RESUMEN
Despite more than 300,000 rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-glycoprotein (GP) vaccine doses having been administered during Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between 2018 and 2020, seroepidemiologic studies of vaccinated Congolese populations are lacking. This study examines the antibody response at 21 d and 6 mo postvaccination after single-dose rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP vaccination among EVD-exposed and potentially exposed populations in the DRC. We conducted a longitudinal cohort study of 608 rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP-vaccinated individuals during an EVD outbreak in North Kivu Province, DRC. Participants provided questionnaires and blood samples at three study visits (day 0, visit 1; day 21, visit 2; and month 6, visit 3). Anti-GP immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titers were measured in serum by the Filovirus Animal Nonclinical Group anti-Ebola virus GP IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Antibody response was defined as an antibody titer that had increased fourfold from visit 1 to visit 2 and was above four times the lower limit of quantification at visit 2; antibody persistence was defined as a similar increase from visit 1 to visit 3. We then examined demographics for associations with follow-up antibody titers using generalized linear mixed models. A majority of the sample, 87.2%, had an antibody response at visit 2, and 95.6% demonstrated antibody persistence at visit 3. Being female and of young age was predictive of a higher antibody titer postvaccination. Antibody response and persistence after Ebola vaccination was robust in this cohort, confirming findings from outside of the DRC.
Asunto(s)
Vacunas contra el Virus del Ébola/inmunología , Ebolavirus/inmunología , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/inmunología , Inmunogenicidad Vacunal/inmunología , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Anticuerpos Antivirales/inmunología , Niño , República Democrática del Congo , Brotes de Enfermedades/prevención & control , Femenino , Glicoproteínas/inmunología , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estudios Seroepidemiológicos , Vacunación/métodos , Proteínas del Envoltorio Viral/inmunología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Skeletal muscle injury in Ebola virus disease (EVD) has been reported, but its association with morbidity and mortality remains poorly defined. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients admitted to 2 EVD treatment units over an 8-month period in 2019 during an EVD epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. RESULTS: An overall 333 patients (median age, 30 years; 58% female) had at least 1 creatine kinase (CK) measurement (n = 2229; median, 5/patient [IQR, 1-11]). Among patients, 271 (81%) had an elevated CK level (>380â U/L); 202 (61%) had rhabdomyolysis (CK >1000â IU/L); and 45 (14%) had severe rhabdomyolysis (≥5000â U/L). Among survivors, the maximum CK level was a median 1600 (IQR, 550-3400), peaking 3.4 days after admission (IQR, 2.3-5.5) and decreasing thereafter. Among fatal cases, the CK rose monotonically until death, with a median maximum CK level of 2900â U/L (IQR, 1500-4900). Rhabdomyolysis at admission was an independent predictor of acute kidney injury (adjusted odds ratio, 2.2 [95% CI, 1.2-3.8]; P = .0065) and mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.7 [95% CI, 1.03-2.9]; P = .037). CONCLUSIONS: Rhabdomyolysis is associated with acute kidney injury and mortality in patients with EVD. These findings may inform clinical practice by identifying laboratory monitoring priorities and highlighting the importance of fluid management.
Asunto(s)
Lesión Renal Aguda , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola , Rabdomiólisis , Humanos , Rabdomiólisis/epidemiología , Rabdomiólisis/mortalidad , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/mortalidad , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/epidemiología , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/complicaciones , Estudios Retrospectivos , Femenino , Masculino , República Democrática del Congo/epidemiología , Adulto , Lesión Renal Aguda/mortalidad , Lesión Renal Aguda/epidemiología , Lesión Renal Aguda/virología , Persona de Mediana Edad , Adulto Joven , Creatina Quinasa/sangre , AdolescenteRESUMEN
We report a cluster of clade I monkeypox virus infections linked to sexual contact in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Case investigations resulted in 5 reverse transcription PCR-confirmed infections; genome sequencing suggest they belonged to the same transmission chain. This finding demonstrates that mpox transmission through sexual contact extends beyond clade IIb.
Asunto(s)
Mpox , Humanos , Mpox/epidemiología , Monkeypox virus/genética , República Democrática del Congo/epidemiología , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa/métodosRESUMEN
In September 2022, deaths of pigs manifesting pox-like lesions caused by swinepox virus were reported in Tshuapa Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Two human mpox cases were found concurrently in the surrounding community. Specific diagnostics and robust sequencing are needed to characterize multiple poxviruses and prevent potential poxvirus transmission.
