonotic potential. Samples collected from Epomophorus gambianus bats were significantly more likely to be positive for coronavirus RNA during the rainy season, when higher numbers of young susceptible individuals are present in the population. Almost all community members who responded to the questionnaire reported contact with wildlife, especially bats, rodents, and non-human primates in and around their homes and in the agricultural fields. Over half of the respondents were not aware or did not perceive any zoonotic disease risks associated with close contact with animals, such as harvesting and processing animals for food. To address gaps in awareness and mitigation strategies for pathogen transmission risks, we organized community education campaigns using risk reduction and outreach tools focused around living safely with bats and rodents. CONCLUSIONS These findings expand our knowledge of the viruses circulating in bats and rodents in Ghana and of the beliefs, perceptions, and practices that put community members at risk of zoonotic virus spillover through direct and indirect contact with bats and rodents. This study also highlights the importance of community engagement in research and interventions focused on mitigating risk and living safely with wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Suu-Ire
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
| | - Evangeline Obodai
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
| | - Samuel Otis Bel-Nono
- One Health Institute, University of California, Davis, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA, USA
- Military Veterinarian (Rtd), P.O. Box CT2585, Accra, Ghana
| | - William Kwabena Ampofo
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Jonna A K Mazet
- One Health Institute, University of California, Davis, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Tracey Goldstein
- Zoological Pathology Program, c/o Chicago Zoological Society, 3300 Golf Rd., Brookfield, IL, 60513, USA
| | - Christine Kreuder Johnson
- One Health Institute, University of California, Davis, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Brett Smith
- One Health Institute, University of California, Davis, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Linda Boaatema
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Joseph Awuni
- Accra Veterinary Laboratory, Veterinary Services Directorate, Ring Road East, Accra, Ghana
| | - Eric Opoku
- Ghana Health Service, 28th February Road, Accra, Ghana
| | - Terra R Kelly
- One Health Institute, University of California, Davis, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA, USA.
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Krásová J, Mikula O, Lavrenchenko LA, Šumbera R, Meheretu Y, Bryja J. A new rodent species of the genus Mus (Rodentia: Muridae) confirms the biogeographical uniqueness of the isolated forests of southern Ethiopia. ORG DIVERS EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-022-00539-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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10
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Těšíková J, Krásová J, Goüy de Bellocq J. Multiple Mammarenaviruses Circulating in Angolan Rodents. Viruses 2021; 13:982. [PMID: 34070551 PMCID: PMC8227972 DOI: 10.3390/v13060982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodents are a speciose group of mammals with strong zoonotic potential. Some parts of Africa are still underexplored for the occurrence of rodent-borne pathogens, despite this high potential. Angola is at the convergence of three major biogeographical regions of sub-Saharan Africa, each harbouring a specific rodent community. This rodent-rich area is, therefore, strategic for studying the diversity and evolution of rodent-borne viruses. In this study we examined 290 small mammals, almost all rodents, for the presence of mammarenavirus and hantavirus RNA. While no hantavirus was detected, we found three rodent species positive for distinct mammarenaviruses with a particularly high prevalence in Namaqua rock rats (Micaelamys namaquensis). We characterised four complete virus genomes, which showed typical mammarenavirus organisation. Phylogenetic and genetic distance analyses revealed: (i) the presence of a significantly divergent strain of Luna virus in Angolan representatives of the ubiquitous Natal multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis), (ii) a novel Okahandja-related virus associated with the Angolan lineage of Micaelamys namaquensis for which we propose the name Bitu virus (BITV) and (iii) the occurrence of a novel Mobala-like mammarenavirus in the grey-bellied pygmy mouse (Mus triton) for which we propose the name Kwanza virus (KWAV). This high virus diversity in a limited host sample size and in a relatively small geographical area supports the idea that Angola is a hotspot for mammarenavirus diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Těšíková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic; (J.K.); (J.G.B.)
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jarmila Krásová
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic; (J.K.); (J.G.B.)
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Joëlle Goüy de Bellocq
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic; (J.K.); (J.G.B.)
