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Mariën J, Sage M, Bangura U, Lamé A, Koropogui M, Rieger T, Soropogui B, Douno M, Magassouba N, Fichet-Calvet E. Rodent control strategies and Lassa virus: some unexpected effects in Guinea, West Africa. Emerg Microbes Infect 2024; 13:2341141. [PMID: 38597241 PMCID: PMC11034454 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2341141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
The Natal multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) is the host of Lassa mammarenavirus, causing Lassa haemorrhagic fever in West Africa. As there is currently no operational vaccine and therapeutic drugs are limited, we explored rodent control as an alternative to prevent Lassa virus spillover in Upper Guinea, where the disease is highly endemic in rural areas. In a seven-year experiment, we distributed rodenticides for 10-30 days once a year and, in the last year, added intensive snap trapping for three months in all the houses of one village. We also captured rodents both before and after the intervention period to assess their effectiveness by examining alterations in trapping success and infection rates (Lassa virus RNA and IgG antibodies). We found that both interventions reduced the rodent population by 74-92% but swiftly rebounded to pre-treatment levels, even already six months after the last snap-trapping control. Furthermore, while we observed that chemical control modestly decreased Lassa virus infection rates annually (a reduction of 5% in seroprevalence per year), the intensive trapping unexpectedly led to a significantly higher infection rate (from a seroprevalence of 28% before to 67% after snap trapping control). After seven years, we conclude that annual chemical control, alone or with intensive trapping, is ineffective and sometimes counterproductive in preventing Lassa virus spillover in rural villages. These unexpected findings may result from density-dependent breeding compensation following culling and the survival of a small percentage of chronically infected rodents that may spread the virus to a new susceptible generation of mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Mariën
- Evolutionary Ecology group, Department of Biology University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Virus Ecology unit, Department of Biomedical sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Mickaël Sage
- Faune INNOV’ R&D – Wildlife INNOVATION, Besançon, France
| | - Umaru Bangura
- Implementation Research, Zoonoses Control group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alicia Lamé
- Faune INNOV’ R&D – Wildlife INNOVATION, Besançon, France
| | - Michel Koropogui
- Projet des fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Laboratoire de Virologie, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Toni Rieger
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Barré Soropogui
- Projet des fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Laboratoire de Virologie, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Moussa Douno
- Projet des fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Laboratoire de Virologie, Conakry, Guinea
| | - N’Faly Magassouba
- Projet des fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Laboratoire de Virologie, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet
- Implementation Research, Zoonoses Control group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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2
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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3
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Eskew EA, Bird BH, Ghersi BM, Bangura J, Basinski AJ, Amara E, Bah MA, Kanu MC, Kanu OT, Lavalie EG, Lungay V, Robert W, Vandi MA, Fichet-Calvet E, Nuismer SL. Reservoir displacement by an invasive rodent reduces Lassa virus zoonotic spillover risk. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3589. [PMID: 38678025 PMCID: PMC11055883 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47991-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The black rat (Rattus rattus) is a globally invasive species that has been widely introduced across Africa. Within its invasive range in West Africa, R. rattus may compete with the native rodent Mastomys natalensis, the primary reservoir host of Lassa virus, a zoonotic pathogen that kills thousands annually. Here, we use rodent trapping data from Sierra Leone and Guinea to show that R. rattus presence reduces M. natalensis density within the human dwellings where Lassa virus exposure is most likely to occur. Further, we integrate infection data from M. natalensis to demonstrate that Lassa virus zoonotic spillover risk is lower at sites with R. rattus. While non-native species can have numerous negative effects on ecosystems, our results suggest that R. rattus invasion has the indirect benefit of decreasing zoonotic spillover of an endemic pathogen, with important implications for invasive species control across West Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan A Eskew
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.
| | - Brian H Bird
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Bruno M Ghersi
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | | | - Andrew J Basinski
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | | | - Mohamed A Bah
- Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Scott L Nuismer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.
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Olayemi A, Schmid DW, Fleischer R, Wilhelm K, Heni AC, Mueller-Klein N, Haikukutu L, Fichet-Calvet E, Günther S, Sommer S. MHC-I alleles mediate clearance and antibody response to the zoonotic Lassa virus in Mastomys rodent reservoirs. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0011984. [PMID: 38421939 PMCID: PMC10903922 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
West African Mastomys rodents are the primary reservoir of the zoonotic Lassa virus (LASV). The virus causes haemorrhagic Lassa fever and considerable mortality in humans. To date, the role of Mastomys immunogenetics in resistance to, and persistence of, LASV infections is largely unknown. Here, we investigated the role of Major Histocompatibility Complex class I (MHC-I) on LASV infection status (i.e., active vs. cleared infection, determined via PCR and an immunofluorescence assay on IgG antibodies, respectively) in Mastomys natalensis and M. erythroleucus sampled within southwestern Nigeria. We identified more than 190 and 90 MHC-I alleles by Illumina high throughput-sequencing in M. natalensis and M. erythroleucus, respectively, with different MHC allele compositions and frequencies between LASV endemic and non-endemic sites. In M. natalensis, the MHC allele ManaMHC-I*006 was negatively associated with active infections (PCR-positive) and positively associated with cleared infections (IgG-positive) simultaneously, suggesting efficient immune responses that facilitate LASV clearance in animals carrying this allele. Contrarily, alleles ManaMHC-I*008 and ManaMHC-I*021 in M. natalensis, and MaerMHC-I*008 in M. erythroleucus, were positively associated with active infection, implying susceptibility. Alleles associated with susceptibility shared a glutamic acid at the positively selected codon 57, while ManaMHC-I*006 featured an arginine. There was no link between number of MHC alleles per Mastomys individual and LASV prevalence. Thus, specific alleles, but not MHC diversity per se, seem to mediate antibody responses to viremia. We conclude that co-evolution with LASV likely shaped the MHC-I diversity of the main LASV reservoirs in southwestern Nigeria, and that information on reservoir immunogenetics may hold insights into transmission dynamics and zoonotic spillover risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayodeji Olayemi
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Dominik Werner Schmid
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ramona Fleischer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Kerstin Wilhelm
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Nadine Mueller-Klein
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Lavinia Haikukutu
- Department of Wildlife Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet
- Department of Zoonoses Control, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Günther
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Simone Sommer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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Adesina AS, Oyeyiola A, Obadare A, Igbokwe J, Abejegah C, Akhilomen P, Bangura U, Asogun D, Tobin E, Ayodeji O, Osoniyi O, Davis C, Thomson EC, Pahlmann M, Günther S, Fichet-Calvet E, Olayemi A. Circulation of Lassa virus across the endemic Edo-Ondo axis, Nigeria, with cross-species transmission between multimammate mice. Emerg Microbes Infect 2023; 12:2219350. [PMID: 37288752 PMCID: PMC10251791 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2219350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We phylogenetically compared sequences of the zoonotic Lassa virus (LASV) obtained from Mastomys rodents in seven localities across the highly endemic Edo and Ondo States within Nigeria. Sequencing 1641 nt from the S segment of the virus genome, we resolved clades within lineage II that were either limited to Ebudin and Okhuesan in Edo state (2g-beta) or along Owo-Okeluse-Ifon in Ondo state (2g-gamma). We also found clades within Ekpoma, a relatively large cosmopolitan town in Edo state, that extended into other localities within Edo (2g-alpha) and Ondo (2g-delta). LASV variants from M. natalensis within Ebudin and Ekpoma in Edo State (dated approximately 1961) were more ancient compared to those from Ondo state (approximately 1977), suggesting a broadly east-west virus migration across south-western Nigeria; a pattern not always consistent with LASV sequences derived from humans in the same localities. Additionally, in Ebudin and Ekpoma, LASV sequences between M. natalensis and M. erythroleucus were interspersed on the phylogenetic tree, but those from M. erythroleucus were estimated to emerge more recently (approximately 2005). Overall, our results show that LASV amplification in certain localities (reaching a prevalence as high as 76% in Okeluse), anthropogenically-aided spread of rodent-borne variants amidst the larger towns (involving communal accommodation such as student hostels), and virus-exchange between syntopic M. natalensis and M. erythroleucus rodents (as the latter, a savanna species, encroaches southward into the degraded forest) pose perpetual zoonotic hazard across the Edo-Ondo Lassa fever belt, threatening to accelerate the dissemination of the virus into non endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adetunji Samuel Adesina
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Akinlabi Oyeyiola
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Adeoba Obadare
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Joseph Igbokwe
