49 research outputs found
Some of the works of Serigne Mouhammadou Masokhna Lo
No full textDate created: 1980s.The entire manuscript is available for download below as a single PDF file. Each page is also available as a separate, larger, JPG file. If higher-resolution JP2 files are needed (WARNING: files average 11-14MB in size), please contact [email protected].
Fieldwork Team: Dr. Fallou Ngom (PI), Cheikh Tidiane Fall (Co-applicant), Ablaye Diakite (Researcher), Birane Gassama (Researcher)
Technical Team: Roger Brisson (Head of Metadata Services, BU Libraries), Vika Zafrin (Institutional Repository Librarian, BU Libraries), Jack Ammerman (Associate University Librarian for Digital Initiatives and Open Access, BU Libraries), and Dr. Peter Quella.
This collection of Wolofal (Wolof Ajami) materials is copied as part of the EAP 334 Project (Digital Preservation of Wolof Ajami manuscripts of Senegal) led by Dr. Fallou Ngom in collaboration with WARA/WARC and Boston University Library. The project is funded by the British Library/Arcadia Endangered Archives.
Access Condition and Copyright: The materials are subject to copyright. Access is for research and educational purposes only. Materials are not to be reproduced without written permission.
Citation: Materials in this web edition may be cited as: Ngom, Fallou. 2011. African Ajami Library: EAP 334. Digital Preservation of Wolof Ajami Manuscripts of Senegal. Boston: Boston University Library: http://dcommon.bu.edu
For Inquires: Please, contact Professor Fallou Ngom ([email protected])These manuscripts are the originals handwritten by Serigne Mouhammadou Masokhna Lo. Based on the interview with the author, they were written in the 1980s. Red, green, and black ink are used in the manuscripts. The red and green ink are used to highlight key words and phrases. There are frequent insertions of Arabic phrases, which include quranic quotations and opening and closing formulae. The manuscripts contain several poems written by Serigne Mouhammadou Masokhna Lo, including a biographical eulogy of Serigne Mor Mbaye Cisse, a renowned Murid scholar and educator who lived and taught in Diourbel; and criticisms of social problems such as lack of discipline and good behavior, disorderly conduct, adultery, the negative consequences of alcoholism among men, women, young and old, and among leaders and their followers. The materials also include historical accounts of the five year long construction of the mosque of Diourbel (Jumaay Ndiaareem) using chronograms; the discussion between Serigne Modou Moustapha (who led the effort) and the French engineer responsible for the construction on the equipment needed; the construction of the railway between Diourbel and Touba; the personal qualities of Serigne Bassirou Mbacke; a tribute to Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba and to Serigne Mbacke Madina; the motivation of 28 kaamil (copies of the Qur'an) written by Serigne Fallou Mbacke for his father and spiritual guide Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba; and a tribute to Serigne Bousso, among others. The materials also contain a poem on coffee and its benefits.
Digitized on 17 July 2011.
According to the author, the documents were written in the 1980s.
