Molecular, serological and epidemiological observations after a suspected outbreak of plague in Nyimba, eastern Zambia

Nyirenda, Stanley S.; Hang’ombe, Bernard M.; Kilonzo, B. S.; Kabeta, Mathews N; Cornellius, Mundia; Sinkala, Yona

doi:10.1177/0049475516662804

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Sequences of strains isolated from these hosts were similar, indicating a multi-host zoonotic circulation and they demonstrated very close evolutionary relationships with Antiqua strains from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya. In addition, serological studies conducted in the same area showed that 16.0% (4/25) of rodents, 16.7% (1/6) of shrews and 6.0% (5/83) of goats were positive for IgG antibodies against Fraction 1 antigen of Y. pestis, a result supporting the idea of active circulation of the bacterium in the geographic area [70]. Risk factors associated with human outbreaks in Zambia included heavy rains leading to a huge surge of rodents and fleas, hunting, unhygienic human habitats, preparation and consumption of rodents [71,72].…”

Section: Flea-borne Zoonotic Pathogensmentioning

confidence: 65%

Current knowledge of vector-borne zoonotic pathogens in Zambia: A clarion call to scaling-up “One Health” research in the wake of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases

et al. 2022

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Background Although vector-borne zoonotic diseases are a major public health threat globally, they are usually neglected, especially among resource-constrained countries, including those in sub-Saharan Africa. This scoping review examined the current knowledge and identified research gaps of vector-borne zoonotic pathogens in Zambia. Methods and findings Major scientific databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, CABI, Scientific Information Database (SID)) were searched for articles describing vector-borne (mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and tsetse flies) zoonotic pathogens in Zambia. Several mosquito-borne arboviruses have been reported including Yellow fever, Ntaya, Mayaro, Dengue, Zika, West Nile, Chikungunya, Sindbis, and Rift Valley fever viruses. Flea-borne zoonotic pathogens reported include Yersinia pestis and Rickettsia felis. Trypanosoma sp. was the only tsetse fly-borne pathogen identified. Further, tick-borne zoonotic pathogens reported included Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic fever virus, Rickettsia sp., Anaplasma sp., Ehrlichia sp., Borrelia sp., and Coxiella burnetii. Conclusions This study revealed the presence of many vector-borne zoonotic pathogens circulating in vectors and animals in Zambia. Though reports of human clinical cases were limited, several serological studies provided considerable evidence of zoonotic transmission of vector-borne pathogens in humans. However, the disease burden in humans attributable to vector-borne zoonotic infections could not be ascertained from the available reports and this precludes the formulation of national policies that could help in the control and mitigation of the impact of these diseases in Zambia. Therefore, there is an urgent need to scale-up “One Health” research in emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases to enable the country to prepare for future epidemics, including pandemics.

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Section: Flea-borne Zoonotic Pathogensmentioning

confidence: 65%

Current knowledge of vector-borne zoonotic pathogens in Zambia: A clarion call to scaling-up “One Health” research in the wake of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases

et al. 2022

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“…Traps were inspected the following morning and captured animals were taken to a nearby mobile laboratory for organ and flea collection. Trapping continued for three consecutive days in the same area as previously described elsewhere [ 13 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These are Chama, Lundazi, Sinda and Nyimba [ 11 ]. However, in the past 15 years, the disease has occurred in the latter two districts, with the latest outbreak occurring in the Nyimba district in March 2015 [ 13 ]. No efforts have been made so far to identify the biotype or biovars of the bacterium in the area.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular epidemiological investigations of plague in Eastern Province of Zambia