- Department of Zoology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
| | | | | | - Umaru Bangura
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Danny Asogun
- Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria
| | - Ekaete Tobin
- Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria
| | | | - Omolaja Osoniyi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Chris Davis
- Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Emma C Thomson
- Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Meike Pahlmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Günther
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Ayodeji Olayemi
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
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6
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Layman NC, Basinski AJ, Zhang B, Eskew EA, Bird BH, Ghersi BM, Bangura J, Fichet-Calvet E, Remien CH, Vandi M, Bah M, Nuismer SL. Predicting the fine-scale spatial distribution of zoonotic reservoirs using computer vision. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1974-1986. [PMID: 37737493 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Zoonotic diseases threaten human health worldwide and are often associated with anthropogenic disturbance. Predicting how disturbance influences spillover risk is critical for effective disease intervention but difficult to achieve at fine spatial scales. Here, we develop a method that learns the spatial distribution of a reservoir species from aerial imagery. Our approach uses neural networks to extract features of known or hypothesized importance from images. The spatial distribution of these features is then summarized and linked to spatially explicit reservoir presence/absence data using boosted regression trees. We demonstrate the utility of our method by applying it to the reservoir of Lassa virus, Mastomys natalensis, within the West African nations of Sierra Leone and Guinea. We show that, when trained using reservoir trapping data and publicly available aerial imagery, our framework learns relationships between environmental features and reservoir occurrence and accurately ranks areas according to the likelihood of reservoir presence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan C Layman
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, New York, USA
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Andrew J Basinski
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Boyu Zhang
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Evan A Eskew
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Brian H Bird
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Bruno M Ghersi
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA
| | - James Bangura
- University of Makeni and University of California, Davis One Health Program, Makeni, Sierra Leone
| | | | - Christopher H Remien
- Department of Mathematics and Statistical Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Mohamed Vandi
- Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Mohamed Bah
- Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Scott L Nuismer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
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7
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Postigo-Hidalgo I, Magassouba N, Soropogui B, Fichet-Calvet E, Drexler JF. Association of Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 2 Spread With Historic Slave Trade and Commerce Routes in Western Africa. Virus Evol 2022; 8:veac066. [DOI: 10.1093/ve/veac066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The hepatitis C virus genotype 2 (HCV2) is endemic in Western and Central Africa. The HCV2 evolutionary origins remain uncertain due to the paucity of available genomes from African settings. In this study, we investigated the molecular epidemiology of HCV infections in rural Guinea, Western Africa, during 2004 and 2014. Broadly reactive nested RT-PCR-based screening of sera from 1,571 asymptomatic adults resulted in the detection of 25 (1.5%, 95% CI 0.9-2.3) positive samples, with a median viral load of 2.54E+05 IU/mL (IQR 6.72E+05). HCV-infected persons had a median age of 47 years and 62.5% were male and 37.5% female. The full polyprotein-encoding genes were retrieved by a combination of high throughput and Sanger sequencing from 17 samples showing sufficiently high viral loads. Phylogenetic analysis and sequence distances ≥13% averaged over the polyprotein genes compared to other HCV2 subtypes revealed 9 previously unknown HCV2 subtypes. The time to the most recent common ancestor of the Guinean HCV2 strains inferred in a Bayesian framework was 493 years (95% HPD 453-532). Most of the Guinean strains clustered poorly by location both on the level of sampling sites within Guinea and the level of countries in the phylogenetic reconstructions. Ancestral state reconstruction provided decisive support (Bayes factor >100) for an origin of HCV2 in Western Africa. Phylogeographic reconstructions in a Bayesian framework pointed to a radial diffusion of HCV2 from Western African regions encompassing today’s countries like Ghana, Guinea Bissau, or Burkina Faso, to Central and Northern African regions that took place from the 16th century onwards. The spread of HCV2 coincided in time and space with the main historic slave trade and commerce routes, supported by Bayesian tip-association significance testing (p = 0.01). Our study confirms the evolutionary origins of HCV2 in Western Africa and provides a potential link between historic human movements and HCV2 dispersion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Postigo-Hidalgo
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Virology , Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Barré Soropogui
- Laboratoire du Projet des Fièvres Hémorragiques de Guinée (PFHG) , Conakry, Guinea
| | | | - Jan Felix Drexler
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Virology , Berlin, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Associated partner site Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin , Germany
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8
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Soubrier H, Bangura U, Hoffmann C, Olayemi A, Adesina AS, Günther S, Oestereich L, Fichet-Calvet E. Detection of Lassa Virus-Reactive IgG Antibodies in Wild Rodents: Validation of a Capture Enzyme-Linked Immunological Assay. Viruses 2022; 14:v14050993. [PMID: 35632733 PMCID: PMC9147821 DOI: 10.3390/v14050993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of LASV-reactive IgG antibodies in Mastomys rodents. The assay was used for laboratory-bred Mastomys rodents, as well as for animals caught in the wild in various regions of West Africa. The ELISA reached an accuracy of 97.1% in samples of known exposure, and a comparison to an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) revealed a very strong agreement between the ELISA and IFA results (Cohen’s kappa of 0.81). The agreement is valid in Nigeria, and in Guinea and Sierra Leone where the lineages II and IV are circulating, respectively. Altogether, these results indicate that this capture ELISA is suitable for LASV IgG serostatus determination in Mastomys rodents as an alternative to IFA. This assay will be a strong, accurate, and semi-quantitative alternative for rodent seroprevalence studies that does not depend on biosafety level 4 infrastructures, providing great benefits for ecology and epidemiology studies of Lassa fever, a disease listed on the Research and Development Blueprint of the WHO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Soubrier
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (U.B.); (C.H.); (S.G.); (L.O.)
- Correspondence: (H.S.); (E.F.-C.)
| | - Umaru Bangura
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (U.B.); (C.H.); (S.G.); (L.O.)
| | - Chris Hoffmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (U.B.); (C.H.); (S.G.); (L.O.)
| | - Ayodeji Olayemi
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife HO220005, Nigeria;
| | - Adetunji Samuel Adesina
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife HO220005, Nigeria;
| | - Stephan Günther
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (U.B.); (C.H.); (S.G.); (L.O.)
- German Center for Infectious Diseases (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lisa Oestereich
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (U.B.); (C.H.); (S.G.); (L.O.)
- German Center for Infectious Diseases (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (U.B.); (C.H.); (S.G.); (L.O.)
- Correspondence: (H.S.); (E.F.-C.)
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9
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Clark J, Yakob L, Douno M, Lamine J, Magassouba N'F, Fichet-Calvet E, Mari-Saez A. Domestic risk factors for increased rodent abundance in a Lassa fever endemic region of rural Upper Guinea. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20698. [PMID: 34667210 PMCID: PMC8526584 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00113-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Lassa fever (LF) is a viral haemorrhagic fever endemic in West Africa and spread primarily by the multimammate rat, Mastomys natalensis. As there is no vaccine, reduction of rodent-human transmission is essential for disease control. As the household is thought to be a key site of transmission, understanding domestic risk factors for M. natalensis abundance is crucial. Rodent captures in conjunction with domestic surveys were carried out in 6 villages in an area of rural Upper Guinea with high LF endemicity. 120 rodent traps were set in rooms along a transect in each village for three nights, and the survey was administered in each household on the transects. This study was able to detect several domestic risk factors for increased rodent abundance in rural Upper Guinea. Regression analysis demonstrated that having > 8 holes (RR = 1.8 [1.0004-3.2, p = 0.048), the presence of rodent burrows (RR = 2.3 [1.6-3.23, p = 0.000003), and being in a multi-room square building (RR = 2.0 [1.3-2.9], p = 0.001) were associated with increased rodent abundance. The most addressable of these may be rodent burrows, as burrow patching is a relatively simple process that may reduce rodent entry. Further study is warranted to explicitly link domestic rodent abundance to LF risk, to better characterize domestic risk factors, and to evaluate how household rodent-proofing interventions could contribute to LF control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Clark
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Laith Yakob
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Moussa Douno
- Projet des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Laboratoire de Recherche en Virologie, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Joseph Lamine
- Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory, Bo, Sierra Leone
| | - N 'Faly Magassouba
- Projet des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Laboratoire de Recherche en Virologie, Conakry, Guinea