Some images are difficult to read due to the poor condition of both the originals, which have ink stains, and the writing (especially those entirely written with black inks). The ink has faded away in some pages.This collection of Wolofal (Wolof Ajami) materials is copied as part of the EAP 334 Project (Digital Preservation of Wolof Ajami manuscripts of Senegal) led by Dr. Fallou Ngom in collaboration with WARA/WARC and Boston University Library. The project is funded by the British Library/Arcadia Endangered Archives
Performance of Various Commercial Assays for the Detection of Toscana Virus Antibodies
No full textIntroduction: Sandfly fever virus (SFV) serotypes sandfly fever Naples virus, sandfly fever Sicilian virus, and sandfly fever Cyprus virus cause febrile diseases, whereas Toscana virus (TOSV) is responsible for aseptic meningoencephalitis. Diagnosis and surveillance of TOSV depend heavily on virus serology, and various commercial assays utilizing various antigen sources and formats have been available. The aim of this study was to perform comparative evaluation of commercially available serological assays for anti-TOSV immunoglobulins. Materials and Methods: A collection of 120 sera from healthy blood donors from an endemic region, previously identified to be reactive for antibodies against various SFV serotypes by indirect immunofluorescence test (IIFT), was reevaluated for IgG/IgM via IIFT, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and an immunoblot assay manufactured by Euroimmun, Diesse, and Mikrogen, respectively. Virus neutralization test (VNT) was performed for 99 sera using standard TOSV, sandfly fever Sicilian virus, and sandfly fever Naples virus strains. Results: A total of 89 samples (74.2%) were reactive for TOSV IgG in at least one of the commercial assays, and 31 samples (31.3%) were reactive in VNT for various SFV serotypes. Average percentage agreements among commercial assays and between VNT and the commercial assays were noted as 57.8% and 62.6%, respectively. No significant correlation between assay results and VNT titers was observed. SFV IgM antibodies were detected in a total of eight samples (6.7%) via IIFT, which were nonreactive in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and VNT. Discussion: Commercial diagnostic immunoassays displayed slight to fair agreement for TOSV IgG as assessed via kappa and percentage agreement values. The results could only be confirmed via virus neutralization in a portion of the samples, and overall agreement between the commercial assays and VNT was slight. Commercial assays such as immunoblot can be used in addition to VNT for confirmation of TOSV exposure
Charakterisierung des immunmodulatorischen Effektes von Wild-Typ Rift-Tal-Fieber-Virus-Stämmen
No full textRift Valley fever Phlebovirus (RVFV) ist ein Mitglied der Familie Bunyaviridae. Es wird durch Stechmücken übertragen und ist in der Lage zahlreiche Wirtspezies zu infizieren. Beim Menschen kann die Infektion zu Hepatitis, hämorrhagischem Fieber und Enzephalitis mit tödlichem Ausgang führen. Bei Rindern verläuft die Infektion von Jungtieren in der Regel tödlich, weiterhin kommt es zu Fehlgeburten oder Missbildungen bei den Föten nach Infektion schwangerer Tiere. Die Erkrankung ist in Ägypten und vielen afrikanischen Ländern südlich der Sahara endemisch, und führt dort immer wieder zu epizootischen Ausbrüchen mit begleitenden Epidemien. Die unterschiedliche Virulenz verschiedener RVFV Isolate könnte auf die Effektivität zurückzuführen sein, mit der das Virus die angeborene und/oder die adaptive Immunität unterläuft, was auch den starke Variabilität des klinischen Bildes der Erkrankung bei den suszeptiblen Wirtsspezies erklären könnte. Interferon-β (IFN-β) ist eine zentrale Komponente des angeborenen Immunantwort. Daher wurde die IFN-β-antagonistische Funktion des NSs-Proteins von RVFV Isolaten unterschiedlicher Herkunft (Säugetiere, Menschen und Insekten) nach Klonierung und Sequenzierung des jeweiligen Nichtstruktur S-Segment (NSs) Gens untersucht. Die immunmodulatorische Funktion von NSs wurde dahingehend charakterisiert, inwieweit die jeweiligen NSs Proteine in einem Reporter Assay System in der Lage waren, die Aktivierung des humanen IFN-β Promotors zu unterdrücken. Weiterhin wurde mittels Immunfluoreszenz die Expression von NSs in Vero E6 Zellen untersucht. Zwei RVFV NSs-Proteine (aus den Isolaten R7 und R18) hatten die Fähigkeit verloren, die Aktivierung des IFN-β Promotors zu unterdrücken, alle anderen 24 NSs Protein waren effiziente Inhibitoren der IFN-β Promotor¬aktivität. Weiterhin waren R7-NSs und R18-NSs im Gegensatz zu Wildtyp RVFV-NSs nicht in der Lage nukleäre Filamente zu bilden, obwohl dieses Expressionsmuster eigentlich typisch für RVFV-NSs ist. Die Sequenzierung von R18-NSs