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic
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11
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Arruda LB, Haider N, Olayemi A, Simons D, Ehichioya D, Yinka-Ogunleye A, Ansumana R, Thomason MJ, Asogun D, Ihekweazu C, Fichet-Calvet E, Kock RA. The niche of One Health approaches in Lassa fever surveillance and control. Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob 2021; 20:29. [PMID: 33894784 PMCID: PMC8067790 DOI: 10.1186/s12941-021-00431-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lassa fever (LF), a zoonotic illness, represents a public health burden in West African countries where the Lassa virus (LASV) circulates among rodents. Human exposure hinges significantly on LASV ecology, which is in turn shaped by various parameters such as weather seasonality and even virus and rodent-host genetics. Furthermore, human behaviour, despite playing a key role in the zoonotic nature of the disease, critically affects either the spread or control of human-to-human transmission. Previous estimations on LF burden date from the 80s and it is unclear how the population expansion and the improvement on diagnostics and surveillance methods have affected such predictions. Although recent data have contributed to the awareness of epidemics, the real impact of LF in West African communities will only be possible with the intensification of interdisciplinary efforts in research and public health approaches. This review discusses the causes and consequences of LF from a One Health perspective, and how the application of this concept can improve the surveillance and control of this disease in West Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liã Bárbara Arruda
- Centre for Clinical Microbiology, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Najmul Haider
- The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, UK
| | - Ayodeji Olayemi
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria
| | - David Simons
- The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, UK
| | - Deborah Ehichioya
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria.,Department of Microbiology, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria
| | | | - Rashid Ansumana
- School of Community Health Sciences, Njala University, Bo, Sierra Leone
| | - Margaret J Thomason
- Centre for Clinical Microbiology, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
| | - Danny Asogun
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria
| | | | | | - Richard A Kock
- The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, UK
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12
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Yadouleton A, Picard C, Rieger T, Loko F, Cadar D, Kouthon EC, Job EO, Bankolé H, Oestereich L, Gbaguidi F, Pahlman M, Becker-Ziaja B, Journeaux A, Pannetier D, Mély S, Mundweiler S, Thomas D, Kohossi L, Saizonou R, Kakaï CG, Da Silva M, Kossoubedie S, Kakonku AL, M'Pelé P, Gunther S, Baize S, Fichet-Calvet E. Lassa fever in Benin: description of the 2014 and 2016 epidemics and genetic characterization of a new Lassa virus. Emerg Microbes Infect 2021; 9:1761-1770. [PMID: 32723007 PMCID: PMC7473144 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1796528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
We report two outbreaks of Lassa fever that occurred in Benin in 2014 and 2016 with 20 confirmed cases and 50% (10/20) mortality. Benin was not previously considered to be an endemic country for Lassa fever, resulting in a delay to diagnose the disease and its human transmission. Molecular investigations showed the viral genomes to be similar to that of the Togo strain, which is genetically very different from other known strains and confirms the existence of a new lineage. Endemic circulation of Lassa virus in a new territory and the genetic diversity thus confirm that this virus represents a growing threat for West African people. Given the divergence of the Benin strain from the prototypic Josiah Sierra Leone strain frequently used to generate vaccine candidates, the efficacy of vaccine candidates should also be demonstrated with this strain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Caroline Picard
- Virology Department, Institut Pasteur CNR des fièvres hémorragiques virales (CNR FHV), Lyon, France
| | - Toni Rieger
- Virology Department, Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Daniel Cadar
- Virology Department, Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Lisa Oestereich
- Virology Department, Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Meike Pahlman
- Virology Department, Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Beate Becker-Ziaja
- Virology Department, Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Stéphane Mély
- INSERM - Jean Mérieux BSL4Laboratory, CNR FHV, Lyon, France
| | | | - Damien Thomas
- INSERM - Jean Mérieux BSL4Laboratory, CNR FHV, Lyon, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Stephan Gunther
- Virology Department, Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sylvain Baize
- Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques Virales, Cotonou, Benin
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13
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Basinski AJ, Fichet-Calvet E, Sjodin AR, Varrelman TJ, Remien CH, Layman NC, Bird BH, Wolking DJ, Monagin C, Ghersi BM, Barry PA, Jarvis MA, Gessler PE, Nuismer SL. Bridging the gap: Using reservoir ecology and human serosurveys to estimate Lassa virus spillover in West Africa. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008811. [PMID: 33657095 PMCID: PMC7959400 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Forecasting the risk of pathogen spillover from reservoir populations of wild or domestic animals is essential for the effective deployment of interventions such as wildlife vaccination or culling. Due to the sporadic nature of spillover events and limited availability of data, developing and validating robust, spatially explicit, predictions is challenging. Recent efforts have begun to make progress in this direction by capitalizing on machine learning methodologies. An important weakness of existing approaches, however, is that they generally rely on combining human and reservoir infection data during the training process and thus conflate risk attributable to the prevalence of the pathogen in the reservoir population with the risk attributed to the realized rate of spillover into the human population. Because effective planning of interventions requires that these components of risk be disentangled, we developed a multi-layer machine learning framework that separates these processes. Our approach begins by training models to predict the geographic range of the primary reservoir and the subset of this range in which the pathogen occurs. The spillover risk predicted by the product of these reservoir specific models is then fit to data on realized patterns of historical spillover into the human population. The result is a geographically specific spillover risk forecast that can be easily decomposed and used to guide effective intervention. Applying our method to Lassa virus, a zoonotic pathogen that regularly spills over into the human population across West Africa, results in a model that explains a modest but statistically significant portion of geographic variation in historical patterns of spillover. When combined with a mechanistic mathematical model of infection dynamics, our spillover risk model predicts that 897,700 humans are infected by Lassa virus each year across West Africa, with Nigeria accounting for more than half of these human infections. The 2019 emergence of SARS-CoV-2 is a grim reminder of the threat animal-borne pathogens pose to human health. Even prior to SARS-CoV-2, the spillover of pathogens from animal reservoirs was a persistent problem, with pathogens such as Ebola, Nipah, and Lassa regularly but unpredictably causing outbreaks. Machine-learning models that anticipate when and where pathogen transmission from animals to humans is likely to occur would help guide surveillance efforts and preemptive countermeasures like information campaigns or vaccination programs. We develop a novel machine learning framework that uses datasets describing the distribution of a virus within its host and the range of its animal host, along with data on spatial patterns of human immunity, to infer rates of animal-to-human transmission across a region. By training the model on data from the animal host alone, our framework allows rigorous validation of spillover predictions using human data. We apply our framework to Lassa fever, a viral disease of West Africa that is spread to humans by rodents, and use the predictions to update estimates of Lassa virus infections in humans. Our results suggest that Nigeria is most at risk for the emergence of Lassa virus, and should be prioritized for outbreak-surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Basinski
- Department of Mathematics, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Anna R. Sjodin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Tanner J. Varrelman
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Christopher H. Remien
- Department of Mathematics, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Nathan C. Layman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Brian H. Bird
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - David J. Wolking
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Corina Monagin
