scholarly journals Multiplex detection of antibodies to Chikungunya, O’nyong-nyong, Zika, Dengue, West Nile and Usutu viruses in diverse non-human primate species from Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. e0009028
Author(s):  
Raisa Raulino ◽  
Guillaume Thaurignac ◽  
Christelle Butel ◽  
Christian Julian Villabona-Arenas ◽  
Thomas Foe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Simultaneous Detection ◽  
The Other ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Specificity And Sensitivity ◽  
Luminex Technology

Background Epidemic arbovirus transmission occurs among humans by mosquito bites and the sylvatic transmission cycles involving non-human primates (NHPs) still exists. However, limited data are available on the extent in NHPs infections and their role. In this study, we have developed and validated a high-throughput serological screening tool to study the circulation of multiple arboviruses that represent a significant threat to human health, in NHPs in Central Africa. Methodology/Principal findings Recombinant proteins NS1, envelope domain-3 (DIII) for the dengue (DENV), yellow fever (YFV), usutu (USUV), west nile (WNV) and zika (ZIKV) and envelope 2 for the chikungunya (CHIKV) and o'nyong-nyong (ONNV) were coupled to Luminex beads to detect IgG directed against these viruses. Evaluation of test performance was made using 161 human sera of known arboviral status (66 negative and 95 positive). The sensitivity and specificity of each antigen were determined by statistical methods and ROC curves (except for ONNV and USUV). All NS1 antigens (except NS1-YFV), CHIKV-E2 and WNV-DIII had sensitivities and specificities > 95%. For the other DIII antigens, the sensitivity was low, limiting the interest of their use for seroprevalence studies. Few simultaneous reactions were observed between the CHIKV+ samples and the NS1 antigens to the non-CHIKV arboviruses. On the other hand, the DENV+ samples crossed-reacted with NS1 of all the DENV serotypes (1 to 4), as well as with ZIKV, USUV and to a lesser extent with YFV. A total of 3,518 samples of 29 species of NHPs from Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were tested against NS1 (except YFV), E2 (CHIKV/ONNV) and DIII (WNV) antigens. In monkeys (n = 2,100), the global prevalence varied between 2 and 5% for the ten antigens tested. When we stratified by monkey’s biotope, the arboreal species showed the highest reactivity. In monkeys from Cameroon, the highest IgG prevalence were observed against ONNV-E2 and DENV2-NS1 with 3.95% and 3.40% respectively and in DRC, ONNV-E2 (6.63%) and WNV-NS1 (4.42%). Overall prevalence was low in apes (n = 1,418): ranging from 0% for USUV-NS1 to 2.6% for CHIKV-E2. However, a very large disparity was observed among collection site and ape species, e.g. 18% (9/40) and 8.2% (4/49) of gorillas were reactive with CHIKV-E2 or WNV-NS1, respectively in two different sites in Cameroon. Conclusions/Significance We have developed a serological assay based on Luminex technology, with high specificity and sensitivity for simultaneous detection of antibodies to 10 antigens from 6 different arboviruses. This is the first study that evaluated on a large scale the presence of antibodies to arboviruses in NHPs to evaluate their role in sylvatic cycles. The overall low prevalence (<5%) in more than 3,500 NHPs samples from Cameroon and the DRC does not allow us to affirm that NHP are reservoirs, but rather, intermediate hosts of these viruses.

scholarly journals Prevalence and Risk Factors of CKD in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo: A Large-Scale Population Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. 1251-1260
Author(s):  
Mannix Imani Masimango ◽  
Ernest Kiswaya Sumaili ◽  
Pierre Wallemacq ◽  
Espoir Bwenge Malembaka ◽  
Michel P. Hermans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Population Study ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Scale Population ◽  
South Kivu

scholarly journals Preliminary study of the avifauna of the families Numididae and Phasianidae (Galliformes) of the Bombo-Lumene hunting area and reserve in Kinshasa (DR Congo)

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 019-031
Author(s):  
Jean Victor Tshisuku Milolo ◽  
Dieudonné Musibono Eyul’anki ◽  
Constantin Lubini Ayingweu ◽  
Séraphin Ifuta Ndey Bibuya
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
The Other ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Dr Congo ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Numida Meleagris ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Hunting Estate

