Role and Contribution of Serological Surveillance in Animals and Exposed Humans to the Study of Zoonotic Influenza Disease Epidemiology: A Scoping Review.

Zoonotic influenza viruses pose a significant and evolving public health threat. In response to the recent rise in H5N1 cross-species transmission, the World Health Organization (WHO) R&D Blueprint for Epidemics consultations have prioritized strengthening surveillance, candidate vaccines, diagnostics, and pandemic preparedness. Serological surveillance plays a pivotal role by providing insights into the prevalence and transmission dynamics of influenza viruses.

Trends in the seroprevalence of hepatitis C viruses among patients received at the Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, with an indication of anti-HCV Ac serology from 2019 to 2024.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in resource-limited countries. Hepatitis C is a major cause of cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death. This study aimed to determine trends in the seroprevalence of hepatitis C among patients at the Centre Pasteur du Cameroun with anti-HCV antibody serology from 2019 to 2024.

High proportion of hepatitis B virus-infected patients at a mild stage of disease progression: a cross-sectional study in a single reference laboratory in Cameroon.

Introduction: hepatitis B causes significant suffering owing to acute and chronic infection leading to complications such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Chronic Hepatitis B infection can be identified by the simultaneous use of virological, serological and biochemical markers involved in monitoring the progression of the disease. In Africa, only 1% of people infected are screened, and few benefit from antiviral treatment.

Transmission Pathways of Zoonotic Influenza Viruses and Influencing Factors: A Systematic Review of Recent Findings.

Recent outbreaks of zoonotic influenza viruses underscored the need for a deeper understanding of transmission pathways and factors influencing spillover events. Understanding the combined effects of environmental conditions, host interactions, and viral adaptations is essential for effective preparedness and response. The WHO public health research agenda for influenza, revised in 2017, recommended research to further define the host-to-host transmission pathways of influenza type A viruses.

Genomics reveals zoonotic and sustained human mpox spread in West Africa.

Five years before the 2022 multi-country mpox outbreak, Nigeria and Cameroon reported their first cases in more than three decades. Whereas the outbreak in Nigeria is recognized as an ongoing human epidemic, the drivers of the resurgence in Cameroon remain unclear. The rate of zoonoses remains uncertain in both countries, and gaps in genomic data obscure the timing and zoonotic and geographic origin of monkeypox virus (MPXV) emergence in humans.

Direct amplification and sequencing of enterovirus genomes from clinical and wastewater samples reveals uncommon virus types in Cameroon.

Knowledge about the genetic diversity of enteroviruses in sub-Saharan Africa remains biased by the fact that it has mainly been described through the characterization of specimens isolated in cell cultures. The aim of this study was to characterize enteroviruses that circulate among humans in Cameroon by focusing more specifically on respiratory enteroviruses and on enteroviruses that are non-cultivable or non-cytopathogenic in standard cell lines. For this purpose, RNA was extracted from nasopharyngeal swabs, stool suspensions, and sewage concentrates collected in Cameroon from January 2018 to December 2019, and the RNA extracts were subjected to molecular screening to detect enterovirus genomes, which were subsequently sequenced using Illumina technology.

Investigation of influenza A of pandemic potential and MERS-Coronavirus in humans in Cameroon.

Objective: According to the World Health Organization, surveillance for respiratory viruses with pandemic potential should be included in routine surveillance to be on alert for zoonotic transmission. This study reports on data from the surveillance of influenza A/H5, influenza A/H7 and MERS-Coronavirus in Cameroon.

Results: A total of 855 participants were enrolled.

Meeting report: CEPI workshop on Rift Valley fever epidemiology and modeling to inform human vaccine development, Nairobi, 4-5 June 2024.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic viral disease that causes epidemics and epizootics among humans and livestock, resulting in substantial health and socioeconomic consequences. Currently, there are no RVF vaccines licensed for humans, but several candidates show promise in early-stage development. Existing gaps in RVF epidemiological data and challenges associated with predicting RVF outbreak risk complicate the planning of efficacy studies, making the pathway to licensure for promising candidates unclear.

Hepatitis B core-related antigen rapid diagnostic test for point-of-care identification of women at high risk of hepatitis B vertical transmission: a multicountry diagnostic accuracy study.

Background: Timely administration of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) birth dose vaccine, along with identifying high-risk pregnant individuals for antiviral prophylaxis, is essential for the global elimination of vertical transmission of HBV. However, in resource-limited settings, access to HBV DNA testing is scarce, and accurate rapid tests for HBeAg are lacking. We aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of a newly developed hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) rapid diagnostic test (RDT) to identify women who are HBsAg-positive and eligible for antiviral prophylaxis.