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Bruno M. Ghersi
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Peter A. Barry
- Center for Comparative Medicine, California National Primate Research Center, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Michael A. Jarvis
- School of Biomedical and Healthcare Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Paul E. Gessler
- College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Scott L. Nuismer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
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14
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Viral Zoonoses of National Importance in Ghana: Advancements and Opportunities for Enhancing Capacities for Early Detection and Response. J Trop Med 2021; 2021:8938530. [PMID: 33574853 PMCID: PMC7860970 DOI: 10.1155/2021/8938530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Zoonotic diseases have devastating impacts on human and animal health, livelihoods, and economies. Addressing the complex web of interrelated factors leading to zoonotic disease emergence and spread requires a transdisciplinary, cross-sectoral approach, One Health. The One Health approach, which considers the linkages between the health of people, animals, and their shared environment, presents opportunities to reduce these impacts through a more holistic coordinated strategy to understanding and mitigating disease risks. Understanding the linkages between animal, human, and environmental health risks and outcomes is critical for developing early detection systems and risk reduction strategies to address known and novel zoonotic disease threats. Nearly 70 countries across the world, including Ghana, have signed on to the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), which is facilitating multisectoral approaches to strengthen country capacities in the prevention and early detection of and respond to infectious disease threats. Currently, Ghana has not yet formalized a national One Health policy. The lack of a clearly defined multisectoral platform and limited collaboration among key Ghanaian Ministries, Departments, and Agencies has impacted the country's ability to effectively mitigate and respond to emerging and reemerging zoonoses. Many of these emerging zoonoses are caused by viruses, which, because of their diversity and evolutionary properties, are perceived to pose the greatest threat to global health security. Here, we review viral zoonoses of national importance and priority in Ghana, highlight recent advancements in One Health capacities, and discuss opportunities for implementing One Health approaches to mitigate zoonotic disease threats.
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15
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Cuypers LN, Baird SJE, Hánová A, Locus T, Katakweba AS, Gryseels S, Bryja J, Leirs H, Goüy de Bellocq J. Three arenaviruses in three subspecific natal multimammate mouse taxa in Tanzania: same host specificity, but different spatial genetic structure? Virus Evol 2020; 6:veaa039. [PMID: 33033629 PMCID: PMC7532547 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veaa039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mastomys natalensis is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa and hosts several arenavirus species, including the pathogenic zoonotic Lassa virus in West Africa. Mitochondrial lineages sub-divide the range of M. natalensis and have been associated with cryptic structure within the species. To test specificity of arenaviruses to hosts carrying these lineages, we screened 1772 M. natalensis in a large area of Tanzania where three mitochondrial lineages meet. We detected fifty-two individuals that were positive for one of three arenaviruses: Gairo, Morogoro, and Luna virus. This is the first record of Luna virus in Tanzania. We confirmed the specificity of each arenavirus to a distinct host mitochondrial lineage except for three cases in one locality at the centre of a host hybrid zone. No arenaviruses were detected in a large part of the study area. Morogoro and Gairo virus showed differences in prevalence (Morogoro virus lower than Gairo virus) and in genetic structure (Morogoro virus more structured than Gairo virus). However, both viruses have genetic neighbourhood size estimates of the same order of magnitude as Lassa virus. While differences in arenavirus and/or host evolutionary and ecological dynamics may exist, Tanzanian arenaviruses could be suited to model Lassa virus dynamics in M. natalensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Cuypers
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Stuart J E Baird
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alexandra Hánová
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tatjana Locus
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Abdul S Katakweba
- Pest Management Centre, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Sophie Gryseels
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Josef Bryja
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Herwig Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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16
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Klitting R, Mehta SB, Oguzie JU, Oluniyi PE, Pauthner MG, Siddle KJ, Andersen KG, Happi CT, Sabeti PC. Lassa Virus Genetics. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2020. [PMID: 32418034 DOI: 10.1007/82_2020_212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In a pattern repeated across a range of ecological niches, arenaviruses have evolved a compact four-gene genome to orchestrate a complex life cycle in a narrow range of susceptible hosts. A number of mammalian arenaviruses cross-infect humans, often causing a life-threatening viral hemorrhagic fever. Among this group of geographically bound zoonoses, Lassa virus has evolved a unique niche that leads to significant and sustained human morbidity and mortality. As a biosafety level 4 pathogen, direct study of the pathogenesis of Lassa virus is limited by the sparse availability, high operating costs, and technical restrictions of the high-level biocontainment laboratories required for safe experimentation. In this chapter, we introduce the relationship between genome structure and the life cycle of Lassa virus and outline reverse genetic approaches used to probe and describe functional elements of the Lassa virus genome. We then review the tools used to obtain viral genomic sequences used for phylogeny and molecular diagnostics, before shifting to a population perspective to assess the contributions of phylogenetic analysis in understanding the evolution and ecology of Lassa virus in West Africa. We finally consider the future outlook and clinical applications for genetic study of Lassa virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaëlle Klitting
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute , La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Samar B Mehta
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Judith U Oguzie
- African Center of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemers University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Paul E Oluniyi
- African Center of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemers University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Matthias G Pauthner
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute , La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Kristian G Andersen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute , La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Christian T Happi
- African Center of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemers University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Pardis C Sabeti
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Center for Systems Biology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
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17
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Population structure of Lassa Mammarenavirus in West Africa. Viruses 2020; 12:v12040437. [PMID: 32294960 PMCID: PMC7232344 DOI: 10.3390/v12040437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Lassa mammarenavirus (LASV) is the etiologic agent of Lassa fever. In endemic regions in West Africa, LASV genetic diversity tends to cluster by geographic area. Seven LASV lineages are recognized, but the role of viral genetic determinants on disease presentation in humans is uncertain. We investigated the geographic structure and distribution of LASV in West Africa. We found strong spatial clustering of LASV populations, with two major east–west and north–south diversity gradients. Analysis of ancestry components indicated that known LASV lineages diverged from an ancestral population that most likely circulated in Nigeria, although alternative locations, such as Togo, cannot be excluded. Extant sequences carrying the largest contribution of this ancestral population include the prototype Pinneo strain, the Togo isolates, and a few viruses isolated in Nigeria. The LASV populations that experienced the strongest drift circulate in Mali and the Ivory Coast. By focusing on sequences form a single LASV sublineage (IIg), we identified an ancestry component possibly associated with protection from a fatal disease outcome. Although the same ancestry component tends to associate with lower viral loads in plasma, the small sample size requires that these results are treated with extreme caution.
