emerging pathogen – afrjcem.org

^*1,2Meite, S., ^1,2Koffi, K. S., ¹Kouassi, K. S., ¹Coulibaly, K. J., ¹Koffi, K. E., ¹Sylla, A., ¹Sylla, Y., ^1,2Faye-Ketté, H., and ^1,2Dosso, M.

¹Molecular Biology Platform and Environnement and Health Department, Pasteur Institute, Cote d’Ivoire ²Medical Sciences, Microbiology department, Felix Houphouet Boigny University, Cocody, Abidjan *Correspondence to: meitesynd@yahoo.fr

Abstract:

Background: One of the main health problems in West Africa remains upsurge of emerging pathogens. Ebola virus disease outbreak occurred in 2014 in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, Monkeypox virus in Nigeria in 2017 and most recently Lassa virus in Nigeria, Togo and Benin in 2018. These pathogens have animal reservoirs as vectors for transmission. Proper investigation of the pathogens in their rodent vectors could help reduce and manage their emergence and spread. Continue reading “Investigation of rodent reservoirs of emerging pathogens in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa”

Clinical Laboratory Science Department, Winston-Salem State University, 304-D New Science Building, 601 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27110, USA Correspondence to: wishonl@wssu.edu; 336-750-8339 (work); 336-253-3677 (cell)

Abstract:
While leptospirosis is currently described as an emerging pathogen, there have likely been numerous cases worldwide each year for centuries. Hurricanes and other flooding events contribute to its spread through rodent urine, many cases of which go undiagnosed. This is especially problematic in developing countries where laboratory techniques may be out of date. There are over 100 cases per year in the United States of America, but millions of cases occur worldwide annually. Caused by many different species of fastidious, spiral-shaped Leptospira, it is difficult and slow to culture. Strides have been made to improve culture techniques in order to reduce the time to grow this genus of bacteria. Greater understanding of this disease by laboratorians, physicians, and other healthcare workers and improved laboratory identification techniques will help increase diagnoses and decrease morbidity and mortality of leptospirosis. Continue reading “Leptospirosis: a need for increased awareness and improved laboratory testing”