Bat flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) infesting cave-dwelling bats in Gabon: Diversity, dynamics and potential role in Polychromophilus melanipherus transmission

Background Evidence of haemosporidian infections in bats and bat flies has motivated a growing interest in characterizing their transmission cycles. In Gabon (Central Africa), many caves house massive colonies of bats that are known hosts of Polychromophilus Dionisi parasites, presumably transmitted by blood-sucking bat flies. However, the role of bat flies in bat malaria transmission remains under-documented. Methods An entomological survey was carried out in four caves in Gabon to investigate bat fly diversity, infestation rates and host preferences and to determine their role in Polychromophilus parasite transmission. Bat flies were sampled for 2–4 consecutive nights each month from February to April 2011 (Faucon and Zadie caves) and from May 2012 to April 2013 (Kessipoughou and Djibilong caves). Bat flies isolated from the fur of each captured bat were morphologically identified and screened for infection by haemosporidian parasites using primers targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Results Among the 1,154 bats captured and identified as Miniopterus inflatus Thomas (n = 354), Hipposideros caffer Sundevall complex (n = 285), Hipposideros gigas Wagner (n = 317), Rousettus aegyptiacus Geoffroy (n = 157, and Coleura afra Peters (n = 41), 439 (38.0 %) were infested by bat flies. The 1,063 bat flies recovered from bats belonged to five taxa: Nycteribia schmidlii scotti Falcoz, Eucampsipoda africana Theodor, Penicillidia fulvida Bigot, Brachytarsina allaudi Falcoz and Raymondia huberi Frauenfeld group. The mean infestation rate varied significantly according to the bat species (ANOVA, F (4,75) = 13.15, P < 0.001) and a strong association effect between bat fly species and host bat species was observed. Polychromophilus melanipherus Dionisi was mainly detected in N. s. scotti and P. fulvida and less frequently in E. africana, R. huberi group and B. allaudi bat flies. These results suggest that N. s. scotti and P. fulvida could potentially be involved in P. melanipherus transmission among cave-dwelling bats. Sequence analysis revealed eight haplotypes of P. melanipherus. Conclusions This work represents the first documented record of the cave-dwelling bat fly fauna in Gabon and significantly contributes to our understanding of bat fly host-feeding behavior and their respective roles in Polychromophilus transmission. (Résumé d'auteur

Diversity and prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in farmed pigs in Southeast Gabon, Central Africa

Background and Aim: Gastrointestinal infestations caused by intestinal parasites are the most important diseases and the most common in pigs in the tropics. These parasites are often associated with a huge economic loss. This study aimed to assess the diversity and prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in farmed pigs from Haut-Ogooue Province, in South East Gabon. Materials and Methods: From March 2018 to July 2018, 156 samples of pig feces collected from nine different farms were analyzed under light microscopy. The identification of eggs, cysts, and oocysts in fecal samples was done using two qualitative techniques: Flotation and sedimentation. Results: After examination, the results obtained revealed an overall infestation level of 98.7% (154/156). We found ten parasite types with infestation levels that varied from species: Balantidium coli (120/156), Oesophagostomum spp. (100/156), Isospora suis (102/156), Ancylostoma spp. (17/156), Trichostrongylus spp. (28/156), Hyostrongylus spp. (13/156), Strongyloides spp. (7/156), Ascaris suum (8/156), Globocephalus spp. (1/156), and spirurida (1/156). The study of risk factors revealed that factors such as sex, age, and physiological condition may influence the diversity and level of infestation of animals by gastrointestinal parasites. Conclusion: For better prevention of parasitism in these farms, it would be interesting to implement health monitoring and to ensure good hygiene. Finally, further studies would be needed to better evaluate the distribution of these parasites in Gabon and the involvement of these animals in the transmission cycle of parasitic zoonoses

Phylogenetic tree based on a 439-basepair fragment of the polymerase gene (L) of members of the <i>Paramyxoviridae</i> family.

