Outbreaks of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Burundi, East Africa, in 2016, Caused by Different Serotypes.

Burundi is a small, densely populated country in the African Great Lakes region. In March 2016, several hundreds of cattle were reported with vesicular lesions, suggesting foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Epithelial samples, saliva, and blood were collected in six of the affected provinces spread over the country. The overall seroprevalence of FMD virus (FMDV) in the affected herds, as determined by antibodies against FMDV non-structural proteins, was estimated at 87%. Antibodies against FMDV serotypes O (52%), A (44%), C (19%), SAT1 (36%), SAT2 (58%), and SAT3 (23%) were detected across the provinces. FMDV genome was detected in samples from five of the six provinces using rRT-PCR. FMDV was isolated from samples from three provinces: in Cibitoke province, serotypes A and SAT2 were isolated, while in Mwaro and Rutana provinces, only serotype SAT2 was isolated. In Bururi and Cankuzo provinces, the serological profile suggested a recent incursion with serotype SAT2, while in Bubanza province, the serological profile suggested past incursions with serotype O and possibly serotype SAT1. The phylogenetic assessments showed the presence of topotypes A/Africa/G-I and SAT2/IV, similarly to previously characterized virus strains from other countries in the region, suggesting a transboundary origin and necessitating a regional approach for vaccination and control of FMD.

Detection and molecular characterization of Peste des Petits Ruminants virus from outbreaks in Burundi, December 2017-January 2018.

In December 2017, Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) emerged in Burundi (East Africa) and rapidly spread to five provinces (Gitega, Kirundo, Mwaro, Muramvya and Karuzi) in the country, causing severe disease and killing more than 4,000 goats in the province of Gitega alone. An initial outbreak investigation was conducted in December 2017 by the Burundi Government Veterinary Services and samples were collected for laboratory confirmation. A competitive Enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (cELISA: Chinese Patent No. ZL201210278970.9) supplied by the Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute was used to test 112 sera and results showed around 37.5% positive samples. This high level of PPR positive sera in an animal population where PPR infection and vaccination had not been previously reported indicated the exposure of the animals to PPRV. Subsequently in January 2018, the laboratory tests conducted at the African Union-Pan African Veterinary Vaccine Centre (AU-PANVAC) laboratories following a joint investigative mission by the African Union-Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), AU-PANVAC and the East African Community (EAC) confirmed the presence of PPR in Burundi. Samples tested by conventional RT-PCR indicated the presence of the PPR virus (PPRV). Confirmatory isolation of the virus was also performed. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the virus belongs to lineage III and shows a close relationship with PPRV isolates from Kenya in 2011 and Uganda in 2012. A possible explanation for the outbreaks of PPR in Burundi between December 2017 and February 2018 is presented.

Reverse Genetics for Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus: Current Status and Lessons to Learn from Other Non-segmented Negative-Sense RNA Viruses.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious transboundary animal disease with a severe socio-economic impact on the livestock industry, particularly in poor countries where it is endemic. Full understanding of PPR virus (PPRV) pathobiology and molecular biology is critical for effective control and eradication of the disease. To achieve these goals, establishment of stable reverse genetics systems for PPRV would play a key role. Unfortunately, this powerful technology remains less accessible and poorly documented for PPRV. In this review, we discussed the current status of PPRV reverse genetics as well as the recent innovations and advances in the reverse genetics of other non-segmented negative-sense RNA viruses that could be applicable to PPRV. These strategies may contribute to the improvement of existing techniques and/or the development of new reverse genetics systems for PPRV.