scholarly journals The Impact of Human Conflict on the Genetics of Mastomys natalensis and Lassa Virus in West Africa

PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. e37068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aude Lalis ◽  
Raphaël Leblois ◽  
Emilie Lecompte ◽  
Christiane Denys ◽  
Jan ter Meulen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Lassa Virus ◽  
Mastomys Natalensis ◽  
Human Conflict ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Experimental Morogoro Virus Infection in Its Natural Host, Mastomys natalensis

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 851
Author(s):  
Chris Hoffmann ◽  
Stephanie Wurr ◽  
Elisa Pallasch ◽  
Sabrina Bockholt ◽  
Toni Rieger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Persistent Infection ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Host Population ◽  
Natural Host ◽  
Lassa Virus ◽  
Mastomys Natalensis ◽  
Natural Hosts ◽  
History Of ◽  
Morogoro Virus ◽  
The Impact

Natural hosts of most arenaviruses are rodents. The human-pathogenic Lassa virus and several non-pathogenic arenaviruses such as Morogoro virus (MORV) share the same host species, namely Mastomys natalensis (M. natalensis). In this study, we investigated the history of infection and virus transmission within the natural host population. To this end, we infected M. natalensis at different ages with MORV and measured the health status of the animals, virus load in blood and organs, the development of virus-specific antibodies, and the ability of the infected individuals to transmit the virus. To explore the impact of the lack of evolutionary virus–host adaptation, experiments were also conducted with Mobala virus (MOBV), which does not share M. natalensis as a natural host. Animals infected with MORV up to two weeks after birth developed persistent infection, seroconverted and were able to transmit the virus horizontally. Animals older than two weeks at the time of infection rapidly cleared the virus. In contrast, MOBV-infected neonates neither developed persistent infection nor were able to transmit the virus. In conclusion, we demonstrate that MORV is able to develop persistent infection in its natural host, but only after inoculation shortly after birth. A related arenavirus that is not evolutionarily adapted to M. natalensis is not able to establish persistent infection. Persistently infected animals appear to be important to maintain virus transmission within the host population.

Fluctuation of Abundance and Lassa Virus Prevalence in Mastomys natalensis in Guinea, West Africa

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet ◽  
Emilie Lecompte ◽  
Lamine Koivogui ◽  
Barré Soropogui ◽  
Amadou Doré ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Lassa Virus ◽  
Mastomys Natalensis ◽  
Virus Prevalence

scholarly journals The impact of civil war on forest wildlife in West Africa: mammals in Gola Forest, Sierra Leone

Oryx ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy A. Lindsell ◽  
Erik Klop ◽  
Alhaji M. Siaka
Keyword(s):  
Civil War ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
African Buffalo ◽  
Lowland Forest ◽  
Detection Rates ◽  
Forest Reserves ◽  
Human Conflict ◽  
Bushmeat Trade ◽  
The Impact

AbstractHuman conflicts may sometimes benefit wildlife by depopulating wilderness areas but there is evidence from Africa that the impacts tend to be negative. The forested states of West Africa have experienced much recent human conflict but there have been no assessments of impacts on the wildlife. We conducted surveys of mammals in the 710-km2 Gola Forest reserves to assess the impact of the 1991–2001 civil war in Sierra Leone. Gola is the most important remaining tract of lowland forest in the country and a key site for the conservation of the highly threatened forests of the Upper Guinea region. We found that Gola has survived well despite being in the heart of the area occupied by the rebels. We recorded 44 species of larger mammal, including 18 threatened, near-threatened and endemic species, accounting for all species recorded in pre-war surveys and adding several more (African buffalo Syncerus caffer nanus and water chevrotain Hyemoschus aquaticus). Populations of primates were healthy with little evidence of decline. Duiker detection rates were low and further work is required to confirm their numbers as they include five species endemic (or near endemic) to the Upper Guinea region, three of which are threatened. However, the population of African forest elephants Loxodonta cyclotis has collapsed, with only a few individuals remaining from c. 110 in the mid 1980s. We conclude that peacetime pressures from the bushmeat trade, clearance for agriculture, logging and mining are likely to be far greater for Gola than the pressures from the civil war.

