"author","title","date","file","abstract","doi","url"
"Chitray, M.","Genetic heterogeneity in the leader and P1-coding regions of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotypes A and O in Africa","2013-11-13","cord-001274-vz0qvp01.txt","Genetic information regarding the leader (L) and complete capsid-coding (P1) region of FMD serotype A and O viruses prevalent on the African continent is lacking. Here, we present the complete L-P1 sequences for eight serotype A and nine serotype O viruses recovered from FMDV outbreaks in East and West Africa over the last 33 years. Phylogenetic analysis of the P1 and capsid-coding regions revealed that the African isolates grouped according to serotype, and certain clusters were indicative of transboundary as well as intra-regional spread of the virus. However, similar analysis of the L region revealed random groupings of isolates from serotypes O and A. Comparisons between the phylogenetic trees derived from the structural coding regions and the L region pointed to a possibility of genetic recombination. The intertypic nucleotide and amino acid variation of all the isolates in this study supported results from previous studies where the externally located 1D was the most variable whilst the internally located 1A was the most conserved, which likely reflects the selective pressures on these proteins. Amino acids identified previously as important for FMDV structure and functioning were found to be highly conserved. The information gained from this study will contribute to the construction of structurally designed FMDV vaccines in Africa. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00705-013-1838-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.","10.1007/s00705-013-1838-9","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4010724/"
"Olarte-Castillo, Ximena A.","Divergent Sapovirus Strains and Infection Prevalence in Wild Carnivores in the Serengeti Ecosystem: A Long-Term Study","2016-09-23","cord-002222-rgqwm3vb.txt","The genus Sapovirus, in the family Caliciviridae, includes enteric viruses of humans and domestic animals. Information on sapovirus infection of wildlife is limited and is currently lacking for any free-ranging wildlife species in Africa. By screening a large number of predominantly fecal samples (n = 631) obtained from five carnivore species in the Serengeti ecosystem, East Africa, sapovirus RNA was detected in the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta, family Hyaenidae), African lion (Panthera leo, family Felidae), and bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis, family Canidae), but not in golden or silver-backed jackals (Canis aureus and C. mesomelas, respectively, family Canidae). A phylogenetic analysis based on partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene sequences placed the sapovirus strains from African carnivores in a monophyletic group. Within this monophyletic group, sapovirus strains from spotted hyenas formed one independent sub-group, and those from bat-eared fox and African lion a second sub-group. The percentage nucleotide similarity between sapoviruses from African carnivores and those from other species was low (< 70.4%). Long-term monitoring of sapovirus in a population of individually known spotted hyenas from 2001 to 2012 revealed: i) a relatively high overall infection prevalence (34.8%); ii) the circulation of several genetically diverse variants; iii) large fluctuations in infection prevalence across years, indicative of outbreaks; iv) no significant difference in the likelihood of infection between animals in different age categories. The likelihood of sapovirus infection decreased with increasing hyena group size, suggesting an encounter reduction effect, but was independent of socially mediated ano-genital contact, or the extent of the area over which an individual roamed.","10.1371/journal.pone.0163548","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5035092/"
"nan","Section II: Poster Sessions","2017-12-01","cord-002774-tpqsjjet.txt","nan","10.1093/jurban/jti137","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5711696/"
"Faye, Martin","Full-Genome Characterization and Genetic Evolution of West African Isolates of Bagaza Virus","2018-04-13","cord-002994-1zjrunzc.txt","Bagaza virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus, first isolated in 1966 in Central African Republic. It has currently been identified in mosquito pools collected in the field in West and Central Africa. Emergence in wild birds in Europe and serological evidence in encephalitis patients in India raise questions on its genetic evolution and the diversity of isolates circulating in Africa. To better understand genetic diversity and evolution of Bagaza virus, we describe the full-genome characterization of 11 West African isolates, sampled from 1988 to 2014. Parameters such as genetic distances, N-glycosylation patterns, recombination events, selective pressures, and its codon adaptation to human genes are assessed. Our study is noteworthy for the observation of N-glycosylation and recombination in Bagaza virus and provides insight into its Indian origin from the 13th century. Interestingly, evidence of Bagaza virus codon adaptation to human house-keeping genes is also observed to be higher than those of other flaviviruses well known in human infections. Genetic variations on genome of West African Bagaza virus could play an important role in generating diversity and may promote Bagaza virus adaptation to other vertebrates and become an important threat in human health.","10.3390/v10040193","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5923487/"
"Clark, Ian A.","The molecular basis of paediatric malarial disease","2007","cord-018764-02l423mk.txt","Severe falciparum malaria is an acute systemic disease that can affect multiple organs, including those in which few parasites are found. The acute disease bears many similarities both clinically and, potentially, mechanistically, to the systemic diseases caused by bacteria, rickettsia, and viruses. Traditionally the morbidity and mortality associated with severe malarial disease has been explained in terms of mechanical obstruction to vascular flow by adherence to endothelium (termed sequestration) of erythrocytes containing mature-stage parasites. However, over the past few decades an alternative ‘cytokine theory of disease’ has also evolved, where malarial pathology is explained in terms of a balance between the pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The final common pathway for this pro-inflammatory imbalance is believed to be a limitation in the supply and mitochondrial utilisation of energy to cells. Different patterns of ensuing energy depletion (both temporal and spatial) throughout the cells in the body present as different clinical syndromes. This chapter draws attention to the over-arching position that inflammatory cytokines are beginning to occupy in the pathogenesis of acute malaria and other acute infections. The influence of inflammatory cytokines on cellular function offers a molecular framework to explain the multiple clinical syndromes that are observed during acute malarial illness, and provides a fresh avenue of investigation for adjunct therapies to ameliorate the malarial disease process.","10.1007/978-3-7643-8099-1_9","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7123729/"
"Langan, Jennifer N.","Overview of African Wild Dog Medicine","2018-09-28","cord-021655-ojfm5rt3.txt","nan","10.1016/b978-0-323-55228-8.00077-1","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7151821/"
"Meix-Cereceda, Pablo","Educational Values in Human Rights Treaties: UN, European, and African International Law","2020-07-21","cord-029480-3md13om6.txt","While human rights treaties provide a formidable set of principles on education and values, domestic Courts often tend to adjudicate claims in terms of local arguments for or against each particular educational practice. This article explores how international human rights law could inspire the interpretation of domestic law and educational practice, without neglecting specific cultural aspects. Firstly, the article reviews the sociological debate on values in education and shows its importance for the legal discussion. Secondly, some critical contestations of international cultural human rights are outlined, as well as certain arguments to justify the importance of this model. The study of international law follows: the UN, the European Court of Human Rights, and three relevant African Charters, as well as every reference to education made by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and by the African Court is examined. Lastly, a comparative section reveals a certain cultural commonality inspired by the UN treaties, but also reflects some cultural and institutional differences between the European and the African regional systems.","10.1007/s12142-020-00599-6","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7371825/"