| | | | - Almudena Mari-Saez
- Centre for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
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10
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Wood R, Bangura U, Mariën J, Douno M, Fichet-Calvet E. Detection of Lassa virus in wild rodent feces: Implications for Lassa fever burden within households in the endemic region of Faranah, Guinea. One Health 2021; 13:100317. [PMID: 34522759 PMCID: PMC8424210 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2021.100317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Lassa arenavirus (LASV) is the cause of Lassa Fever in humans in West Africa. The multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) is a reservoir host of LASV and the primary source of human infections. Humans are assumed to become infected due to contact with this animal or its excretions. Thus far, the available literature does not describe the sampling of feces as a means to detect LASV in M. natalensis populations. More evidence is needed to know if feces of naturally infected M. natalensis can be LASV-positive and an exposure risk to humans. This study sampled feces deposits in households from three villages in the LASV-endemic region of Faranah, Guinea. PCR analysis found 10 out of 88 samples to be positive for LASV, and sequencing showed clustering to previously identified Yarawelia and Dalafilani strains. We conclude that feces sampling is a viable, non-invasive method for the determination and sequencing of LASV strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah Wood
- Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Umaru Bangura
- Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Mariën
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Virology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Moussa Douno
- Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques de Guinée, Centre de Recherche en Virologie, Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry, Conakry, Guinée
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Douno M, Asampong E, Magassouba N, Fichet-Calvet E, Almudena MS. Hunting and consumption of rodents by children in the Lassa fever endemic area of Faranah, Guinea. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009212. [PMID: 33730025 PMCID: PMC7968712 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
As a consequence of the Ebola outbreak, human-animal contact has gained importance for zoonotic transmission surveillance. In Faranah (Upper Guinea), daily life is intertwined with rodents, such as the Natal multimammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis; a reservoir for Lassa virus (LASV). However, this contact is rarely perceived as a health risk by residents, although Lassa fever (LF) is known to be endemic to this region. Conversely, these observations remain a great concern for global health agendas. Drawing on ethnographic research involving interviews, focus group discussions, participant observations, and informal discussions over four months, we first identified factors that motivated children to hunt and consume rodents in Faranah villages, and thereafter, explored the knowledge of LF infection in children and their parents. Furthermore, we studied two dimensions of human-rodent encounters: 1) space-time of interaction and 2) factors that allowed the interaction to occur and their materiality. This approach allowed us to contextualize child-rodent contacts beyond domestic limits in the fallow fields, swamps, and at other times for this practice. A close look at these encounters provided information on rodent trapping, killing, and manipulation of cooking techniques and the risk these activities posed for the primary transmission of LASV. This research facilitated the understanding of children's exposure to M. natalensis during hunting sessions and the importance of rodent hunting, which is a part of their boyish identity in rural areas. Determination of when, where, why, and how children, rodents, and environments interacted allowed us to understand the exposures and risks important for human and animal surveillance programs in the Lassa-endemic region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moussa Douno
- Projet des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Centre de Recherche en Virologie, Université de Conakry, Guinée
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- * E-mail:
| | - Emmanuel Asampong
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - N’Faly Magassouba
- Projet des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Centre de Recherche en Virologie, Université de Conakry, Guinée
| | | | - Marí Sáez Almudena
- Center for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
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14
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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15
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Mariën J, Lo Iacono G, Rieger T, Magassouba N, Günther S, Fichet-Calvet E. Households as hotspots of Lassa fever? Assessing the spatial distribution of Lassa virus-infected rodents in rural villages of Guinea. Emerg Microbes Infect 2020; 9:1055-1064. [PMID: 32459576 PMCID: PMC7336995 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1766381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The Natal multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) is the reservoir host of Lassa virus (LASV), an arenavirus that causes Lassa haemorrhagic fever in humans in West Africa. While previous studies suggest that spillover risk is focal within rural villages due to the spatial behaviour of the rodents, the level of clustering was never specifically assessed. Nevertheless, detailed information on the spatial distribution of infected rodents would be highly valuable to optimize LASV-control campaigns, which are limited to rodent control or interrupting human-rodent contact considering that a human vaccine is not available. Here, we analysed data from a four-year field experiment to investigate whether LASV-infected rodents cluster in households in six rural villages in Guinea. Our analyses were based on the infection status (antibody or PCR) and geolocation of rodents (n = 864), and complemented with a phylogenetic analysis of LASV sequences (n = 119). We observed that the majority of infected rodents were trapped in a few houses (20%) and most houses were rodent-free at a specific point in time (60%). We also found that LASV strains circulating in a specific village were polyphyletic with respect to neighbouring villages, although most strains grouped together at the sub-village level and persisted over time. In conclusion, our results suggest that: (i) LASV spillover risk is heterogeneously distributed within villages in Guinea; (ii) viral elimination in one particular village is unlikely if rodents are not controlled in neighbouring villages. Such spatial information should be incorporated into eco-epidemiological models that assess the cost-efficiency of LASV control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Mariën
- Department of Clinical Sciences/Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Toni Rieger
- Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Stephan Günther
- Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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16
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Magassouba N, Koivogui E, Conde S, Kone M, Koropogui M, Soropogui B, Kekoura I, Hinzmann J, Günther S, Keita S, Duraffour S, Fichet-Calvet E. A Sporadic and Lethal Lassa Fever Case in Forest Guinea, 2019. Viruses 2020; 12:v12101062. [PMID: 32977629 PMCID: PMC7598168 DOI: 10.3390/v12101062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lassa fever is a rodent-borne disease caused by Lassa virus (LASV). It causes fever, dizziness, vertigo, fatigue, coughing, diarrhea, internal bleeding and facial edema. The disease has been known in Guinea since 1960 but only anectodical acute cases have been reported to date. In January 2019, a 35-year-old man, a wood merchant from Kissidougou, Forest Guinea, presented himself at several health centers with persistent fever, frequent vomiting and joint pain. He was repeatedly treated for severe malaria, and died three weeks later in Mamou regional hospital. Differential diagnosis identified LASV as the cause of death. No secondary cases were reported. The complete LASV genome was obtained using next-generation sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis showed that this strain, namely the Kissidougou strain, belongs to the clade IV circulating in Guinea and Sierra Leone, and is thought to have emerged some 150 years ago. Due to the similarity of symptoms with malaria, Lassa fever is still a disease that is difficult to recognize and that may remain undiagnosed in health centers in Guinea.
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Affiliation(s)
- N’Faly Magassouba
- Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Conakry, Guinea; (N.M.); (M.K.); (B.S.); (I.K.)
| | - Enogo Koivogui
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire, Ministry of Health, Conakry, Guinea; (E.K.); (S.C.); (M.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Sory Conde
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire, Ministry of Health, Conakry, Guinea; (E.K.); (S.C.); (M.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Moussa Kone
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire, Ministry of Health, Conakry, Guinea; (E.K.); (S.C.); (M.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Michel Koropogui
- Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Conakry, Guinea; (N.M.); (M.K.); (B.S.); (I.K.)
| | - Barrè Soropogui
- Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Conakry, Guinea; (N.M.); (M.K.); (B.S.); (I.K.)
| | - Ifono Kekoura
- Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Conakry, Guinea; (N.M.); (M.K.); (B.S.); (I.K.)
| | - Julia Hinzmann
- Virology Department, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (J.H.); (S.G.); (S.D.)
- Virology Department, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hamburg–Lübeck–Borstel–Riems, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Günther
- Virology Department, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (J.H.); (S.G.); (S.D.)
- Virology Department, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hamburg–Lübeck–Borstel–Riems, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sakoba Keita
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire, Ministry of Health, Conakry, Guinea; (E.K.); (S.C.); (M.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Sophie Duraffour
- Virology Department, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (J.H.); (S.G.); (S.D.)
- Virology Department, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hamburg–Lübeck–Borstel–Riems, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet
- Virology Department, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; (J.H.); (S.G.); (S.D.)
