Molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of Kenyan human bocavirus isolates

Abstract

Introduction: The commonly expected causative agents associated with flu-like symptoms in Kenya are the classical viral pathogens identifiable as influenza virus, adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, enteroviruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and rhinovirus. However, newer agents have been identified globally that present with illnesses clinically indistinguishable from those caused by the classical pathogens; one of them is human bocavirus. Methodology: A total of 384 specimens were analyzed, primarily to determine if the emerging human bocavirus (HBoV) infections exist in Kenya as coinfections with other respiratory viruses and to describe the genotype of the virus in circulation. In brief, viral nucleic acids were extracted from culture supernatants, amplified by PCR, and sequenced. Results: HBoV DNA was amplified from 1.8% of screened specimens. Coinfection with parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, and enterovirus was 2.5%, 2%, and 1.4%, respectively. Multiple coinfections consisting of HBoV plus two other viruses were found in 3% of specimens. Isolation occurred in the months of January, March, April, August, and November. Retrospective review of clinical parameters indicated that all the individuals complained of non-specific symptoms, mainly fever, coughs, nasal stuffiness, runny noses, and vomiting. Phylogenetically, the GenBank deposited sequences of this study's isolates cluster closely to the reference strain NC_07455 (HBoV1). Conclusion: Coinfections with human bocavirus (HBoV1) occur in Kenya, and high incidence might primarily be during the early stages of children's lives.

Phylogenic analysis of human bocavirus detected in children with acute respiratory infection in Yaounde, Cameroon

“…1092480) following the manufacturer's instructions. HBoV positive samples were then selected and a fragment of the VP1/2 capsid gene was amplified by semi-nested PCR as described elsewhere [18]. Briefly, 10 µL of the DNA was added to 50 µL of PCR mixture containing of 24.5 µL of water, 1.5 µL of MgCl 2 at 50 mM, 1 µL dNTPs at 10 mM, 2,5 µL of VP-A sense primer (5′-GCACTTCTGTATCA-GATGCCTT-3′) at 10 µM, 2.5 µL of VP-B reverse primer (5′-CGTGGTATGTAGGCGTGTAG-3′) at 10 µM, 5 µL of 10× PCR buffer, 2.5 µL of the W1 solution at 1%, and 0.5 µL of the Taq DNA Polymerase (Invitrogen, USA, Cat No.…”

“…This proposal is consistent with the current nomenclature of the four HBoV species. A decade Open Access BMC Research Notes *Correspondence: njouom@pasteur-yaounde.org 1 Virology Unit, Centre Pasteur of Cameroon, Yaounde, BP 1274 Yaounde, Cameroon Full list of author information is available at the end of the article after the identification of HBoV-1 in Sweden, it has been detected at frequencies ranging from 2 to 19% [5] in several countries across Europe [6][7][8][9], Asia [10][11][12][13], America [14][15][16][17], Africa [18][19][20][21], Middle East [22][23][24], and Australia [4,25], revealing an overall distribution of this virus. These studies indicate that HBoV-1 is primarily a respiratory pathogen.…”

“…HBoVs are detected not only in the respiratory tract (HBoV-1 and 2), but also in the gastrointestinal tract (HBoV-1 to 4) where they are associated with gastroenteritis [5]. HBoV are highly conserved viruses and sequences obtained in various regions of the world by several groups highlight a high homology of genetic sequences [7,9,11,18,22].…”

Human Bocavirus Prevalence In Children With Acute Gastroenteritis From Rural Communities In The Northen Region Of South Africa

“…Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is recognized as one of major causes of mortality in children ≤5 years of age in Africa and other developing countries (1,2). AGE can be caused by several viral pathogens including Human Bocavirus (HBoV), which is an emerging viral agent reported as a potential cause of diarrhea, especially in young children (3,4).…”

Prevalence of Human Bocavirus in Africa and Other Developing Countries between 2005 and 2016: A Potential Emerging Viral Pathogen for Diarrhea

“…Diarrhea is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide [1,2]. Diarrhea is the third major cause of childhood mortality in children less than 5 years of age especially in Africa and developing countries [3][4][5]. The modes of transmission include ingestion of contaminated food or water (e.g., via flies, inadequate sanitation facilities, sewage and water treatment systems, and cleaning food with contaminated water), direct contact with infected feces (fecaloral route), person-to-person contact, and poor personal hygiene [6,7].…”