ETIDIOH - NEW

Abstract In 2020–2021, a “mysterious illness” struck Senegalese fishermen , causing severe acute dermatitis in over one thousand individuals following exposure through drift-net fishing activity . Here, by performing deep analysis of the environmental samples we reveal the presence of the marine dinoflagellate Vulcanodinium rugosum and its associated cyclic imine toxins . Specifically, we show that the toxin PortimineA, strongly enriched in environmental samples, impedes ribosome function in human keratinocytes , which subsequently activates the stress kinases ZAKα and P38 and promotes the nucleation of the human NLRP1 inflammasome, leading to the release of IL-1β/IL-18 pro-inflammatory cytokines and cell death . Furthermore, cell-based models highlight that naturally occurring mutations in the P38-targeted sites of human NLRP1 are unable to respond to PortimineA exposure. Finally, the development and use of human organotypic skins and zebrafish models of PortimineA exposure demonstrat...

Abstract Neurological manifestations associated with human parvovirus B19 (B19V) infections are rare and varied. Acute encephalitis and encephalopathy are the most common, accounting for 38.8% of all neurological manifestations associated with human B19V. Herein, we report on the clinical features of 13 laboratory-confirmed human cases of B19V-associated encephalitis in Senegal in the framework of a hospital-based surveillance of acute viral encephalitis conducted from 2021 to 2023. Overall, B19V was detected from 13 cerebrospinal fluid samples using specific real time PCR. The mean age was 16.7 years among B19V-positive patients, with a higher prevalence in 0–5-year-old children and the sex ratio (male/female) was 2.25. The B19V-positive patients mainly exhibited hypoleukocytosis, normal glycorrhachia, and normal proteinorrachia in the cerebrospinal fluid. While the main neurological symptoms included meningeal and infectious syndromes . Furthermore, three complete B19V genome sequenc...

Abstract Despite extensive experience with influenza surveillance in humans in Senegal , there is limited knowledge about the actual situation and genetic diversity of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) circulating in the country, hindering control measures and pandemic risk assessment . Therefore, as part of the “ One Health ” approach to influenza surveillance, we conducted active AIV surveillance in two live bird markets (LBMs) in Dakar to better understand the dynamics and diversity of influenza viruses in Senegal, obtain genetic profiles of circulating AIVs , and assess the risk of emergence of novel strains and their transmission to humans. Cloacal swabs from poultry and environmental samples collected weekly from the two LBMs were screened by RT-qPCR for H5, H7, and H9 AIVs . Subsequently, a subset of H9-positive samples was selected for whole sequencing. From December 2023 to October 2024, 499 samples were tested, and AIV was detected in 58.3% of them. Among these, A/H9N2 was the o...