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PubMed2026

Phylogeography and molecular evolution of Newcastle disease virus across a century of global surveillance.

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) remains one of the most economically important avian pathogens worldwide, causing recurrent outbreaks in poultry despite decades of vaccination and disease control efforts. Since the first reported outbreak of NDV a hundred years ago, numerous molecular epidemiological studies have been conducted globally across diverse geographic and production settings. Following a century of NDV circulation and evolution, the present study aimed to compile all publicly available NDV sequence data and perform a comprehensive global analysis of the genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationship, and global spatiotemporal distribution of NDV over a 100-year timescale. All publicly available NDV complete genome and full-length fusion (F) gene sequences were retrieved from GenBank up to February 2026. Following rigorous quality control, phylogenetic analyses were performed based on complete genomes and F gene datasets. Phylogenetic analysis identified two genotypes within Class I and 20 genotypes within Class II NDVs, with extensive diversification at the sub-genotype level. Genotype XIII exhibited the greatest sub-genotypic diversity, while genotype VII represented the most globally disseminated genotype, reported across 36 countries. Chronological assessment based on the earliest available reports indicated an increasing number of recognized genotypes from the 1930s to recently described sub-genotypes such as XIII.2.3 and XXII.2.2. Regional diversity analysis revealed the highest genotype diversity in Western Africa, Eastern Asia, and Southern Asia. Comparative residue analysis demonstrated substantial genotype-specific variation within critical functional domains of the fusion protein, including cleavage sites, neutralizing epitopes, and heptad repeat regions. Overall, this study provides the first comprehensive 100-year global overview of NDV evolution and phylogeography. The findings highlight continuous viral diversification, broad geographic dissemination of multiple genotypes, and ongoing molecular variation, emphasizing the need for sustained genomic surveillance and periodic evaluation of vaccine compatibility with emerging NDV genotypes.

100-years of data↗

PubMed2026

No phenotypic resistance observed for most group-3 and -4 variants in Mycobacterium tuberculosis genes related to bedaquiline, clofazimine, delamanid, and pretomanid in a Central and West African context.

The interpretation of genetic variants' association (or not) with phenotypic resistance to newly introduced and repurposed antituberculosis drugs remains challenging, as many mutations detected by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) are classified as of uncertain significance (group 3) or not associated with resistance-interim (group 4) by the World Health Organization (WHO) mutation catalog v2. We evaluated the phenotypic impact of such variants on minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for bedaquiline (BDQ), clofazimine (CFZ), delamanid (DLM), and pretomanid (PA) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates from the multi-country DIAMA cohort in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which recruited RR/RS-TB patients naïve to these drugs. Among 1,475 isolates with available WGS data, 163 variants met eligibility criteria; due to viable strain unavailability, 89 isolates carrying 29 unique BDQ/CFZ-related and 60 unique DLM/PA-related variants were tested for MIC determination using broth microdilution. Additional structural modeling was performed to explore potential effects of amino-acid substitutions on protein stability. Among BDQ/CFZ-related variants, MICs above the critical concentrations (CCs) were consistently associated with mmpR5 variants, whereas variants in atpE, pepQ, and Rv1979c were not. DLM/PA variants (ddn, fbiA-D, and fgd1) were frequently detected as non-fixed populations, yet rarely yielding MIC values above the CC. Predicted structural destabilization showed no consistent association with MIC values or variant fixation status. Under the conditions tested, phenotypic resistance was not detected for most group 3 and 4 variants detected by WGS. Our data provide evidence from SSA to support improved interpretation of resistance-associated mutations for new and repurposed antituberculosis drugs.IMPORTANCEWhole-genome sequencing increasingly detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex mutations classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) mutation catalog v2 as group 3 variants of uncertain significance or group 4 variants not associated with resistance-interim, limiting reliable prediction of resistance to new and repurposed antituberculosis drugs. By generating minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) data for such variants identified in a multi-country sub-Saharan African cohort, this study provides phenotypic evidence to support future refinement and expansion of the WHO mutation catalog v2. Notably, mmpR5 variants associated with elevated bedaquiline/clofazimine MICs were identified in eight isolates, suggesting that some patients in this cohort may have harbored pre-existing resistance-associated variants yet remained potentially eligible for bedaquiline-containing regimens. These findings contribute to improving the interpretation of genomic resistance data and strengthening surveillance of resistance to bedaquiline, clofazimine, delamanid, and pretomanid.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis↗

PubMed2026

Ambrosia beetle invasions are structured by inbreeding, intraspecific hybridisation, and bridgeheads.