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Mpox , Poxviridae , Suipoxvirus , Humanos , Animales , Porcinos , Mpox/epidemiología , Monkeypox virus/genética , República Democrática del Congo/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
During the 2018-2020 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, EVD was diagnosed in a patient who had received the recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus-based vaccine expressing a ZEBOV glycoprotein (rVSV-ZEBOV) (Merck). His treatment included an Ebola virus (EBOV)-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb114), and he recovered within 14 days. However, 6 months later, he presented again with severe EVD-like illness and EBOV viremia, and he died. We initiated epidemiologic and genomic investigations that showed that the patient had had a relapse of acute EVD that led to a transmission chain resulting in 91 cases across six health zones over 4 months. (Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and others.).
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Ebolavirus/genética , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/transmisión , Adulto , Teorema de Bayes , República Democrática del Congo/epidemiología , Vacunas contra el Virus del Ébola/inmunología , Ebolavirus/aislamiento & purificación , Resultado Fatal , Genoma Viral , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/diagnóstico , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/epidemiología , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/terapia , Humanos , Masculino , Mutación , Filogenia , ARN Viral/sangre , RecurrenciaRESUMEN
Clade I monkeypox virus (MPXV), which can cause severe illness in more people than clade II MPXVs, is endemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but the country has experienced an increase in suspected cases during 2023-2024. In light of the 2022 global outbreak of clade II mpox, the increase in suspected clade I cases in DRC raises concerns that the virus could spread to other countries and underscores the importance of coordinated, urgent global action to support DRC's efforts to contain the virus. To date, no cases of clade I mpox have been detected outside of countries in Central Africa where the virus is endemic. CDC and other partners are working to support DRC's response. In addition, CDC is enhancing U.S. preparedness by raising awareness, strengthening surveillance, expanding diagnostic testing capacity for clade I MPXV, ensuring appropriate specimen handling and waste management, emphasizing the importance of appropriate medical treatment, and communicating guidance on the recommended contact tracing, containment, behavior modification, and vaccination strategies.
Asunto(s)
Brotes de Enfermedades , Mpox , República Democrática del Congo/epidemiología , Humanos , Estados Unidos/epidemiología , Mpox/epidemiología , Brotes de Enfermedades/prevención & control , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. , Monkeypox virus/aislamiento & purificaciónRESUMEN
We report the autopsy pathology findings of a 21-week stillborn fetus with congenital mpox syndrome that occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2008. The fetus acquired mpox from the mother after intrauterine transplacental monkeypox virus transmission. We confirmed monkeypox virus infection in the mother, fetus, and placenta by using a monkeypox virus-specific quantitative PCR. Subtyping of the virus was not performed, but the mother and fetus were almost certainly infected with the clade I variant that was endemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the time. Risk for intrauterine infection appears to differ between virus clades, but clinicians should be aware of potential for intrauterine monkeypox virus transmission among pregnant persons during ongoing and future mpox outbreaks.
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Mpox , Humanos , Femenino , Embarazo , República Democrática del Congo/epidemiología , Placenta , Monkeypox virus , Mortinato , Feto/patología , SíndromeRESUMEN
During the 10th outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale strategically positioned 13 decentralized field laboratories with dedicated equipment to quickly detect cases as the outbreak evolved. The laboratories were operated by national staff, who quickly handed over competencies and skills to local persons to successfully manage future outbreaks. Laboratories analyzed ≈230,000 Ebola diagnostic samples under stringent biosafety measures, documentation, and database management. Field laboratories diversified their activities (diagnosis, chemistry and hematology, survivor follow-up, and genomic sequencing) and shipped 127,993 samples from the field to a biorepository in Kinshasa under good conditions. Deploying decentralized and well-equipped laboratories run by local personnel in at-risk countries for Ebola virus disease outbreaks is an efficient response; all activities are quickly conducted in the field.
Asunto(s)
Ebolavirus , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola , Humanos , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/diagnóstico , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/epidemiología , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/prevención & control , Ebolavirus/genética , Laboratorios , República Democrática del Congo/epidemiología , Brotes de EnfermedadesRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Survivors from Ebola virus disease (EVD) may be at the origin of EVD resurgence. METHODS: Simultaneous reactivity to at least 2 Ebola virus or Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) antigens was detected in 11 of 488 (2.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-4.0) suspected EVD patients who were discharged as negative after 2 consecutive negative tests during the 10th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. RESULTS: After extrapolating the total number of individuals discharged as negative during the entire outbreak, we estimated a total of 1314 additional missed Ebola cases. CONCLUSIONS: These findings emphasize the usefulness of an EBOV serology analysis and the importance of extending epidemic surveillance to clinically suspected cases who were discharged as negative.
