Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Lilian Nkengla-Asi, Favour Eforuoku, Olamide Olaosebikan, Temitope Adejoju Ladigbolu, Delphine Amah, Rachid Hanna, P. Lava Kumar
Summary: The study investigated the gender dimensions and sociocultural aspects of banana seed sourcing and sharing practices among male and female farmers in BBTD and non-BBTD areas in southwest Nigeria. It found that seed sharing is a social responsibility within communities, with differences in sourcing practices between men and women farmers potentially increasing the risk of disease spread. Awareness raising efforts on disease spread through infected seeds should consider gender-specific roles and social practices to mitigate its spread within communities.
Article
Virology
Noemi Messmer, Patricia Bohnert, Stefan Schumacher, Rene Fuchs
Summary: Viral diseases in viticulture lead to annual losses in grape production quantity and quality. Preventive measures such as testing propagation material are taken to keep the vines healthy. The most common virus in southwestern German wine-growing regions is GLRaV-1, while GLRaV-3 is almost never found. In addition to regulated examinations, a one-time test was conducted on GPGV, which was found in 17.2% of samples.
Article
Horticulture
Farah Fazwa Md Ariff, Sures Kumar Muniandi, Norhayati Saffie, Syafiqah Nabilah Samsul Bahari, Zunoliza Abdullah, Ling Sui Kiong, Masitah Mohd Taini, Siti Nur Aisyah Mohd Hashim, Fadzureena Jamaludin, Mohd Zaki Abdullah
Summary: Medicinal plants are an important source of new bioactive compounds, and phenotypic selection based on chemical profiles can be used to develop high-yielding varieties. However, raw materials derived from wild sources are commonly used for commercial production, with little knowledge of genetic material quality. This paper highlights the selection of superior genotypes through harvesting and collection of accessions from natural habitats.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Celine M. Gossner, Luisa Hallmaier-Wacker, Olivier Briet, Joana M. Haussig, Henriette de Valk, Ariana Wijermans, Tamas Bakonyi, Theresa Madubuko, Christina Frank, Harold Noel, Mohammed Abdulaziz
Summary: This study analyzed health data from travellers from Africa to Europe and found that malaria was the most common arthropod-borne disease. The infection rate of malaria among travellers was 36 and 144 times higher than that of dengue and chikungunya, respectively. The study suggests that travellers' health data can efficiently complement surveillance systems in Africa, especially in areas with sub-optimal systems.
Article
Agronomy
Al Imran Malik, Sok Sophearith, Erik Delaquis, Wilmer J. Cuellar, Jenyfer Jimenez, Jonathan C. Newby
Summary: The study found that selecting cassava varieties with superior CMD tolerance can significantly reduce yield losses caused by the disease. Plants showing symptoms early in development yielded significantly lower than those developing symptoms later or not at all.
Article
Immunology
Jose-Maria Garcia-Carrasco, Antonio-Roman Munoz, Jesus Olivero, Marina Segura, Raimundo Real
Summary: This study created a database of WNV presence in Africa and used biogeographic models to determine the drivers of its distribution. Wetlands and human-related factors were found to play important roles in the spread of WNV. Understanding high-risk areas can help manage the disease and comprehend its transmission through avian migration routes outside Africa.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Oluyemi A. Okunlola, Oyetunde T. Oyeyemi
Summary: Malaria incidence was negatively correlated with measles cases and positively correlated with yellow fever cases. The relationships were more significant between death due to malaria and measles/yellow fever cases. These findings could be crucial for the management of malaria and the vaccine-preventable diseases studied. Increasing vaccination coverage and/or improving malaria treatment may influence the direction of these relationships.
Article
Immunology
Sahan Jayawardana, Chathika K. Weerasuriya, Puck T. Pelzer, Janet Seeley, Rebecca C. Harris, Michele Tameris, Dereck Tait, Richard G. White, Miqdad Asaria
Summary: Early trials show that novel TB vaccines are effective in adults, but little is known about their feasibility and affordability. This study used expert interviews and modeling to identify a cost-effective strategy for implementing a novel TB vaccine in South Africa, which could have significant health benefits and be financially feasible given the resource and budget constraints.