When invasive populations establish in regions far from their origin, they may accumulate deleterious mutations that limit population viability and later expansion. Invasions stemming from such bridgehead populations may experience further sequential bottlenecks. However, deleterious mutations can be masked or eliminated when populations outbreed with other lineages. Here, we analyse global invasions of a species complex of persistently inbreeding ambrosia beetles, using genomic data (N=247) from invasive populations in Africa, North America and Australia, and from native populations in Asia. We mostly focus on one species of this complex (Euwallacea fornicatus) which poses a severe threat to tree species worldwide and is rapidly expanding its global range. We uncover a single lineage of this species across California, South Africa, and Western Australia, involving an invasive bridgehead and containing almost no nuclear genetic variation. In South Africa we identify a second lineage that has repeatedly hybridised with the first lineage. Genetic patterns in the native range indicate that such opportunistic outbreeding may be common. Despite lacking nuclear variation, the first lineage contained two CO1 haplotypes that were also observed in every hybrid lineage, pointing to heteroplasmy and possible hybrid origins of this lineage. Native populations had fewer missense mutations than invasive populations, indicating that opportunistic outbreeding may help purge fixed deleterious mutations when local lineage diversity is high. These findings highlight the importance of outbreeding even when inbreeding is common, and they demonstrate the biosecurity threat posed by subsequent gene flow into invasive populations.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2024

Genetic investigation of population structure in Atlantic chub mackerel, Scomber colias Gmelin, 1789 along the West African coast.

Sustainable management of transboundary fish stocks hinges on accurate delineation of population structure. Genetic analysis offers a powerful tool to identify potential subpopulations within a seemingly homogenous stock, facilitating the development of effective, coordinated management strategies across international borders. Along the West African coast, the Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) is a commercially important and ecologically significant species, yet little is known about its genetic population structure and connectivity. Currently, the stock is managed as a single unit in West African waters despite new research suggesting morphological and adaptive differences. Here, eight microsatellite loci were genotyped on 1,169 individuals distributed across 33 sampling sites from Morocco (27.39°N) to Namibia (22.21°S). Bayesian clustering analysis depicts one homogeneous population across the studied area with null overall differentiation (F ST = 0.0001ns), which suggests panmixia and aligns with the migratory potential of this species. This finding has significant implications for the effective conservation and management of S. colias within a wide scope of its distribution across West African waters from the South of Morocco to the North-Centre of Namibia and underscores the need for increased regional cooperation in fisheries management and conservation.

Animals↗

PubMed2025

Influence of Ancestral and Geographic Factors on Intracerebral Hemorrhage Risks Among Africans and Americans.

BACKGROUND: We investigated whether risk factors for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) among indigenous Africans (IA) would vary in prevalence and effect compared with self-reported African, Hispanic, and White Americans by comparing data from 2 independent population-based case-control studies conducted in West Africa and the United States. METHODS: We compared ICH risk factors common to the SIREN (Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network: 1100 case-control pairs) and the ERICH (Ethnic/Racial Variation of Intracerebral Hemorrhage: 999 case-control pairs African American participants, 998 case-control pairs, Hispanic Americans, 1000 case-control pairs, White Americans) studies. Ethnicity/Race was self-reported. The effect measure of interest is the odds ratio (OR). To test for differences in the effects of the risk factors between the SIREN IA study population and each of the ERICH study populations, a test for heterogeneity was computed using the R program, metagen (version 4.9-6). RESULTS: ICH occurred at a younger age among IA (54.3±13.4 years), African Americans (58.0±12.7), and Hispanic Americans (58.9±14.3), compared with White Americans (69.1±13.9). The largest distinction was for hypertension, where IA exhibited a much larger risk of ICH than the American study population (OR, 67.02 [95% CI, 33.30-134.85]), African American (OR, 3.71 [95% CI, 2.53-5.44]); Hispanic (OR, 3.55 [95% CI, 2.54-4.92]), and White population (OR, 2.69 [95% CI, 1.95-3.69]). Current alcohol use exhibited increased risk in IA (OR, 2.24 [95% CI, 1.36-3.67]), but not in African Americans (OR, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.46-0.86]), Hispanic (OR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.65-1.17]), and White Americans (OR, 0.51 [95% CI, 0.38-0.69]). CONCLUSIONS: Identical or comparable risk factors do not consistently result in the same disease risk across different cultures and regions. Therefore, to improve our understanding of the genetic determinants and biological pathways driving ICH risk, it is crucial to study multiple populations, including IA, while accounting for the influence of environmental and social factors.