- Virology Department, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hamburg–Lübeck–Borstel–Riems, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-4042-818-942
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17
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Müller H, Fehling SK, Dorna J, Urbanowicz RA, Oestereich L, Krebs Y, Kolesnikova L, Schauflinger M, Krähling V, Magassouba N, Fichet-Calvet E, Ball JK, Kaufmann A, Bauer S, Becker S, von Messling V, Strecker T. Adjuvant formulated virus-like particles expressing native-like forms of the Lassa virus envelope surface glycoprotein are immunogenic and induce antibodies with broadly neutralizing activity. NPJ Vaccines 2020; 5:71. [PMID: 32802410 PMCID: PMC7403343 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-020-00219-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Lassa mammarenavirus (LASV) is a rodent-borne arenavirus endemic to several West African countries. It is the causative agent of human Lassa fever, an acute viral hemorrhagic fever disease. To date, no therapeutics or vaccines against LASV have obtained regulatory approval. Polyclonal neutralizing antibodies derived from hyperimmunized animals may offer a useful strategy for prophylactic and therapeutic intervention to combat human LASV infections. The LASV envelope surface glycoprotein complex (GP) is the major target for neutralizing antibodies, and it is the main viral antigen used for the design of an LASV vaccine. Here, we assessed the immunogenic potential of mammalian cell-derived virus-like particles (VLPs) expressing GP from the prototypic LASV strain Josiah in a native-like conformation as the sole viral antigen. We demonstrate that an adjuvanted prime-boost immunization regimen with GP-derived VLPs elicited neutralizing antibody responses in rabbits, suggesting that effective antigenic epitopes of GP were displayed. Notably, these antibodies exhibited broad reactivity across five genetic lineages of LASV. VLP-based immunization strategies may represent a powerful approach for generating polyclonal sera containing cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies against LASV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Müller
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Jens Dorna
- Institute of Immunology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Richard A Urbanowicz
- Wolfson Centre for Global Virus Infections, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.,School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Lisa Oestereich
- Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Sites Gießen-Marburg-Langen and Hamburg-Borstel-Lübeck-Riems, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Yvonne Krebs
- Veterinary Medicine Division, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | | | | | - Verena Krähling
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Sites Gießen-Marburg-Langen and Hamburg-Borstel-Lübeck-Riems, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet
- Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Sites Gießen-Marburg-Langen and Hamburg-Borstel-Lübeck-Riems, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jonathan K Ball
- Wolfson Centre for Global Virus Infections, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.,School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Andreas Kaufmann
- Institute of Immunology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Bauer
- Institute of Immunology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Becker
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Sites Gießen-Marburg-Langen and Hamburg-Borstel-Lübeck-Riems, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Veronika von Messling
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Sites Gießen-Marburg-Langen and Hamburg-Borstel-Lübeck-Riems, Hamburg, Germany.,Veterinary Medicine Division, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany.,Present Address: Federal Ministry for Education and Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Strecker
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [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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Fichet-Calvet E, Magassouba N, Günther S. A40 Estimation of Lassa virus emergence in Upper Guinea through a time-calibrated phylogeny. Virus Evol 2019. [PMCID: PMC6736080 DOI: 10.1093/ve/vez002.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Lassa fever is a hemorrhagic fever caused by an arenavirus, the Lassa virus (LASV), and can affect 150–200,000 persons per year in West Africa. The virus is hosted by several rodents, Mastomys natalensis and M. erythroleucus, Hylomyscus pamfi, and Mus baoulei. People can be contaminated at home or in the farms, by touching contaminated surfaces, eating contaminated food, or breathing aerosolized viral particles. Human-to-human transmission is occurring as well through infected bodily fluids. In Upper Guinea in particular, M. natalensis is the main host, with LASV prevalence of 14 per cent and IgG prevalence of 27 per cent. In humans, IgG prevalence is 40 per cent. This is, therefore, a hot spot for LASV transmission. In a previous phylogenetic study including 132 partial nucleoprotein (NP) sequences isolated from rodents, we showed that LASV could have emerged 90 years ago in the area. Here, we aim to revise the time of emergence upon analyzing the complete NP and polymerase genes of two strains coming from Upper Guinea: ‘Bantou 366’, a strain isolated from M. natalensis in 2003, and ‘Faranah’, a strain isolated from a human in 1996. They were aligned with 22 other LASV sequences belonging to all lineages and dated by their day of collection. In BEAST (v1.10) tree reconstruction, the following settings were used: GTR+gamma distributed rate variation (four discrete categories) across each codon position and constant population size demographic model. Four clock models were tested: strict, uncorrelated relaxed, random local, and fixed local. The best model was determined by comparing the resulting likelihoods using AICM model testing. Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling was performed for a total of 20 million states (sampling every 10,000 states) to obtain an effective sample size above 200 for all parameters. Results of MCMC sampling were examined in Tracer 1.6. The results showed that the Upper Guinea clade emerged 153 years ago when the phylogeny was reconstructed for partial NP (nt = 754, better model fit with strict clock), 208 years ago with complete NP (nt = 1,707, better model fit with random local clock), and 350 years ago with complete polymerase (nt = 6,681, better model fit with strict clock). The difference of emergence 1, 2, or 3 centuries ago, can be explained by the inclusion of some parts of the genome evolving slower than the partial NP. Therefore, the longer the sequence, the greater the divergence time. In order to have an accurate time of divergence, we suggest to use complete genes to perform a time-calibrated phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stephan Günther
- Bernhard-Nocht Institute of Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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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. Correction: Rodent-borne infections in rural Ghanaian farming communities. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218271. [PMID: 31170261 PMCID: PMC6553859 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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23
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Igbokwe J, Nicolas V, Oyeyiola A, Obadare A, Adesina AS, Awodiran MO, Van Houtte N, Fichet-Calvet E, Verheyen E, Olayemi A. Molecular taxonomy of Crocidura species (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae) in a key biogeographical region for African shrews, Nigeria. C R Biol 2019; 342:108-117. [PMID: 31056422 DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The taxonomy of African shrew species is still unresolved due to their conserved morphology. This also affects knowledge concerning their geographic distribution. In Nigeria, using mitochondrial Cytochrome b gene sequences, we carried out a survey for shrews from the genus Crocidura across various ecological zones to determine taxa that are present and also to assess their phylogeographic structure. Our analyses include 183 specimens collected with Sherman traps from 19 localities around the country. We detected six taxa: Crocidura olivieri lineages II, III and IV, C. hildegardeae, C. jouvenetae, and C. foxi. Among these, C. hildegardeae and C. jouvenetae are reported in Nigeria for the first time. Phylogenetic comparison of our genetic sequences to those generated from other parts of Africa demonstrate that all species in our study, as currently defined, are in need of taxonomic revision. Geographically, Nigeria seems to represent the easternmost boundary for C. olivieri lineage II and C. jouvenetae, and the western distribution limit of C. olivieri lineage IV and C. hildegardeae. The Niger River appears to be the most significant topographical barrier restricting these taxa. This information is vital to preserving the diversity but also managing the epidemiological potential of these small mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Igbokwe
- Department of Zoology, Obafemi Awolowo University, HO 220005 Ile Ife, Nigeria.
| | - Violaine Nicolas
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB, UMR 7205 CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 51, Sorbonne, France.
| | - Akinlabi Oyeyiola
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, HO 220005 Ile Ife, Nigeria.
| | - Adeoba Obadare
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, HO 220005 Ile Ife, Nigeria.
| | - Adetunji Samuel Adesina
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Obafemi Awolowo University, HO 220005, Ile Ife, Nigeria.
| | | | - Natalie Van Houtte
- Biology Department, University of Antwerpen, Evolutionary Ecology Group, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet
- Bernhard-Nocht Institute of Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Erik Verheyen
- Biology Department, University of Antwerpen, Evolutionary Ecology Group, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Operational Direction Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Molecular Laboratory, Vautierstraat 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Ayodeji Olayemi
- Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, HO 220005 Ile Ife, Nigeria.
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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25
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Whitmer SL, Strecker T, Cadar D, Dienes HP, Faber K, Patel K, Brown SM, Davis WG, Klena JD, Rollin PE, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Fichet-Calvet E, Noack B, Emmerich P, Rieger T, Wolff S, Fehling SK, Eickmann M, Mengel JP, Schultze T, Hain T, Ampofo W, Bonney K, Aryeequaye JND, Ribner B, Varkey JB, Mehta AK, Lyon GM, Kann G, De Leuw P, Schuettfort G, Stephan C, Wieland U, Fries JW, Kochanek M, Kraft CS, Wolf T, Nichol ST, Becker S, Ströher U, Günther S. New Lineage of Lassa Virus, Togo, 2016. Emerg Infect Dis 2019; 24:599-602. [PMID: 29460758 PMCID: PMC5823357 DOI: 10.3201/eid2403.171905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe a strain of Lassa virus representing a putative new lineage that was isolated from a cluster of human infections with an epidemiologic link to Togo. This finding extends the known range of Lassa virus to Togo.