"Brown, Colin S.","Ebola Virus Disease in the Obstetric Population","2019-04-11","cord-030370-89n13hml.txt","The clinical management of Ebola created a significant challenge during the outbreak in West Africa, due to the paucity of previous research conducted into the optimum treatment regimen. That left many centres, to some extent, having to ‘work out’ best practice as they went along, and attempting to conduct real time prospective research. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) [1] were the only organization to have provided relatively in depth practical guidance prior to the outbreak and this manual was the basis of further planning between the WHO, national Ministry of Health and Sanitation in Sierra Leone, and other relevant stakeholders. Additionally, guidance changed over the epidemic as experience grew. This chapter will describe four key areas in the management of Ebola in West Africa. Firstly, it outlines the most recent WHO guidance; secondly, it looks back at how Ebola was managed in differing low and high resource settings; thirdly it outlines possible and optimal options for managing complications, paying particular attention to some of the controversies faced; fourthly it describes recent and ongoing studies into potential novel therapies that may shape future practice.","10.1007/978-3-319-94854-6_4","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7418530/"
"Bisimwa, Patrick N.","First detection of African swine fever (ASF) virus genotype X and serogroup 7 in symptomatic pigs in the Democratic Republic of Congo","2020-09-03","cord-031316-yvid6qps.txt","BACKGROUND: African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and severe hemorrhagic viral disease of domestic pigs. The analysis of variable regions of African swine fever virus (ASFV) genome led to more genotypic and serotypic information about circulating strains. The present study aimed at investigating the genetic diversity of ASFV strains in symptomatic pigs in South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples collected from 391 ASF symptomatic domestic pigs in 6 of 8 districts in South Kivu were screened for the presence of ASFV, using a VP73 gene-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the universal primer set PPA1-PPA2. To genotype the strains, we sequenced and compared the nucleotide sequences of PPA-positive samples at three loci: the C-terminus of B646L gene encoding the p72 protein, the E183L gene encoding the p54 protein, and the central hypervariable region (CVR) of the B602L gene encoding the J9L protein. In addition, to serotype and discriminate between closely related strains, the EP402L (CD2v) gene and the intergenic region between the I73R and I329L genes were analyzed. RESULTS: ASFV was confirmed in 26 of 391 pigs tested. However, only 19 and 15 PPA-positive samples, respectively, were successfully sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed for p72 (B646L) and p54 (E183L). All the ASFV studied were of genotype X. The CVR tetrameric repeat clustered the ASFV strains in two subgroups: the Uvira subgroup (10 TRS repeats, AAAABNAABA) and another subgroup from all other strains (8 TRS repeats, AABNAABA). The phylogenetic analysis of the EP402L gene clustered all the strains into CD2v serogroup 7. Analyzing the intergenic region between I73R and I329L genes revealed that the strains were identical but contained a deletion of a 33-nucleotide internal repeat sequence compared to ASFV strain Kenya 1950. CONCLUSION: ASFV genotype X and serogroup 7 was identified in the ASF disease outbreaks in South Kivu province of DRC in 2018–2019. This represents the first report of ASFV genotype X in DRC. CVR tetrameric repeat sequences clustered the ASFV strains studied in two subgroups. Our finding emphasizes the need for improved coordination of the control of ASF.","10.1186/s12985-020-01398-8","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7468181/"
"Umviligihozo, Gisele","Sub-Saharan Africa preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic: A perspective of early career African scientists","2020-07-08","cord-032552-rjuug7er.txt","Emerging highly transmissible viral infections such as SARS-CoV-2 pose a significant global threat to human health and the economy. Since its first appearance in December 2019 in the city of Wuhan, Hubei province, China, SARS-CoV-2 infection has quickly spread across the globe, with the first case reported on the African continent, in Egypt on February 14 (th), 2020. Although the global number of COVID-19 infections has increased exponentially since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of new infections and deaths recorded in African countries have been relatively modest, suggesting slower transmission dynamics of the virus on the continent, a lower case fatality rate, or simply a lack of testing or reliable data. Notably, there is no significant increase in unexplained pneumonias or deaths on the continent which could possibly indicate the effectiveness of interventions introduced by several African governments. However, there has not yet been a comprehensive assessment of sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic that may have contributed to prevent an uncontrolled outbreak so far. As a group of early career scientists and the next generation of African scientific leaders with experience of working in medical and diverse health research fields in both SSA and resource-rich countries, we present a unique perspective on the current public health interventions to fight COVID-19 in Africa. Our perspective is based on extensive review of the available scientific publications, official technical reports and announcements released by governmental and non-governmental health organizations as well as from our personal experiences as workers on the COVID-19 battlefield in SSA. We documented public health interventions implemented in seven SSA countries including Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Cameroon, Zambia, South Africa and Botswana, the existing gaps and the important components of disease control that may strengthen SSA response to future outbreaks.","10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16070.1","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7499400/"
"Barreiro, Luis B.","The Heritage of Pathogen Pressures and Ancient Demography in the Human Innate-Immunity CD209/CD209L Region","2005-11-30","cord-102874-6z5f2gz3.txt","The innate immunity system constitutes the first line of host defense against pathogens. Two closely related innate immunity genes, CD209 and CD209L, are particularly interesting because they directly recognize a plethora of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Both genes, which result from an ancient duplication, possess a neck region, made up of seven repeats of 23 amino acids each, known to play a major role in the pathogen-binding properties of these proteins. To explore the extent to which pathogens have exerted selective pressures on these innate immunity genes, we resequenced them in a group of samples from sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and East Asia. Moreover, variation in the number of repeats of the neck region was defined in the entire Human Genome Diversity Panel for both genes. Our results, which are based on diversity levels, neutrality tests, population genetic distances, and neck-region length variation, provide genetic evidence that CD209 has been under a strong selective constraint that prevents accumulation of any amino acid changes, whereas CD209L variability has most likely been shaped by the action of balancing selection in non-African populations. In addition, our data point to the neck region as the functional target of such selective pressures: CD209 presents a constant size in the neck region populationwide, whereas CD209L presents an excess of length variation, particularly in non-African populations. An additional interesting observation came from the coalescent-based CD209 gene tree, whose binary topology and time depth (∼2.8 million years ago) are compatible with an ancestral population structure in Africa. Altogether, our study has revealed that even a short segment of the human genome can uncover an extraordinarily complex evolutionary history, including different pathogen pressures on host genes as well as traces of admixture among archaic hominid populations.","10.1086/497613","https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S0002929707633667"
