The Determinants of the Low COVID-19 Transmission and Mortality Rates in Africa: A Cross-Country Analysis.

Background: More than 1 year after the beginning of the international spread of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), the reasons explaining its apparently lower reported burden in Africa are still to be fully elucidated. Few studies previously investigated the potential reasons explaining this epidemiological observation using data at the level of a few African countries. However, an updated analysis considering the various epidemiological waves and variables across an array of categories, with a focus on African countries might help to better understand the COVID-19 pandemic on the continent. Thus, we investigated the potential reasons for the persistently lower transmission and mortality rates of COVID-19 in Africa. Methods: Data were collected from publicly available and well-known online sources. The cumulative numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths per 1 million population reported by the African countries up to February 2021 were used to estimate the transmission and mortality rates of COVID-19, respectively. The covariates were collected across several data sources: clinical/diseases data, health system performance, demographic parameters, economic indicators, climatic, pollution, and radiation variables, and use of social media. The collinearities were corrected using variance inflation factor (VIF) and selected variables were fitted to a multiple regression model using the R statistical package. Results: Our model (adjusted R-squared: 0.7) found that the number of COVID-19 tests per 1 million population, GINI index, global health security (GHS) index, and mean body mass index (BMI) were significantly associated (P < 0.05) with COVID-19 cases per 1 million population. No association was found between the median life expectancy, the proportion of the rural population, and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) coverage rate. On the other hand, diabetes prevalence, number of nurses, and GHS index were found to be significantly associated with COVID-19 deaths per 1 million population (adjusted R-squared of 0.5). Moreover, the median life expectancy and lower respiratory infections rate showed a trend towards significance. No association was found with the BCG coverage or communicable disease burden. Conclusions: Low health system capacity, together with some clinical and socio-economic factors were the predictors of the reported burden of COVID-19 in Africa. Our results emphasize the need for Africa to strengthen its overall health system capacity to efficiently detect and respond to public health crises.

Molecular drivers of emerging multidrug resistance in Proteus mirabilis clinical isolates from Algeria.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to characterise the molecular drivers of multidrug resistance in Proteus mirabilis isolated from Algerian community and hospital patients. METHODS: A total of 166 P. mirabilis isolates were collected from two hospitals and eight private laboratories from four cities (Khemis Miliana, Aïn Defla, Oran and Chlef) located in northwestern Algeria. All isolates were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by the disk diffusion and Etest methods. Genes encoding AmpC ß-lactamases, extended-spectrum ß-lactamases (ESBLs), quinolone resistance and aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes (AMEs) as well as plasmid replicon typing were characterised by PCR. Clonal relationships were also determined by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR (ERIC-PCR) typing and were compared with MALDI-TOF/MS proteomic typing. RESULTS: Of the 166 P. mirabilis isolates, 14 (8.4%) exhibited resistance to important antibiotics, including amoxicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cefotaxime, gentamicin and ciprofloxacin, of which 4/14 (28.6%) had an ESBL genotype (blaCTX-M-2) and 10 (71.4%) had an AmpC/ESBL genotype (blaCMY-2/blaTEM-1). AME genes were detected in all isolates, including ant(2'')-I, aac(3)-I, aac(6')-Ib-cr and aac(3)-IV. The qnrA gene was identified in 13 isolates (7.8%). ERIC-PCR showed one predominant clone, with eight blaCMY-2-producing isolates from UHC Oran belonging to profile A clustering together in the MALDI-TOF/MS dendrogram. CONCLUSION: Here we report the first description of AME and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes among ESBL- and/or AmpC ß-lactamase-producing P. mirabilis isolates from community- and hospital-acquired infections in northwestern Algeria.

Dysgonomonas massiliensis sp. nov., a new species isolated from the human gut and its taxonogenomic description.

Culturomics has allowed the isolation of a significant number of new bacterial species from the human gut microbiota and proved to be a valuable complement to culture-independent techniques. Using this culture-based approach, a new bacterial species has been isolated from a stool sample of a 39-year-old healthy Pygmy male and described using the taxonogenomic strategy. Cells of strain Marseille-P4356T are Gram-stain negative cocci. The strain grows optimally at 37 °C and is catalase positive but oxidase negative. Its 16S rRNA gene sequence exhibited 92.96% sequence similarity with Dysgonomonas gadei strain JCM 16698T (NR_113134.1), currently its phylogenetically closest species that has been validly named. The genome of strain Marseille-P4356T is 3,472,011 bp long with 37.3 mol% G+C content. Phenotypic, biochemical, proteomic, genomic and phylogenetic analyses, clearly demonstrate that strain Marseille-P4356T (= CCUG 71356T = CSUR P4356T) represents a new species within the genus Dysgonomonas, for which we propose the name Dysgonomonas massiliensis sp. nov.

Phoenicibacter congonensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a new genus isolated from the human gut and its description using a taxonogenomic approach.

Culturomics has recently allowed the isolation and description of previously uncultured bacteria from the human microbiome at different body sites. As part of a project aiming to describe the human gut microbiota by culturomics, Phoenicibacter congonensis strain Marseille-P3241T was isolated from the gut of a 45 years old Pygmy female. In the present work, we aim to describe this strain via the taxonogenomics approach. The major phenotypic, genomic and biochemical characteristics of this strain were analysed. Strain Marseille-P3241T is an anaerobic, Gram-positive and motile coccobacillus that grows optimally at 37 °C. The genome of strain Marseille-P3241T is 1,447,956 bp long with 43.44% GC content and its 16S rRNA gene sequence exhibited 89% sequence similarity with that of Denitrobacterium detoxificans strain NPOH1T, the phylogenetically closest related species with current standing in nomenclature. After performing a phylogenetic and genomic analysis, we conclude that strain Marseille-P3241T (= CCUG 70681T = CSUR P3241T) represents the type species of a new genus, for which we propose the name Phoenicibacter congonensis gen. nov., sp. nov.

Eggerthella timonensis sp. nov, a new species isolated from the stool sample of a pygmy female.

Eggerthella timonensis strain Marseille-P3135 is a new bacterial species, isolated from the stool sample of a healthy 8-year-old pygmy female. This strain (LT598568) showed a 16S rRNA sequence similarity of 96.95% with its phylogenetically closest species with standing in nomenclature Eggerthella lenta strain DSM 2243 (AF292375). This bacterium is a nonspore forming, Gram-positive, nonmotile rod with catalase but no oxidase activity. Its genome is 3,916,897 bp long with 65.17 mol% of G + C content. Of the 3,371 predicted genes, 57 were RNAs and 3,314 were protein-coding genes. Here, we report the main phenotypic, biochemical, and genotypic characteristics of E. timonensis strain Marseille-P3135 (=CSUR P3135, =CCUG 70327); ti.mo.nen'sis, N.L. masc. adj., with timonensis referring to La Timone, which is the name of the hospital in Marseille (France) where this work was performed). Strain is a nonmotile Gram-positive rod, unable to sporulate, oxidase negative, and catalase positive. It grows under anaerobic conditions between 25°C and 42°C but optimally at 37°C.