Adult↗

PubMed2026

Global inequities in hepatitis B and C genomic surveillance revealed through an interactive data integration dashboard.

OBJECTIVES: To assess global disparities in hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) genomic surveillance and to develop an integrated platform that links genomic data with epidemiological burden. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective observational analysis. METHODS: We reviewed existing viral genomic repositories to identify structural and analytical limitations. Subsequently, we integrated 10 996 HBV and 3533 HCV whole-genome sequences (WGS) from public databases with Global Burden of Disease (GBD) estimates to quantify inequities in genomic surveillance across countries and genotypes. Using these data, we developed the open-access Hepatitis Dashboard, incorporating >14 000 sequences from 141 countries with GBD metrics to evaluate representativeness and sequencing coverage relative to disease burden. RESULTS: Marked inequities in hepatitis genomic surveillance were identified. Despite increasing HBV- and HCV-associated mortality, virus sequence availability remains geographically and genotypically skewed-dominated by China and the United States, with substantial underrepresentation of HBV genotype E and HCV genotypes 5 and 8. Many high-endemic countries in Africa and the Western Pacific remain severely undersampled. We detected circulating antiviral drug-resistance mutations and developed a burden-adjusted sequencing coverage metric, revealing that several high-burden countries, including China, Nigeria and India, are among the least represented in global genomic datasets. Projections to 2030 indicate that neither HBV nor HCV are currently on track to meet WHO elimination targets. CONCLUSIONS: The Hepatitis Dashboard provides an integrated, continuously updated resource that links genomic and epidemiological data to quantify and visualise global surveillance gaps. This analysis highlights a critical disconnect between sequencing efforts and public health needs, which may limit the effectiveness of surveillance-informed strategies to support progress toward WHO 2030 elimination goals. By enabling burden-adjusted prioritisation and longitudinal tracking of genomic coverage, the platform supports evidence-based sampling strategies, equitable resource allocation, and monitoring of global progress toward hepatitis elimination.

Humans↗

PubMed2003

Evolutionary relationships among strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with few copies of IS6110.

Molecular typing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by using IS6110 shows low discrimination when there are fewer than five copies of the insertion sequence. Using a collection of such isolates from a study of the epidemiology of tuberculosis in London, we have shown a substantial degree of congruence between IS6110 patterns and both spoligotype and PGRS type. This indicates that the IS6110 types mainly represent distinct families of strains rather than arising through the convergent insertion of IS6110 into favored positions. This is supported by identification of the genomic sites of the insertion of IS6110 in these strains. The combined data enable identification of the putative evolutionary relationships of these strains, comprising three lineages broadly associated with patients born in South Asia (India and Pakistan), Africa, and Europe, respectively. These lineages appear to be quite distinct from M. tuberculosis isolates with multiple copies of IS6110.

Africa↗

PubMed2026

Genomic and epigenomic diversity of breast cancer across Western and MENA populations: implications for precision oncology.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide and is increasingly recognized as a biologically diverse disease shaped by both molecular and ancestral context. Women from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) populations, including Saudi Arabia, often present at a younger age and with more aggressive subtypes such as HER2-positive and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) compared with Western cohorts. These clinical patterns reflect a distinctive genomic background marked by high consanguinity, founder mutations in key susceptibility genes, and population-specific somatic alterations that are not fully captured in global reference datasets. This review brings together current evidence on somatic, germline, transcriptomic, and epigenomic diversity in breast cancer across Western and MENA populations, with a focus on Saudi cohorts. Drawing on a previously published systematic review of more than 2,500 MENA breast cancer cases, TP53 accounted for approximately 24% and PIK3CA for roughly 10% of curated somatic mutation records pooled across 44 studies (proportions of mutation calls, not per-patient prevalence); in a separate single-center Saudi cohort, only 3.7% of patients underwent BRCA testing, and 37.5% of this clinically selected, testing-referred subgroup carried a pathogenic variant, a figure that should not be read as general-population BRCA prevalence. Variants of uncertain significance exceeded 20% across several regional genomic studies. We summarize conserved driver events, such as recurrent TP53 and PIK3CA mutations, while highlighting regional features, including unique stop-gain and loss-of-function variants, a high copy-number burden, and early-onset disease linked to ancestral architecture. We also discuss emerging data on MENA-specific regulatory signatures, including immune-enriched and basal-myo transcriptomic clusters, CIMP-like methylation patterns, and non-coding RNA networks; these associations are numerically suggestive in available cohorts but have not reached statistical significance in existing studies and warrant validation in larger, dedicated MENA/Saudi cohorts before being considered established determinants of treatment response and resistance. Finally, we examine the clinical implications of this diversity for biomarker development, pharmacogenomics, and access to targeted therapies, and outline practical steps toward ancestry-aware precision oncology in the region.