ergab, dass im Vergleich zu Wildtyp RVFV-NSs eine große Deletion im NSs-Leseraster auftritt, die identisch zu der bei dem apathogenen Stamm RVFV Clone 13 beschriebenen Mutation ist und zu einem funktionslosen NSs-Protein führt. Anhand von Sequenzvergleichen ergab sich, dass es sich bei dem Stamm R18 tatsächlich um ein Clone 13 Isolat handelt. Im Gegensatz zu R18-NSs enthält R7-NSs lediglich eine Punktmutation im NSs-Gen, die auf Aminosäureebene zu einem Austausch von Leucin durch Prolin an Position 115 führt. Interessanterweise hat diese Punktmutation einen ähnlichen Effekt wie die große Deletion im Leseraster des Clone 13-NSs. R10-NSs war die einzige Variante, die effizient die Aktivierung des IFN-β Promotors unterdrückte aber keine nukleären Filamente bildete. Dies konnte auf einen Austausch von Leucin durch Prolin an Aminosäureposition 107 zurückgeführt werden. Diese Ergebnisse erlauben den Schluss, dass eine ku rze Domäne die die Aminosäuren 107 bis 115 umfasst essentiell für die Funktionen von NSs ist. Dendritische Zellen (DCs) sind professionelle Antigen-präsentierende Zellen und stellen eine Verbindung zwischen angeborener und adaptiver Immunität dar. Daher wurde der Effekt von RVFV-Infektionen auf die DC-Funktion untersucht. Experimente mit primären humanen myeloiden und plasmacytoiden DCs (mDCs/pDCs) ergaben, dass der Wildtyp-Stamm RVFV ZH548 nur in mDCs replizieren kann, dass es aber sowohl in pDCs als auch mDCs nur zu einer unvollständigen Aktivierung nach RVFV-Infektion kommt. Die Produktion von proinflammatorischem Interleukin 6 sowie die fehlende Produktion von Typ I Interferonen in pDCs und mDCs nach Infektion mit RVFV könnten für die schweren Krankheitsverläufe mitverantwortlich sein. Interessanterweise induzierte auch der Stamm RVFV Cone 13, der in Nichtimmunzellen ein effizienter Typ I IFN-Induktor ist, kein IFN in DCs. Die Kombination von unvollständiger DC-Aktvierung bei gleichzeitig fehlender IFN-Produktion nach Infektion mit Wildtyp RVFV und Clone 13 lässt darauf schließen, dass RVFV die ersten Schritte der adaptiven Immunantwort unabhängig vom Vorhandensein eines funktionellen NSs-Proteins unterläuft und möglicherweise infizierte mDCs zur Ausbreitung im infizierten Wirt nutzt.Rift Valley fever Phlebovirus (RVFV) belongs to the Bunyaviridae family. It is transmitted by mosquitoes and infects a wide range of vertebrate hosts. In humans, infection can lead to fatal hepatitis with hemorrhagic fever and encephalitis. In cattle, infection generally causes death of young animals, or abortion and teratogenesis in pregnant females. The disease is endemic in many countries of sub-Saharan Africa and in Egypt where it repeatedly provokes serious epizootics and concomitant epidemics. The differences in virulence among RVFV isolates may be due to the effectiveness of interference with either the innate and/or the adaptive immunity and may explain the wide range of clinical outcome in susceptible vertebrate hosts. Interferon-β (IFN-β) is a key molecule of the innate immune response Therefore, the IFN-β antagonistic function of NSs of RVFV isolates from different sources (animals, humans, and insects) was assessed after cloning and sequencing the non-structural S segment gene (NSs). The NSs clones were monitored for their immune modulatory effects by analysing their ability to suppress the activation of the IFN-β promoter using a reporter assay system. Additionally, expression of NSs in Vero E6 cells was monitored by immuno-fluorescence staining. Two RVFV NSs proteins (derived from isolates R7 and R18) failed to inhibit IFN-β promoter activation whereas the remaining 24 showed efficient suppression of IFN-β promoter activity. Additionally R7-NSs and R18-Nss were unable to form nuclear filaments which are a typical feature of wild-type RVFV-NSs. Sequencing of R18-NSs revealed a large internal in-frame deletion identical to the mutation described for the naturally occurring RVFV mutant clone 13, which leads to a non-functional NSs-protein. Indeed, R18 was later identified as a RVFV clone 13 isolate. In contrast, R7-NSs contains a point mutation in the NSs gene, which results in the replacement of a leucine by proline at amino acid position 115. Interestingly, this unique point mutation has effects comparable to the large in-frame deletion of clone 13 NSs. R10-NSs was the only NSs variant which efficiently suppressed IFN-β promoter activation but failed to from nuclear filaments. This can be attributed to replacement of leucine by proline at amino acid position 107. These results lead to the conclusion, that the domain containing amino acids 107 to 115 is essential for NSs functions. Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells and represent a link between innate and adaptive immunity. Therefore the effect of RVFV infections on DC function was investigated Experiments with primary human myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (mDCs / pDCs) revealed for the first time that the wtRVFV ZH548 only replicates in mDCs, however incomplete activation of both pDCs and mDCs after RVFV infection was observed. High amounts of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 combined with the complete lack of type I IFN responses in both pDCs and mDCs might be responsible for the severe outcome of RVFV wt infections. Interestingly, even the RVFV strain clone 13 which is an efficient inducer of type I IFN in non-immune cells did not induce IFN-α in DCs The combination of incomplete DC activation and absence of IFN-α after infection with both wild-type RVFV and clone 13 indicates that RVFV interfere with the first steps of the adaptive immune response independent of NSs function and that RVFV may use mDCs for systemic dissemination in the infected host
Sandfly fever virus activity in central/northern Anatolia, Turkey: first report of Toscana virus infections
No full textSandfly fever viruses (SFVs) cause febrile diseases as well as aseptic meningitis/encephalitis and include serotypes sandfly fever Sicilian virus (SFSV), sandfly fever Naples virus (SFNV) and Toscana virus (TOSV). Infections are endemic in the Mediterranean basin and data on SFV activity in Turkey are limited. In this study, sera from 1533 blood donors from the Ankara, Konya, Eskisehir and Zonguldak provinces of Turkey were evaluated for SFV exposure by indirect immunofluorescence test (IIFT) and confirmed by virus neutralization test (VNT). One hundred and two patients with central nervous system (CNS) infections of unknown aetiology were also tested via IIFT and real-time reverse-transcription PCR for SFV/TOSV. Rate of overall IgG reactivity in IIFT was 32.9% (505/1533) among blood donors. TOSV exposure was confirmed by VNT in all study regions. Exposure to the recently-identified serotype sandfly fever Turkish virus, as evaluated by VNT, was revealed in Konya and Ankara. SFNV exposure was identified in Konya and SFSV was observed to be present in all regions except Zonguldak. TOSV RNA was detected in 15.7% (16/102) and was accompanied by TOSV IgM in 25% (4/16) of the patients. Partial L and S sequences suggested that TOSV circulating in Turkey can be grouped into TOSV genotype A strains. Exposure to TOSV and other SFV serotypes was revealed in blood donors and CNS infections by TOSV were identified for the first time in Turkey. Infections are observed to be endemic in central Anatolia and should be considered as aetiologic agents in cases/outbreaks of fever and meningoencephalitis
Facteurs de risque liés à l’apparition de la maladie de Gumboro en aviculture semi-intensive au Sénégal
No full textApplication of exponential random graph models to determine nomadic herders' movements in Senegal
No full textUnderstanding human and animal mobility patterns is a key to predict local and global disease spread. We analysed the nomad herds' movement network in a pilot area of northern Senegal and used exponential random graph models (ERGM) to investigate the reasons behind these movements. We interviewed 132 nomadic herders to collect information about nomad herd structures, movements, and reasons for taking specific routes or gathering in certain areas. We constructed a spatially explicit network with villages as the nodes and nomad herds' movements as the connecting edges. The final ERGM showed that node and edge attributes such as presence of cattle in the herd (odds ratio = 12, CI: 5.3, 27.3), morbidity (odds ratio = 3.6, CI: 2.3, 5.7), and lack of water (odds ratio = 2, CI: 1.3, 3.1) were important predictors of nomad herds' movements. This study not only provides valuable information for monitoring important livestock diseases such as Rift Valley Fever in Senegal, but also helps implement outreach, education, and intervention programs for other emerging and endemic diseases affecting nomadic herds
First Report of the Emergence of Peste des Petits Ruminants Lineage IV Virus in Senegal