"Peng, Kerui","Diversity in immunogenomics: the value and the challenge","2020-10-20","cord-151532-mpv2wegm.txt","With the recent advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies, and the associated new discoveries and developments, the fields of immunogenomics and adaptive immune receptor repertoire research are facing both opportunities and challenges. The majority of immunogenomics studies have been primarily conducted in cohorts of European ancestry, restricting the ability to detect and analyze variation in human adaptive immune responses across populations and limiting their applications. By leveraging biological and clinical heterogeneity across different populations in omics data and expanding the populations that are included in immunogenomics research, we can enhance our understanding of human adaptive immune responses, promote the development of effective diagnostics and treatments, and eventually advance precision medicine.","nan","https://arxiv.org/pdf/2010.10402v3.pdf"
"Netherton, Christopher","A Guide to Viral Inclusions, Membrane Rearrangements, Factories, and Viroplasm Produced During Virus Replication","2007-08-31","cord-253466-7gpije5d.txt","Virus replication can cause extensive rearrangement of host cell cytoskeletal and membrane compartments leading to the “cytopathic effect” that has been the hallmark of virus infection in tissue culture for many years. Recent studies are beginning to redefine these signs of viral infection in terms of specific effects of viruses on cellular processes. In this chapter, these concepts have been illustrated by describing the replication sites produced by many different viruses. In many cases, the cellular rearrangements caused during virus infection lead to the construction of sophisticated platforms in the cell that concentrate replicase proteins, virus genomes, and host proteins required for replication, and thereby increase the efficiency of replication. Interestingly, these same structures, called virus factories, virus inclusions, or virosomes, can recruit host components that are associated with cellular defences against infection and cell stress. It is possible that cellular defence pathways can be subverted by viruses to generate sites of replication. The recruitment of cellular membranes and cytoskeleton to generate virus replication sites can also benefit viruses in other ways. Disruption of cellular membranes can, for example, slow the transport of immunomodulatory proteins to the surface of infected cells and protect against innate and acquired immune responses, and rearrangements to cytoskeleton can facilitate virus release.","10.1016/s0065-3527(07)70004-0","https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065352707700040"
"Izzy, Saef","Characteristics and outcomes of Latinx patients with COVID-19 in comparison to other ethnic and racial groups","2020-09-01","cord-256195-1hmzgwrw.txt","BACKGROUND: There is limited understating of the impact of COVID-19 on the Latinx population. We hypothesized that Latinx patients would be more likely to be hospitalized and admitted to the ICU than White patients. METHODS: We analyzed all patients with COVID-19 in 12 Massachusetts hospitals between February 1 and April 14, 2020. We examined the association between race, ethnicity, age, reported comorbidities, and hospitalization and intensive care unit (ICU) admission using multivariable regression. RESULTS: Of 5190 COVID-19 patients, 29% were hospitalized; 33% required ICU and 4.3% died. 46% of patients were White, 25% Latinx, 14% African American, and 3% Asian American. Ethnicity and race were significantly associated with hospitalization. More Latinx and African American patients in the younger age groups were hospitalized than whites. Latinx and African Americans disproportionally required ICU, with 39% of hospitalized Latinx patients requiring ICU compared to 33% of African Americans, 24% of Asian Americans, and 30% of Whites (p&0.007). Within each ethnic and racial group, age and male gender were independently predictive of hospitalization. Previously reported pre-existing comorbidities contributed to the need for hospitalization in all racial and ethnic groups (p&0.05). However, the observed disparities were less likely related to reported comorbidities, with Latinx and African American patients being admitted at twice the rate of Whites, regardless of such comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: Latinx and African American patients with COVID-19 have higher rates of hospitalization and ICU admission than White patients. The etiologies of such disparities are likely multifactorial and cannot be explained only by reported comorbidities.","10.1093/ofid/ofaa401","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33088846/"
"Oboh, Mary Aigbiremo","Beyond SARS-CoV-2: Lessons That African Governments Can Apply in Preparation for Possible Future Epidemics","2020-08-18","cord-259852-skhoro95.txt","Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has placed unprecedented pressure on healthcare systems, even in advanced economies. While the number of cases of SARS-CoV-2 in Africa compared to other continents has so far been low, there are concerns about under-reporting, inadequate diagnostic tools, and insufficient treatment facilities. Moreover, proactiveness on the part of African governments has been under scrutiny. For instance, issues have emerged regarding the responsiveness of African countries in closing international borders to limit trans-continental transmission of the virus. Overdependence on imported products and outsourced services could have contributed to African governments’ hesitation to shut down international air and seaports. In this era of emerging and re-emerging pathogens, we recommend that African nations should consider self-sufficiency in the health sector as an urgent priority, as this will not be the last outbreak to occur. In addition to the Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement fund (US$600 million) provided by the World Bank for strengthening health systems and disease surveillance, each country should further establish an epidemic emergency fund for epidemic preparedness and response. We also recommend that epidemic surveillance units should create a secure database of previous and ongoing pandemics in terms of aetiology, spread, and treatment, as well as financial management records. Strategic collection and analysis of data should also be a central focus of these units to facilitate studies of disease trends and to estimate the scale of requirements in preparation and response to any future pandemic or epidemic.","10.3961/jpmph.20.259","https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.20.259"
"Nyika, Aceme","The ethics of improving African traditional medical practice: Scientific or African traditional research methods?","2009-11-30","cord-260305-pl2ditn7.txt","Abstract The disease burden in Africa, which is relatively very large compared with developed countries, has been attributed to various factors that include poverty, food shortages, inadequate access to health care and unaffordability of Western medicines to the majority of African populations. Although for ‘old diseases’ knowledge about the right African traditional medicines to treat or cure the diseases has been passed from generation to generation, knowledge about traditional medicines to treat newly emerging diseases has to be generated in one way or another. In addition, the existing traditional medicines have to be continuously improved, which is also the case with Western scientific medicines. Whereas one school of thought supports the idea of improving medicines, be they traditional or Western, through scientific research, an opposing school of thought argues that subjecting African traditional medicines to scientific research would be tantamount to some form of colonization and imperialism. This paper argues that continuing to use African traditional medicines for old and new diseases without making concerted efforts to improve their efficacy and safety is unethical since the disease burden affecting Africa may continue to rise in spite of the availability and accessibility of the traditional medicines. Most importantly, the paper commends efforts being made in some African countries to improve African traditional medicine through a combination of different mechanisms that include the controversial approach of scientific research on traditional medicines.","10.1016/j.actatropica.2009.08.010","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19682966/"