BRCA↗

PubMed2026

Psychotherapy training in psychiatry: a systematic review and narrative synthesis on the supervision experiences of early-career psychiatrists.

BACKGROUND: Supervision is a fundamental component of psychotherapy training, transforming theoretical knowledge into clinical skills through real-world practice. Psychotherapy training practices vary widely between countries, training programs, and over time, including supervision. Our systematic review aimed to investigate and describe the experiences of psychotherapy supervision through early-career psychiatrists' (ECPs) views. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and PubPsych for survey-based studies on ECPs' experiences of psychotherapy supervision during or after their psychiatry training and reported our findings according to the PRISMA guidelines. Of 32,877 articles screened, 29 articles were included. Each article underwent quality assessment, and results were synthesized narratively. RESULTS: Included articles published between 2000 and 2025, were from Europe (N = 16, 55.1%), the Americas (N = 5, 17.2%), Western Pacific (N = 4, 13.7%), South-East Asia (N = 2, 7%), Eastern Mediterranean (N = 1, 3.5%), and Africa (N = 1, 3.5%), with a total of 4691 participants. Supervision access rates ranged from 26.2% in Nigeria to 85.5% in Russia, with significant variation across countries and psychotherapy modalities. Most ECPs received 50-100 total hours of supervision, frequently delivered in weekly sessions. While formats, individual, group, or mixed, varied by country and training scheme, supervision was generally provided by a psychiatrist-psychotherapist. Common learning techniques included oral consultations and case discussions, followed by audio recordings or transcripts. The need to self-fund psychotherapy supervision costs was identified as a prominent barrier. CONCLUSIONS: Psychotherapy supervision is inconsistent globally, with barriers including supervisor availability and cost. There is a large implementation gap between recommendations and evaluated practice. Digital tools and competency-based frameworks may improve access and quality.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Genomic determinants of antibiotic resistance for Helicobacter pylori treatment: a retrospective phenotypic and genotypic observational study.

BACKGROUND: Rising antimicrobial resistance of Helicobacter pylori is a public health challenge. Genomic-based susceptibility testing allows for the identification of resistance-associated mutations, complementing conventional diagnostics and advancing towards pathogen-based personalised therapies. Our study aimed to identify genes and mutations involved in antimicrobial resistance in H pylori and evaluate the extent to which these markers can be used as predictors of phenotypic resistance against clarithromycin and levofloxacin. METHODS: In this retrospective phenotypic and genotypic observational study, we included 1011 H pylori whole-genome sequences and strains of known geographical origin from the H pylori Genome Project (HpGP) collection. We performed phenotypic clarithromycin and levofloxacin susceptibility testing on a subset of 419 HpGP strains using Etest at a centralised laboratory. A genomic analysis was conducted to identify 23S rRNA and gyrA variants and build a curated catalogue of mutations associated with resistance to clarithromycin (ie, 23S rRNA 2142A→G, 2142A→C, and 2143A→G) and levofloxacin (ie, gyrA A88V or A88P, N87K or N87I, and D91G, D91N, or D91Y). Genotype-phenotype concordance was assessed to estimate sensitivity and specificity, and the curated catalogue of resistance-associated mutations was applied to the complete HpGP set. Region-specific prevalence of resistance-associated mutations was calculated for a combined dataset including the HpGP genomes and 768 whole-genome sequences retrieved from the US National Center for Biotechnology Information Sequence Read Archive repository. Associations between resistance genotypes, H pylori subpopulations, and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were tested. FINDINGS: Clarithromycin-resistant and levofloxacin-resistant HpGP strains were estimated with a sensitivity and specificity of 100%, with all confidence intervals ranging from 96% to 100%. The combined analysis (n=1779) found the highest prevalence of clarithromycin resistance in the western Pacific region (173 [51·2%] of 338 in southeast Asia and 75 [29·8%] of 252 in eastern Asia), north African region (seven [38·9%] of 18), and western Asian region (12 [31·6%] of 38), whereas the highest prevalence of levofloxacin resistance was found in south Asia (14 [51·85%] of 27), Central America (48 [38·7%] of 124), eastern Europe (four [36·4%] of 11), and southern Africa (three [33·3%] of nine). Similarly, 23S rRNA and gyrA genotypes are variable across H pylori subpopulations. MIC values changed depending on the specific mutation in 23S rRNA (mean clarithromycin MIC 24·61 mg/L [95% CI 12·27-36·96] for 2143A→G and 142·25 mg/L [95% CI 77·88-206·61] for 2142A→G) and gyrA (mean levofloxacin MIC 9·66 mg/L [95% CI 6·75-12·56] for mutations on codon 91, and 27·97 mg/L [95% CI 25·82-30·11] for mutations on codon 87). INTERPRETATION: Mutations in specific genes are reliable indicators to clarithromycin and levofloxacin resistance in H pylori, making them useful markers for the development of diagnostic assays and molecular monitoring. Our results suggest that using clarithromycin and levofloxacin empirically, without previous susceptibility testing, is unsuitable in all geographical regions covered by this study. FUNDING: Intramural Research Program of the US National Cancer Institute, the European Research Council, and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.