<p>Sequences generated in this study are highlighted in red. Bayesian posterior probabilities are shown; values <0.80 were removed for clarity. The viruses are designated as follows (virus abbreviation/typical host/accession numbers of reference sequences in brackets): HeV  =  Hendra virus, NiV  =  Nipah virus, BatPV  =  Bat paramyxovirus, BeiPV  =  Beilong virus, JPV  = J virus, MosPV  =  Mossman virus, TupPV  =  Tupaia paramyxovirus, NarPV  =  Nariva virus, PDV  =  Phocine distemper virus, CDV  =  Canine distemper virus, CeMV DMV  =  Cetacean morbillivirus strain dolphin morbillivirus, MeV  =  Measles virus, PPRV  =  Peste-des-petits ruminants virus, RPV  =  Rinderpest virus, FdlPV  =  Fer-de-lance virus, PSPV  =  Pacific salmon paramyxovirus, ASPV  =  Atlantic salmon paramyxovirus, SeV  =  Sendai virus, bPIV3  =  Bovine parainfluenza virus 3, hPIV1  =  Human parainfluenza virus 1, hPIV3  =  Human parainfluenza virus 3, SwPIV3  =  Swine parainfluenza virus 3, NDV  =  Newcastle disease virus, PigeonPMV  =  Pigeon paramyxovirus, AMPV9  =  Avian paramyxovirus type 9, AMPV6  =  Avian paramyxovirus type 6, AMPV2  =  Avian paramyxovirus type 2, AMPV3  =  Avian paramyxovirus type 3, AMPV4  =  Avian paramyxovirus type 4, PIV5  =  parainfluenza virus 5, SV41  =  Simian virus 41, MenPV  =  Menangle paramyxovirus, MprPV  =  Mapuera virus, MuV  =  Mumpsvirus, PorPV  =  Porcine rubulavirus, TioPV  =  Tioman paramyxovirus, hPIV2  =  Human parainfluenza virus 2, hMPV  =  Human metapneumovirus, MPV  =  Murine pneumonia virus, bRSV  =  Bovine respiratory syncytial virus, hRSV  =  Human respiratory syncytial virus, APV  =  Avian Pneumovirus, ThkPV-1  =  Tuhoko virus 1, ThkPV-2  =  Tuhoko virus 2, ThkPV-3  =  Tuhoko virus 3.</p

Overview of specimens collected in Belinga caves and tested by specific BelPV qPCR assay.

<p>Overview of specimens collected in Belinga caves and tested by specific BelPV qPCR assay.</p

Demographic and Clinical Characteristics Associated With Severity, Clinical Outcomes, and Mortality of COVID-19 Infection in Gabon

International audienceImportance: Since the emergence of COVID-19 in central China, sub-Saharan African countries, with the exception of South Africa, have been relatively spared during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, few descriptive studies from this region are available.Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 infection in Gabon, from March to June 2020.Design, setting, and participants: A single-center, cross-sectional study of 837 patients with COVID-19 was conducted from March to June 2020 in the Armed Forces Hospital in Libreville, Gabon.Main outcomes and measures: Demographic and clinical characteristics and imaging findings of hospitalized patients with COVID-19.Results: Of the 837 patients enrolled, 572 (68.3%) were men, and 264 (31.5%) were women (male to female ratio, 2:1); the median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 35 (30-45) years (mean [SD] age, 38.0 [12.2] years. The mortality rate associated with COVID-19 was low (1.4%). Of these 837 patients, 524 (62.6%) were categorized as having no symptoms, 282 (33.7%) as having mild symptoms, and 31 (3.7%) as having severe symptoms. Patients with severe symptoms were older (mean [SD] age, 46.1 [14.7] years) than patients with mild symptoms (mean [SD] age, 41.3 [12.5] years) and those with no symptoms (mean [SD] age, 35.7 [11.3] years) (Kruskal-Wallis χ22 = 53.5; P < .001). History of diabetes was the principal risk factor associated with both severe symptoms in 5 of 31 patients (16.1%) and mild symptoms in 11 of 282 (3.9%) compared with no symptoms in 5 of 524 (0.9%) (Pearson χ22 = 30.9; P < .001). Patients with severe symptoms and a fatal outcome were older (mean [SD] age, 53.4 [15.1] years) than survivors (mean [SD] age, 41.5 [12.9] years) (t20.83 = 2.2; P = .03).Conclusions and relevance: In this single-center, cross-sectional study in Libreville, Gabon, the mortality rate associated with COVID-19 infection from March to June 2020 was low, and patients who died of COVID-19 infection were younger on average than reported elsewhere, possibly reflecting a smaller elderly population in Gabon

Demographic and Clinical Characteristics Associated With Severity, Clinical Outcomes, and Mortality of COVID-19 Infection in Gabon