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26
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Mariën J, Borremans B, Kourouma F, Baforday J, Rieger T, Günther S, Magassouba N, Leirs H, Fichet-Calvet E. Evaluation of rodent control to fight Lassa fever based on field data and mathematical modelling. Emerg Microbes Infect 2019; 8:640-649. [PMID: 31007139 PMCID: PMC7011821 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2019.1605846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The Natal multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) is the reservoir host of Lassa virus, an arenavirus that causes Lassa haemorrhagic fever in humans in West Africa. Because no vaccine exists and therapeutic options are limited, preventing infection through rodent control and human behavioural measures is currently considered to be the only option. In order to assess the efficacy of rodent control, we performed a 4-year field experiment in rural Upper Guinea and developed a mathematical model to simulate different control strategies (annual density control, continuous density control, and rodent vaccination). For the field study, rodenticide baits were placed each year in three rural villages, while three other villages were used as controls. Rodents were trapped before and after every treatment and their antibody status and age were determined. Data from the field study were used to parameterize the mathematical model. In the field study, we found a significant negative effect of rodent control on seroprevalence, but this effect was small especially given the effort. Furthermore, the rodent populations recovered rapidly after rodenticide application, leading us to conclude that an annual control strategy is unlikely to significantly reduce Lassa virus spillover to humans. In agreement with this finding, the mathematical model suggests that the use of continuous control or rodent vaccination is the only strategy that could lead to Lassa virus elimination. These field and model results can serve as a guide for determining how long and frequent rodent control should be done in order to eliminate Lassa virus in rural villages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Mariën
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Benny Borremans
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics (I-BIOSTAT), Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Fodé Kourouma
- Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques, Nongo, Guinée
| | - Jatta Baforday
- Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Toni Rieger
- Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Günther
- Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Herwig Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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27
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Mari Saez A, Cherif Haidara M, Camara A, Kourouma F, Sage M, Magassouba N, Fichet-Calvet E. Rodent control to fight Lassa fever: Evaluation and lessons learned from a 4-year study in Upper Guinea. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006829. [PMID: 30399142 PMCID: PMC6219765 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Lassa fever is a viral haemorrhagic fever caused by an arenavirus. The disease is endemic in West African countries, including Guinea. The rodents Mastomys natalensis and Mastomys erythroleucus have been identified as Lassa virus reservoirs in Guinea. In the absence of a vaccine, rodent control and human behavioural changes are the only options to prevent Lassa fever in highly endemic areas. We performed a 4 year intervention based on chemical rodent control, utilizing anticoagulant rodenticides in 3 villages and evaluating the rodent abundance before and after treatment. Three additional villages were investigated as controls. Analyses to assess the effectiveness of the intervention, bait consumption and rodent dynamics were performed. Anthropological investigations accompanied the intervention to integrate local understandings of human–rodent cohabitation and rodent control intervention. Patterns of bait consumption showed a peak at days 5–7 and no consumption at days 28–30. There was no difference between Bromadiolone and Difenacoum bait consumption. The main rodent species found in the houses was M. natalensis. The abundance of M. natalensis, as measured by the trapping success, varied between 3.6 and 16.7% before treatment and decreased significantly to 1–2% after treatment. Individuals in treated villages welcomed the intervention and trapping because mice are generally regarded as a nuisance. Immediate benefits from controlling rodents included protection of food and belongings. Before the intervention, local awareness of Lassa fever was non-existent. Despite their appreciation for the intervention, local individuals noted its limits and the need for complementary actions. Our results demonstrate that chemical treatment provides an effective tool to control local rodent populations and can serve as part of an effective, holistic approach combining rodent trapping, use of local rodenticides, environmental hygiene, house repairs and rodent-proof storage. These actions should be developed in collaboration with local stakeholders and communities. In the absence of a Lassa fever vaccine, rodent control is the primary prevention option. An effective rodent control intervention must understand human behaviour towards the rodent such as: human–rodent interactions, cohabitation, and local rodent control measures. We conducted a rodent control intervention at community level in a Lassa Virus endemic area in Upper Guinea (Guinea) accompanied by an anthropological study on people’s perceptions and recommendations on the intervention. Based on our results we seek to broaden the rodent control intervention by including environmental hygiene, house repairs and rodent-proof storage. Chemical treatment has proven effective for rodent control but other factors involved in human-rodent interactions should also be addressed. Our findings highlight the need for Lassa fever prevention and rodent control initiatives to work in collaboration with communities and undertake a holistic approach towards rodent control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almudena Mari Saez
- Global Health and Biosecurity Unit, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Mory Cherif Haidara
- Projet des fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Laboratoire de Virologie, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Amara Camara
- Projet des fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Laboratoire de Virologie, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Fodé Kourouma
- Projet des fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Laboratoire de Virologie, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Mickaël Sage
- CD Eau Environnement, Maizières, France and Faune Environment Expertise, Besancon, France
| | - N'Faly Magassouba
- Projet des fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Laboratoire de Virologie, Conakry, Guinea
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28
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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29
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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30
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Mariën J, Borremans B, Gryseels S, Soropogui B, De Bruyn L, Bongo GN, Becker-Ziaja B, de Bellocq JG, Günther S, Magassouba N, Leirs H, Fichet-Calvet E. No measurable adverse effects of Lassa, Morogoro and Gairo arenaviruses on their rodent reservoir host in natural conditions. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:210. [PMID: 28449693 PMCID: PMC5408478 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2146-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In order to optimize net transmission success, parasites are hypothesized to evolve towards causing minimal damage to their reservoir host while obtaining high shedding rates. For many parasite species however this paradigm has not been tested, and conflicting results have been found regarding the effect of arenaviruses on their rodent host species. The rodent Mastomys natalensis is the natural reservoir host of several arenaviruses, including Lassa virus that is known to cause Lassa haemorrhagic fever in humans. Here, we examined the effect of three arenaviruses (Gairo, Morogoro and Lassa virus) on four parameters of wild-caught Mastomys natalensis: body mass, head-body length, sexual maturity and fertility. After correcting for the effect of age, we compared these parameters between arenavirus-positive (arenavirus RNA or antibody) and negative animals using data from different field studies in Guinea (Lassa virus) and Tanzania (Morogoro and Gairo viruses). Results Although the sample sizes of our studies (1297, 749 and 259 animals respectively) were large enough to statistically detect small differences in body conditions, we did not observe any adverse effects of these viruses on Mastomys natalensis. We did find that sexual maturity was significantly positively related with Lassa virus antibody presence until a certain age, and with Gairo virus antibody presence in general. Gairo virus antibody-positive animals were also significantly heavier and larger than antibody-free animals. Conclusion Together, these results suggest that the pathogenicity of arenaviruses is not severe in M. natalensis, which is likely to be an adaptation of these viruses to optimize transmission success. They also suggest that sexual behaviour might increase the probability of M. natalensis to become infected with arenaviruses. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-017-2146-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Mariën
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Benny Borremans
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Sophie Gryseels
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
| | - Barré Soropogui
- Projet des Fièvre Hémorragiques en Guinée, Hôpital Donka, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Luc De Bruyn
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Gédéon Ngiala Bongo
- Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Kinshasa, P.O. Box. 190, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Joëlle Goüy de Bellocq
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Research Facility Studenec, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Stephan Günther
- Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - N'Faly Magassouba
- Projet des Fièvre Hémorragiques en Guinée, Hôpital Donka, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Herwig Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Bonwitt J, Sáez AM, Lamin J, Ansumana R, Dawson M, Buanie J, Lamin J, Sondufu D, Borchert M, Sahr F, Fichet-Calvet E, Brown H. At Home with Mastomys and Rattus: Human-Rodent Interactions and Potential for Primary Transmission of Lassa Virus in Domestic Spaces. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2017; 96:935-943. [PMID: 28167603 PMCID: PMC5392645 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) is the reservoir for Lassa virus (LASV). Zoonotic transmission occurs when humans are directly or indirectly exposed to fluids of the multimammate mouse, such as urine, saliva, and blood. Housing characteristics and domestic organization affect rodent density in and around households and villages, and are likely to be a risk factor for Lassa fever in humans where the reservoir exists. We use semi-structured interviews (N = 51), a quantitative survey (N = 429), direct observations, and a rodent ecology study to provide new insights into how the organization of domestic spaces brings together humans and rodents and creates pathways for infection in rural settlements in Bo District, Sierra Leone. Rodents were frequently reported inside houses (92.4% of respondents), in which we predominantly trapped M. natalensis (57% of trapped rodents) and Rattus rattus (38% of trapped rodents). Building design and materials provide hiding and nesting places for rodents and lead to close proximity with humans. Patterns of contact are both unintentional and intentional and research participants reported high levels of contact with rodents (34.2% of respondents) and rodent fluids (52.8% of respondents). Rodents are also perceived as a serious threat to food security. These results present detailed knowledge about how humans live with and come into contact with rodents, including the LASV reservoir. Our results argue for further collaborative research in housing and environmental modification such as ceiling construction, food storage, and sanitation as prevention against zoonotic LASV transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Bonwitt
- Department of Anthropology, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Almudena Mari Sáez
- Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Joseph Lamin
- Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory, Bo, Sierra Leone
| | | | | | - Jacob Buanie
- Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory, Bo, Sierra Leone
| | - Joyce Lamin
- Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory, Bo, Sierra Leone
| | - Diana Sondufu
- Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory, Bo, Sierra Leone
| | - Matthias Borchert
- Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Foday Sahr
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | | | - Hannah Brown
- Department of Anthropology, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom
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Olayemi A, Obadare A, Oyeyiola A, Igbokwe J, Fasogbon A, Igbahenah F, Ortsega D, Asogun D, Umeh P, Vakkai I, Abejegah C, Pahlman M, Becker-Ziaja B, Günther S, Fichet-Calvet E. Arenavirus Diversity and Phylogeography of Mastomys natalensis Rodents, Nigeria. Emerg Infect Dis 2016; 22:694-7. [PMID: 26982388 PMCID: PMC4806934 DOI: 10.3201/eid2204.150155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mastomys natalensis rodents are natural hosts for Lassa virus
(LASV). Detection of LASV in 2 mitochondrial phylogroups of the rodent near the Niger
and Benue Rivers in Nigeria underlines the potential for LASV emergence in fresh
phylogroups of this rodent. A Mobala-like sequence was also detected in eastern
Nigeria.