Helicobacter pylori↗

PubMed2026

A new southern limit for the distribution of African great apes: sympatric western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and central chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) confirmed in Mayombe National Park, Angola.

The distribution of African great apes has remained unconfirmed regarding their southern limit, particularly on the western side of the continent. IUCN maps include the Mayombe forest of Angola as part of the estimated distribution of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes). However, until now no published evidence-based records had confirmed the continued presence of both species. The Mayombe forest is a key biodiversity hotspot and a potentially important stronghold for the conservation of great ape populations in Africa. Here, we report the first systematic evidence of both species in the Mayombe National Park, Cabinda, Angola. In 2023, a grid of camera traps was systematically deployed, producing the first visual records of gorillas and chimpanzees. Building on these findings, in 2024, a pilot survey including ad libitum field observations was carried out along exploratory trails to maximise data collection. The combination of these records identified a hotspot of great ape activity where six transects were established, and systematic direct and indirect evidence was documented. Chimpanzees were recorded more times across a broader range of evidence categories, while gorillas appeared less and seemed more spatially restricted. Notably, both species were detected at overlapping sites but never simultaneously, indicating sympatric coexistence with spatio-temporal partitioning. These findings confirm the southernmost predicted distribution of both species for this part of Africa, filling critical gaps in the understanding of great ape evolution and biogeography, and providing a baseline for the first demographic and ecological census of great apes in Angola.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

The Re-Emergence of Bundibugyo Ebolavirus in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo: Epidemiological Drivers, Response Strategies, and Implications for Global Health Security.

Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV) is one of the least studied species within the genus Orthoebolavirus (family Filoviridae), despite its capacity to cause severe Ebola virus disease (EVD) with substantial mortality. First identified during a 2007-2008 outbreak in Bundibugyo District, western Uganda (149 reported cases, 37 deaths; case-fatality rate [CFR] approximately 25-36%), BDBV re-emerged in 2012 in Orientale Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (57-59 cases, 29-34 deaths; CFR 34-58%), before resurfacing in Ituri Province, DRC, in April-May 2026. By 11 August 2026, this third outbreak had grown to 4566 laboratory-confirmed cases and 2128 deaths (CFR ≈ 47%) across five DRC provinces and Uganda, becoming the largest, fastest-growing BDBV epidemic on record and the second-largest Ebola-family outbreak overall. This narrative review, not a systematic review or meta-analysis, summarizes peer-reviewed literature, preprints, and official situation reports from WHO, Africa CDC, US CDC, ECDC, and national health ministries, identified through PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Embase from inception to 12 August 2026, to examine BDBV historical evolution, virology and pathogenesis, drivers of re-emergence, surveillance and response, therapeutic and vaccine gaps, and global health security implications. The 2026 outbreak, unfolding amid conflict and mass displacement in eastern DRC, has been marked by an estimated basic reproduction number of 1.4-2.1 (central estimate 1.71), disproportionate infection among healthcare workers (7.2% of confirmed cases in DRC, 20% in Uganda), and the continued absence of licensed BDBV-specific vaccines or therapeutics. Findings underscore the need for sustained genomic and ecological surveillance, decentralized rapid diagnostics, broadly protective pan-filovirus vaccines, conflict-sensitive response strategies, and strengthened Uganda-DRC collaboration. Because the evidence base for the ongoing outbreak remains preliminary, findings should be interpreted cautiously and revisited as further peer-reviewed data emerge.