"Barrington, Debbie S.","Socioeconomic Correlates of Obesity in African-American and Caribbean-Black Men and Women","2020-07-04","cord-266027-1xrq8cg9.txt","The high prevalence of obesity among Black Americans warrants additional investigation into its relationship with socioeconomic position (SEP), sex, and ethnicity. This cross-sectional study utilizes 2001–2003 data from the National Survey of American Life, a nationally representative sample of 3570 African-Americans and 1621 Caribbean-Blacks aged 18 years and older. Multivariate logistic regression models stratified by ethnicity and sex describe the independent associations between obesity and multilevel socioeconomic factors after adjustment for age, other SEP measures at the individual, family and neighborhood levels, and health behaviors such as physical activity, alcohol intake, and smoking. A positive relationship was observed between obesity and family income among African-American and Caribbean-Black men. Receipt of public assistance was a strongly associated factor for obesity in Caribbean-Black men and women. Among African-American women, inverse relationships were observed between obesity and education, occupation, and family income; residence within a neighborhood with a supermarket also decreased their odds of obesity. Residence in a neighborhood with a park decreased the odds of obesity only among African-American men, whereas residence in a neighborhood with a supermarket decreased the odds of obesity among Caribbean-Black men. The social patterning of obesity by individual, household, and neighborhood socioeconomic resources differs for African-American and Caribbean-Black men and women within these cross-sectional analyses; an appreciation of these differences may be a prerequisite for developing effective weight control interventions and policies for these two populations.","10.1007/s40615-020-00798-4","https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-020-00798-4"
"Louis-Jean, James","Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Racial Disparities: a Perspective Analysis","2020-10-06","cord-270425-1ughypnx.txt","Health disparity refers to systematic differences in health outcomes between groups and communities based on socioeconomic isolation. In the USA, health disparities among minority groups, especially African Americans, limit their access to quality medical care and other beneficial resources and services. Presently, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) highlights the extreme healthcare challenges that exist in the African American and other minority communities in the USA. African Americans are dying at a rate nearly four times higher than the national average. With inadequate access to quality healthcare, viable resources, and information, COVID-19 will continue to have a disastrous effect on African American communities. This communication provides a brief overview of the health inequalities resulting in African Americans dying disproportionately during the COVID-19 pandemic.","10.1007/s40615-020-00879-4","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33025419/"
"Alkhatib, Ala L.","BMI is Associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 Intensive Care Unit Admission in African Americans","2020-08-04","cord-273275-f7rbn88x.txt","OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has disproportionately impacted the African American community. This study aims to identify the risk factors for severe COVID‐19 disease in African American patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective cross‐sectional analysis of African American patients with COVID‐19 treated between March 12 and April 9, 2020, at a single tertiary center. The primary outcome of interest was severe disease defined as those requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. RESULTS: The study included 158 consecutive patients. The mean age was 57 years, and 61% were women. The mean (SD) of BMI was 33.2 (8.6) kg/m(2). Overall, patients admitted to the ICU were older (62 vs. 55 years, P = 0.003) and had higher BMI (36.5 kg/m(2) vs. 31.9 kg/m(2), P = 0.002). In unadjusted and adjusted analysis, the factors most associated with ICU admission in this sample were age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.073; 95% CI: 1.033‐1.114), BMI (aOR: 1.115; 95% CI: 1.052‐1.182), and lung disease (aOR: 3.097; 95% CI: 1.137‐8.437). CONCLUSIONS: This study identified risk factors for severe disease in COVID‐19, specifically in an African American population. Further inclusive research aimed at optimizing clinical care relevant to the African American population is critical to ensure an equitable response to COVID‐19.","10.1002/oby.22937","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32748568/"
"Omonzejele, Peter F.","Preserving Bodily Integrity of Deceased Patients From the Novel SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in West Africa","2020-11-09","cord-273965-ma1rwkdq.txt","The outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic, otherwise known as COVID-19 brought about the use of new terminologies—new lexical items such as social distancing, self-isolation, and lockdown. In developed countries, basic social amenities to support these are taken for granted; this is not the case in West African countries. Instead, those suggested safeguards against contracting COVID-19 have exposed the infrastructural deficit in West African countries. In addition, and more profoundly, these safeguards against the disease have distorted the traditional community-individuality balance. The enforcement of social distancing, self-isolation, and lockdown has made it impossible for West Africans to drift to their ancestral homes and villages, as is usually the case in times of crisis, with attendant consequences for communal life and traditional burial rites. This could be one of the reasons why some COVID-19 patients are escaping from isolation centres, since to die in such centres violates their bodily integrity at an ontological level.","10.1007/s11673-020-10061-4","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33169258/"
"Kanmounye, Ulrick Sidney","COVID-19 and Neurosurgical Education in Africa: Making lemonade from lemons","2020-05-21","cord-276067-3io0xux2.txt","Abstract Never in history has the fabric of African Neurosurgery been challenged as it is today with the advent of covid-19. Even the most robust and resilient neurosurgical educational systems in the continent have been brought to their knees with Neurosurgical trainees and young neurosurgeons bearing the brunt. In the face of this new reality, and in order to limit the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic, multiple programs have implemented physical distancing which reduces in-person interactions. In some cases, residents have been asked to stay home at least till they are instructed otherwise. This unfortunate event presents an innovative opportunity for neurosurgical education in Africa. Herein, we detail the framework of an online neurosurgical education initiative to advance the education of African residents and young Neurosurgeons during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.","10.1016/j.wneu.2020.05.126","https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S1878875020310974"
"Ibrahimi, Sahra","COVID-19 Devastation of African American Families: Impact on Mental Health and the Consequence of Systemic Racism","2020-09-16","cord-279011-arjzx85c.txt","African Americans are bearing a disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19 pandemic. To our knowledge, no previous study has delineated inequities potentially incentivized by systemic racism, and whether synergistic effects impose an abnormally high burden of social determinants of mental health on African American families in the era of COVID-19 pandemic. We applied the social ecological model (SEM) to portray inequities induced by systemic racism that impact the mental health of African American families. In our model, we identified systemic racism to be the primary operator of mental health disparity, which disproportionately affects African American families at all levels of the SEM. Programs tailored towards reducing the disproportionate detrimental effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of African Americans need to be culturally appropriate and consider the nuances of systemic racism, discrimination, and other institutionalized biases.","10.21106/ijma.408","https://doi.org/10.21106/ijma.408"
"Longino, Kevin","Racial and Ethnic Disparities, Kidney Disease, and COVID-19: A Call to Action","2020-07-21","cord-297103-f3jdbv47.txt","nan","10.1016/j.xkme.2020.07.001","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32838289/"