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Fichet-Calvet E, Jomâa I, Ben Ismail R, Ashford RW. Patterns of infection of haemoparasites in the fat sand rat,Psammomys obesus, in Tunisia, and effect on the host. Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/00034983.2000.11813513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Lo Iacono G, Cunningham AA, Fichet-Calvet E, Garry RF, Grant DS, Leach M, Moses LM, Nichols G, Schieffelin JS, Shaffer JG, Webb CT, Wood JLN. A Unified Framework for the Infection Dynamics of Zoonotic Spillover and Spread. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004957. [PMID: 27588425 PMCID: PMC5010258 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 08/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
A considerable amount of disease is transmitted from animals to humans and many of these zoonoses are neglected tropical diseases. As outbreaks of SARS, avian influenza and Ebola have demonstrated, however, zoonotic diseases are serious threats to global public health and are not just problems confined to remote regions. There are two fundamental, and poorly studied, stages of zoonotic disease emergence: ‘spillover’, i.e. transmission of pathogens from animals to humans, and ‘stuttering transmission’, i.e. when limited human-to-human infections occur, leading to self-limiting chains of transmission. We developed a transparent, theoretical framework, based on a generalization of Poisson processes with memory of past human infections, that unifies these stages. Once we have quantified pathogen dynamics in the reservoir, with some knowledge of the mechanism of contact, the approach provides a tool to estimate the likelihood of spillover events. Comparisons with independent agent-based models demonstrates the ability of the framework to correctly estimate the relative contributions of human-to-human vs animal transmission. As an illustrative example, we applied our model to Lassa fever, a rodent-borne, viral haemorrhagic disease common in West Africa, for which data on human outbreaks were available. The approach developed here is general and applicable to a range of zoonoses. This kind of methodology is of crucial importance for the scientific, medical and public health communities working at the interface between animal and human diseases to assess the risk associated with the disease and to plan intervention and appropriate control measures. The Lassa case study revealed important knowledge gaps, and opportunities, arising from limited knowledge of the temporal patterns in reporting, abundance of and infection prevalence in, the host reservoir. Many dangerous diseases emerge via spillover from animals, with limited human-to-human infection (stuttering-transmission) often being the first stage of human disease spread. Understanding the conditions (biological, environmental and socio-economic factors) that regulate spillover and disease spread is key to its mitigation. Here we are interested in questions such as: If we have quantified pathogen dynamics in the reservoir, with some knowledge of the mechanism of contact, can we estimate the likelihood of spillover events? Can we tease apart how much the disease is transmitted by animals and how much by humans? We developed a unified mathematical framework, based on Poisson processes with memory of past events, to understand the dynamics of spillover and stuttering-transmission. This framework, which can be applied across the disease transmission spectrum, allows the teasing apart of the disease burden attributed to animal-human and human-human transmission. Using this model, we can infer human disease risk based on knowledge of infection patterns in the animal reservoir host and the contact mechanisms required for transmission to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Lo Iacono
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Disease Dynamics Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Environmental Change Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | | | | | - Robert F. Garry
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Donald S. Grant
- Lassa Fever Program, Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema, Sierra Leone
| | - Melissa Leach
- Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Lina M. Moses
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Gordon Nichols
- Gastrointestinal, Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Public Health England, London, United Kingdom
| | - John S. Schieffelin
- Sections of Infectious Disease, Departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey G. Shaffer
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Colleen T. Webb
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - James L. N. Wood
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Disease Dynamics Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Bonwitt J, Kelly AH, Ansumana R, Agbla S, Sahr F, Saez AM, Borchert M, Kock R, Fichet-Calvet E. Rat-atouille: A Mixed Method Study to Characterize Rodent Hunting and Consumption in the Context of Lassa Fever. Ecohealth 2016; 13:234-247. [PMID: 26895631 PMCID: PMC4996873 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-016-1098-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Lassa fever is a zoonotic hemorrhagic illness predominant in areas across Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and southern Mali. The reservoir of Lassa virus is the multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis), a highly commensal species in West Africa. Primary transmission to humans occurs through direct or indirect contact with rodent body fluids such as urine, feces, saliva, or blood. Our research draws together qualitative and quantitative methods to provide a fuller and more nuanced perspective on these varied points of human-animal contact. In this article, we focus on the hunting, preparation, and consumption of rodents as possible routes of exposure in Bo, Sierra Leone. We found that the consumption of rodents, including the reservoir species, is widespread and does not neatly tally against generational or gender lines. Further, we found that the reasons for rodent consumption are multifactorial, including taste preferences, food security, and opportunistic behavior. We argue that on certain topics, such as rodent consumption, establishing trust with communities, and using qualitative research methods, is key to investigate sensitive issues and situate them in their wider context. To conclude, we recommend ways to refine sensitization campaigns to account for these socio-cultural contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Bonwitt
- Department of Anthropology, University of Durham, Dawson Building, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Ann H Kelly
- Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | | | - Foday Sahr
- University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Almudena Mari Saez
- Institute for Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charité, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias Borchert
- Institute for Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charité, Berlin, Germany
| | - Richard Kock
- Department of Pathology and Pathogen Biology, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Fichet-Calvet E, Ölschläger S, Strecker T, Koivogui L, Becker-Ziaja B, Camara AB, Soropogui B, Magassouba N, Günther S. Spatial and temporal evolution of Lassa virus in the natural host population in Upper Guinea. Sci Rep 2016; 6:21977. [PMID: 26911443 PMCID: PMC4766397 DOI: 10.1038/srep21977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed at reconstructing the spatial and temporal evolution of Lassa virus (LASV) in the natural host population. To this end, we generated 132 partial nucleoprotein sequences of LASV from M. natalensis trapped in 12 villages around Faranah, Upper Guinea, over a period of 12 years. This study reveals two main features of LASV evolution in M. natalensis. First, the virus evolves in the reservoir with a molecular clock rate of 9 (7-11) × 10(-4) position(-1) year(-1) implying that contemporary LASV lineages circulate in the Faranah area since less than 100 years. Second, viruses circulating in a specific village are diverse and polyphyletic. We observed, however, there are monophyletic clusters at village and sub-village level at specific points in time. In conclusion, our data indicate that the temporal and spatial pattern of LASV evolution in the natural reservoir is characterized by a combination of stationary circulation within a village and virus movement between villages. The latter feature is relevant for rodent control strategies, as it implies that recurrence of the virus from neighbouring villages may occur in villages where the virus has previously been eradicated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas Strecker
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Lamine Koivogui
- Projet des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Hopital Donka, Conakry, Guinea
| | | | - Amara Bongo Camara
- Projet des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Hopital Donka, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Barré Soropogui
- Projet des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Hopital Donka, Conakry, Guinea
| | - N'Faly Magassouba
- Projet des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Hopital Donka, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Stephan Günther
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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Fichet-Calvet E, Becker-Ziaja B, Koivogui L, Günther S. Lassa serology in natural populations of rodents and horizontal transmission. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2015; 14:665-74. [PMID: 25229705 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2013.1484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lassa virus causes hemorrhagic fever in West Africa. Previously, we demonstrated by PCR screening that only the multimammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis, hosts Lassa virus in Guinea. In the present study, we used the same specimen collection from 17 villages in Coastal, Upper, and Forest Guinea to investigate the Lassa virus serology in the rodent population. The aim was to determine the dynamics of antibody development in M. natalensis and to detect potential spillover infections in other rodent species. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody screening was performed using the indirect immunofluorescence assay with the Guinean Lassa virus strain Bantou 289 as antigen. The overall seroprevalence was 8% (129/1551) with the following rodents testing positive: 109 M. natalensis, seven Mastomys erythroleucus, four Lemniscomys striatus, four Praomys daltoni, three Mus minutoides, and two Praomys rostratus. Nearly all of them (122/129) originated from Bantou, Tanganya, and Gbetaya, where Lassa virus is highly endemic in M. natalensis. The antibody seroprevalence in M. natalensis from this high-endemic area (27%; 108/396) depended on the village, habitat, host age, and host abundance. A main positive factor was age; the maximum seroprevalence reached 50% in older animals. Our data fit with a model implicating that most M. natalensis rodents become horizontally infected, clear the virus within a period significantly shorter than their life span, and develop antibodies. In addition, the detection of antibodies in other species trapped in the habitats of M. natalensis suggests spillover infections.
