Molecular characterization of African swine fever viruses from Burkina Faso, 2018.

BACKGROUND: African swine fever (ASF) is a viral hemorrhagic disease of domestic and wild swine. ASF has been endemic in Burkina Faso since 2003. In October 2018, substantial pig deaths occurred in Ouagadougou and two neighboring municipalities in central Burkina Faso. Following these mortalities, the veterinary extension services carried out investigations to begin control measures and collect samples. METHODS: We performed real-time PCR for diagnostic confirmation and molecular characterization of the virus based on the partial P72, the complete p54, the partial CD2v, and partial B602L genes. RESULTS: The field study revealed that mortalities started two weeks before our investigations. The real-time PCR results confirmed ASFV DNA in twenty samples out of sixty-two blood samples collected in four different locations. The sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed that ASFVs causing these outbreaks belong to genotype I and serogroup 4. The study of the CVR showed 4 TRS variants, and that of the CD2v amino acid sequence revealed five variants based on the number of deleted KCPPPK motifs in the C-terminal proline-reach region of the protein. CONCLUSIONS: The existence of multiple variants in these outbreaks shows the importance of molecular characterization to understand the evolution of ASFV isolates and the link between epidemics.

Seroprevalence and determinants of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia in cattle in Burkina Faso.

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is a bacterial disease caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. Mycoides. This disease affects ruminants mainly cattle with respiratory disorders as predominant symptoms. In Burkina Faso, this condition has been considered as enzootic since several years but data on its seroprevalence remains scares. This study aimed to establish the serological prevalence and determinants of CBPP in Burkina Faso in 2017. For this purpose, 3969 serum samples have been collected following a stratified sampling plan based on vaccination coverage in 12 regions, 84 communes, and 210 villages and analyzed using c-ELISA test. Individual seroprevalence was 16.91% (95% CI: 15.74-18.07%), while 84.5% (95% CI: 60.46-80.02%) of communes, chosen as epidemiological units were found positive. The individual prevalence was found to be associated with agro-ecological area (p < 0.05) and a prevalence of 18.70% (95% CI: 16.74-20.66%) was noted in Sahelian areas, while 15.79% (95% CI: 14.34-17.23%) was found in Soudanian areas. The prevalence was also significantly associated with vaccination coverage (p < 0.05) with a prevalence of 13.92% (95% CI: 11.66-16.18%), 19.21% (95% CI: 16.66-20.75%) and 11.61%(95% CI: 9.00-14.23%) for high, moderate, and low vaccination coverage respectively. The individual prevalence was respectively 16.97 (95% CI: 15.56-18.39%) and 17.13% (95% CI: 15.93-18.33%) for female and animals more than 2 years old. According to regions, the highest seroprevalence was found in Plateau Central region (38.18%, 95% CI: 29.1-47.26%), while the lowest was found in Centre-Est Region (7%, 95% CI: 4.5-9.5%). These prevalence data will allow us to adapt the ongoing strategy to control CBPP in Burkina Faso.

Corrigendum: Genetic Evidence for Transboundary Circulation of Peste Des Petits Ruminants Across West Africa.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00275.].

Genetic Evidence for Transboundary Circulation of Peste Des Petits Ruminants Across West Africa.

Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is a viral disease affecting predominantly small ruminants. Due to its transboundary nature, regional coordination of control strategies will be key to the success of the on-going PPR eradication campaign. Here, we aimed at exploring the extent of transboundary movement of PPR in West Africa using phylogenetic analyses based on partial viral gene sequences. We collected samples and obtained partial nucleoprotein gene sequence from PPR-infected small ruminants across countries within West Africa. This new sequence data was combined with publically available data from the region to perform phylogenetic analyses. A total of fifty-five sequences were obtained in a region still poorly sampled. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the majority of virus sequences obtained in this study were placed within genetic clusters regrouping samples from multiple West African countries. Some of these clusters contained samples from countries sharing borders. In other cases, clusters grouped samples from very distant countries. Our results suggest extensive and recurrent transboundary movements of PPR within West Africa, supporting the need for a regional coordinated strategy for PPR surveillance and control in the region. Simple phylogenetic analyses based on readily available data can provide information on PPR transboundary dynamics and, therefore, could contribute to improve control strategies. On-going and future projects dedicated to PPR should include extensive genetic characterization and phylogenetic analyses of circulating viral strains in their effort to support the campaign for global eradication of the disease.