The present study consisted of the identification of Numididae and Phasianidae birds of the Bombo-Lumene Hunting Estate and Reserve with a view to a domestication trial of one or two of their species. It focuses on direct field observations and trapping of birds. The following parameters were targeted in relation to domestication: weight, size, diet of these birds. A total of 468 bird specimens were observed (105) and captured (363) in various habitats. Of the individuals captured, 31 or 8.5% were Numididae and 332 or 91.4% were Phasianidae. The identification revealed five (5) species, three (3) genera, two (2) families and a single order. The species Francolinus afer, Numida meleagris and Francolinus coqui are the richest with respectively 364 individuals, 58 individuals and 42 individuals. On the other hand, the species Guttera pucherani and Francolinus streptophorus are the least rich with three individuals and one individual respectively. As millet farming has already been successfully experimented elsewhere and in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the results obtained from the targeted parameters indicate that among the species identified, only the species Guttera pucherani (Numididae) and Francolinus afer (Phasianidae) are eligible for a domestication trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

scholarly journals An outbreak of West Nile fever among migrants in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo.

1999 ◽  
Vol 61 (6) ◽  
pp. 885-888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y A Nur ◽  
W Tuynman ◽  
C Copra ◽  
J Groen ◽  
H Heuvelmans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
West Nile Fever ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Republic Of Congo

scholarly journals ‘Non-protected’ primates as bushmeat, pets and pests in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 13251-13260
Author(s):  
Paul Kaseya Kazaba
Keyword(s):  
Legal Status ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Red List ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Urban Markets

This article reports the uses of primates in a fast-expanding city, and human-primate interactions in the vicinity of a protected area in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  Surveys in markets, households and restaurants suggested that primate meat is frequently sold and consumed in the city of Lubumbashi.  Carcasses of diurnal monkeys accounted for almost 10% of the total weight of smoked bushmeat sold between March and July 2016 in urban markets, and in 21% of households the last bushmeat consumed prior the date of the survey was of a primate species.  Kinda Baboons Papio kindae, Malbrouck Monkeys Chlorocebus cynosuros and Blue Monkeys Cercopithecus mitis were found illegally kept as pets.  Occasional observations and questionnaire surveys carried out in both the Sector North of Upemba National Park and its neighboring areas, indicated wild populations of these species which were mentioned as “pest primates” by 73% of respondents.  There is no compensation scheme for damages caused by wildlife to crops, and culling problematic animals was listed by a majority (70%) of respondents as the most effective way to repel crop-raiding primates.  Given the current population growth, and considering the increasing spatial overlap between human activities and wildlife, wild populations of these primates are no doubt at risk, but all the three species belong to the Least Concern category on the latest version of the IUCN Red List.  The Blue Monkey is a ‘partially protected’ species in DRC, while the two other benefit from less strict conservation measures and their legal status of ‘non-protected’ remains.  This situation illustrates the necessity of updating legal status and establishing a Red List of species at the country level.

Writing ‘Parrhesia’, Narrating ‘the Other Rwandan Genocide’

Matatu ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 418-434
Author(s):  
Nick Mdika Tembo
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
The Other ◽  
Narrative Form ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Testimonial Literature ◽  
Rwandan Genocide ◽  
Internally Displaced ◽  
Rhetorical Narrative

At the end of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, close to a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus had been murdered, and over 1.5 million people were either internally displaced or had fled over the borders into neighbouring countries and beyond for fear of reprisals from the advancing Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). This article places Marie Béatrice Umutesi’s Surviving the Slaughter (2004) and Pierre-Claver Ndacyayisenga’s Dying to Live (2012) within the context of post-1994 Rwandan testimonial literature that writes what is feared to be “the other Rwandan genocide,” particularly against those who fled to eastern Zaïre (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). In the two narratives, I argue, Umutesi and Ndacyayisenga destabilise and deconstruct the claim of genocide to create a literature that captures the anxieties of genocide memories in Rwanda. Specifically, Umutesi and Ndacyayisenga deploy a rhetorical narrative form that employs cynicism, bitter humour and a harsh tone to suggest that the suffering of Rwandans must not be seen, or even told, from a single perspective, and that only a balanced engagement with extant issues would lead to genuine reconciliation in Rwanda. To illustrate the ideological purpose at work in the two texts, I reference Michel Foucault’s parrhesia as a framework for understanding how the authors contest genocide memories in Rwanda.

scholarly journals The First Complete Genome Sequence of the African Swine Fever Virus Genotype X and Serogroup 7 Isolated in Domestic Pigs From the Democratic Republic of Congo

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick N. Bisimwa ◽  
Juliette R. Ongus ◽  
Lucilla Steinaa ◽  
Espoir B. Bisimwa ◽  
Bochere Edwina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Sequence ◽  
Complete Genome Sequence ◽  
Complete Genome ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
African Swine Fever Virus ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
The Other ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
South Kivu