Asunto(s)
Ebolavirus , Epidemias , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola , República Democrática del Congo/epidemiología , Brotes de Enfermedades , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/diagnóstico , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/epidemiología , Humanos , Alta del PacienteRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Few data are available on COVID-19 outcomes among pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where high-risk comorbidities are prevalent. We investigated the impact of pregnancy on SARS-CoV-2 infection and of SARS-CoV-2 infection on pregnancy to generate evidence for health policy and clinical practice. METHODS: We conducted a 6-country retrospective cohort study among hospitalized women of childbearing age between 1 March 2020 and 31 March 2021. Exposures were (1) pregnancy and (2) a positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test. The primary outcome for both analyses was intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Secondary outcomes included supplemental oxygen requirement, mechanical ventilation, adverse birth outcomes, and in-hospital mortality. We used log-binomial regression to estimate the effect between pregnancy and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Factors associated with mortality were evaluated using competing-risk proportional subdistribution hazards models. RESULTS: Our analyses included 1315 hospitalized women: 510 pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2, 403 nonpregnant women with SARS-CoV-2, and 402 pregnant women without SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among women with SARS-CoV-2 infection, pregnancy was associated with increased risk for ICU admission (adjusted risk ratio [aRR]: 2.38; 95% CI: 1.42-4.01), oxygen supplementation (aRR: 1.86; 95% CI: 1.44-2.42), and hazard of in-hospital death (adjusted sub-hazard ratio [aSHR]: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.08-3.70). Among pregnant women, SARS-CoV-2 infection increased the risk of ICU admission (aRR: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.20-3.35), oxygen supplementation (aRR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.17-2.11), and hazard of in-hospital death (aSHR: 5.03; 95% CI: 1.79-14.13). CONCLUSIONS: Among hospitalized women in SSA, both SARS-CoV-2 infection and pregnancy independently increased risks of ICU admission, oxygen supplementation, and death. These data support international recommendations to prioritize COVID-19 vaccination among pregnant women.
Asunto(s)
COVID-19 , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo , Femenino , Embarazo , Humanos , Lactante , COVID-19/epidemiología , SARS-CoV-2 , Estudios Retrospectivos , Mortalidad Hospitalaria , Vacunas contra la COVID-19 , Estudios de Cohortes , África del Sur del Sahara/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Although several experimental therapeutics for Ebola virus disease (EVD) have been developed, the safety and efficacy of the most promising therapies need to be assessed in the context of a randomized, controlled trial. METHODS: We conducted a trial of four investigational therapies for EVD in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an outbreak began in August 2018. Patients of any age who had a positive result for Ebola virus RNA on reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction assay were enrolled. All patients received standard care and were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to intravenous administration of the triple monoclonal antibody ZMapp (the control group), the antiviral agent remdesivir, the single monoclonal antibody MAb114, or the triple monoclonal antibody REGN-EB3. The REGN-EB3 group was added in a later version of the protocol, so data from these patients were compared with those of patients in the ZMapp group who were enrolled at or after the time the REGN-EB3 group was added (the ZMapp subgroup). The primary end point was death at 28 days. RESULTS: A total of 681 patients were enrolled from November 20, 2018, to August 9, 2019, at which time the data and safety monitoring board recommended that patients be assigned only to the MAb114 and REGN-EB3 groups for the remainder of the trial; the recommendation was based on the results of an interim analysis that showed superiority of these groups to ZMapp and remdesivir with respect to mortality. At 28 days, death had occurred in 61 of 174 patients (35.1%) in the MAb114 group, as compared with 84 of 169 (49.7%) in the ZMapp group (P = 0.007), and in 52 of 155 (33.5%) in the REGN-EB3 group, as compared with 79 of 154 (51.3%) in the ZMapp subgroup (P = 0.002). A shorter duration of symptoms before admission and lower baseline values for viral load and for serum creatinine and aminotransferase levels each correlated with improved survival. Four serious adverse events were judged to be potentially related to the trial drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Both MAb114 and REGN-EB3 were superior to ZMapp in reducing mortality from EVD. Scientifically and ethically sound clinical research can be conducted during disease outbreaks and can help inform the outbreak response. (Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and others; PALM ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03719586.).
