Publications by authors named "Walter Muleya"

Domestic dogs are the main reservoir of Leishmania infantum, a causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis in humans. Although the disease is widespread in the world, the burden of visceral or any other disease form of leishmaniasis is poorly documented in Zambia, largely due to lack of surveillance. Recently, three cases of autochthonous canine leishmaniasis (CanL) were reported in Zambia following decades of presumed disease absence.

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Rabies, a fatal zoonotic disease, affects humans, domestic animals, and wildlife predominantly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In Malawi, rabies virus (RABV) is primarily transmitted by infected dogs, impacting humans and cattle. Lyssavirus has also been documented in insectivorous bats.

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Background: In Zambia, knowledge on the landscape of respiratory pathogens that circulated during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is limited.

Aim: This study investigated respiratory pathogens that circulated in Zambia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Setting: Nasopharyngeal specimens collected between July 2020 and July 2021 for COVID-19 testing in hospitals, ports of entry, persons seeking certificates for international travel and in communities were used.

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Background: Infectious disease agents pose significant threats to humans, wildlife, and livestock, with rodents carrying a third of these agents, many linked to human diseases. However, the range of pathogens in rodents and the hotspots for disease remain poorly understood.

Aim: This study evaluated the prevalence of viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens in rodents in riverine and non-riverine areas in selected districts in Zambia.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the tick microbiome in selected districts of Zambia to understand how it interacts with pathogens and influences tick behavior and disease transmission.
  • Researchers collected 94 ticks from cattle and used PCR and high-throughput sequencing to analyze the microbiome composition and detect pathogen prevalence.
  • Findings revealed a 47.9% prevalence of certain pathogens with significant variations in microbiome composition based on detection status and location, offering new insights into tick microbiomes in Zambia.
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Background: Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) in are a serious concern due to their role in developing multidrug resistance (MDR) and difficult-to-treat infections.

Objective: This study aimed to identify ESBL-carrying strains from both clinical and environmental sources in Lusaka District, Zambia.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 58 ESBL-producing strains from hospital inpatients, outpatients, and non-hospital environments.

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In sub-Saharan Africa, limited studies have investigated zoonotic pathogens that may be harboured by ticks infesting reptiles such as tortoises. Here, we report the presence of pathogenic in ticks () collected from the leopard tortoise () in rural Zambia. Using polymerase chain reaction, 56% (49/87) of ticks were positive for the outer membrane protein () gene.

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Wastewater-based surveillance has emerged as an important method for monitoring the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater in Zambia. We conducted a longitudinal study in the Copperbelt and Eastern provinces of Zambia from October 2023 to December 2023 during which 155 wastewater samples were collected.

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Rabies persists as a longstanding issue in Zambia, despite being preventable. The current control measures, including dog vaccination, population control, and movement restriction, guided by 'The Control of Dogs Act Chapter 247 of the Laws of Zambia', have not yielded the desired impact in many areas of the country including Manyinga and Mwansabombwe districts. These two districts continue to report low dog vaccination rates, unrestricted dog movements, and escalating cases of animal and human rabies, along with dog bites.

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Urogenital schistosomiasis remains a pervasive health challenge in rural Zambian communities. This study explores the molecular epidemiology and genetic diversity of Schistosoma haematobium using mitochondrial genes (cox1 and nadh1). Urine samples from 421 children in Siavonga and Lusaka districts, Zambia, were collected between December 2020 and February 2022.

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  • Theileriosis caused by Theileria parva is leading to high cattle deaths in Zambia, with infected buffalo posing a significant risk to cattle health.
  • A study examining blood samples from buffalo and cattle revealed a high rate of T. parva infection in buffalo (76.7%) compared to cattle (19.3%), identifying different p67 allele types linked to specific diseases.
  • The findings suggest that control measures for T. parva may need to be revisited to protect cattle from infections derived from buffalo, highlighting the importance of considering the genetic diversity of T. parva when developing vaccines.
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Rickettsial pathogens are among the emerging and re-emerging vector-borne zoonoses of public health importance. Reports indicate human exposure to Rickettsial pathogens in Namibia through serological surveys, but there is a lack of data on infection rates in tick vectors, hindering the assessment of the relative risk to humans. Our study sought to screen Ixodid ticks collected from livestock for the presence of species in order to determine infection rates in ticks and to determine the species circulating in the country.