Abstract Background: African swine fever (ASF), a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease, affects domestic pigs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where regular outbreaks are reported leading to high mortality rates approaching 100% in the affected regions. No study on the characteristics of the complete genome of strains responsible for ASF outbreaks in the South Kivu province of DRC is available, limited a better understanding of molecular evolution and spread of this virus within the country. The present study aimed at determining the complete genome sequence of ASFV strains genotype X involved in 2018-2019 ASF disease outbreaks in South Kivu province of DRC.Materials and Methods: Total genomic of a spleen sample from an ASFV genotype X-positive domestic pig in Uvira, during the 2018-2019 outbreaks in South Kivu, was sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq X platform. Obtained trimmed reads using Geneious Prime 2020.0.4 were blasted against a pig reference genome then contigs were generated from the unmapped reads enriched in ASFV DNA using Spades implemented in Geneious 2020.0.4. The assembly of the complete genome sequence of ASFV was achieved from the longest overlapping contigs. The new genome was annotated with the genome annotation transfer utility (GATU) software and the CLC Genomics Workbench 8 software was further used to search for any ORFs that failed to be identified by GATU. Subsequent analyses of the newly determined Uvira ASFV genotype X genome were done using BLAST for databases search, CLUSTAL W for multiple sequences alignments and MEGA X for phylogeny.Results: 42 Gbp paired-end reads of 150 bp long were obtained containing about 0.1% of ASFV DNA. The assembled Uvira ASFV genome, termed Uvira B53, was 180,916 bp long that could be assembled in 2 contigs. The Uvira B53genome had a GC content of 38.5%, encoded 168 open reading frames (ORFs) and had 98.8% nucleotide identity with the reference ASFV genotype X Kenya 1950. The phylogenetic relationship with selected representative genomes clustered the Uvira B53 strain together with ASFV genotype X reported to date (Kenya 1950 and Ken05/Tk1). Multiple genome sequences comparison with the two reference ASFV genotype X strains showed that 131 of the 168 ORFs were fully conserved in the Uvira B53. The other 37 ORFs were divergent mainly due to SNPs and indels (deletions and insertions). Most of 46 multigene family (MGF) genes identified were affected by various genetic variations. However, 8 MGF ORFs present in Kenya 1950 and Ken05/Tk1 were absent from the Uvira B53 genome including three members of MGF 360, four of MGF 110 and one of MGF 100 while one MGF ORF (MGF 360-1L) at the left end of the genome was truncated in Uvira B53. Moreover, ORFs DP96R and p285L were also absent in the Uvira B53 genome. In contrast, the ORF MGF 110-5L present in Uvira B53 and Ken05/Tk1 was missing in Kenya 1950. The analysis of the intergenic region between the I73R and I329L genes also revealed sequence variations between the three genotype X strains mainly characterized by a deletion of 69 bp in Uvira B53 and 36 bp in Kenya 1950, compared to Ken05/Tk1. Assessment of the CD2v (EP402R) antigen unveiled the presence of SNPs and indels particularly in the PPPKPY tandem repeat region between selected variants representing the eight serogroups reported to date. Uvira B53 had identical CD2v variable region to the Uganda (KM609361) strain, the other only ASFV serogroup 7 reported to date.Conclusion: We report the first complete genome sequence of an African swine fever virus (ASFV) p72 genotype X and CD2v serogroup 7, termed Uvira B53. This study provides vital data on genetic characteristics and evolution of ASFV useful for tracing the geographical spread of ASF and essential for improved design of control and management strategies against ASF.

scholarly journals Judicial Independence in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Myth or Reality?

2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 194-214
Author(s):  
Roger-Claude Liwanga
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Judicial Independence ◽  
The Other ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Supreme Council ◽  
The Status ◽  
Democratic Elections ◽  
The Impact

AbstractSoon after the first democratic elections were organized in 2006, the Democratic Republic of Congo engaged in a series of juridical reforms to ensure that the judiciary is free from interference from the other branches of government: the legislature and the executive. Accordingly, Law No 06/020 of 2006 on the Status of Magistrates and Law No 08/013 of 2008 on the Organization and Functioning of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary were enacted. This article examines judicial independence in the Democratic Republic of Congo today, and assesses the impact of the newly adopted legislation by comparing it with the preceding statutory provisions on the functioning of the judiciary. Do the laws on the status of magistrates and on the organization and functioning of the supreme council of the judiciary, as recently enacted, effectively strengthen the independence of the judiciary?

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