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Brown H, Kelly AH, Marí Sáez A, Fichet-Calvet E, Ansumana R, Bonwitt J, Magassouba N, Sahr F, Borchert M. Extending the "social": anthropological contributions to the study of viral haemorrhagic fevers. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003651. [PMID: 25880853 PMCID: PMC4400098 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Brown
- Anthropology Department, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Ann H. Kelly
- Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology, Exeter University, Exeter, United Kingdom
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Almudena Marí Sáez
- Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Jesse Bonwitt
- Anthropology Department, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - N’Faly Magassouba
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Department, National Hospital Donka, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Foday Sahr
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Matthias Borchert
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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40
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Lo Iacono G, Cunningham AA, Fichet-Calvet E, Garry RF, Grant DS, Khan SH, Leach M, Moses LM, Schieffelin JS, Shaffer JG, Webb CT, Wood JLN. Using modelling to disentangle the relative contributions of zoonotic and anthroponotic transmission: the case of lassa fever. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e3398. [PMID: 25569707 PMCID: PMC4288732 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Zoonotic infections, which transmit from animals to humans, form the majority of new human pathogens. Following zoonotic transmission, the pathogen may already have, or may acquire, the ability to transmit from human to human. With infections such as Lassa fever (LF), an often fatal, rodent-borne, hemorrhagic fever common in areas of West Africa, rodent-to-rodent, rodent-to-human, human-to-human and even human-to-rodent transmission patterns are possible. Indeed, large hospital-related outbreaks have been reported. Estimating the proportion of transmission due to human-to-human routes and related patterns (e.g. existence of super-spreaders), in these scenarios is challenging, but essential for planned interventions. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we make use of an innovative modeling approach to analyze data from published outbreaks and the number of LF hospitalized patients to Kenema Government Hospital in Sierra Leone to estimate the likely contribution of human-to-human transmission. The analyses show that almost of the cases at KGH are secondary cases arising from human-to-human transmission. However, we found much of this transmission is associated with a disproportionally large impact of a few individuals (‘super-spreaders’), as we found only of human cases result in an effective reproduction number (i.e. the average number of secondary cases per infectious case) , with a maximum value up to . Conclusions/Significance This work explains the discrepancy between the sizes of reported LF outbreaks and a clinical perception that human-to-human transmission is low. Future assessment of risks of LF and infection control guidelines should take into account the potentially large impact of super-spreaders in human-to-human transmission. Our work highlights several neglected topics in LF research, the occurrence and nature of super-spreading events and aspects of social behavior in transmission and detection. Many pathogens have the ability to infect different species. Lassa fever virus is an important example; this virus infects a species of rodent in West Africa, and can cause a severe disease in people. Lassa fever virus is transmitted from rodent-to-rodent, rodent-to-human, human-to-human and perhaps human-to-rodent. So far, the relative importance of these routes has not been assessed. Here we focus on the risk for humans; undoubtedly, most human infections are acquired by contact with rodents or their urine, but the relative risk of rodent-to-human and human-to-human transmission is unknown. We use mathematical modeling to address this. First, we identified Lassa fever outbreaks known to be due to human-to-human chains of transmission. Then, we looked at people hospitalized with the disease in Kenema Government Hospital, Sierra Leone (KGH), who could have been infected either by rodents or humans. We asked, what should the proportion of patients be who get infected by humans, assuming the statistical patterns observed in the human-to-human chains are the same in both instances? We found that around of patients with Lassa fever in KGH probably acquired the disease from another person. In addition, the patterns of disease in people suggest that these of cases are probably initiated by only a small number of infected people (who could be thought of as super-spreaders).
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Lo Iacono
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Disease Dynamics Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | | | | | - Robert F. Garry
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Zalgen Labs, LLC, Germantown, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Donald S. Grant
- Lassa Fever Program, Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema, Sierra Leone
| | - Sheik Humarr Khan
- Lassa Fever Program, Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema, Sierra Leone
| | - Melissa Leach
- Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Lina M. Moses
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - John S. Schieffelin
- Sections of Infectious Disease, Departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey G. Shaffer
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Colleen T. Webb
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - James L. N. Wood
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Disease Dynamics Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Kronmann KC, Nimo-Paintsil S, Guirguis F, Kronmann LC, Bonney K, Obiri-Danso K, Ampofo W, Fichet-Calvet E. Two novel arenaviruses detected in pygmy mice, Ghana. Emerg Infect Dis 2014; 19:1832-5. [PMID: 24188212 PMCID: PMC3837667 DOI: 10.3201/eid1911.121491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Two arenaviruses were detected in pygmy mice (Mus spp.) by screening 764 small mammals in Ghana. The Natal multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis), the known Lassa virus reservoir, was the dominant indoor rodent species in 4 of 10 sites, and accounted for 27% of all captured rodents. No rodent captured indoors tested positive for an arenavirus.
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Kia EB, Delattre P, Giraudoux P, Quéré JP, Fichet-Calvet E, Ashford RW. Natural infection of the water voleArvicola terrestriswithToxoplasma gondii, on the Jura plateau, eastern France. Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology 2013; 98:655-7. [PMID: 15324474 DOI: 10.1179/000349804225021442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E B Kia
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK.
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Fichet-Calvet E, Jomâa I, Ben Ismail R, Ashford RW. Leishmania majorinfection in the fat sand ratPsammomys obesusin Tunisia: interaction of host and parasite populations. Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology 2013; 97:593-603. [PMID: 14511558 DOI: 10.1179/000349803225001517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis, Leishmania major, was studied in a Tunisian population of the fat sand rat, Psammomys obesus. Seasonal changes in the abundances of parasite and host were monitored in a longitudinal field survey lasting 21 months. Overall, 566 P. obesus, collected during 10 trapping sessions between May 1995 and January 1997, were examined. Analysis of prevalence, using logistic regression, revealed that extrinsic factors, such as season and climatic conditions, and intrinsic factors, such as host age, have a combined effect. Leishmania major showed a seasonal pattern, with most transmission occurring in late summer and in autumn, when prevalences were 7.5- and 6.6-fold higher, respectively, than in spring. Prevalence peaked, at 70%, in September 1995 and then decreased to 0% in June 1996. The same temporal fluctuation was observed during the second study year, albeit among prevalences that were relatively low because of unusually dry conditions. Prevalence was highly dependent on the age of the P. obesus, and season and age acted in synergy so that the rodents were highly infected in late summer and in autumn. Prevalence was not correlated with the relative density of the P. obesus and also appeared independent of gender. Although the ear lesions observed on 378 sand rats during a 1-year survey were closely associated with Leishmania infection, such lesions were not good predictors of infection, as 35% of the rodents found to be infected had no visible lesions on their ears. The prevalences of Leishmania infection observed in this study, among P. obesus living in monospecific colonies, were generally lower than those observed in other studies of P. obesus. It seems possible that P. obesus living in monospecific colonies could have a lesser role in propagating the parasite than those living in plurispecific colonies of rodents, and act as an 'epidemiological sink'.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Fichet-Calvet
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K.
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Veyrunes F, Perez J, Paintsil S, Fichet-Calvet E, Britton-Davidian J. Insights into the Evolutionary History of the X-Linked Sex Reversal Mutation in Mus minutoides: Clues from Sequence Analyses of the Y-Linked Sry Gene. Sex Dev 2013; 7:244-52. [DOI: 10.1159/000351223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Klempa B, Koulemou K, Auste B, Emmerich P, Thomé-Bolduan C, Günther S, Koivogui L, Krüger DH, Fichet-Calvet E. Seroepidemiological study reveals regional co-occurrence of Lassa- and Hantavirus antibodies in Upper Guinea, West Africa. Trop Med Int Health 2012; 18:366-71. [PMID: 23279760 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess the public health relevance of Lassa arenavirus and hantavirus infections in a subpopulation of recently febrile patients. METHODS In a human seroprevalence study, we enrolled 253 participants on the basis of reported high fever during the last 3 months. They represented roughly 20% of the population of Bantou and Tanganya villages. Comprehensive serological screening and confirmatory assays (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunofluorescence assay, Western blot analysis) with several Lassa virus and hantavirus antigens were used to ensure high specificity and broad detection capacity. RESULTS We found a Lassa IgG prevalence of 40.3% (102/253) and a hantavirus IgG prevalence of 1.2% (3/253). The Lassa IgM prevalence reached 2.8% (7/253). CONCLUSIONS High Lassa virus seroprevalence in recently febrile patients indicates that Lassa fever is a significant public health problem in the region. Human hantavirus infections also occur in the region but their public health relevance remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Klempa
- Institute of Medical Virology, Charité School of Medicine, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Berlin, Germany.
