• Characterization of a novel orbivirus from cattle reveals active circulation of a previously unknown and pathogenic orbivirus in ruminants in Kenya 

  Omoga, Dorcus C.A.; Tchouassi, David P.; Venter, Marietjie; Ogola, Edwin; Langat, Solomon; Getugi, Caroline; Eibner, Georg; Kopp, Anne; Slothouwer, Inga; Torto, Baldwyn; Junglen, Sandra; Sang, Rosemary (American Society for Microbiology, 2023-03-16)

  Arboviruses are among emerging pathogens of public and veterinary health significance. However, in most of sub-Saharan Africa, their role in the aetiologies of diseases in farm animals is poorly described due to paucity ...
• The performance of single and combination test strategies using visual inspection, cytology, high-risk HPV DNA and HPV16/18 to screen South African women with and without HIV-infection 

  Dreyer, Greta; Visser, Cathy; Dreyer, Gerrit Jan; Botha, Matthys H.; Van der Merwe, Frederick H.; Richter, Karin Louise; Snyman, Leon Cornelius (BMC, 2024-05)

  BACKGROUND : Cervical cancer screening strategies should ideally be informed by population-specific data. Strategies recommended for secondary prevention, are often inadequately studied in populations with high cervical ...
• WSV2023-The second meeting of the world society for virology : One health - One world - One virology 

  Abdel-Moneim, Ahmed S.; Murovska, Modra; Soderlund-Venermo, Maria; Vakharia, Vikram N.; Wilson, William C.; Gladue, Douglas P.; Moore, Matthew D.; Alonso, Covadonga; Abdelwahab, Sayed F.; Venter, Marietjie; Malik, Yashpal S.; Zhengli, Shi; Saxena, Shailendra K.; Varma, Anupam; Kuhn, Richard J. (Elsevier, 2024-06)

  The Second International Conference of the World Society for Virology (WSV), hosted by Riga Stradiņš University, was held in Riga, Latvia, on June 15–17th, 2023. It prominently highlighted the recent advancements in different ...
• Results from the second WHO external quality assessment for the molecular detection of respiratory syncytial virus, 2019– 2020 

  Williams, Thomas; Jackson, Sandra; Barr, Ian; Bi, Shabana; Bhiman, Jinal N.; Ellis, Joanna; Von Gottberg, Anne; Lindstrom, Stephen; Peret, Teresa; Rughooputh, Sanjiv; Viegas, Mariana; Hirve, Siddhivinayak; Zambon, Maria; Zhang, Wenqing; WHO RSV Surveillance Group; MH Al-Nabet, Ajaeb Dakhilalla; Abubakar, Abdinasir; Tivane, Almiro; Barakat, Amal; Naguib, Amel; Aziz, Ammar; Vicari, Andrea; Moen, Ann; Govindakarnavar, Arunkumar; Hall, Aron; Darmaa, Badarch; Bastien, Nathalie; Herring, Belinda; Caetano, Braulia C.; Whittaker, Brett; Baumeister, Elsa; Nakoune, Emmanuel; Guthrie, Erica; Inbanathan, Francis; Nair, Harish; Campbell, Harry; Kadjo, Herve A.; Oumzil, Hicham; Heraud, Jean-Michel; Mott, Joshua A.; Namulondo, Joyce; Leite, Juliana; Nahapetyan, Karen; Al Ariqi, Lubna; Gazo, Mahmoud Hamad Ibraheem; Chadha, Mandeep; Pisareva, Maria; Venter, Marietjie; Siqueira, Marilda M.; Lumandas, Mayan; Niang, Mbayame; Albuaini, Mona; Salman, Muhammad; Dia, Ndongo; Razanazatovo, Norosoa; Oberste, Steve; Srikantiah, Padmini; Tang, Patrick; Couto, Paula; Smith, Peter; Coyle, Peter Valentine; Dussart, Philippe; Nguyen, Phuong Nam; Okada, Pilailuk Akkapaiboon; Wijesinghe, Pushpa Ranjan; Samuel, Reuben; Brown, Richard; Pebody, Richard; Fasce, Rodrigo; Jha, Runa; Lindstrom, Stephen; Gerber, Sue; Potdar, Varsha; Dong, Xiaomin; Deng, Yi Mo (Wiley, 2023-01)

  BACKGROUND : External quality assessments (EQAs) for the molecular detection of human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are necessary to ensure the standardisation of reliable results. The Phase II, 2019–2020 World Health ...
• Advances in understanding bat infection dynamics across biological scales 

  Sanchez, Cecilia A.; Phelps, Kendra L.; Frank, Hannah K.; Geldenhuys, Marike; Griffiths, Megan E.; Jones, Devin N.; Kettenburg, Gwenddolen; Lunn, Tamika J.; Moreno, Kelsey R.; Mortlock, Marinda; Vicente-Santos, Amanda; Viquez-R, Luis R.; Kading, Rebekah C.; Markotter, Wanda; Reeder, DeeAnn M.; Olival, Kevin J. (Royal Society Publishing, 2024-03)

