The first confirmation of chikungunya virus infection in Guinea is reported in the present study. The patient, a 68-year-old woman presumptively diagnosed with malaria and with no history of travel, was identified through a research project focused on the etiologies of febrile illnesses in Guinea. A whole-blood sample from the patient was analyzed using multiplex reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, yielding a positive result for chikungunya virus, and was subsequently sequenced. The near-complete genome sequence was most closely related to strains circulating that year in Senegal. The study data are noteworthy because, despite past serological evidence of transmission, active human infection with the chikungunya virus has not previously been observed in Guinea; its emergence is linked to the identification of Aedes vectors in Dalaba. Further clinical and entomological investigations are warranted, along with country-wide genomic surveillance of arboviruses to better understand risk factors that have driven the emergence of chikungunya in Guinea and prevent possible future epidemics.
M. Keita, Martin Faye, B. Traore et al.· American Journal of Tropical...· 0 citations
Introduction several studies have shown the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 between 2020 and 2023 in Guinea. This study provides updated information on the circulation dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 from 2024 to 2025 and the variants circulating in Guinea. Methods as part of the integrated influenza/COVID-19 sentinel surveillance program, 2423 nasopharyngeal samples were analysed using RT-PCR, and those positive for SARS-CoV-2 were sequenced using the Illumina COVIDSeq Assay protocol. Results all age groups, ranging from <2 years to > 64 years, were affected by COVID-19, with an average SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate of 2.3%. The virus showed sporadic activity throughout the 2024-2025 period, with a higher level of activity during epidemiological week 42 (October) of 2024. Genomic analysis showed that only the Omicron variant circulated, along with its subvariants JN.1 and LF.7, in 2024. Subvariant LF.7 and recombinant XFJ also circulated in 2025. Conclusion SARS-CoV-2 subvariants continue to circulate sporadically in Guinea, with the XFJ recombinant having been detected in humans. Therefore, it is imperative to strengthen sentinel, genomic, and environmental surveillance for the early detection of any new COVID-19 outbreak and the potential emergence of new variants.
M. Keita, Bassala Traoré, Houssainatou Bah et al.· The Pan African Medical Jour...· 0 citations
