ETIDIOH - NEW

  Abstract Bats are associated with some of the most significant and virulent emerging zoonoses globally , yet research and surveillance of bat pathogens remains limited across parts of the world. We surveyed the prevalence and genetic diversity of coronaviruses from bats in Taita Hills, southeastern Kenya , as part of ongoing surveillance efforts in this remote part of eastern Africa. We collected fecal and intestinal samples in May 2018 and March 2019 from 16 bat species . We detected one genus of coronavirus (alphacoronavirus), with an overall RNA prevalence of 6.5% (30/463). The prevalence of coronavirus RNA was 3.8% (9/235) and 11.6% (21/181) for the two most captured free-tailed bat species, Mops condylurus and M. pumilus respectively, with no detections from other bat species (0/90). Phylogenetic analyses based on the partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene and whole genome sequences revealed that the sequences clustered together and were closely related to alphacoronaviru...

Abstract Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a zoonotic virus that causes acute respiratory disease after transmission via close contact with camels . In contrast to the incidence of MERS-CoV human infections in the Middle East , MERS-CoV infections in the Horn of Africa have been rarely reported despite the high number of camels and common camel–human interactions in the area. Whether passive cross-sectional sampling misses active human cases is a significant gap in our understanding of MERS-CoV epidemiology and its impact in the Horn of Africa. To address this gap, we conducted a prospective cross-sectional study at Laisamis Catholic Hospital in northern Kenya’s camel pastoralist community . A total of 942 patients with acute respiratory symptoms were enrolled over 18 months (August 2022–February 2024); 54% of these individuals reported frequent contact with camels and consumption of camel products. Testing via reverse transcriptase – polymerase chain reaction ...

Abstract Most human emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic , originating in animal hosts prior to spillover to humans . Prioritizing the surveillance of wildlife that overlaps with humans and human activities can increase the likelihood of detecting viruses with a high potential for human infection. Here, we obtained fecal swabs from two fruit bat species —Eidolon helvum (n = 6) and Epomophorus wahlbergi (n = 43) (family Pteropodidae)— in peridomestic habitats in Nairobi, Kenya , and used metagenome sequencing to detect microorganisms. A near-complete genome of a novel virus assigned taxonomically to the Coronaviridae family Betacoronavirus genus and Nobecovirus subclade was characterized from E. wahlbergi. Phylogenetic analysis indicates this unique Nobecovirus clade shares a common ancestor with Eidolon/Rousettus Nobecovirus subclades isolated from Madagascar, Kenya, and Cameroon . Recombination was detected across open reading frames, except the spike protein, in all BOOTSCAN ana...