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18
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Olayemi A, Fichet-Calvet E. Systematics, Ecology, and Host Switching: Attributes Affecting Emergence of the Lassa Virus in Rodents across Western Africa. Viruses 2020; 12:E312. [PMID: 32183319 PMCID: PMC7150792 DOI: 10.3390/v12030312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ever since it was established that rodents serve as reservoirs of the zoonotic Lassa virus (LASV), scientists have sought to answer the questions: which populations of rodents carry the virus? How do fluctuations in LASV prevalence and rodent abundance influence Lassa fever outbreaks in humans? What does it take for the virus to adopt additional rodent hosts, proliferating what already are devastating cycles of rodent-to-human transmission? In this review, we examine key aspects of research involving the biology of rodents that affect their role as LASV reservoirs, including phylogeography, demography, virus evolution, and host switching. We discuss how this knowledge can help control Lassa fever and suggest further areas for investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayodeji Olayemi
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife HO220005, Nigeria;
| | - Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
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19
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Mikula O, Nicolas V, Boratyński Z, Denys C, Dobigny G, Fichet-Calvet E, Gagaré S, Hutterer R, Nimo-Paintsil SC, Olayemi A, Bryja J. Commensalism outweighs phylogeographical structure in its effect on phenotype of a Sudanian savanna rodent. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The murid rodent Praomys daltoni is widespread in Sudanian savanna and woodlands of West Africa, and previous study of mitochondrial DNA variability suggested that it encompasses the phenotypically (small, grey-bellied) and ecologically (commensal) distinct form, Praomys derooi. Here, we comprehensively examined the genetic and morphological diversity within the complex. Six mitochondrial lineages showed a fine-scale phylogeographical pattern, whereas delimitation based on nuclear loci pooled four of them into a single widespread unit. A newly discovered lineage from southern Mauritania stands apart from the rest of the complex and might represent an unrecognized species. At the same time, the internal position of P. derooi (C2 mitochondrial lineage) was confirmed by the multilocus analysis. The magnitude of genetic distances between major phylogeographical lineages was typical for interspecific divergence in other clades of Praomys, despite the little differences among them in morphology (skull and upper molar row shapes). The most pronounced morphological shift was associated with a transition to commensalism, especially in P. derooi, but also in other lineages. This makes the whole complex a suitable model for the study of phenotypic novelty, the evolution of commensalism and conditions for ecological speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondřej Mikula
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Violaine Nicolas
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Institute of Systematics and Evolution of the Biodiversity, UMR7205 CNRS-MNHN-UPMC-EPHE-Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Zbyszek Boratyński
- CIBIO-InBIO Associate Laboratory, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Christiane Denys
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Institute of Systematics and Evolution of the Biodiversity, UMR7205 CNRS-MNHN-UPMC-EPHE-Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Gauthier Dobigny
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Ecole Polytechnique d’Abomey-Calavi, Abomey-Calavi University, Cotonou, Benin
| | | | - Sama Gagaré
- Centre Régional Agrhymet, Département Formation Recherche, Niamey, Niger
| | - Rainer Hutterer
- Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Ayodeji Olayemi
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Josef Bryja
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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20
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Native and Invasive Small Mammals in Urban Habitats along the Commercial Axis Connecting Benin and Niger, West Africa. DIVERSITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/d11120238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Based on compiled small mammal trapping data collected over 12 years from Benin and Niger (3701 individual records from 66 sampling sites), located in mainland Africa, we here describe the small mammal community assemblage in urban habitats along the commercial axis connecting the two countries, from the seaport of Cotonou to the Sahelian hinterland, with a particular focus on invasive species. In doing so, we document extant species distributions, which highlight the risks of continuing the range expansion of three synanthropic invasive rodent species, namely black rats (Rattus rattus), brown rats (R. norvegicus), and house mice (Mus musculus). Using various diversity estimates and community ecology approaches, we detect a latitudinal gradient of species richness that significantly decreased Northward. We show that shrews (Crocidura) represent a very important component of micro-mammal fauna in West African towns and villages, especially at lower latitudes. We also demonstrate that invasive and native synanthropic rodents do not distribute randomly in West Africa, which suggests that invasive species dynamics and history differ markedly, and that they involve gradual, as well as human-mediated, long distance dispersal. Patterns of segregation are also observed between native Mastomys natalensis and invasive rats R. rattus and R. norvegicus, suggesting potential native-to-invasive species turn over. Consequences of such processes, especially in terms of public health, are discussed.
