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Transboundary spread of equine influenza viruses (H3N8) in West and Central Africa: Molecular characterization of identified viruses during outbreaks in Niger and Senegal, in 2019
Author(s) -
Diallo Alpha Amadou,
Souley Maman Moutari,
Issa Ibrahim Abdoulkarim,
Alassane Abdou,
Issa Rahila,
Gagara Haladou,
Yaou Bachir,
Issiakou Abdou,
Diop Mariame,
Ba Diouf Racky Oumar,
Lo Fatou Tall,
Lo Modou Moustapha,
Bakhoum Thierno,
Sylla Mamadou,
Seck Momar Talla,
Meseko Clement,
Shittu Ismaila,
Cullinane Ann,
Settypalli Tirumala B. K.,
Lamien Charles E.,
Dundon William G.,
Cattoli Giovanni
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
transboundary and emerging diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.392
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1865-1682
pISSN - 1865-1674
DOI - 10.1111/tbed.13779
Subject(s) - equine influenza , outbreak , donkey , virology , clade , biology , veterinary medicine , phylogenetic tree , geography , medicine , ecology , gene , biochemistry
Since November 2018, several countries in West and Central Africa have reported mortalities in donkeys and horses. Specifically, more than 66,000 horses and donkeys have succumbed to disease in Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal. Strangles caused by Streptococcus equi subsp equi , African Horse Sickness (AHS) virus, and Equine influenza virus (EIV) were all suspected as potential causative agents. This study reports the identification of EIV in field samples collected in Niger and Senegal. Phylogenetic analysis of the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes revealed that the identified viruses belonged to clade 1 of the Florida sublineage and were very similar to viruses identified in Nigeria in 2019. Interestingly, they were also more similar to EIVs from recent outbreaks in South America than to those in Europe and the USA. This is one of the first reports providing detailed description and characterization of EIVs in West and Central Africa region.