et al. 2018

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BackgroundPlague is a flea-borne zoonotic and invasive disease caused by a gram negative coccobacillus bacterium called Yersinia pestis. Plague has caused three devastating pandemics globally namely: the Justinian, Black Death and Oriental plague. The disease in the Eastern Province of Zambia has been reported in Nyimba and Sinda Districts in the past 15 years. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology of plague in the two affected districts. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), targeting Plasminogen activator gene (pla gene) of Y. pestis, was performed on suspected human bubo aspirates (n = 7), rodents (n = 216), shrews (n = 27) and fleas (n = 1494). Of these, one positive sample from each source or host was subjected to sequencing followed by phylogenetic analysis.ResultsThe plasminogen activator gene (pla gene) of Y. pestis was detected in 42.8% bubo aspirates, 6.9% rodents, 3.7% shrew and 0.8% fleas. The fleas were from pigs (n = 4), goats (n = 5) and rodents (n = 3). The sequencing and phylogenetic analysis suggested that the pla gene of Y. pestis in Nyimba and Sinda was similar and the isolates demonstrated a high degree of evolutionary relationship with Antiqua strains from the Republic of Congo and Kenya.ConclusionIt can be concluded that pla gene of Y. pestis was present in various hosts in the two districts and the strains circulating in each district were similar and resembles those in the Republic of Congo and Kenya.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-017-1146-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…The study was conducted in the eastern Zambia, where plague has been reported in the recent past. In this area, four plague foci have been identified namely Tembwe in Chama District in 1917 and 1956, 2,3 Luembe in Nyimba District in 2015, 4 both are in northern and southern Luangwa valley. Others are Mukomba in Lundazi District in 1956 2 and Nyanje in Sinda District in 2001 and 2007.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[1][2][3] Since then, a number of outbreaks of the disease have occurred in various parts of the country, the latest being in Nyimba District, southern part of Luangwa valley in March 2015, in which three fatal cases were recorded. 4 According to Low and Newman (1920), the spread of the disease from one village to another in Northern Luangwa valley was largely facilitated by sociocultural practices such as polygamy, where a man having more than one wife was shifting from one house or village to another and might have moved with infected fleas. Rodents hunting habits have also played a role in plague transmission.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of Risk Factors Associated with Transmission of Plague Disease in Eastern Zambia

Nyirenda

Hang’ombe

Machang’u

et al. 2017

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Plague is a fatal, primarily rodent-flea-borne zoonotic disease caused by . The identification of risk factors of plague was investigated through questionnaire interview and conducting focus group discussion (FGD) in Sinda and Nyimba districts of eastern Zambia. A total of 104 questionnaires were administered to individual respondents and 20 groups consisting of 181 discussants, which comprised FGD team in this study. The study revealed that trapping, transportation, and preparation of rodents for food exposed the community to rodent and their fleas suggesting that plague may have occurred primarily by either flea bites or contact with infected wild rodents. The study also revealed that most people in communities consumed rodents as part of their regular diet; therefore, contact with small wild mammals was a common practice. The mode of transportation of freshly trapped rodents, in particular, carcasses risked human to flea bites. Questionnaire respondents (75%) and FGD discussants (55%) indicated that trappers preferred to carry rodent carcasses in small bags, whereas 55.8% and 20% respectively, reported hunters carrying carcasses in their pockets. Carrying of carcass skewers on trappers' shoulders was reported by 38.4% and 20% of individual respondents and FGD, respectively. All these activities were exposing humans to rodents and their fleas, the natural reservoirs and vectors of plague, respectively. This study also showed that there is a statistically significant (χ = 4.6878, < 0.05), between digging of rodents from their burrows and the presence of fleas on the hunter's bodies or clothes, which exposes humans to potentially flea bites in an enzootic cycle.

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Molecular, serological and epidemiological observations after a suspected outbreak of plague in Nyimba, eastern Zambia

Cited by 9 publications

References 20 publications

Current knowledge of vector-borne zoonotic pathogens in Zambia: A clarion call to scaling-up “One Health” research in the wake of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases

Current knowledge of vector-borne zoonotic pathogens in Zambia: A clarion call to scaling-up “One Health” research in the wake of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases

Molecular epidemiological investigations of plague in Eastern Province of Zambia

Identification of Risk Factors Associated with Transmission of Plague Disease in Eastern Zambia

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