Bundibugyo ebolavirus↗

PubMed2025

Broad geographical circulation of a novel vesiculovirus in bats in the Mediterranean region.

Bats are the natural reservoirs for a variety of emerging and re-emerging viruses. Among them, rabies virus (genus Lyssavirus, family Rhabdoviridae) is one of the first and most emblematic described in these animals. Since its first description, several new bat lyssaviruses have been regularly identified. In addition to lyssaviruses, other bat rhabdoviruses have also been discovered, including members of the genera Vesiculovirus, Ledantevirus and, more recently, Alphanemrhavirus and Tupavirus. However, the family Rhabdoviridae is one of the most abundant and diverse viral families, with 434 officially recognized species, divided into 5 subfamilies and 56 different genera. The number of rhabdoviruses associated with bats is therefore probably higher than that currently available. In this study, we first developed and validated a combined nested RT-qPCR technique (pan-rhabdo RT-nqPCR) dedicated to the broad detection of animal rhabdoviruses. After validation, this technique was used for a large retrospective screening of archival bat samples (n = 1962), including blood (n = 816), brain (n = 723) and oral swab (n = 423). These samples were collected from various bat species over a 12-year period (2007-2019) in 9 different countries in Europe and Africa. A total of 23 samples (1.2%) from bat species Miniopterus schreibersii, Rhinolophus euryale and Rhinolophus ferrumequinum tested positive for rhabdovirus infection, including 17 (2.1%) blood and 6 (1.4%) oral swab samples, all collected from bats originating from the Mediterranean region. Complete virus genome sequences were obtained by next-generation sequencing for most of the positive samples. Molecular and phylogenetic analysis of these sequences demonstrated that the virus isolates, named Mediterranean bat virus (MBV), were closely related and represented a new species, Mediterranean vesiculovirus, within the genus Vesiculovirus. MBV was more specifically related to other bat vesiculoviruses previously described from China and North America, together clustering into a distinct group of bat viruses within this genus. Interestingly, our results suggest that MBV is widespread, at least in the western part of the Mediterranean region, where it circulates in the blood of several bat species. These results expand the host range and viral diversity of bat vesiculoviruses, and pave the way for further studies to determine the transmission route and dissemination dynamics of these viruses in bat colonies, as well as to assess their potential threat to public health.

Animals↗

PubMed2025

Complexity of schistosome vector bulinine snails in Kenya: Insights from nuclear genome size variation, complete mitochondrial genome sequence, and morphometric analysis.

Investigations of nuclear genome size, complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequence, and morphometrics were conducted on specimens of Bulinus snails (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) collected from 14 locations across the east coast, central Kenya, and western Kenya around the Lake Victoria region (November 2013 and January 2024). Flow cytometry measurements of DNA content (C-value) revealed unexpected variation in nuclear genome size, with diploid Bulinus africanus and B. forskalii species groups showing C-values ranging from 0.76 to 1.98 pg, while tetraploid B. truncatus had a C-value of 1.82 pg. Additionally, C-values for six B. globosus specimens from different localities ranged from 1.43 to 1.98 pg. These findings suggest that bulinine snails, particularly the B. africanus species group, have undergone genome expansion, whole genome duplication (polyploidization), or both, which have not been previously recognized. Next-generation sequencing was performed to determine and annotate 14 complete mitogenome sequences. Despite the well-conserved arrangement of protein-coding genes, two versions of mtDNA genome structure, distinguished by the tRNA-D (Asp) location, were found, designated as DCF (Asp-Cys-Phe) type (in the B. forskalii group and the B. truncatus/tropicus complex) and CF (Cys-Phe) type (in the B. africanus group). Phylogenetic analyses based on complete mtDNA sequences of bulinines from Kenya, along with cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COX1) sequences from various localities across Africa, contributed to resolving species identities and provided further support for the presence of multiple or cryptic species in the taxon B. globosus. A landmark-based morphometric analysis was ineffective in distinguishing these species. This study reveals unexpected nuclear genome size variation, provides new mitogenome sequences, and highlights the limitations of morphological analysis. It offers valuable insights into the cytogenetics, polyploidy, genomics, taxonomy, and evolution of bulinines, which serve as intermediate hosts for schistosomes responsible for human urogenital schistosomiasis and intestinal schistosomiasis in domestic and wild mammals.

Animals↗