ETIDIOH - NEW

Abstract Emerging as a major global health threat, Mpox previously known as Monkeypox has drawn attention due to a worrying surge in cases . This zoonotic disease , native to Central and West Africa , is marked by fever, rash, and lymphadenopathy and is primarily spread through direct contact with infected animals or people and indirectly through contaminated objects. Recent studies have indicated possible sexual transmission , underscoring how human behavior and environmental changes are increasing its prevalence, even though human-to-human transmission is less efficient than that of smallpox . Mpox is endemic in several African countries , and currently, the infection has spread in non-endemic countries, including Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya . Democratic Republic of Congo is the epicenter of the current Mpox outbreak. From January 1, 2022, to August 6, 2024, sixteen African countries reported Mpox outbreak. Several factors, including population immunity deficiencies and changes to the ...

ABSTRACT Avian influenza is one of the major threats to poultry and human health in northern Benin , while mixed-species farming systems increase the risks of viral transmission. The present study estimated the seroprevalence of avian influenza subtypes H9N2 and H5 in indigenous chickens and guinea fowls in the Atacora and Donga regions. A total of 300 birds including 191 indigenous chickens and 109 guinea fowls, from six districts were sampled through a cross-sectional survey using systematic random sampling. Hemagglutination inhibition assay was used to detect antibodies, revealing an overall H9N2 seroprevalence of 41%, with 17.5% of samples testing positive for H5 . The seroprevalence of H9N2 was notably higher in guinea fowls (51.81% in Atacora and 52% in Donga) compared to chickens (34.95% in Atacora and 34.83% in Donga). H5 antibodies were found only in guinea fowls in Atacora (46.66%). The study also found that farms with both chickens and guinea fowls had a significantly higher...

Abstract Background For decades after the identification of mpox in humans in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 1970, the disease was largely confined to the rural areas of Central and West Africa and thus did not garner broad attention. On August 13, 2024, mpox was declared a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), a notice that was followed the next day by a declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization. Methods In this study we analyzed all mpox cases and deaths , based on clinical or laboratory diagnosis, that were reported to the Africa CDC from January 1, 2022, to October 30, 2024, to identify temporal variations, geographic distributions, and epidemiologic trends. Results From January 1, 2022, to August 18, 2024, a total of 45,652 mpox cases were clinically diagnosed and laboratory-confirmed in 12 African countries . These ca...

Abstract Human outbreaks of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) are more common in Middle Eastern and Asian human populations , associated with clades A and B . In Africa , where clade C is dominant in camels , human cases are minimal. We reviewed 16 studies (n = 6198) published across seven African countries between 2012 and 2024 to assess human MERS-CoV cases. We also analyzed data from four cohort studies conducted in camel-keeping communities between 2018 and 2024 involving camel keepers, camel slaughterhouse workers , and hospital patients with acute respiratory illness (ARI). The analysis showed a pooled MERS-CoV prevalence of 2.4% (IQR: 0.6, 11.4) from 16 publications and 1.14% from 4 cohort studies (n = 2353). Symptomatic cases were rarely reported, with most individuals reporting camel contact, and only 12% had travel history to the Middle East. There was one travel-associated reported death , resulting in a mortality rate of 0.013%. The findings suggest a ...