scholarly journals Establishment of a Genetically Confirmed Breeding Colony of Mastomys natalensis from Wild-Caught Founders from West Africa

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 590
Author(s):  
David Safronetz ◽  
Kyle Rosenke ◽  
Robert J. Fischer ◽  
Rachel A. LaCasse ◽  
Dana P. Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Lassa Fever ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Microbial Pathogens ◽  
Lassa Virus ◽  
Mastomys Natalensis ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Breeding Colony ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Laboratory Breeding

Mastomys natalensis are a ubiquitous and often dominant rodent across sub-Saharan Africa. Importantly, they are a natural reservoir for microbial pathogens including Lassa virus (LASV), the etiological agent of Lassa fever in humans. Lassa-infected rodents have been documented across West Africa and coincide with regions where annual outbreaks occur. Zoonotic transmission to humans most often occurs directly from infected rodents. Little is known about LASV infection kinetics and transmissibility in M.natalensis, primarily due to available animals. Here, we describe the establishment of a laboratory breeding colony of genetically confirmed M.natalensis from wild-captured rodents. This colony will provide a convenient source of animals to study LASV and other emerging pathogens that utilize M. natalensis in their enzootic lifecycles.

Determining Ancestry between Rodent- and Human-Derived Lassa Virus Sequences in Endemic Foci within West Africa: Indications of Reverse Zoonosis

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayodeji Olayemi ◽  
Adetunji Samuel Adesina ◽  
Thomas Strecker ◽  
N’Faly Magassouba ◽  
Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Lassa Virus

Lassa Virus Isolation from Mastomys natalensis Rodents during an Epidemic in Sierra Leone

Science ◽  
1974 ◽  
Vol 185 (4147) ◽  
pp. 263-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. P. Monath ◽  
V. F. Newhouse ◽  
G. E. Kemp ◽  
H. W. Setzer ◽  
A. Cacciapuoti
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Virus Isolation ◽  
Lassa Virus ◽  
Mastomys Natalensis

scholarly journals A bias-corrected CMIP5 dataset for Africa using the CDF-t method – a contribution to agricultural impact studies

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 313-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adjoua Moise Famien ◽  
Serge Janicot ◽  
Abe Delfin Ochou ◽  
Mathieu Vrac ◽  
Dimitri Defrance ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Global Climate Model ◽  
Cumulative Distribution ◽  
Shortwave Radiation ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Reference Dataset ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The objective of this paper is to present a new dataset of bias-corrected CMIP5 global climate model (GCM) daily data over Africa. This dataset was obtained using the cumulative distribution function transform (CDF-t) method, a method that has been applied to several regions and contexts but never to Africa. Here CDF-t has been applied over the period 1950–2099 combining Historical runs and climate change scenarios for six variables: precipitation, mean near-surface air temperature, near-surface maximum air temperature, near-surface minimum air temperature, surface downwelling shortwave radiation, and wind speed, which are critical variables for agricultural purposes. WFDEI has been used as the reference dataset to correct the GCMs. Evaluation of the results over West Africa has been carried out on a list of priority user-based metrics that were discussed and selected with stakeholders. It includes simulated yield using a crop model simulating maize growth. These bias-corrected GCM data have been compared with another available dataset of bias-corrected GCMs using WATCH Forcing Data as the reference dataset. The impact of WFD, WFDEI, and also EWEMBI reference datasets has been also examined in detail. It is shown that CDF-t is very effective at removing the biases and reducing the high inter-GCM scattering. Differences with other bias-corrected GCM data are mainly due to the differences among the reference datasets. This is particularly true for surface downwelling shortwave radiation, which has a significant impact in terms of simulated maize yields. Projections of future yields over West Africa are quite different, depending on the bias-correction method used. However all these projections show a similar relative decreasing trend over the 21st century.

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