  Over the past two decades, research on bat-associated microbes such as viruses, bacteria and fungi has dramatically increased. Here, we synthesize themes from a conference symposium focused on advances in the research of ...
• Epidemiology and aetiology of moderate to severe diarrhoea in hospitalised patients ≥5 years old living with HIV in South Africa, 2018- 2021 : a case-control analysis 

  Johnstone, Siobhan; Erasmus, Linda; Thomas, Juno; Groome, Michelle J.; Du Plessis, Nicolette Marie; Avenant, Theunis Johannes; De Villiers, Maryke; Page, N.A. (Nicola) (Public Library of Science, 2023-09-08)

  Diarrhoea is a recognised complication of HIV-infection, yet there are limited local aetiological data in this high-risk group. These data are important for informing public health interventions and updating diagnostic ...
• Identification and molecular characterization of Shamonda virus in an aborted goat fetus in South Africa 

  Van der Walt, Miné; Rakaki, Matshepo E.; MacIntyre, Caitlin; Mendes, Adriano; Junglen, Sandra; Theron, Cherise; Anthony, Tasneem; O’Dell, Nicolize; Venter, Marietjie (MDPI, 2023-08)

  Viruses in the Orthobunyavirus genus, Peribunyaviridae family, are associated with encephalitis, birth defects and fatalities in animals, and some are zoonotic. Molecular diagnostic investigations of animals with ...
• Divergent Hantavirus in Somali shrews (Crocidura somalica) in the semi-arid North Rift, Kenya 

  Omoga, Dorcus Caroline Achieng; Tchouassi, David P.; Venter, Marietjie; Ogola, Edwin; Rotich, Gilbert; Muthoni, Joseph N.; Ondifu, Dickens O.; Torto, Baldwyn; Junglen, Sandra; Sang, Rosemary (MDPI, 2023-05-07)

  Hantaviruses are zoonotic rodent-borne viruses that are known to infect humans and cause various symptoms of disease, including hemorrhagic fever with renal and cardiopulmonary syndromes. They have a segmented single-stranded, ...
• Developing African arbovirus networks and capacity strengthening in arbovirus surveillance and response : findings from a virtual workshop 

  Braack, Leo; Wulandhari, Shobiechah A.; Chanda, Emmanuel; Fouque, Florence; Merle, Corinne S.; Nwangwu, Udoka; Velayudhan, Raman; Venter, Marietjie; Yahouedo, A. Gildas; Lines, Jo; Aung, Poe Poe; Chan, Kallista; Abeku, Tarakegn A.; Tibenderana, James; Clarke, Sian E. (BMC, 2023-04-14)

  This meeting report presents the key findings and discussion points of a 3-h virtual workshop, held on 21 September 2022, and organized by the “Resilience Against Future Threats through Vector Control (RAFT)” research ...
• Characterization of mosquito host-biting networks of potential Rift Valley fever virus vectors in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa 

  Makhanthisa, Takalani Irene; Guarido, Milehna M.; Kemp, Alan; Weyer, Jacqueline; Rostal, Melinda K.; Karesh, William B.; Thompson, P.N. (Peter N.) (BMC, 2024-08)

  BACKGROUND : Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a zoonotic mosquito-borne virus with serious implications for livestock health, human health, and the economy in Africa, and is suspected to be endemic in north-eastern ...
• Coding-complete genome of human alphaherpesvirus 1 isolated from a case of fulminant hepatitis 

  Viljoen, Natalie; Burt, Felicity; Weyer, Jacqueline (American Society for Microbiology, 2023-10)

  We report the coding-complete genome sequence of human alphaherpesvirus 1 (HHV1) isolated from a previously healthy 64-year-old male with fulminant hepatitis, a rare presentation of a common viral agent. The sequence is ...
• The values and risks of an intergovernmental Panel for One Health to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response 

  Hobeika, Alexandre; Stauffer, Maxime Henri Tibault; Dub, Timothee; Van Bortel, Wim; Beniston, Martin; Bukachi, Salome; Burci, Gian Luca; Crump, Lisa; Markotter, Wanda; Sepe, Ludovico Pasquale; Placella, Enrichetta; Roche, Benjamin; Thiongane, Oumy; Wang, Zhanyun; Guerin, Frederique; Van Kleef, Esther (Elsevier, 2023-08)

  The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the need for better global governance of pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) and has emphasised the importance of organised knowledge production and uptake. In this ...
• Reported antibiotic use among patients in the multicenter ANDEMIA infectious diseases surveillance study in sub-Saharan Africa 

