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Molecular characterization of chikungunya virus from the first cluster of patients during the 2020 outbreak in Chad

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Abstract

We sequenced a portion of the E1 envelope protein gene of two of four CHIKV RT-PCR-positive samples from the first cluster of chikungunya patients during the 2020 Chad outbreak. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the viruses belonged to the East/Central/South/African genotype but lacked the E1 A226V and K211E mutations associated with viral adaptability and transmission, suggesting an autochthonous transmission. These sequences are a useful basis for tracking viral evolution in subsequent outbreaks in Chad.

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Fig. 1

Data availability

The viral sequences were deposited in the NCBI GenBank database and were assigned the accession numbers OL692740 and OL692741.

Abbreviations

CHIK:

Chikungunya

CHIKV:

Chikungunya virus

Ae:

Aedes

CPC:

Centre Pasteur of Cameroon

DRC:

Democratic Republic of Congo

ECSA:

East/Central/South/African genotype

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Acknowledgements

We are extremely grateful to the staff at the Abeche health hospital and district in Chad. We also acknowledge support from the World Health Organization and the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Germany, who contributed to laboratory supplies, reagents, equipment, and staffing.

Funding

This research study did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Virology Unit, Virology Service, Centre Pasteur of Cameroon, 451 Rue 2005. BP 1274, Yaounde, Cameroon

    Martial Gide Yonga, Serge Sadeuh-Mba, Diane Ouapi, Ngu Njei Abanda, Marie Claire Endengue-Zanga & Richard Njouom

  2. Laboratory for Hemorrhagic and Respiratory Viruses, N’Djamena Mobile Laboratory, N’Djamena, Chad

    Fissou Henry Yandai

  3. Ministry of Public Health, N’Djamena, Chad

    Alsadick Haroun Abdallah

  4. CHU de Référence Nationale, N’Djamena, Chad

    Kadidja Gamougam

  5. Inter-Country Support Team West Africa, World Health Organization, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

    Maurice Demanou

Authors
  1. Martial Gide Yonga
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  2. Fissou Henry Yandai
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  3. Serge Sadeuh-Mba
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  4. Alsadick Haroun Abdallah
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  5. Diane Ouapi
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  6. Kadidja Gamougam
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  7. Ngu Njei Abanda
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  8. Marie Claire Endengue-Zanga
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  9. Maurice Demanou
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  10. Richard Njouom
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and initial analysis in Chad were done by FHY, AHA, KG, and MD. Follow-up analysis in Cameroon was done by MGY and SS-M. The first draft of the manuscript was written by MY, SS-M, and NNA, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard Njouom.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that no conflict of interest exists.

Ethical approval

This study was performed following the Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. The patient samples analysed in this study were authorized for use by, and belong to, the Chadian Ministry of Health, which is charged with confirming cases of disease outbreaks and disease surveillance. The N’Djamena Mobile Laboratory for Hemorrhagic and Respiratory Viruses is the reference laboratory in Chad, and Centre Pasteur of Cameroon is the Regional Reference Laboratory for Arboviruses in the region and is charged with confirming cases detected by national laboratories. The samples were de-identified to protect the identity of patients. When a public health emergency occurs, such as the chikungunya outbreak, the Ethical Committee of the Chadian Ministry of Public Health permits the use of biological material and associated epidemiological information without informed consent, including anonymous disclosure of results.

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Yonga, M.G., Yandai, F.H., Sadeuh-Mba, S. et al. Molecular characterization of chikungunya virus from the first cluster of patients during the 2020 outbreak in Chad. Arch Virol 167, 1301–1305 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-022-05427-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-022-05427-5

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