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Becker N, Jöst H, Ziegler U, Eiden M, Höper D, Emmerich P, Fichet-Calvet E, Ehichioya DU, Czajka C, Gabriel M, Hoffmann B, Beer M, Tenner-Racz K, Racz P, Günther S, Wink M, Bosch S, Konrad A, Pfeffer M, Groschup MH, Schmidt-Chanasit J. Epizootic emergence of Usutu virus in wild and captive birds in Germany. PLoS One 2012; 7:e32604. [PMID: 22389712 PMCID: PMC3289667 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2011] [Accepted: 01/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to identify the causative agent of mass mortality in wild and captive birds in southwest Germany and to gather insights into the phylogenetic relationship and spatial distribution of the pathogen. Since June 2011, 223 dead birds were collected and tested for the presence of viral pathogens. Usutu virus (USUV) RNA was detected by real-time RT-PCR in 86 birds representing 6 species. The virus was isolated in cell culture from the heart of 18 Blackbirds (Turdus merula). USUV-specific antigen was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in brain, heart, liver, and lung of infected Blackbirds. The complete polyprotein coding sequence was obtained by deep sequencing of liver and spleen samples of a dead Blackbird from Mannheim (BH65/11-02-03). Phylogenetic analysis of the German USUV strain BH65/11-02-03 revealed a close relationship with strain Vienna that caused mass mortality among birds in Austria in 2001. Wild birds from lowland river valleys in southwest Germany were mainly affected by USUV, but also birds kept in aviaries. Our data suggest that after the initial detection of USUV in German mosquitoes in 2010, the virus spread in 2011 and caused epizootics among wild and captive birds in southwest Germany. The data also indicate an increased risk of USUV infections in humans in Germany.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Becker
- German Mosquito Control Association (KABS), Waldsee, Germany
- Department of Zoology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hanna Jöst
- German Mosquito Control Association (KABS), Waldsee, Germany
- Department of Zoology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ute Ziegler
- Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Martin Eiden
- Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Dirk Höper
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Petra Emmerich
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Deborah U. Ehichioya
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christina Czajka
- German Mosquito Control Association (KABS), Waldsee, Germany
- Department of Zoology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Martin Gabriel
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bernd Hoffmann
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Martin Beer
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Klara Tenner-Racz
- Department of Pathology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Paul Racz
- Department of Pathology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Günther
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michael Wink
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Bosch
- Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Armin Konrad
- Avifauna-Nordbaden.de, Ornithologische Gesellschaft Baden-Württemberg (OGBW)-Nordbaden, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Pfeffer
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin H. Groschup
- Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Coulibaly-N'Golo D, Allali B, Kouassi SK, Fichet-Calvet E, Becker-Ziaja B, Rieger T, Ölschläger S, Dosso H, Denys C, ter Meulen J, Akoua-Koffi C, Günther S. Novel arenavirus sequences in Hylomyscus sp. and Mus (Nannomys) setulosus from Côte d'Ivoire: implications for evolution of arenaviruses in Africa. PLoS One 2011; 6:e20893. [PMID: 21695269 PMCID: PMC3111462 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2011] [Accepted: 05/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to identify new arenaviruses and gather insights in the evolution of arenaviruses in Africa. During 2003 through 2005, 1,228 small mammals representing 14 different genera were trapped in 9 villages in south, east, and middle west of Côte d'Ivoire. Specimens were screened by pan-Old World arenavirus RT-PCRs targeting S and L RNA segments as well as immunofluorescence assay. Sequences of two novel tentative species of the family Arenaviridae, Menekre and Gbagroube virus, were detected in Hylomyscus sp. and Mus (Nannomys) setulosus, respectively. Arenavirus infection of Mus (Nannomys) setulosus was also demonstrated by serological testing. Lassa virus was not found, although 60% of the captured animals were Mastomys natalensis. Complete S RNA and partial L RNA sequences of the novel viruses were recovered from the rodent specimens and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Gbagroube virus is a closely related sister taxon of Lassa virus, while Menekre virus clusters with the Ippy/Mobala/Mopeia virus complex. Reconstruction of possible virus–host co-phylogeny scenarios suggests that, within the African continent, signatures of co-evolution might have been obliterated by multiple host-switching events.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Coulibaly-N'Golo
- Laboratoire des Arbovirus/Entérovirus, Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Department of Virology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bernard Allali
- Laboratoire des Arbovirus/Entérovirus, Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Stéphane K. Kouassi
- Laboratoire des Arbovirus/Entérovirus, Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | | | - Beate Becker-Ziaja
- Department of Virology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Toni Rieger
- Department of Virology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Ölschläger
- Department of Virology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hernri Dosso
- Centre de Recherche en Ecologie, Universite d'Abobo-Adjame, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Christiane Denys
- Département Systématique et Evolution, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Jan ter Meulen
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
- Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Chantal Akoua-Koffi
- Laboratoire des Arbovirus/Entérovirus, Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Stephan Günther
- Department of Virology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Kernéis S, Koivogui L, Magassouba N, Koulemou K, Lewis R, Aplogan A, Grais RF, Guerin PJ, Fichet-Calvet E. Prevalence and risk factors of Lassa seropositivity in inhabitants of the forest region of Guinea: a cross-sectional study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2009; 3:e548. [PMID: 19924222 PMCID: PMC2771900 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2009] [Accepted: 10/15/2009] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever endemic in West Africa. The reservoir host of the virus is a multimammate rat, Mastomys natalensis. Prevalence estimates of Lassa virus antibodies in humans vary greatly between studies, and the main modes of transmission of the virus from rodents to humans remain unclear. We aimed to (i) estimate the prevalence of Lassa virus-specific IgG antibodies (LV IgG) in the human population of a rural area of Guinea, and (ii) identify risk factors for positive LV IgG. METHODS AND FINDINGS A population-based cross-sectional study design was used. In April 2000, all individuals one year of age and older living in three prefectures located in the tropical secondary forest area of Guinea (Gueckedou, Lola and Yomou) were sampled using two-stage cluster sampling. For each individual identified by the sampling procedure and who agreed to participate, a standardized questionnaire was completed to collect data on personal exposure to potential risk factors for Lassa fever (mainly contact with rodents), and a blood sample was tested for LV IgG. A multiple logistic regression model was used to determine risk factors for positive LV IgG. A total of 1424 subjects were interviewed and 977 sera were tested. Prevalence of positive LV Ig was of 12.9% [10.8%-15.0%] and 10.0% [8.1%-11.9%] in rural and urban areas, respectively. Two risk factors of positive LV IgG were identified: to have, in the past twelve months, undergone an injection (odds ratio [OR] = 1.8 [1.1-3.1]), or lived with someone displaying a haemorrhage (OR = 1.7 [1.1-2.9]). No factors related to contacts with rats and/or mice remained statistically significant in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS Our study underlines the potential importance of person-to-person transmission of Lassa fever, via close contact in the same household or nosocomial exposure.
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Fichet-Calvet E, Audenaert L, Barrière P, Verheyen E. Diversity, dynamics and reproduction in a community of small mammals in Upper Guinea, with emphasis on pygmy mice ecology. Afr J Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2028.2009.01144.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Lassa fever is caused by a viral haemorrhagic arenavirus that affects two to three million people in West Africa, causing a mortality of between 5,000 and 10,000 each year. The natural reservoir of Lassa virus is the multi-mammate rat Mastomys natalensis, which lives in houses and surrounding fields. With the aim of gaining more information to control this disease, we here carry out a spatial analysis of Lassa fever data from human cases and infected rodent hosts covering the period 1965-2007. Information on contemporary environmental conditions (temperature, rainfall, vegetation) was derived from NASA Terra MODIS satellite sensor data and other sources and for elevation from the GTOPO30 surface for the region from Senegal to the Congo. All multi-temporal data were analysed using temporal Fourier techniques to generate images of means, amplitudes and phases which were used as the predictor variables in the models. In addition, meteorological rainfall data collected between 1951 and 1989 were used to generate a synoptic rainfall surface for the same region. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Three different analyses (models) are presented, one superimposing Lassa fever outbreaks on the mean rainfall surface (Model 1) and the other two using non-linear discriminant analytical techniques. Model 2 selected variables in a step-wise inclusive fashion, and Model 3 used an information-theoretic approach in which many different random combinations of 10 variables were fitted to the Lassa fever data. Three combinations of absenceratiopresence clusters were used in each of Models 2 and 3, the 2 absenceratio1 presence cluster combination giving what appeared to be the best result. Model 1 showed that the recorded outbreaks of Lassa fever in human populations occurred in zones receiving between 1,500 and 3,000 mm rainfall annually. Rainfall, and to a much lesser extent temperature variables, were most strongly selected in both Models 2 and 3, and neither vegetation nor altitude seemed particularly important. Both Models 2 and 3 produced mean kappa values in excess of 0.91 (Model 2) or 0.86 (Model 3), making them 'Excellent'. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE The Lassa fever areas predicted by the models cover approximately 80% of each of Sierra Leone and Liberia, 50% of Guinea, 40% of Nigeria, 30% of each of Côte d'Ivoire, Togo and Benin, and 10% of Ghana.
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