International audienceImportance: Since the emergence of COVID-19 in central China, sub-Saharan African countries, with the exception of South Africa, have been relatively spared during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, few descriptive studies from this region are available.Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 infection in Gabon, from March to June 2020.Design, setting, and participants: A single-center, cross-sectional study of 837 patients with COVID-19 was conducted from March to June 2020 in the Armed Forces Hospital in Libreville, Gabon.Main outcomes and measures: Demographic and clinical characteristics and imaging findings of hospitalized patients with COVID-19.Results: Of the 837 patients enrolled, 572 (68.3%) were men, and 264 (31.5%) were women (male to female ratio, 2:1); the median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 35 (30-45) years (mean [SD] age, 38.0 [12.2] years. The mortality rate associated with COVID-19 was low (1.4%). Of these 837 patients, 524 (62.6%) were categorized as having no symptoms, 282 (33.7%) as having mild symptoms, and 31 (3.7%) as having severe symptoms. Patients with severe symptoms were older (mean [SD] age, 46.1 [14.7] years) than patients with mild symptoms (mean [SD] age, 41.3 [12.5] years) and those with no symptoms (mean [SD] age, 35.7 [11.3] years) (Kruskal-Wallis χ22 = 53.5; P < .001). History of diabetes was the principal risk factor associated with both severe symptoms in 5 of 31 patients (16.1%) and mild symptoms in 11 of 282 (3.9%) compared with no symptoms in 5 of 524 (0.9%) (Pearson χ22 = 30.9; P < .001). Patients with severe symptoms and a fatal outcome were older (mean [SD] age, 53.4 [15.1] years) than survivors (mean [SD] age, 41.5 [12.9] years) (t20.83 = 2.2; P = .03).Conclusions and relevance: In this single-center, cross-sectional study in Libreville, Gabon, the mortality rate associated with COVID-19 infection from March to June 2020 was low, and patients who died of COVID-19 infection were younger on average than reported elsewhere, possibly reflecting a smaller elderly population in Gabon

Demographic and Clinical Characteristics Associated With Severity, Clinical Outcomes, and Mortality of COVID-19 Infection in Gabon

International audienceImportance: Since the emergence of COVID-19 in central China, sub-Saharan African countries, with the exception of South Africa, have been relatively spared during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, few descriptive studies from this region are available.Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 infection in Gabon, from March to June 2020.Design, setting, and participants: A single-center, cross-sectional study of 837 patients with COVID-19 was conducted from March to June 2020 in the Armed Forces Hospital in Libreville, Gabon.Main outcomes and measures: Demographic and clinical characteristics and imaging findings of hospitalized patients with COVID-19.Results: Of the 837 patients enrolled, 572 (68.3%) were men, and 264 (31.5%) were women (male to female ratio, 2:1); the median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 35 (30-45) years (mean [SD] age, 38.0 [12.2] years. The mortality rate associated with COVID-19 was low (1.4%). Of these 837 patients, 524 (62.6%) were categorized as having no symptoms, 282 (33.7%) as having mild symptoms, and 31 (3.7%) as having severe symptoms. Patients with severe symptoms were older (mean [SD] age, 46.1 [14.7] years) than patients with mild symptoms (mean [SD] age, 41.3 [12.5] years) and those with no symptoms (mean [SD] age, 35.7 [11.3] years) (Kruskal-Wallis χ22 = 53.5; P < .001). History of diabetes was the principal risk factor associated with both severe symptoms in 5 of 31 patients (16.1%) and mild symptoms in 11 of 282 (3.9%) compared with no symptoms in 5 of 524 (0.9%) (Pearson χ22 = 30.9; P < .001). Patients with severe symptoms and a fatal outcome were older (mean [SD] age, 53.4 [15.1] years) than survivors (mean [SD] age, 41.5 [12.9] years) (t20.83 = 2.2; P = .03).Conclusions and relevance: In this single-center, cross-sectional study in Libreville, Gabon, the mortality rate associated with COVID-19 infection from March to June 2020 was low, and patients who died of COVID-19 infection were younger on average than reported elsewhere, possibly reflecting a smaller elderly population in Gabon

Results of real-time PCR on organs from <i>Coleura afra</i> individuals.

<p>Numbers indicate the cycle threshold (C<i>t</i>). ND, not done because of missing samples.</p><p>Undet, C<i>t</i> undetermined.</p><p>Results of real-time PCR on organs from <i>Coleura afra</i> individuals.</p

Virus distribution in organs from <i>Coleura afra</i> individuals.

<p>Virus distribution is shown in terms of C<i>t</i> values on the y-axis for each bat organ tested (x-axis). <i>n</i> represents the number of organs available for the study.</p