"Domínguez-Andrés, Jorge","Impact of Historic Migrations and Evolutionary Processes on Human Immunity","2019-11-27","cord-301856-71syce4n.txt","The evolution of mankind has constantly been influenced by the pathogens encountered. The various populations of modern humans that ventured out of Africa adapted to different environments and faced a large variety of infectious agents, resulting in local adaptations of the immune system for these populations. The functional variation of immune genes as a result of evolution is relevant in the responses against infection, as well as in the emergence of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases observed in modern populations. Understanding how host–pathogen interactions have influenced the human immune system from an evolutionary perspective might contribute to unveiling the causes behind different immune-mediated disorders and promote the development of new strategies to detect and control such diseases.","10.1016/j.it.2019.10.001","https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2019.10.001"
"Wicker, L. V.","Potential Pathogens Reported in Species of the Family Viverridae and Their Implications for Human and Animal Health","2016-06-30","cord-304909-3wmrjlhy.txt","The Viverridae is a family of nocturnal carnivores including civets, genets and African linsangs. While a list of known organisms isolated from a species is an essential tool for population management, this review represents the first attempt to collate published reports of organisms isolated from viverrids. A wide range of organisms, including 11 viruses, eight bacterial species, one internal arthropod species, representatives from eight genera of protozoan, 21 genera of nematode, seven genera of cestode, eight genera of trematode and six genera of external arthropod (mites, ticks and louse), have been reported in literature spanning over a century of research. Many of these are capable of infecting multiple hosts, including humans. This is of concern given the anthropogenic factors that bring humans and domestic species into close contact with viverrids, facilitating transmission and spillover of organisms between groups. These factors include trade in viverrids for human consumption, captive management in zoos, rescue centres or on commercial breeding farms, and the increasing overlap of free‐ranging viverrid distribution and human settlement.","10.1111/zph.12290","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27359248/"
"Chiriboga, Gonzalo","Energy Return on Investment (EROI) and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of biofuels in Ecuador","2020-06-28","cord-304935-8gcmqh4e.txt","In Ecuador, the net energy contribution of biofuels is unknown or unnoticed. To address this issue, we determined the Energy Return on Investment (EROI) for bioethanol and biodiesel. The selection of raw materials relied on their productive capacity, export and import records, and historical yields. Consequently, the scope included three raw materials for ethanol (sugar cane, corn, and forest residues) and four for biodiesel (African palm, pinion, bovine fat, and swine fat). Using a method based on the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of each biofuel, we assessed the entire production chain through statistical processing of primary and secondary information. Then we calculated the calorific values in the laboratory, compared energy inputs/outputs, and finally obtained the energetic returns. EROIs for bioethanol were: 1.797 for sugarcane, 1.040 for corn, and 0.739 for wood. The results for biodiesel were: 3.052 for African palm, 2.743 for pinion, 2.187 for bovine fat, and 2.891 for swine fat. These values suggest feasibility only for sugarcane in the case of ethanol. In contrast, biodiesel has better prospects because all the feedstocks analyzed had EROIs higher than two. Nevertheless, biodiesel is not available for trading in Ecuador because energy policy has overlooked systems based on higher energy return. Future studies should consider more comprehensive variables such as climate change, land use, and water management.","10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04213","https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04213"
"Treadwell, Henrie M.","The Pandemic, Racism, and Health Disparities Among African American Men","2020-08-07","cord-305026-t4wkv89b.txt","nan","10.1177/1557988320949379","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32762401/"
"Sood, Lakshay","Being African American and Rural: A Double Jeopardy from Covid‐19","2020-05-03","cord-305103-g0ndggwc.txt","nan","10.1111/jrh.12459","https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12459"
"Olu, Olushayo Oluseun","Moving from rhetoric to action: how Africa can use scientific evidence to halt the COVID-19 pandemic","2020-10-28","cord-308165-pk8d48hs.txt","The ongoing pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 has spread rapidly to all countries of the world. Africa is particularly predisposed to an escalation of the pandemic and its negative impact given its weak economy and health systems. In addition, inadequate access to the social determinants of health such as water and sanitation and socio-cultural attributes may constrain the implementation of critical preventive measures such as hand washing and social distancing on the continent. Given these facts, the continent needs to focus on targeted and high impact prevention and control strategies and interventions which could break the chain of transmission quickly. We conclude that the available body of scientific evidence on the coronavirus disease 2019 holds the key to the development of such strategies and interventions. Going forward, we recommend that the African research community should scale up research to provide scientific evidence for a better characterization of the epidemiology, transmission dynamics, prevention and control of the virus on the continent.","10.1186/s40249-020-00740-0","https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-020-00740-0"
"Lor, Aun","Key Ethical Issues Discussed at CDC-Sponsored International, Regional Meetings to Explore Cultural Perspectives and Contexts on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response","2016-05-17","cord-309327-eham6trt.txt","Background: Recognizing the importance of having a broad exploration of how cultural perspectives may shape thinking about ethical considerations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded four regional meetings in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Eastern Mediterranean to explore these perspectives relevant to pandemic influenza preparedness and response. The meetings were attended by 168 health professionals, scientists, academics, ethicists, religious leaders, and other community members representing 40 countries in these regions. Methods: We reviewed the meeting reports, notes and stories and mapped outcomes to the key ethical challenges for pandemic influenza response described in the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) guidance, Ethical Considerations in Developing a Public Health Response to Pandemic Influenza: transparency and public engagement, allocation of resources, social distancing, obligations to and of healthcare workers, and international collaboration. Results: The important role of transparency and public engagement were widely accepted among participants. However, there was general agreement that no ""one size fits all"" approach to allocating resources can address the variety of economic, cultural and other contextual factors that must be taken into account. The importance of social distancing as a tool to limit disease transmission was also recognized, but the difficulties associated with this measure were acknowledged. There was agreement that healthcare workers often have competing obligations and that government has a responsibility to assist healthcare workers in doing their job by providing appropriate training and equipment. Finally, there was agreement about the importance of international collaboration for combating global health threats. Conclusion: Although some cultural differences in the values that frame pandemic preparedness and response efforts were observed, participants generally agreed on the key ethical principles discussed in the WHO’s guidance. Most significantly the input gathered from these regional meetings pointed to the important role that procedural ethics can play in bringing people and countries together to respond to the shared health threat posed by a pandemic influenza despite the existence of cultural differences.","10.15171/ijhpm.2016.55","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27801360/"