Asunto(s)
Alanina/análogos & derivados , Anticuerpos Monoclonales/uso terapéutico , Antivirales/uso terapéutico , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/tratamiento farmacológico , Ribonucleótidos/uso terapéutico , Adenosina Monofosfato/análogos & derivados , Adolescente , Adulto , Alanina/efectos adversos , Alanina/uso terapéutico , Anticuerpos Monoclonales/efectos adversos , Antivirales/efectos adversos , Niño , Preescolar , República Democrática del Congo/epidemiología , Brotes de Enfermedades , Ebolavirus/genética , Femenino , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/mortalidad , Humanos , Lactante , Recién Nacido , Infusiones Intravenosas , Masculino , ARN Viral/sangre , Ribonucleótidos/efectos adversos , Método Simple Ciego , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Globally, there are prevailing knowledge gaps in the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among children and adolescents; and these gaps are especially wide in African countries. The availability of robust age-disaggregated data is a critical first step in improving knowledge on disease burden and manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among children. Furthermore, it is essential to improve understanding of SARS-CoV-2 interactions with comorbidities and coinfections such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis, malaria, sickle cell disease, and malnutrition, which are highly prevalent among children in sub-Saharan Africa. The African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth) COVID-19 Research Collaboration on Children and Adolescents is conducting studies across Western, Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa to address existing knowledge gaps. This consortium is expected to generate key evidence to inform clinical practice and public health policy-making for COVID-19 while concurrently addressing other major diseases affecting children in African countries.
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COVID-19 , Coinfección , Tuberculosis , Adolescente , África del Sur del Sahara/epidemiología , Niño , Humanos , SARS-CoV-2RESUMEN
After the 2017 Ebola virus (EBOV) outbreak in Likati, a district in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo, we sampled small mammals from the location where the primary case-patient presumably acquired the infection. None tested positive for EBOV RNA or antibodies against EBOV, highlighting the ongoing challenge in detecting animal reservoirs for EBOV.
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Ebolavirus , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola , Animales , Animales Salvajes , República Democrática del Congo/epidemiología , Brotes de Enfermedades , Ebolavirus/genética , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/epidemiología , HumanosAsunto(s)
Anticuerpos Monoclonales Humanizados/uso terapéutico , Antivirales/uso terapéutico , Brotes de Enfermedades , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/tratamiento farmacológico , Adolescente , Adulto , Niño , Preescolar , República Democrática del Congo/epidemiología , Combinación de Medicamentos , Ebolavirus , Femenino , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/epidemiología , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/mortalidad , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/virología , Humanos , Masculino , Ensayos Clínicos Controlados Aleatorios como Asunto , Carga ViralAsunto(s)
Pruebas Diagnósticas de Rutina/economía , Pruebas Diagnósticas de Rutina/estadística & datos numéricos , Brotes de Enfermedades/estadística & datos numéricos , Ebolavirus/aislamiento & purificación , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/diagnóstico , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/epidemiología , República Democrática del Congo/epidemiología , Brotes de Enfermedades/prevención & control , Industria Farmacéutica/economía , Ebolavirus/química , Ebolavirus/genética , Medicina de Emergencia/economía , Medicina de Emergencia/métodos , Medicina de Emergencia/tendencias , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/virología , Humanos , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
Bats are considered a reservoir species for Ebola viruses, but nonhuman primates (NHPs) have represented a source of infection in several outbreaks in humans. Here we report serological screening of blood or fecal samples from monkeys (n = 2322) and apes (n = 2327). Thirty-six NHP species from Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ivory Coast were tested with a sensitive and specific Luminex-based assay for immunoglobulin G antibodies to 4 Ebola virus species. Using the simultaneous presence of antibodies to nucleoproteins and glycoproteins to define positivity, we showed that specific Ebola virus antibodies are not widespread among NHPs. Only 1 mustached monkey (Cercopithecus cephus) from Cameroon was positive for Sudan ebolavirus. These observations support that NHPs are most likely intermediate hosts for Ebola viruses. With the increasing frequency of Ebola outbreaks, it is crucial to identify the animal reservoir and understand the ecology of Ebola viruses to inform disease control.
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Anticuerpos Antivirales/sangre , Enfermedades del Simio Antropoideo/epidemiología , Ebolavirus/inmunología , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/veterinaria , Inmunoglobulina G/sangre , Enfermedades de los Monos/epidemiología , Animales , Enfermedades del Simio Antropoideo/inmunología , Camerún , Côte d'Ivoire , República Democrática del Congo , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/epidemiología , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/inmunología , Hominidae , Enfermedades de los Monos/inmunología , Primates , Estudios SeroepidemiológicosRESUMEN
Ten days after the declaration of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, rapid identification of the species Zaire Ebola virus using partial gene amplification and nanopore sequencing backed up the use of the recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus-Zaire Ebola virus vaccine in the recommended ring vaccination strategy.
