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Mangombi JB, N’dilimabaka N, Lekana-Douki JB, Banga O, Maghendji-Nzondo S, Bourgarel M, Leroy E, Fenollar F, Mediannikov O. First investigation of pathogenic bacteria, protozoa and viruses in rodents and shrews in context of forest-savannah-urban areas interface in the city of Franceville (Gabon). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248244. [PMID: 33684147 PMCID: PMC7939261 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodents are reservoirs of numerous zoonotic diseases caused by bacteria, protozoans, or viruses. In Gabon, the circulation and maintenance of rodent-borne zoonotic infectious agents are poorly studied and are often limited to one type of pathogen. Among the three existing studies on this topic, two are focused on a zoonotic virus, and the third is focused on rodent Plasmodium. In this study, we searched for a wide range of bacteria, protozoa and viruses in different organs of rodents from the town of Franceville in Gabon. Samples from one hundred and ninety-eight (198) small mammals captured, including two invasive rodent species, five native rodent species and 19 shrews belonging to the Soricidae family, were screened. The investigated pathogens were bacteria from the Rickettsiaceae and Anaplasmataceae families, Mycoplasma spp., Bartonella spp., Borrelia spp., Orientia spp., Occidentia spp., Leptospira spp., Streptobacillus moniliformis, Coxiella burnetii, and Yersinia pestis; parasites from class Kinetoplastida spp. (Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma spp.), Piroplasmidae spp., and Toxoplasma gondii; and viruses from Paramyxoviridae, Hantaviridae, Flaviviridae and Mammarenavirus spp. We identified the following pathogenic bacteria: Anaplasma spp. (8.1%; 16/198), Bartonella spp. (6.6%; 13/198), Coxiella spp. (5.1%; 10/198) and Leptospira spp. (3.5%; 7/198); and protozoans: Piroplasma sp. (1%; 2/198), Toxoplasma gondii (0.5%; 1/198), and Trypanosoma sp. (7%; 14/198). None of the targeted viral genes were detected. These pathogens were found in Gabonese rodents, mainly Lophuromys sp., Lemniscomys striatus and Praomys sp. We also identified new genotypes: Candidatus Bartonella gabonensis and Uncultured Anaplasma spp. This study shows that rodents in Gabon harbor some human pathogenic bacteria and protozoans. It is necessary to determine whether the identified microorganisms are capable of undergoing zoonotic transmission from rodents to humans and if they may be responsible for human cases of febrile disease of unknown etiology in Gabon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joa Braïthe Mangombi
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, Microbes, VITROME, Marseille, France
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Nadine N’dilimabaka
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
- Département de Biologie, Faculté des sciences, Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku (USTM), Franceville, Gabon
| | - Jean-Bernard Lekana-Douki
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
- Département de Parasitologie, Université des Sciences de la Santé (USS), Owendo, Libreville
| | - Octavie Banga
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
| | - Sydney Maghendji-Nzondo
- Département Epidémiologie-Biostatistique et Informatique Médicale (DEBIM), Université des Sciences de la Santé (USS), Owendo, Libreville
| | - Mathieu Bourgarel
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Harare, Zimbabwe
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRA, Montpellier, France
| | - Eric Leroy
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
- UMR MIVEGEC IRD-CNRS-UM, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Florence Fenollar
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, Microbes, VITROME, Marseille, France
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, Microbes, MEPHI, Marseille, France
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He X, Walker TDJ, Maranga IO, Oliver AW, Hampson L, Hampson IN. No biological evidence of XMRV infection in cervical smears from HIV/ HPV positive and negative Kenyan women. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47208. [PMID: 23056612 PMCID: PMC3466230 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2012] [Accepted: 09/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background XMRV (xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related virus) is a gammaretrovirus first discovered in human prostate carcinomas and later linked to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Emerging conflicting data and lack of reproducibility of results within the scientific community has now led to the association of XMRV with CFS being discounted. Indeed the case for an involvement with any human disease has been questioned with the suggestion that XMRV is a laboratory generated recombinant virus. The fact that not all published positive findings can be easily explained as contamination artefacts coupled with the observation that XMRV may have a sexually transmitted mode of infectivity and can be infectious for primates, where it preferential resides in cells of the reproductive tract, prompted us to look for evidence of XMRV in the cervical cells of a cohort of Kenyan women both with and without pre-existing HIV/HPV infections. Results Using a highly sensitive and selective triplex PCR approach we analysed DNA from the liquid based cytology (LBC) cervical smears of 224 Kenyan women. There was no evidence of XMRV expression in any of the sample population irrespective of HPV and/or HIV status. Conclusions The data presented show no indication of XMRV infection in any of the cervical samples screened in this study. Approximately 50% of the women were HIV positive but this did not influence the findings signifying that XMRV does not act as an opportunistic infection in this cohort nor is it related to HPV status. Our results therefore support the findings that XMRV is confined to the laboratory and does not currently represent an infectious agent for humans, with a cautionary adage that such potential zoonotic viruses should be carefully monitored in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotong He
- Viral Oncology Laboratories, University of Manchester School of Cancer & Enabling Sciences, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas D. J. Walker
- Viral Oncology Laboratories, University of Manchester School of Cancer & Enabling Sciences, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Innocent O. Maranga
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Anthony W. Oliver
- Viral Oncology Laboratories, University of Manchester School of Cancer & Enabling Sciences, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Lynne Hampson
- Viral Oncology Laboratories, University of Manchester School of Cancer & Enabling Sciences, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Ian N. Hampson
- Viral Oncology Laboratories, University of Manchester School of Cancer & Enabling Sciences, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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