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21
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Yadouleton A, Agolinou A, Kourouma F, Saizonou R, Pahlmann M, Bedié SK, Bankolé H, Becker-Ziaja B, Gbaguidi F, Thielebein A, Magassouba N, Duraffour S, Baptiste JP, Günther S, Fichet-Calvet E. Lassa Virus in Pygmy Mice, Benin, 2016-2017. Emerg Infect Dis 2019; 25:1977-1979. [PMID: 31365854 PMCID: PMC6759236 DOI: 10.3201/eid2510.180523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Lassa virus has been identified in 3 pygmy mice, Mus baoulei, in central Benin. The glycoprotein and nucleoprotein sequences cluster with the Togo strain. These mice may be a new reservoir for Lassa virus in Ghana, Togo, and Benin.
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22
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Proteomics Computational Analyses Suggest that the Antennavirus Glycoprotein Complex Includes a Class I Viral Fusion Protein (α-Penetrene) with an Internal Zinc-Binding Domain and a Stable Signal Peptide. Viruses 2019; 11:v11080750. [PMID: 31416162 PMCID: PMC6722660 DOI: 10.3390/v11080750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A metatranscriptomic study of RNA viruses in cold-blooded vertebrates identified two related viruses from frogfish (Antennarius striatus) that represent a new genus Antennavirus in the family Arenaviridae (Order: Bunyavirales). Computational analyses were used to identify features common to class I viral fusion proteins (VFPs) in antennavirus glycoproteins, including an N-terminal fusion peptide, two extended alpha-helices, an intrahelical loop, and a carboxyl terminal transmembrane domain. Like mammarenavirus and hartmanivirus glycoproteins, the antennavirus glycoproteins have an intracellular zinc-binding domain and a long virion-associated stable signal peptide (SSP). The glycoproteins of reptarenaviruses are also class I VFPs, but do not contain zinc-binding domains nor do they encode SSPs. Divergent evolution from a common progenitor potentially explains similarities of antennavirus, mammarenavirus, and hartmanivirus glycoproteins, with an ancient recombination event resulting in a divergent reptarenavirus glycoprotein.
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Nimo-Paintsil SC, Fichet-Calvet E, Borremans B, Letizia AG, Mohareb E, Bonney JHK, Obiri-Danso K, Ampofo WK, Schoepp RJ, Kronmann KC. Rodent-borne infections in rural Ghanaian farming communities. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0215224. [PMID: 31017931 PMCID: PMC6481813 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodents serve as reservoirs and/or vectors for several human infections of high morbidity and mortality in the tropics. Population growth and demographic shifts over the years have increased contact with these mammals, thereby increasing opportunities for disease transmission. In Africa, the burden of rodent-borne diseases is not well described. To investigate human seroprevalence of selected rodent-borne pathogens, sera from 657 healthy adults in ten rural communities in Ghana were analyzed. An in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), for immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to Lassa virus was positive in 34 (5%) of the human samples. Using commercial kits, antibodies to hantavirus serotypes, Puumala and Dobrava, and Leptospira bacteria were detected in 11%, 12% and 21% of the human samples, respectively. Forty percent of residents in rural farming communities in Ghana have measurable antibodies to at least one of the rodent-borne pathogens tested, including antibodies to viral hemorrhagic fever viruses. The high seroprevalence found in rural Ghana to rodent-borne pathogens associated with both sporadic cases and larger disease outbreaks will help define disease threats and inform public health policy to reduce disease burden in underserved populations and deter larger outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley C. Nimo-Paintsil
- United States Naval Medical Research Unit Number 3, Ghana Detachment, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Virology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Benny Borremans
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Andrew G. Letizia
- United States Naval Medical Research Unit Number 3, Ghana Detachment, Accra, Ghana
| | - Emad Mohareb
- Department of Virology, United States Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Joseph H. K. Bonney
- Department of Virology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - William K. Ampofo
- Department of Virology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Randal J. Schoepp
- Diagnostic Systems Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Karl C. Kronmann
- United States Naval Medical Research Unit Number 3, Ghana Detachment, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Internal Medicine, Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia, United States of America
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Widespread arenavirus occurrence and seroprevalence in small mammals, Nigeria. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:416. [PMID: 30005641 PMCID: PMC6045851 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2991-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Lassa fever, killing thousands of people annually, is the most reported viral zoonotic disease in Nigeria. Recently, different rodent species carrying diverse lineages of the Lassa virus (LASV) in addition to a novel Mobala-like genetic sequence were detected within the country. Here, screening 906 small mammal specimens from 11 localities for IgG antibodies and incorporating previous PCR detection data involving the same populations, we further describe arenavirus prevalence across Nigeria in relation to host species and geographical location. Methods Small mammals were trapped during the period 2011–2015 according to geographical location (endemic and non-endemic zones for Lassa fever), season (rainy and dry seasons between 2011 and 2012 for certain localities) and habitat (indoors, peridomestic settings and sylvatic vegetation). Identification of animal specimens from genera such as Mastomys and Mus (Nannomys) was assisted by DNA sequencing. Small mammals were tested for LASV IgG antibody using an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Results Small mammals were infected in both the endemic and non-endemic zones for Lassa fever, with a wider range of species IgG-positive (n = 8) than those which had been previously detected to be PCR-positive (n = 3). IgG-positive species, according to number of infected individuals, were Mastomys natalensis (n = 40), Mastomys erythroleucus (n = 15), Praomys daltoni (n = 6), Mus baoulei (n = 5), Rattus rattus (n = 2), Crocidura spp. (n = 2), Mus minutoides (n = 1) and Praomys misonnei (n = 1). Multimammate mice (Mastomys natalensis and M. erythroleucus) were the most ubiquitously infected, with animals testing positive by either PCR or IgG in 7 out of the 11 localities sampled. IgG prevalence in M. natalensis ranged from 1% in Abagboro, 17–36 % in Eguare Egoro, Ekpoma and Ngel Nyaki, up to 52 % in Mayo Ranewo. Prevalence according to locality, season and age was not, however, statistically significant for M. natalensis in Eguare Egoro and Ekpoma, localities that were sampled longitudinally. Conclusions Overall, our study demonstrates that arenavirus occurrence is probably more widely distributed geographically and in extent of host taxa than is currently realized. This expanded scope should be taken into consideration in Lassa fever control efforts. Further sampling should also be carried out to isolate and characterize potential arenaviruses present in small mammal populations we found to be seropositive.