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Brotes de Enfermedades , Vacunas contra el Virus del Ébola/inmunología , Ebolavirus/clasificación , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/diagnóstico , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/epidemiología , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/prevención & control , República Democrática del Congo/epidemiología , Ebolavirus/genética , Humanos , FilogeniaRESUMEN
We applied metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) to detect Zaire Ebola virus (EBOV) and other potential pathogens from whole-blood samples from 70 patients with suspected Ebola hemorrhagic fever during a 2014 outbreak in Boende, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and correlated these findings with clinical symptoms. Twenty of 31 patients (64.5%) tested in Kinshasa, DRC, were EBOV positive by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). Despite partial degradation of sample RNA during shipping and handling, mNGS followed by EBOV-specific capture probe enrichment in a U.S. genomics laboratory identified EBOV reads in 22 of 70 samples (31.4%) versus in 21 of 70 (30.0%) EBOV-positive samples by repeat qRT-PCR (overall concordance = 87.1%). Reads from Plasmodium falciparum (malaria) were detected in 21 patients, of which at least 9 (42.9%) were coinfected with EBOV. Other positive viral detections included hepatitis B virus (n = 2), human pegivirus 1 (n = 2), Epstein-Barr virus (n = 9), and Orungo virus (n = 1), a virus in the Reoviridae family. The patient with Orungo virus infection presented with an acute febrile illness and died rapidly from massive hemorrhage and dehydration. Although the patient's blood sample was negative by EBOV qRT-PCR testing, identification of viral reads by mNGS confirmed the presence of EBOV coinfection. In total, 9 new EBOV genomes (3 complete genomes, and an additional 6 ≥50% complete) were assembled. Relaxed molecular clock phylogenetic analysis demonstrated a molecular evolutionary rate for the Boende strain 4 to 10× slower than that of other Ebola lineages. These results demonstrate the utility of mNGS in broad-based pathogen detection and outbreak surveillance.
Asunto(s)
Coinfección/epidemiología , Brotes de Enfermedades , Ebolavirus/clasificación , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/epidemiología , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/virología , Secuenciación de Nucleótidos de Alto Rendimiento/métodos , Metagenómica/métodos , Adulto , Coinfección/parasitología , Coinfección/patología , Coinfección/virología , República Democrática del Congo/epidemiología , Ebolavirus/genética , Ebolavirus/aislamiento & purificación , Femenino , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/parasitología , Fiebre Hemorrágica Ebola/patología , Humanos , Lactante , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Bocaparvoviruses are members of the family Parvovirinae and human bocaviruses have been found to be associated with respiratory and gastrointestinal disease. There are four known human bocaviruses, as well as several distinct ones in great apes. The goal of the presented study was to detect other non-human primate (NHP) bocaviruses in NHP species in the Democratic Republic of the Congo using conventional broad-range PCR. We found bocavirus DNA in blood and tissues samples in 6 out of 620 NHPs, and all isolates showed very high identity (>97â%) with human bocaviruses 2 or 3. These findings suggest cross-species transmission of bocaviruses between humans and NHPs.
Asunto(s)
ADN Viral/aislamiento & purificación , Bocavirus Humano/genética , Infecciones por Parvoviridae/veterinaria , Primates/virología , Animales , ADN Viral/sangre , República Democrática del Congo , Genoma Viral , Filogenia , Reacción en Cadena de la PolimerasaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Herpesviruses belong to a diverse order of large DNA viruses that can cause diseases in humans and animals. With the goal of gathering information about the distribution and diversity of herpesviruses in wild rodent and shrew species in central Africa, animals in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were sampled and tested by PCR for the presence of herpesvirus DNA. METHODS: A broad range PCRs targeting either the Polymerase or the terminase gene were used for virus detection. Amplified products from PCR were sequenced and isolates analysed for phylogenetic placement. RESULTS: Overall, samples of 1,004 animals of various rodent and shrew species were tested and 24 were found to be positive for herpesvirus DNA. Six of these samples contained strains of known viruses, while the other positive samples revealed DNA sequences putatively belonging to 11 previously undescribed herpesviruses. The new isolates are beta- and gammaherpesviruses and the shrew isolates appear to form a separate cluster within the Betaherpesvirinae subfamily. CONCLUSION: The diversity of viruses detected is higher than in similar studies in Europe and Asia. The high diversity of rodent and shrew species occurring in central Africa may be the reason for a higher diversity in herpesviruses in this area.