  Wieters, Imke; Johnstone, Siobhan; Makiala-Mandanda, Sheila; Poda, Armel; Akoua-Koffi, Chantal; Abu Sin, Muna; Eckmanns, Tim; Galeone, Valentina; Kabore, Firmin; Kahwata, François; Leendertz, Fabian H.; Mputu, Benoit; Ouedraogo, Abdoul-Salam; Page, N.A.; Schink, Susanne B.; Toure, Fidele; Traoré, Adjaratou; Venter, Marietjie; Vietor, Ann Christin; Schubert, Grit; Tomczyk, Sara (BMC, 2024-01)

  BACKGROUND: Exposure to antibiotics has been shown to be one of the drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and is critical to address when planning and implementing strategies for combatting AMR. However, data on ...
• Now is the time to set up formal forums for clinical advice with emerging and zoonotic infections : a shared experience 

  Woolley, Stephen D.; Nel, Jeremy; Weyer, Jacqueline; Neary, Anne; Blumberg, Lucille Hellen; Beadsworth, Michael B.J. (Elsevier, 2024-07)

  No abstract available.
• Diversity of enteroviruses in cerebrospinal fluid specimens collected from hospitalised patients in the private and public sector in South Africa 

  Janse van Rensburg, Megan; Mans, Janet; Mafuyeka, Rendani T.; Strydom, Kathy-Anne; Myburgh, Marcelle; Van Zyl, Walda B. (Wiley, 2024-03)

  Enteroviruses cause a wide range of neurological illnesses such as encephalitis, meningitis, and acute flaccid paralysis. Two types of enteroviruses, echovirus E4 and E9, have recently been detected in South Africa and are ...
• Prevention of zoonotic spillover : from relying on response to reducing the risk at source 

  Markotter, Wanda; Mettenleiter, Thomas C.; Adisasmito, Wiku B.; Almuhairi, Salama; Behravesh, Casey Barton; Bilivogui, Pepe; Bukachi, Salome A.; Casas, Natalia; Becerra, Natalia Cediel; Charron, Dominique F.; Chaudhary, Abhishek; Zanella, Janice R. Ciacci; Cunningham, Andrew A.; Dar, Osman; Debnath, Nitish; Dungu, Baptiste; Farag, Elmoubasher; Gao, George F.; Hayman, David T.S.; Khaitsa, Margaret; Koopmans, Marion P.G.; Machalaba, Catherine; Mackenzie, John S.; Morand, Serge; Smolenskiy, Vyacheslav; Zhou, Lei (Public Library of Science, 2023-10-05)

  BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT : The devastating impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on human health globally has prompted extensive discussions on how to better prepare for and safeguard against the next pandemic. ...
• Variations in small-scale movements of, Rousettus aegyptiacus, a Marburg virus reservoir across a seasonal gradient 

  Wood, Matthew Roger; De Vries, J.L.; Epstein, Jonathan H.; Markotter, Wanda (BMC, 2023-07-18)

  BACKGROUND : Bats are increasingly being recognized as important hosts for viruses, some of which are zoonotic and carry the potential for spillover within human and livestock populations. Biosurveillance studies focused on ...
• Southern Africa's great escarpment as an amphitheater of climate-driven diversification and a buffer against future climate change in bats 

  Taylor, Peter J.; Kearney, Teresa C.; Clark, Vincent Ralph; Howard, Alexandra; Mdluli, Monday V.; Markotter, Wanda; Geldenhuys, Marike; Richards, Leigh R.; Rakotoarivelo, Andrinajoro R.; Watson, Johan; Balona, Julio; Monadjem, Ara (Wiley, 2024-06)

  Hosting 1460 plant and 126 vertebrate endemic species, the Great Escarpment (hereafter, Escarpment) forms a semi-circular “amphitheater” of mountains girdling southern Africa from arid west to temperate east. Since arid ...
• A rabies-related lyssavirus from a Nycticeinops schlieffeni bat with neurological signs, South Africa 

  Viljoen, Natalie; Ismail, Arshad; Weyer, Jacqueline; Markotter, Wanda (American Society for Microbiology, 2023-11)

  We report the coding-complete sequence of a lyssavirus, provisionally designated Phala bat lyssavirus (PBLV), characterized using a metagenomics approach. PBLV was identified in a Nycticeinops schlieffeni bat that exhibited ...
• mAb therapy controls CNS-resident lyssavirus infection via a CD4 T cell-dependent mechanism 

  Mastraccio, Kate E.; Huaman, Celeste; Coggins, Si’Ana A.; Clouse, Caitlyn; Rader, Madeline; Yan, Lianying; Mandal, Pratyusha; Hussain, Imran; Ahmed, Anwar E.; Ho, Trung; Feasley, Austin; Vu, Bang K.; Smith, Ina L.; Markotter, Wanda; Weir, Dawn L; Laing, Eric D.; Broder, Christopher C; Schaefer, Brian C. (Springer, 2023-09-20)

  Infections with rabies virus (RABV) and related lyssaviruses are uniformly fatal once virus accesses the central nervous system (CNS) and causes disease signs. Current immunotherapies are thus focused on the early, ...

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