Article
Mathematics
Nicholas Bessonov, Gennady Bocharov, Vitaly Volpert
Summary: This paper discusses a nonlocal reaction-diffusion equation that describes the development of viral infection in tissue, considering the distribution of viruses in the space of genotypes, the antiviral immune response, and genotype-dependent virus death. The study shows that infection spreads as a reaction-diffusion wave. By reducing the 2D problem to a 1D problem, the existence and stability of the wave can be proven in some specific cases. In general, this reduction provides an approximation of the 2D problem. The analysis of the reduced problem helps determine how viral load and virulence depend on genotype distribution, immune response strength, and immunity level.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kyle Rosenke, Frederick Hansen, Benjamin Schwarz, Friederike Feldmann, Elaine Haddock, Rebecca Rosenke, Kent Barbian, Kimberly Meade-White, Atsushi Okumura, Shanna Leventhal, David W. Hawman, Emily Ricotta, Catharine M. Bosio, Craig Martens, Greg Saturday, Heinz Feldmann, Michael A. Jarvis
Summary: Orally administered nucleoside analog MK-4482 inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication in the Syrian hamster model, with an inhibitory effect observed whether the drug is given 12 hours before or 12 hours after infection. This suggests the potential of MK-4482 for controlling SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans following high-risk exposure and for treating COVID-19 patients.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Rosemary Sang, Joel Lutomiah, Edith Chepkorir, David P. Tchouassi
Summary: Aedes-borne viruses, including yellow fever, dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika, are causing a significant impact on global health, particularly in Africa where re-emergence is leading to the potential for a massive human catastrophe. The transmission of these viruses is facilitated by diverse vectors and ecological settings, ranging from urban to rural and sylvatic habitats with human and nonhuman primate activities. Vaccination, particularly for yellow fever, along with vector surveillance and understanding disease ecology, is crucial for disease prevention and control in high-risk areas.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Guillaume Castel, Claudia Filippone, Caroline Tatard, Jacques Vigan, Gauthier Dobigny
Summary: Seoul orthohantavirus (SEOV) is not considered a major public health threat in Africa, but the continent faces potential introduction of SEOV through maritime traffic due to increased trade. Serologic studies have detected hantavirus antibodies in human populations, and recent investigations have found SEOV circulating in rat populations. The switch from brown rats to black rats in Africa could further expand the range of SEOV and increase transmission to humans. Strengthened surveillance is urgently needed to prevent SEOV dissemination among humans in Africa due to rapid economic development, environmental changes, and increased international trade.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nunziata Maio, Sara Cherry, David C. Schultz, Brett L. Hurst, W. Marston Linehan, Tracey A. Rouault
Summary: TEMPOL has been shown to inhibit the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of SARS-CoV-2 and effectively block viral replication in the Syrian hamster model. These findings support the potential application of TEMPOL as a highly efficacious antiviral against COVID-19 in humans.
Editorial Material
Virology
Syeda Kanza Kazmi, Fatima Muhammad Asad Khan, Valentino Natoli, Reem Hunain, Zarmina Islam, Ana Carla dos Santos Costa, Shoaib Ahmad, Mohammad Yasir Essar
Summary: Hepatitis is a significant cause of mortality worldwide, with around 1.34 million deaths annually. Africa is not immune to this issue, with an estimated 100 million individuals infected with Hepatitis B or C. The continent, already fragile, is further burdened by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which could potentially worsen the threat from viral diseases like Hepatitis. Strengthening prevention policies is essential for Africa to build resilience against such threats.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Hematology
Paul J. Collins, Christopher P. Fox, Lindsay George, Hayden Pearce, Gordon Ryan, Carmela De Santo, Frances Mussai, David Lewis, Heather Long, Claire Shannon-Lowe
Summary: CAEBV typically presents as persistent infectious mononucleosis-like disease and/or HLH, with clinical behavior ranging from indolent to life-threatening. The presence of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in almost every patient with CAEBV studied suggests a potential explanation for the host's failure to contain EBV-positive T/NK-cell proliferation.