"Zhu, Yuan-Shou","Multiplex and visual detection of African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) based on Hive-Chip and direct loop-mediated isothermal amplification","2020-10-08","cord-310058-tp42rgmv.txt","African swine fever is caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV), and has a mortality rate approaching 100%. It has already caused tremendous economy lost around the world. Without effective vaccine, rapid and accurate on-site detection plays an indispensable role in controlling outbreaks. Herein, by combining Hive-Chip and direct loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), we establish a multiplex and visual detection platform. LAMP primers targeting five ASFV genes (B646L, B962L, C717R, D1133L, and G1340L) were designed and pre-fixed in Hive-Chip. On-chip LAMP showed the limits of detection (LOD) of ASFV synthetic DNAs and mock samples are 30 and 50 copies per microliter, respectively, and there is no cross-reaction among the target genes. The overall performance of our platform is comparable to that of the commercial kits. From sample preparation to results readout, the entire process takes less than 70 min. Multiplex detection of real samples of ASFV and other swine viruses further demonstrates the high sensitivity and specificity of Hive-Chip. Overall, our platform provides a promising option for on-site, fast and accurate detection of ASFV.","10.1016/j.aca.2020.10.011","https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S0003267020310151"
"Belhadi, Amine","Infectious Waste Management Strategy during COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa: an Integrated Decision-Making Framework for Selecting Sustainable Technologies","2020-10-23","cord-310315-w4rgjsbl.txt","The emerging and underdeveloped countries in Africa face numerous difficulties managing infectious waste during the SARS-CoV-2 disease, known as the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, the main aim of this paper is to help decision-makers in African countries to select the best available waste management strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present research undertakes seamless assessment and prioritization of infectious solid waste (SW) and wastewater (WW) treatment technologies based on a criteria system involving four dimensions, i.e., environment-safety, technology, economics, and sociopolitics. A combined approach that integrates the results of life-cycle assessments and life-cycle costs (LCA–LCC), analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and VIKOR method in an interval-valued fuzzy (IVF) environment is proposed. The results reveal that combined incineration and chemical disinfection approach, and combined chlorination and ultraviolet irradiation are the most sustainable technologies for managing infectious SW and WW treatment in the present context. The proposed approach, alongside the findings of the study, constitutes a reference to devise urgent planning for contagious waste management in African countries as well as developing countries worldwide.","10.1007/s00267-020-01375-5","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33095317/"
"Betson, D. N.","Disproportionate COVID-19 Related Mortality Amongst African Americans in Four Southern States in the United States","2020-06-12","cord-311423-8yvu9xhw.txt","Background African American have been severely affected by COVID-19 noted with the rising mortality rates within the African American community. Health disparities, health inequities and issues with systemic health access are some of the pre-existing issues African American were subjected to within the southern states in the United States. Second, social distancing is a critical non-pharmacological intervention to reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, social distancing was not practical and presented a challenge within the African American community, specifically, in the southern states. Objective This article assesses the effect of COVID-19 on African American in the southern states. Methodology This short communication queried the publicly available Department of Health statistics on COVID-19 related mortality and underlying health conditions in four southern states (Alabama [AL], Georgia [GA], Louisiana [LA] and Mississippi [MS]) with a high proportion of African American residents. Second, unacast COVID-19 toolkit was used to derive a social distancing (SD) grade for any given state, based on three different metrics: (i) percent change in average distance travelled (ii) percent change in non-essential visits and (iii) decrease in human encounters (compared to national baseline). Results Across the four states, on average, as many as 54% of COVID-19 related deaths are in the African American community, although this minority group comprises only 32% of the population cumulatively. This article finds that all four southern states received a social distancing grade of F. COVID-19 have demonstrated that adverse outcomes are higher in individuals with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, or pre-existing pulmonary compromise. Conclusion Recognizing that there is a great need for African American representation or diversity in the health workforce would be able to better address the health disparities. In addition, the lack of diversity in the healthcare system causes the morbidity and mortality rates to increase in the African American communities because it is not able to address its primary obligations within the African American communities in the southern states during COVID-19 pandemic. These primary obligations are to restore, protect, improve health and to suppress health disparities and inequalities of COVID-19 within in the African American communities. Keywords: COVID-19; African American; Mortality","10.1101/2020.06.08.20124297","http://medrxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.06.08.20124297v1?rss=1"
"Frydman, Galit H.","Coagulation Status and Venous Thromboembolism Risk in African Americans: A Potential Risk Factor in COVID-19","2020-07-24","cord-312183-zkoj5d8c.txt","Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection (COVID-19) is known to induce severe inflammation and activation of the coagulation system, resulting in a prothrombotic state. Although inflammatory conditions and organ-specific diseases have been shown to be strong determinants of morbidity and mortality in patients with COVID-19, it is unclear whether preexisting differences in coagulation impact the severity of COVID-19. African Americans have higher rates of COVID-19 infection and disease-related morbidity and mortality. Moreover, African Americans are known to be at a higher risk for thrombotic events due to both biological and socioeconomic factors. In this review, we explore whether differences in baseline coagulation status and medical management of coagulation play an important role in COVID-19 disease severity and contribute to racial disparity trends within COVID-19.","10.1177/1076029620943671","https://doi.org/10.1177/1076029620943671"
"Roy, Siddhartha","Systematic Review of Interventions to Increase Stool Blood Colorectal Cancer Screening in African Americans","2020-06-24","cord-313574-8t5y9gqq.txt","African Americans experience colorectal cancer (CRC) related disparities compared to other racial groups in the United States. African Americans are frequently diagnosed with CRC at a later stage, screening is underutilized, and mortality rates are highest in this group. This systematic review focused on intervention studies using stool blood CRC screening among African Americans in primary care and community settings. Given wide accessibility, low cost, and ease of dissemination of stool-based CRC screening tests, this review aims to determine effective interventions to improve participation rates. This systematic review included intervention studies published between January 1, 2000 and March 16, 2019. After reviewing an initial search of 650 studies, 11 studies were eventually included in this review. The included studies were studies conducted in community and clinical settings, using both inreach and outreach strategies to increase CRC screening. For each study, an unadjusted odds ratio (OR) for the CRC screening intervention compared to the control arm was calculated based on the data in each study to report effectiveness. The eleven studies together recruited a total of 3334 participants. The five studies using two-arm experimental designs ranged in effectiveness with ORs ranging from 1.1 to 13.0 using interventions such as mailed reminders, patient navigation, and tailored educational materials. Effective strategies to increase stool blood testing included mailed stool blood tests augmented by patient navigation, tailored educational materials, and follow-up calls or mailings to increase trust in the patient-provider relationship. More studies are needed on stool blood testing interventions to determine effectiveness in this population.","10.1007/s10900-020-00867-z","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32583358/"