No full textPeste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious viral disease and one of the deadliest affecting wild goats, sheep, and small ruminants; however, goats are generally more sensitive. The causative agent is the Peste des Petits Ruminants virus (PPRV), which is a single-stranded RNA virus of negative polarity belonging to the Paramyxoviridae family. In February 2020, an active outbreak of PPR was reported in a herd of a transhumant farmer in the village of Gainth Pathé (department of Kounguel, Kaffrine region, Senegal). Of the ten swabs collected from the goats, eight returned a positive result through a quantitative real-time PCR. The sample that yielded the strongest signal from the quantitative real-time PCR was further analyzed with a conventional PCR amplification and direct amplicon sequencing. A phylogenetic analysis showed that the sequence of the PPR virus obtained belonged to lineage IV. These results confirm those found in the countries bordering Senegal and reinforce the hypothesis of the importance of animal mobility between these neighboring countries in the control of PPRV. In perspective, following the discovery of this lineage IV in Senegal, a study on its dispersion is underway throughout the national territory. The results that will emerge from this study, associated with detailed data on animal movements and epidemiological data, will provide appropriate and effective information to improve PPR surveillance and control strategies with a view to its eradication
It’s risky to wander in September: Modelling the epidemic potential of Rift Valley fever in a Sahelian setting
No full textInternational audienceEstimating the epidemic potential of vector-borne diseases, along with the relative contribution of underlying mechanisms, is crucial for animal and human health worldwide. In West African Sahel, several outbreaks of Rift Valley fever (RVF) have occurred over the last decades, but uncertainty remains about the conditions necessary to trigger these outbreaks. We use the basic reproduction number (R0) as a measure of RVF epidemic potential in northern Senegal, and map its value in two distinct ecosystems, namely the Ferlo and the Senegal River delta and valley. We consider three consecutive rainy seasons (July-November 2014, 2015 and 2016) and account for several vector and animal species. We parametrize our model with estimates of Aedes vexans arabiensis, Culex poicilipes, Culex tritaeniorhynchus, cattle, sheep and goat abundances. The impact of RVF virus introduction is assessed every week over northern Senegal. We highlight September as the period of highest epidemic potential in northern Senegal, resulting from distinct dynamics in the two study areas. Spatially, in the seasonal environment of the Ferlo, we observe that high-risk locations vary between years. We show that decreased vector densities do not greatly reduce R0 and that cattle immunity has a greater impact on reducing transmission than small ruminant immunity. The host preferences of vectors and the temperature-dependent time interval between their blood meals are crucial parameters needing further biological investigations
A meta-population model to explain an endemic Rift Valley fever transmission in Northern Senegal. [P260]
No full textPurpose: Certain Palaearctic biting midges have been implicated as vectors of bluetongue virus in northern Europe. Separation of two species (Culicoides obsoletus and C. scoticus) is considered difficult morphologically, with females often grouped together in entomological studies. Species specific identification is desirable to assess their roles in disease transmission or measure abundance during arboviral outbreaks. Our aim is to investigate whether morphometric identification techniques can be applied to female C. obsoletus and C. scoticus individuals trapped in different geographical regions and time periods during the year. Methods: Using light-suction traps, female C. obsoletus and C. scoticus were sampled from two locations in the UK, France and Spain. A total of 759 individuals were identified with a molecular assay using the cytochrome oxidase I gene. Fifteen morphometric measurements were then taken from the head, wings and abdomen of slide-mounted specimens. Multivariate analyses investigated whether a combination of these could lead to accurate species identification. Results: Principal component analyses revealed that the length and width of the smaller and larger spermathecae, and the length of, and width between, the chitinous plates can differentiate the species. These are all abdominal characteristics. Seasonal and geographic variation was observed for head and wing measurements, but not for those from the abdomen. Conclusions: Our results suggest that female C. obsoletus and C. scoticus individuals can be separated under a stereomicroscope using abdominal measurements. Although we show that morphometrics can be used to differentiate the species, this can be time-consuming and we recommend undertaking this using standardized subsampling of large catches. Relevance: This work highlights a new morphometric method of discriminating two of the main vector species of bluetongue virus. Such separations generally rely on molecular techniques, which can be expensive. Morphometric identifications may prove useful in outbreak situations when they can be quickly undertaken on a subsample of individuals to determine the proportions of each species present. (Texte intégral