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Objectives: Annual outbreaks of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) are caused by newly introduced and locally persistent strains. During the COVID-19 pandemic, global and local circulation of HRSV significantly decreased. This study was conducted to characterize HRSV in 2018-2022 and to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on the evolution of HRSV.

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  • Poultry is a vital, affordable source of nutrition in Zambian households, but diseases in chickens remain a significant concern for farmers.
  • A study examined 215 samples from diseased chickens in Lusaka, finding various bacteria responsible for infections, with over 40% of samples testing positive for specific pathogens.
  • High levels of antibiotic resistance were discovered, linked to improper antimicrobial use, raising public health concerns due to the presence of dangerous bacteria capable of producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs).
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  • * A study in Zambia identified eighteen new species of bunyaviruses using a broad-spectrum RT-PCR method, along with RNA sequencing to analyze their genomes.
  • * Combining RT-PCR and RNA sequencing revealed a rich diversity of bunyaviruses and provided insights into the ecology of mosquitoes that consume blood.
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Background: infections are a public health problem across the globe. In South Sudan, there is little information regarding the prevalence and antibiotic resistance patterns of . Therefore, this study assessed the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates from chickens and humans in South Sudan.

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Rickettsiales of the genus Anaplasma are globally distributed tick-borne pathogens of animals and humans with complex epidemiological cycles. Anaplasmosis is an important livestock disease in Zambia but its epidemiological information is inadequate. This study aimed to detect and characterize the species of Anaplasma present in domestic and wild ruminants in Zambia with a focus on the infection risk posed by the translocation of sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) from North-Western Province to Lusaka Province.

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Although rabies is endemic in Malawi, there have been no studies in which rabies virus was systematically investigated and characterized in multiple animal hosts in that country. In order to provide molecular epidemiological data on rabies virus in Malawi, 683 suspected rabies case reports from 2008 to 2021 were examined, and 46 (dog = 40, cow = 5, and cat = 1) viable rabies-positive brain samples archived at the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL), Lilongwe, Malawi, were analyzed genetically. The results showed an increase in the submission of brain samples from 2008 to 2010, with the highest number of submissions observed in 2020.

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Objectives: To determine the prevalence of COVID-19 postmortem setting in Lusaka, Zambia.

Design: A systematic, postmortem prevalence study.

Setting: A busy, inner-city morgue in Lusaka.

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The epidemiology of Rift Valley fever (RVF) is poorly understood in Malawi. Here, a cross-sectional study was conducted (March-June 2020) to investigate the seroprevalence and potential risk factors of RVF virus (RVFV) in cattle, goats, and sheep in three ecological zones of Malawi. A total of 1523 serum samples were tested for anti-RVFV IgG and IgM antibodies by ELISA.

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  • The study explored how mammarenaviruses, specifically the Luna virus (LUAV), are transmitted among rodents in Zambia using advanced sequencing techniques.
  • LUAV was found in 7.7% of the examined rodents, predominantly in semen, with significant presence in fetuses and a correlation with helminth infections in certain cases.
  • Factors such as age, sex, and types of helminths were linked to higher detection rates of LUAV, suggesting a need for further research into how these viruses and co-infections spread.
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Background: sp. is a common enteric eukaryote of humans whose pathogenicity is still debatable. However, a number of reported colonization associated with enteric disease exist.

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) have significantly impacted the global epidemiology of the pandemic. From December 2020 to April 2022, we conducted genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in the Southern Province of Zambia, a region that shares international borders with Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe and is a major tourist destination. Genetic analysis of 40 SARS-CoV-2 whole genomes revealed the circulation of Alpha (B.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Schistosomiasis, specifically urinary schistosomiasis, is a significant public health issue in Zambia, with a prevalence of 9.7% among 421 primary school children studied in the Siavonga and Lusaka districts.
  • - The study found that boys (6.2%) were more affected than girls (3.5%), and children aged 11-15 had the highest rates, while those who did not participate in fishing had a much lower likelihood of infection.
  • - Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the identified parasite strains closely resemble those from Zimbabwe and other African countries, suggesting a connection and highlighting the zoonotic risk of the disease.
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