"Rutayisire, Erigene","What works and what does not work in response to COVID-19 prevention and control in Africa","2020-06-12","cord-316209-juvmabdq.txt","Abstract Since the emergence of the pandemic in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, as of 10:00 CEST, June 6, 2020, there have been nearly 6,663,304 confirmed cases of COVID-19 including 392,802 deaths worldwide. In Africa, as of June 2, 2020, a total of 152,442 COVID-19 cases and 4334 deaths have been reported. The five countries with the highest commutative number of cases in Africa are South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, and Ghana. Africa, together with the rest of world have had to swiftly undertake measures necessary to protect the continent from irreversible effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that is claiming lives and destroying livelihoods. The lower number of COVID-19 cases in most African countries is attributed to inadequate health systems, low-to-absent testing capacity, poor reporting system and insufficient number of medical staff. The COVID-19 pandemic poses a great threat to most African countries from cities to rural areas and has created a strong demand on already scarce resources and requires an intense mobilization of additional resources to implement established emergency contingency measures. Closure of borders and movements of people restrictions within the country as measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19; this has resulted in the sector being adversely affected by the loss of income. Cooperative prevention and control measures are one of the promising solutions to deplete the spread of COVID-19 on the continent.","10.1016/j.ijid.2020.06.024","https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S1201971220304604"
"Zhu, Zhaozhong","Homologous recombination shapes the genetic diversity of African swine fever viruses","2019-08-10","cord-317640-61crnh6a.txt","The African swine fever virus (ASFV) has severely influenced the swine industry of the world. Currently, there is no effective vaccine or drugs against the ASFV. How to effectively control the virus is challenging. In this study, we have analyzed all the publicly available ASFV genomes and demonstrated that there was a large genetic diversity of ASFV genomes. Interestingly, the genetic diversity was mainly caused by extensive genomic insertions and/or deletions (indels) instead of the point mutations. Further analyses showed that the indels may be attributed much to the homologous recombination, as supported by significant associations between the occurrence of extensive recombination events and the indels in the ASFV genomes. Besides, the homologous recombination also led to changes of gene content of ASFVs. Finally, repeated elements of dozens of nucleotides in length were observed to widely distribute and cluster in the adjacent positions of ASFV genomes, which may facilitate the occurrence of homologous recombination. This work highlighted the importance of homologous recombination in shaping the genetic diversity of the ASFVs, and could help understand the evolution of the virus.","10.1016/j.vetmic.2019.08.003","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31500735/"
"Wolf, Jayanthi","Applying lessons from the Ebola vaccine experience for SARS-CoV-2 and other epidemic pathogens","2020-06-15","cord-318593-ni84gzg5.txt","The world is experiencing an unprecedented global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a novel coronavirus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Development of new vaccines and therapeutics are important to achieve long-term prevention and control of the virus. Experience gained in the development of vaccines for Ebola virus disease provide important lessons in the regulatory, clinical, and manufacturing process that can be applied to SARS-CoV-2 and other epidemic pathogens. This report outlines the main lessons learned by Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA (MSD) during development of an Ebola Zaire vaccine (ERVEBO®) and looks ahead to critical lessons beyond vaccine development. It highlights focus areas for public-private partnership and regulatory harmonization that can be directly applied to current vaccine development efforts for SARS-CoV-2, while drawing attention to the need for parallel consideration of issues beyond development that are equally important to achieve global preparedness and response goals.","10.1038/s41541-020-0204-7","https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-020-0204-7"
"Ebinger, Joseph E.","Pre-existing traits associated with Covid-19 illness severity","2020-07-23","cord-319706-2e9jrv0s.txt","IMPORTANCE: Certain individuals, when infected by SARS-CoV-2, tend to develop the more severe forms of Covid-19 illness for reasons that remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To determine the demographic and clinical characteristics associated with increased severity of Covid-19 infection. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. We curated data from the electronic health record, and used multivariable logistic regression to examine the association of pre-existing traits with a Covid-19 illness severity defined by level of required care: need for hospital admission, need for intensive care, and need for intubation. SETTING: A large, multihospital healthcare system in Southern California. PARTICIPANTS: All patients with confirmed Covid-19 infection (N = 442). RESULTS: Of all patients studied, 48% required hospitalization, 17% required intensive care, and 12% required intubation. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, patients requiring a higher levels of care were more likely to be older (OR 1.5 per 10 years, P<0.001), male (OR 2.0, P = 0.001), African American (OR 2.1, P = 0.011), obese (OR 2.0, P = 0.021), with diabetes mellitus (OR 1.8, P = 0.037), and with a higher comorbidity index (OR 1.8 per SD, P<0.001). Several clinical associations were more pronounced in younger compared to older patients (P(interaction)<0.05). Of all hospitalized patients, males required higher levels of care (OR 2.5, P = 0.003) irrespective of age, race, or morbidity profile. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In our healthcare system, greater Covid-19 illness severity is seen in patients who are older, male, African American, obese, with diabetes, and with greater overall comorbidity burden. Certain comorbidities paradoxically augment risk to a greater extent in younger patients. In hospitalized patients, male sex is the main determinant of needing more intensive care. Further investigation is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying these findings.","10.1371/journal.pone.0236240","https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236240"
"Miao, Faming","Rapid and Sensitive Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Combined With Lateral Flow Strip for Detecting African Swine Fever Virus","2019-05-15","cord-322649-c99lszcu.txt","African swine fever virus (ASFV), the etiological agent of African swine fever (ASF), a hemorrhagic fever of domestic pigs, has devastating consequences for the pig farming industry. More than 1,000,000 pigs have been slaughtered since 3 August 2018 in China. However, vaccines or drugs for ASF have yet to be developed. As such, a rapid test that can accurately detect ASFV on-site is important to the timely implementation of control measures. In this study, we developed a rapid test that combines recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) of the ASFV p72 gene with lateral flow detection (LFD). Results showed that the sensitivity of recombinase polymerase amplification with lateral flow dipstick (RPA-LFD) for ASFV was 150 copies per reaction within 10 min at 38°C. The assay was highly specific to ASFV and had no cross-reactions with other porcine viruses, including classical swine fever virus (CSFV). A total of 145 field samples were examined using our method, and the agreement of the positive rate between RPA-LFD (10/145) and real-time PCR (10/145) was 100%. Overall, RPA-LFD provides a novel alternative for the simple, sensitive, and specific identification of ASFV and showed potential for on-site ASFV detection.","10.3389/fmicb.2019.01004","https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.01004"
"Collier, Karole T.","COVID 19: Surgery & the question of race","2020-05-20","cord-323966-vj9za3cx.txt","nan","10.1016/j.amjsurg.2020.05.026","https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S0002961020302932"