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Mariën J, Kourouma F, Magassouba N, Leirs H, Fichet-Calvet E. Movement Patterns of Small Rodents in Lassa Fever-Endemic Villages in Guinea. ECOHEALTH 2018; 15:348-359. [PMID: 29572697 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-018-1331-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Revised: 12/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The Natal multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) is the reservoir host of Lassa arenavirus, the etiological agent of Lassa fever in humans. Because there exists no vaccine for human use, rodent control and adjusting human behavior are currently considered to be the only options for Lassa fever control. In order to develop efficient rodent control programs, more information about the host's ecology is needed. In this study, we investigated the spatial behavior of M. natalensis and other small rodents in two capture-mark-recapture and four dyed bait (Rhodamine B) experiments in Lassa fever-endemic villages in Upper Guinea. During the capture-mark-recapture studies, 23% of the recaptured M. natalensis moved between the houses and proximate fields. While M. natalensis was found over the entire study grid (2 ha), other rodent species (Praomys daltoni, Praomys rostratus, Lemniscomys striatus, Mus spp.) were mostly trapped in the surrounding fields. Distances between recapture occasions never exceeded 100 m for all rodent species. During the dyed bait experiments, 11% of M. natalensis and 41% of P. daltoni moved from the fields to houses. We conclude that commensal M. natalensis easily moves between houses and proximate fields in Guinea. We therefore consider occasional domestic rodent elimination to be an unsustainable approach to reduce Lassa virus transmission risk to humans, as M. natalensis is likely to reinvade houses quickly from fields in which rodents are not controlled. A combination of permanent rodent elimination with other control strategies (e.g., make houses rodent proof or attract predators) could be more effective for Lassa fever control, but must be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Mariën
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Fodé Kourouma
- Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques, Nongo, Conakry, Guinea
| | | | - Herwig Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
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26
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Olayemi A, Obadare A, Oyeyiola A, Fasogbon S, Igbokwe J, Igbahenah F, Ortsega D, Günther S, Verheyen E, Fichet-Calvet E. Small mammal diversity and dynamics within Nigeria, with emphasis on reservoirs of the lassa virus. SYST BIODIVERS 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2017.1358220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ayodeji Olayemi
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Adeoba Obadare
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Akinlabi Oyeyiola
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
| | | | - Joseph Igbokwe
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Felix Igbahenah
- Geography Department, Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria
| | - Daniel Ortsega
- Geography Department, Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria
| | - Stephan Günther
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Erik Verheyen
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium and University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Gryseels S, Baird SJE, Borremans B, Makundi R, Leirs H, Goüy de Bellocq J. When Viruses Don't Go Viral: The Importance of Host Phylogeographic Structure in the Spatial Spread of Arenaviruses. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006073. [PMID: 28076397 PMCID: PMC5226678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Many emerging infections are RNA virus spillovers from animal reservoirs. Reservoir identification is necessary for predicting the geographic extent of infection risk, but rarely are taxonomic levels below the animal species considered as reservoir, and only key circumstances in nature and methodology allow intrinsic virus-host associations to be distinguished from simple geographic (co-)isolation. We sampled and genetically characterized in detail a contact zone of two subtaxa of the rodent Mastomys natalensis in Tanzania. We find two distinct arenaviruses, Gairo and Morogoro virus, each spatially confined to a single M. natalensis subtaxon, only co-occurring at the contact zone’s centre. Inter-subtaxon hybridization at this centre and a continuum of quality habitat for M. natalensis show that both viruses have the ecological opportunity to spread into the other substaxon’s range, but do not, strongly suggesting host-intrinsic barriers. Such barriers could explain why human cases of another M. natalensis-borne arenavirus, Lassa virus, are limited to West Africa. Reservoirs of zoonotic viruses are usually equated with a particular wildlife species. It is rarely assessed whether genetic groups below the species level may instead represent the actual reservoir, though this would have major implications on estimations of the zoonosis’ spatial distribution. Here we investigate whether geographically and genetically distinct subtaxa of the widespread African rodent Mastomys natalensis carry distinct arenaviruses, by sampling in detail across a contact zone of two of these subtaxa. Ongoing hybridization shows that individuals of the subtaxa are in direct physical contact, in principle allowing viral exchange, yet neither of the two arenaviruses -Gairo and Morogoro virus- were found to have crossed the zone. Such intraspecific genetic barriers to arenavirus spatial spread have important implications for our understanding of the related Lassa arenavirus, a pathogen potentially lethal to humans of which Mastomys natalensis is also the main reservoir. Although Lassa virus appears to infect several secondary hosts, its distribution is restricted to West Africa and matches that of another M. natalensis subtaxon. Our data thus indicates that it is because of M. natalensis intraspecific distinctions that the human Lassa fever endemic area has not expanded to the rest of sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Gryseels