Molecular characterization of enteroviruses circulating among pigs and goats in two Central African countries, Cameroon and the Central African Republic.

To date, data on animal enteroviruses (EVs) are scarce, especially in Central Africa. The aim of this study was to characterize EVs among pigs and goats in Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR). A total of 226 pig and goat faecal samples collected in two previous studies carried out in Cameroon and CAR were pooled and screened with molecular assays targeting EV-Es, EV-Fs and EV-Gs.

Integrating hepatitis C testing and treatment into routine HIV care in Cameroon is feasible.

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence and adverse outcomes are higher among people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than people without HIV. Yet, HCV prevalence among people with HIV in Cameroon remains unknown, with HCV diagnosis and treatment largely inaccessible due to care centralization by specialists with high out-of-pocket costs. Integration of HCV services into routine HIV care by general practitioners could improve diagnosis and treatment coverage.

Emergence and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron (BA.1) variant across Africa: an observational study.

Background: In mid-November, 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant (B.1.1.

Rapid test for hepatitis B core-related antigen to identify people living with hepatitis B having high viral load in Cameroon.

This study presents a retrospective assessment of the diagnostic performance of the newly developed hepatitis B core-related antigen rapid diagnostic test (HBcrAg-RDT) in detecting plasma samples with elevated hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels (≥200,000 IU/ml) in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Samples were collected consecutively from treatment-naïve adults living with HBV between January 1, 2021, and June 30, 2023. Analyzing 146 samples from participants with a median age of 36 years, the HBcrAg-RDT exhibited a sensitivity of 97.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of rabies virus detected in rabid dogs in Cameroon, 2010-2021.

Rabies is a viral zoonosis that causes an estimated 60,000 human deaths each year, mainly in Africa and Asia. The etiological agent of rabies, the Rabies Lyssavirus or Rabies Virus (RABV) has been characterized in dog populations in Cameroon, in previous studies. However, the dynamics of RABV maintenance and propagation in dogs are still to be documented in Cameroon.

The 2024 Public Health Emergency of International Concern: A Global Failure to Control Mpox.

On August 14, 2024, following a regional declaration by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, marking the second such declaration in two years. A series of outbreaks involving the more virulent clade I virus (compared to clade II, which caused a global outbreak in 2022), has now spread in 13 African countries, exposing the inadequacies of the public health infrastructure in these settings. There was significant investment during the 2022 global outbreak, but these efforts failed to address vaccine access and treatment in the Global South.

Operational Research to Support Rapid Evidence-Based Responses to Outbreaks: Learnings from COVID-19.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for making testing readily available was recognized as an important factor for individuals to help make informed decisions, including to isolate or seek care, and for policymakers to control transmission. Toward this end, FIND and the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator funded 16 rapid operational research studies and one implementation project in Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia evaluating the utility, acceptability, and feasibility of different community-based SARS-CoV-2 testing approaches. Here, we discuss common factors and challenges encountered during study implementation.

Evaluation of the mpox surveillance system in Cameroon from 2018 to 2022: a laboratory cross-sectional study.

Background: Formal assessment of a surveillance system's features and its ability to achieve objectives is crucial for disease control and prevention. Since the implementation of the mpox surveillance system in Cameroon, no evaluation has been conducted.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we assessed the performance of the mpox surveillance system in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

A decade-long retrospective study of hepatitis C virus genetic diversity in Cameroon, 2013-2023: presence of a high proportion of unsubtypable and putative recombinant HCV strains.

While treatment options for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have expanded considerably over the past decade thanks to the development of pan-genotypic therapies, genotype testing remains a prerequisite for treatment in sub-Saharan African countries, including Cameroon, where multiple HCV genotypes and subtypes exist. The main objective of this study was to describe the trend in the distribution of HCV genotypes and subtypes from 2013 to 2023 in the Cameroonian population. Viral loads were determined using the Abbott real-time assay, and genotyping/subtyping was based on nested and semi-nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification of the regions encoding the core and non-structural protein 5B (NS5B) regions, respectively, followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.

Global hepatitis B and D community advisory board: expectations, challenges, and lessons learned.

Introduction: Community Advisory Boards (CABs) play an important role in developing and delivering patient-centered care. However, the impact of participation on CAB members has not been well studied, particularly on the global scale. In 2022, the Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF) convened the first global hepatitis B and hepatitis delta CAB with 23 members from 17 countries, representing six out of the seven World Health Organization (WHO) regions, and countries with the largest hepatitis B and hepatitis delta disease burden.