ABSTRACT
We are currently facing a pandemic of COVID-19, caused by a spillover from an animal-originating coronavirus to humans occurring in the Wuhan region of China in December 2019. From China, the virus has spread to 188 countries and regions worldwide, reaching the Sahel region on March 2, 2020. Since whole genome sequencing (WGS) data is very crucial to understand the spreading dynamics of the ongoing pandemic, but only limited sequencing data is available from the Sahel region to date, we have focused our efforts on generating the first Malian sequencing data available. Screening 217 Malian patient samples for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 resulted in 38 positive isolates, from which 21 whole genome sequences were generated. Our analysis shows that both the early A (19B) and the later observed B (20A/C) clade are present in Mali, indicating multiple and independent introductions of SARS-CoV-2 to the Sahel region.
Subject(s)
Betacoronavirus/genetics , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Genome, Viral/genetics , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , RNA, Viral/genetics , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Betacoronavirus/isolation & purification , COVID-19 , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Genetic Variation/genetics , Genomics , Humans , Male , Mali/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Pandemics , Phylogeny , SARS-CoV-2 , Whole Genome Sequencing , Young AdultABSTRACT
We report detection of Lassa virus and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus infections in the area of Bamako, the capital of Mali. Our investigation found 2 cases of infection with each of these viruses. These results show the potential for both of these viruses to be endemic to Mali.