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Stuart J. E. Baird
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Research Facility Studenec, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Benny Borremans
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Rhodes Makundi
- Pest Management Centre, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Herwig Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Joëlle Goüy de Bellocq
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Research Facility Studenec, Brno, Czech Republic
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Olayemi A, Cadar D, Magassouba N, Obadare A, Kourouma F, Oyeyiola A, Fasogbon S, Igbokwe J, Rieger T, Bockholt S, Jérôme H, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Garigliany M, Lorenzen S, Igbahenah F, Fichet JN, Ortsega D, Omilabu S, Günther S, Fichet-Calvet E. New Hosts of The Lassa Virus. Sci Rep 2016; 6:25280. [PMID: 27140942 PMCID: PMC4853722 DOI: 10.1038/srep25280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Lassa virus (LASV) causes a deadly haemorrhagic fever in humans, killing several thousand people in West Africa annually. For 40 years, the Natal multimammate rat, Mastomys natalensis, has been assumed to be the sole host of LASV. We found evidence that LASV is also hosted by other rodent species: the African wood mouse Hylomyscus pamfi in Nigeria, and the Guinea multimammate mouse Mastomys erythroleucus in both Nigeria and Guinea. Virus strains from these animals were isolated in the BSL-4 laboratory and fully sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses of viral genes coding for glycoprotein, nucleoprotein, polymerase and matrix protein show that Lassa strains detected in M. erythroleucus belong to lineages III and IV. The strain from H. pamfi clusters close to lineage I (for S gene) and between II & III (for L gene). Discovery of new rodent hosts has implications for LASV evolution and its spread into new areas within West Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayodeji Olayemi
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, HO 220005 Ile-Ife, Nigeria
| | - Daniel Cadar
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, D-20324, Hamburg, Germany
| | - N'Faly Magassouba
- Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hospital Donka, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Adeoba Obadare
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, HO 220005 Ile-Ife, Nigeria
| | - Fode Kourouma
- Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hospital Donka, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Akinlabi Oyeyiola
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, HO 220005 Ile-Ife, Nigeria
| | | | - Joseph Igbokwe
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, HO 220005 Ile-Ife, Nigeria
| | - Toni Rieger
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, D-20324, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sabrina Bockholt
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, D-20324, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hanna Jérôme
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, D-20324, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, D-20324, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mutien Garigliany
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Stephan Lorenzen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, D-20324, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Felix Igbahenah
- Department of Geography, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria
| | | | - Daniel Ortsega
- Department of Geography, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria
| | - Sunday Omilabu
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Stephan Günther
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, D-20324, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, D-20324, Hamburg, Germany
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Kouadio L, Nowak K, Akoua-Koffi C, Weiss S, Allali BK, Witkowski PT, Krüger DH, Couacy-Hymann E, Calvignac-Spencer S, Leendertz FH. Lassa Virus in Multimammate Rats, Côte d'Ivoire, 2013. Emerg Infect Dis 2016. [PMID: 26196447 PMCID: PMC4517737 DOI: 10.3201/eid2108.150312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Abstract
Until recently, members of the monogeneric family Arenaviridae (arenaviruses) have been known to infect only muroid rodents and, in one case, possibly phyllostomid bats. The paradigm of arenaviruses exclusively infecting small mammals shifted dramatically when several groups independently published the detection and isolation of a divergent group of arenaviruses in captive alethinophidian snakes. Preliminary phylogenetic analyses suggest that these reptilian arenaviruses constitute a sister clade to mammalian arenaviruses. Here, the members of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Arenaviridae Study Group, together with other experts, outline the taxonomic reorganization of the family Arenaviridae to accommodate reptilian arenaviruses and other recently discovered mammalian arenaviruses and to improve compliance with the Rules of the International Code of Virus Classification and Nomenclature (ICVCN). PAirwise Sequence Comparison (PASC) of arenavirus genomes and NP amino acid pairwise distances support the modification of the present classification. As a result, the current genus Arenavirus is replaced by two genera, Mammarenavirus and Reptarenavirus, which are established to accommodate mammalian and reptilian arenaviruses, respectively, in the same family. The current species landscape among mammalian arenaviruses is upheld, with two new species added for Lunk and Merino Walk viruses and minor corrections to the spelling of some names. The published snake arenaviruses are distributed among three new separate reptarenavirus species. Finally, a non-Latinized binomial species name scheme is adopted for all arenavirus species. In addition, the current virus abbreviations have been evaluated, and some changes are introduced to unequivocally identify each virus in electronic databases, manuscripts, and oral proceedings.