"Hernaez, Bruno","Visualization of the African swine fever virus infection in living cells by incorporation into the virus particle of green fluorescent protein-p54 membrane protein chimera","2006-06-20","cord-326027-58whwspe.txt","Many stages of African swine fever virus infection have not yet been studied in detail. To track the behavior of African swine fever virus (ASFV) in the infected cells in real time, we produced an infectious recombinant ASFV (B54GFP-2) that expresses and incorporates into the virus particle a chimera of the p54 envelope protein fused to the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). The incorporation of the fusion protein into the virus particle was confirmed immunologically and it was determined that p54-EGFP was fully functional by confirmation that the recombinant virus made normal-sized plaques and presented similar growth curves to the wild-type virus. The tagged virus was visualized as individual fluorescent particles during the first stages of infection and allowed to visualize the infection progression in living cells through the viral life cycle by confocal microscopy. In this work, diverse potential applications of B54GFP-2 to study different aspects of ASFV infection are shown. By using this recombinant virus it was possible to determine the trajectory and speed of intracellular virus movement. Additionally, we have been able to visualize for first time the ASFV factory formation dynamics and the cytophatic effect of the virus in live infected cells. Finally, we have analyzed virus progression along the infection cycle and infected cell death as time-lapse animations.","10.1016/j.virol.2006.01.021","https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/pii/S0042682206000353"
"Chireh, Batholomew","Leveraging best practices: protecting sub-Saharan African prison detainees amid COVID-19","2020-06-24","cord-331058-ou6vqp7n.txt","The risk of infection and death from COVID-19 is higher among older prisoners with pre-existing health conditions especially in sub-Saharan African. Hawks L et al. raise four concerns that need to be considered when developing public health and clinical responses to COVID-19 to protect prisoners. This paper applies these concerns to the sub-Saharan African context. These focus areas include 1) challenges of social distancing; 2) higher risk of severe infection and death; 3) difficulties health care systems may face in the case of COVID-19 surge; and 4) recommended solutions to prevent harm and preventing a public health catastrophe. Prisoners are more vulnerable and the time to take immediate actions to minimize an imminent COVID-19 outbreak and its impacts is now.","10.11604/pamj.2020.36.121.24133","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32821332/"
"Burri, Christian","Sleeping Sickness at the Crossroads","2020-04-08","cord-342588-berrojmq.txt","Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT; sleeping sickness) is a disease with truly historic dimensions [...].","10.3390/tropicalmed5020057","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32276514/"
"Cori, Anne","Key data for outbreak evaluation: building on the Ebola experience","2017-05-26","cord-343962-12t247bn.txt","Following the detection of an infectious disease outbreak, rapid epidemiological assessment is critical for guiding an effective public health response. To understand the transmission dynamics and potential impact of an outbreak, several types of data are necessary. Here we build on experience gained in the West African Ebola epidemic and prior emerging infectious disease outbreaks to set out a checklist of data needed to: (1) quantify severity and transmissibility; (2) characterize heterogeneities in transmission and their determinants; and (3) assess the effectiveness of different interventions. We differentiate data needs into individual-level data (e.g. a detailed list of reported cases), exposure data (e.g. identifying where/how cases may have been infected) and population-level data (e.g. size/demographics of the population(s) affected and when/where interventions were implemented). A remarkable amount of individual-level and exposure data was collected during the West African Ebola epidemic, which allowed the assessment of (1) and (2). However, gaps in population-level data (particularly around which interventions were applied when and where) posed challenges to the assessment of (3). Here we highlight recurrent data issues, give practical suggestions for addressing these issues and discuss priorities for improvements in data collection in future outbreaks. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The 2013–2016 West African Ebola epidemic: data, decision-making and disease control’.","10.1098/rstb.2016.0371","https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2016.0371"
"Acquah, Samuel","Implications of COVID-19 Pandemic on Evolution of Diabetes in Malaria-Endemic African Region","2020-10-08","cord-349786-12lc3342.txt","The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to cause havoc to many countries of the globe, with no end in sight, due to nonavailability of a given vaccine or treatment regimen. The pandemic has so far had a relatively limited impact on the African continent, which contributes more than 93% of global malaria burden. However, the limited burden of COVID-19 pandemic on the African region could have long-term implications on the health and wellbeing of affected inhabitants due to its malaria-endemic status. Malaria causes recurrent insulin resistance with episodes of infection at relatively low parasitaemia. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) which is widely distributed in the human body is implicated in the pathogenesis of malaria, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and COVID-19. Use of ACE2 by the COVID-19 virus induces inflammation and oxidative stress, which can lead to insulin resistance. Although COVID-19 patients in malaria-endemic African region may not exhibit severe signs and symptoms of the disease, their risk of exhibiting heightened insulin resistance and possible future development of T2DM is high due to their prior exposure to malaria. African governments must double efforts at containing the continued spread of the virus without neglecting existing malarial control measures if the region is to avert the plausible long-term impact of the pandemic in terms of future development of T2DM.","10.1155/2020/8205261","https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8205261"
"Muyingo, Rajab Idd","Coronavirus in the era of digital connectivity: Opportunities and challenges","2020-08-02","cord-352670-21r0cwsc.txt","In this article, we examine the opportunities and challenges digital connectedness creates in the fight against epidemics, in particular the coronavirus (COVID‐19). We deduce that digital connectedness of individuals and organizations eased sharing of information on the causes and measures aimed at controlling and avoid the rapid spread of the epidemic in developing economies of Africa. We conclude that digital connectedness enabled African countries to access; share and implement globally suggested mechanisms aimed at controlling the spread of the COVID‐19 epidemic. Future, studies should examine how African economies use digital connectedness to increase individual and organizational participation in curbing epidemics and also boost health management.","10.1002/pa.2246","https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2246"
"Ng, Melinda","Filovirus receptor NPC1 contributes to species-specific patterns of ebolavirus susceptibility in bats","2015-12-23","cord-355737-o0y4rn0z.txt","Biological factors that influence the host range and spillover of Ebola virus (EBOV) and other filoviruses remain enigmatic. While filoviruses infect diverse mammalian cell lines, we report that cells from African straw-colored fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) are refractory to EBOV infection. This could be explained by a single amino acid change in the filovirus receptor, NPC1, which greatly reduces the affinity of EBOV-NPC1 interaction. We found signatures of positive selection in bat NPC1 concentrated at the virus-receptor interface, with the strongest signal at the same residue that controls EBOV infection in Eidolon helvum cells. Our work identifies NPC1 as a genetic determinant of filovirus susceptibility in bats, and suggests that some NPC1 variations reflect host adaptations to reduce filovirus replication and virulence. A single viral mutation afforded escape from receptor control, revealing a pathway for compensatory viral evolution and a potential avenue for expansion of filovirus host range in nature. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.11785.001","10.7554/elife.11785","https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.11785"
