[IFE: a new African orbivirus isolated from Eidolon helvum bats captured in Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic]. / IFE: un nouvel orbivirus africain isolé chez des chauves-souris Eidolon helvum capturées au Nigeria, au Cameroun et en République centrafricaine.

Eight viral isolates were recovered from Eidolon helvum bats collected in Nigeria and Cameroon in 1971 and from the Central African Republic in 1974. Subsequent studies showed that the agents from the three countries were similar and were strains of a new virus of the Orbivirus genus, family Reoviridae. This new virus was characterized with respect to its sensitivity to lipid solvents and to pH, its relative size and morphology by electron microscopy, its effect on mice experimentally infected by various routes, the histopathology found in infected mice, and its antigenic relationship or lack of a relationship to other known orbiviruses.

[Hematophagous diptera arbovirus vectors in Africa (author's transl)]. / Les diptères hématophages vecteurs d'arbovirus en Afrique.

The authors, in a first part, show the general arthropods-viruses-vertebrates relationships and specially the different conditions of virus maintenance in the selvatic foci. Then they succinctly give the main characteristics of the vectors bioecology useful for understanding the epidemiology of arbovirus diseases of man and domestic animals. Thus diptera vectors of o'nyong-nyong and chikungunya fevers, yellow fever, dengue fever, Wesselsbron, Sindbis, and West Nile viruses, Rift Valley fever, sandfly fevers, bluetongue and african horsesickness are recorded. Lastly some attention is given to the range of virus-vector specificity and to the virulence variability of virus according to the vector.

[Isolation of a strain of Mokola virus in Cameroon (author's transl)]. / Isolement d'une souche de virus Mokola au Cameroun.

A strain of Mokola virus has been isolated in Cameroon from a shrew (Crocidura sp.). In Nigeria, where the virus was isolated for the first time, two human cases with one death were reported. The possibility of transmission of this virus by the bite of an arthropod is discussed.

[Incidence of Arbovirus isolated from mosquitoes in the forest region of South Cameroun, region of Yaoundé ]. / L'incidence des Arbovirus isolés des moustiques dans une région forestière du Sud Cameroun, la région de Yaoundés

The authors give results of a survey of arboviruses isolated from mosquitoes in the neighborhood of Yaoundé, Southern Cameroon, from 1964 to 1972. During this period of nine years 127.520 female mosquitoes including at least 72 species were collected and processed for attempt of virus isolation. 55 strains belonging to 12 viral types were recovered from at least 19 species of mosquitoes. The appearance of different viruses over the years was quite intermittent. A possible reason for this is the need for viruses to move in search of susceptible vertebrate hosts. There was not definite evidence of vector host specificity except likely for Anopheles gambiae s. l. as a vector of Tataguine. However, among the more infected species, some ones show by their host preferences they could be true vectors of the viruses isolated from them.

[Isolation of Thogoto virus from Amblyomma and Boophilus ticks in Central Africa]. / Isolement du virus Thogoto à partir de tiques Amblyomma et Boophilus en Afrique centrale

A survey has been carried out in the Cameroons and the Central African Republic about the role of the ticks in the ecology of arboviruses in Central Africa. Attempts for virus isolation were made for 12,678 Amblyomma variegatum, 3,276 Boophilus decoloratus and 1,769 Boophilus annulatus, by inoculation into suckling mice. From 968 pools which were inoculated, 20 yielded isolates which were identified to Thogoto virus. Considering previously published results concerning tick-borne virus isolations in the Central African Republic, it appears now that five arboviruses are present in the ticks in central Africa : Dugbe, Jos and Thogoto (in A. variegatum, B. decoloratus and B. annulatus), Bhanja (in A. variegatum) and Chf. Congo (in Hyalomma nitidum).