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Bryja J, Mikula O, Šumbera R, Meheretu Y, Aghová T, Lavrenchenko LA, Mazoch V, Oguge N, Mbau JS, Welegerima K, Amundala N, Colyn M, Leirs H, Verheyen E. Pan-African phylogeny of Mus (subgenus Nannomys) reveals one of the most successful mammal radiations in Africa. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:256. [PMID: 25496476 PMCID: PMC4280006 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-014-0256-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 11/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rodents of the genus Mus represent one of the most valuable biological models for biomedical and evolutionary research. Out of the four currently recognized subgenera, Nannomys (African pygmy mice, including the smallest rodents in the world) comprises the only original African lineage. Species of this subgenus became important models for the study of sex determination in mammals and they are also hosts of potentially dangerous pathogens. Nannomys ancestors colonized Africa from Asia at the end of Miocene and Eastern Africa should be considered as the place of their first radiation. In sharp contrast with this fact and despite the biological importance of Nannomys, the specimens from Eastern Africa were obviously under-represented in previous studies and the phylogenetic and distributional patterns were thus incomplete. RESULTS We performed comprehensive genetic analysis of 657 individuals of Nannomys collected at approximately 300 localities across the whole sub-Saharan Africa. Phylogenetic reconstructions based on mitochondrial (CYTB) and nuclear (IRBP) genes identified five species groups and three monotypic ancestral lineages. We provide evidence for important cryptic diversity and we defined and mapped the distribution of 27 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) that may correspond to presumable species. Biogeographical reconstructions based on data spanning all of Africa modified the previous evolutionary scenarios. First divergences occurred in Eastern African mountains soon after the colonization of the continent and the remnants of these old divergences still occur there, represented by long basal branches of M. (previously Muriculus) imberbis and two undescribed species from Ethiopia and Malawi. The radiation in drier lowland habitats associated with the decrease of body size is much younger, occurred mainly in a single lineage (called the minutoides group, and especially within the species M. minutoides), and was probably linked to aridification and climatic fluctuations in middle Pliocene/Pleistocene. CONCLUSIONS We discovered very high cryptic diversity in African pygmy mice making the genus Mus one of the richest genera of African mammals. Our taxon sampling allowed reliable phylogenetic and biogeographic reconstructions that (together with detailed distributional data of individual MOTUs) provide a solid basis for further evolutionary, ecological and epidemiological studies of this important group of rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josef Bryja
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Research Facility Studenec, Studenec 122, 675 02, Koněšín, Czech Republic.
| | - Ondřej Mikula
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Radim Šumbera
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Yonas Meheretu
- Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Mekelle University, Tigray, Ethiopia.
| | - Tatiana Aghová
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | | | - Vladimír Mazoch
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | | | - Judith S Mbau
- College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | - Kiros Welegerima
- Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Mekelle University, Tigray, Ethiopia.
| | - Nicaise Amundala
- University of Kisangani, Eastern Province, Kisangani, DR, Congo.
| | - Marc Colyn
- CNRS UMR 6552/53, Université de Rennes 1, Station Biologique, Paimpont, France.
| | - Herwig Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Biology Department, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium.
| | - Erik Verheyen
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Biology Department, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium.
- Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences, Operational Direction Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Brussels, Belgium.
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Li K, Lin XD, Wang W, Shi M, Guo WP, Zhang XH, Xing JG, He JR, Wang K, Li MH, Cao JH, Jiang ML, Holmes EC, Zhang YZ. Isolation and characterization of a novel arenavirus harbored by Rodents and Shrews in Zhejiang province, China. Virology 2014; 476:37-42. [PMID: 25506671 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2014.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2014] [Revised: 07/08/2014] [Accepted: 11/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
To determine the biodiversity of arenaviruses in China, we captured and screened rodents and shrews in Wenzhou city, Zhejiang province, a locality where hemorrhagic fever diseases are endemic in humans. Accordingly, arenaviruses were detected in 42 of 351 rodents from eight species, and in 12 of 272 Asian house shrews (Suncus murinus), by RT-PCR targeting the L segment. From these, a single arenavirus was successfully isolated in cell culture. The virion particles exhibited a typical arenavirus morphology under transmission electron microscopy. Comparison of the S and L segment sequences revealed high levels of nucleotide (>32.2% and >39.6%) and amino acid (>28.8% and >43.8%) sequence differences from known arenaviruses, suggesting that it represents a novel arenavirus, which we designated Wenzhou virus (WENV). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all WENV strains harbored by both rodents and Asian house shrews formed a distinct lineage most closely related to Old World arenaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Li
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Department of Zoonoses, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changping, Beijing, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xian-Dan Lin
- Wenzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Wen Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Department of Zoonoses, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changping, Beijing, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mang Shi
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Department of Zoonoses, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changping, Beijing, China; Wencheng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Wen-Ping Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Department of Zoonoses, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changping, Beijing, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-He Zhang
- Wenzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jian-Guang Xing
- Wencheng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jin-Rong He
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Department of Zoonoses, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changping, Beijing, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ke Wang
- Lucheng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Ming-Hui Li
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Department of Zoonoses, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changping, Beijing, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jian-Hai Cao
- Longwan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Mu-Liu Jiang
- Ruian Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ruian, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Edward C Holmes
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Department of Zoonoses, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changping, Beijing, China; Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Biological Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Yong-Zhen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Department of Zoonoses, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changping, Beijing, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China.
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