Virus genomes reveal factors that spread and sustained the Ebola epidemic.

The 2013-2016 West African epidemic caused by the Ebola virus was of unprecedented magnitude, duration and impact. Here we reconstruct the dispersal, proliferation and decline of Ebola virus throughout the region by analysing 1,610 Ebola virus genomes, which represent over 5% of the known cases. We test the association of geography, climate and demography with viral movement among administrative regions, inferring a classic 'gravity' model, with intense dispersal between larger and closer populations. Despite attenuation of international dispersal after border closures, cross-border transmission had already sown the seeds for an international epidemic, rendering these measures ineffective at curbing the epidemic. We address why the epidemic did not spread into neighbouring countries, showing that these countries were susceptible to substantial outbreaks but at lower risk of introductions. Finally, we reveal that this large epidemic was a heterogeneous and spatially dissociated collection of transmission clusters of varying size, duration and connectivity. These insights will help to inform interventions in future epidemics

Re-interpreting the Υ&Delta&Omegaρ Ζ&Delta&Omegaρ (“Living Water”) metaphor in John 4 & 7 in the context of the south western Yoruba in Nigeria

Most interpretations of the “living water” passages in John 4 & 7 exclusively apply historical-critical, textual or rhetorical criticism to the texts. Those approaches leave out the contexts of the contemporary interpreters. Building on the commonality of the figure of “living water” to both the Gospel of John and the Yoruba in Nigeria, the present work interprets the texts (Jn 4 & 7) in their biblical and contemporary readers’ contexts to fully elucidate the importance of the concept to the community of faith

Persistence of chloroquine-resistant haplotypes of Plasmodium falciparum in children with uncomplicated Malaria in Lagos, Nigeria, four years after change of chloroquine as first-line antimalarial medicine.

BACKGROUND: In Nigeria, despite the change in National malaria drug policy to artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) in 2005 due to widespread chloroquine resistance, chloroquine (CQ) is still widely used in the treatment of malaria because it is cheap, affordable and accessible. The use of ACT for the management of uncomplicated malaria is currently being promoted. The employment of genetic markers to track circulating chloroquine-resistant parasites are useful in elucidating likely poor efficacy of chloroquine, especially in settings where it is not recommended for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria. This study determined the prevalence of pfcrt haplotypes and point mutations in pfmdr1 genes four years after the change in antimalarial treatment policy from CQ to the ACTs in Lagos, a commercial city in South-West, Nigeria. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study on uncomplicated malaria in children less than 12 years that presented with fever and other symptoms suggestive of malaria. Parasite DNA was extracted from 119 patients out of 251 children who were positive for Plasmodium falciparum by microscopy and amplified. The occurrence of haplotypes was investigated in pfcrt gene using probe-based qPCR and single nucleotide polymorphisms in pfmdr1 gene using nested PCR. RESULTS: One hundred and nine (109) of the 119 children with P falciparum infection (91.6%) harbourd parasites with the mutant pfcrt haplotype (CVIET). Out of this, 4.2% comprised a mixture of genotypes encoding CVMNK and CVIET, while 4.2% had the wild type (CVMNK). Furthermore, the frequency of point mutations in pfmdr1 was 62.2% and 69.0% for codons Y86 and F184 respectively. There were no mutations at codons 1034, 1042 and 1246 of the Pfmdr1 genes. CONCLUSION: The high frequency of the CQ-resistant haplotypes (CVIET) and mutations in Pfmdr1 associated with CQ resistance in P. falciparum among these children suggest that CQ-resistant parasites are still in circulation. Continuous use of chloroquine may continue to increase the level of mutations in pfcrt and pfmdr1genes. There is need to strengthen current case management efforts at promoting ACT use as well as urgently restricting access to chloroquine by the National drug regulatory agency, National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). VIRTUAL SLIDES: The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/2069472010142303

Single-route delaminated clay composites for efficient visible-light photo-mineralization of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and associated genes in water

Drinking water contaminated with antibiotic resistant bacteria could result in loss of antibiotic effectiveness in humans, increased healthcare cost and ultimately death. New delaminated photocatalytic composite (DPC) has been prepared. DPC doped with Cu/Zn kept multidrug resistant (MDR) E. coli and its sulphonamide resistance genes in contaminated water at log reduction >6 for 36 h in two disinfection steps under visible-light using fixed-bed mode (downward flow). In contrast, fluoroquinolone resistance genes persisted in treated water after the first disinfection step and were significantly reduced after the second disinfection step. Surface oxygen vacancies were mainly responsible for photoactivity of DPC. No bacteria re-growth was observed in treated water stored in light/dark for 7 days. A 95 % photo-mineralisation of MDR E. coli and its genes was achieved via the release of superoxide radical (in dark/light). Shelf-life study of DPC vs non-delaminated photocatalytic composite over 7 months suggests that the former remained far more efficient than the latter

Prevalence of molecular markers of drug resistance in an area of seasonal malaria chemoprevention in children in Senegal.

BACKGROUND: In sub-Saharan Africa, malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality especially in children. In Senegal, seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) previously referred to as intermittent preventive treatment in children (IPTc) is a new strategy for malaria control in areas of high seasonal transmission. An effectiveness study of SMC, using sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) plus amodiaquine (AQ), was conducted in central Senegal from 2008 to 2010 to obtain information about safety, feasibility of delivery, and cost effectiveness of SMC. Here are report the effect of SMC delivery on the prevalence of markers of resistance to SP and AQ. METHODS: This study was conducted in three health districts in Senegal with 54 health posts with a gradual introduction of SMC. Three administrations of the combination AQ + SP were made during the months of September, October and November of each year in children aged less than 10 years living in the area. Children were surveyed in December of each year and samples (filter paper and thick films) were made in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The prevalence of mutations in the pfdhfr, pfdhps, pfmdr1 and pfcrt genes was investigated by sequencing and RTPCR in samples positive by microscopy for Plasmodium falciparum. RESULTS: Mutations at codon 540 of pfdhps and codon 164 of pfdhfr were not detected in the study. Among children with parasitaemia at the end of the transmission seasons, the CVIET haplotypes of pfcrt and the 86Y polymorphism of pfmdr1 were more common among those that had received SMC, but the number of infections detected was very low and confidence intervals were wide. The overall prevalence of these mutations was lower in SMC areas than in control areas, reflecting the lower prevalence of parasitaemia in areas where SMC was delivered. CONCLUSION: The sensitivity of P. falciparum to SMC drugs should be regularly monitored in areas deploying this intervention. Overall the prevalence of genotypes associated with resistance to either SP or AQ was lower in SMC areas due to the reduced number of parasitaemia individuals