Baobab Index

The oncogenic potential of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in breast cancer is being increasingly recognized. Despite some controversies regarding such role, new evidence is suggesting a culpability of EBV in breast cancer, particularly in Africa where the virus has been originally associated with causation of several solid and hematological malignancies. One example is a report from Sudan implicating EBV as a prime etiologic agent for an aggressive type of breast cancer, where nearly 100% of tumor tissues were shown to carry viral signatures. To get a broader view on such association, other nearby countries should be investigated. The present study aims to determine the prevalence and possible associations of the virus in Eritrean breast cancer patients. Detection of EBV genome using primers that target Epstein Barr Encoded RNA (EBER) gene and Latent Membrane Protein-1 (LMP-1) gene sequences was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on DNA samples extracted from 144 formalin fixed paraffin embedded breast cancer tissues and 63 non-cancerous breast tissue as control group. A subset of PCR positive samples was evaluated for EBER gene expression by in situ hybridization (ISH). Expression of Latent Membrane Protein-2a (LMP2a) was also assessed by immunohistochemistry in a subset of 45 samples. Based on PCR results, EBV genome signals were detected in a total of 40 samples (27.77%) as compared to controls ( Based on these findings it can be concluded that EBV in Eritrea is associated with a smaller subset of tumors, unlike neighboring Sudan, thus pointing to possible differences in population predisposition and diseases epidemiology.

Human pathogens can survive and grow in hot springs. For water quality assessment, Escherichia coli or Enterococci are the main thermotolerant enteric bacteria commonly used to estimate the load of pathogenic bacteria in water. However, most of the environmental bacteria are unculturable thus culture methods may cause bias in detection of most pathogens. Illumina sequencing can provide a more comprehensive and accurate insight into environmental bacterial pathogens, which can be used to develop better risk assessment methods and promote public health awareness. In this study, high-throughput Illumina sequencing was used to identify bacterial pathogens from five hot springs; Maiwooi, Akwar, Garbanabra, Elegedi and Gelti, in Eritrea. Water samples were collected from the five hot springs. Total community DNA was extracted from samples using the phenol-chloroform method. The 16S rRNA gene variable region (V4-V7) of the extracted DNA was amplified and library construction done according to Illumina sequencing protocol. The sequence reads (length >200 bp) from Illumina sequencing libraries ranged from 22,091 sequences in the wet sediment sample from Garbanabra to 155,789 sequences in the mat sample from Elegedi. Taxonomy was assigned to each OTU using BLASTn against a curated database derived from GreenGenes, RDPII, SILVA SSU Reference 119 and NCBI. The proportion of potential pathogens from the water samples was highest in Maiwooi (17.8%), followed by Gelti (16.7%), Akwar (13.6%) and Garbanabra (10.9%). Although the numbers of DNA sequence reads from Illumina sequencing were very high for the Elegedi (104,328), corresponding proportion of potential pathogens very low (3.6%). Most of the potential pathogenic bacterial sequences identified were from Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. Legionella and Clostridium were the most common detected genera with different species. Most of the potential pathogens were detected from the water samples. However, sequences belonging to Clostridium were observed more abundantly from the mat samples. This study employed high-throughput sequencing technologies to determine the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the five hot springs in Eritrea.

Mycobacterium bovis (M.bovis) is the main causative agent for bovine tuberculosis (BTB) and can also be the cause of zoonotic tuberculosis in humans. In view of its zoonotic nature, slaughterhouse surveillance, potentially resulting in total or partial condemnation of the carcasses and organs, is conducted routinely. Spoligotyping, VNTR profiling, and whole genome sequencing (WGS) of M. bovis isolated from tissues with tuberculosis-like lesions collected from 14 cattle at Eritrea's largest slaughterhouse in the capital Asmara, were conducted.The 14 M. bovis isolates were classified into three different spoligotype patterns (SB0120, SB0134 and SB0948) and six VNTR profiles. WGS results matched those of the conventional genotyping methods and further discriminated the six VNTR profiles into 14 strains. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis of the M. bovis isolates suggests two independent introductions of BTB into Eritrea possibly evolving from a common ancestral strain in Europe.This molecular study revealed the most important strains of M. bovis in Eritrea and their (dis)similarities with the strains generally present in East Africa and Europe, as well as potential routes of introduction of M. bovis. Though the sample size is small, the current study provides important information as well as platform for future in-depth molecular studies on isolates from both the dairy and the traditional livestock sectors in Eritrea and the region. This study provides information onthe origin of some of the M. bovis strains in Eritrea, its genetic diversity, evolution and patterns of spread between dairy herds. Such information is essential in the development and implementation of future BTB control strategy for Eritrea.

This study evaluated the genetic diversity and population structures in a novel cotton germplasm collection comprising 132 diploids, including

Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the most common enzymopathy with a relatively high frequency in malaria-endemic regions. In Eritrea, there is scanty knowledge of G6PD deficiency. The aim of the study was to characterize and determine the prevalence of four common G6PD allelic variants. Three hundred and fourteen dried blood spot samples from unrelated microscopically diagnosed malaria patient Eritrean ethnic groups living in five zobas (regions) of Eritrea were analysed by PCR-RFLP method to identify the G6PD B, For G6PD genotyping, This is the first report indicating that

Thirteen new species are formally described:

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows:

Most parts of Eritrea are classified as arid and semi-arid land (ASALs) which are characterised by dryness, high ambient temperatures and low precipitation. The country has three different environmental landscapes: highland, Western lowland and Eastern lowland agro-ecological zones (AEZs). The geophysical and biophysical characteristics of the AEZs vary. Indigenous cattle which are mainly kept in extensive production system have to cope with the adverse climatic conditions of these AEZs. They have to adapt to the harsh climate, poor feed quality and endemic diseases and parasites and reproduction challenges in the AEZs. The underlying genetic basis of the indigenous cattle adaption to the specific AEZs in Eritrea is limited. In this study, it is hypothesized that the indigenous cattle have evolved and developed unique adaptive characteristics because of being reared in specific ecological landscapes. This was tested using the landscape genomics and analysis of selection signatures to ascertain the genetic basis of their adaptability to the nutritional and environmental constraints that characterise the AEZ conditions. The study was carried out in three different environmental landscapes: highland, Eastern lowland and Western lowland AEZs. Blood samples were collected from a total of 188 indigenous cattle populations sampled from the three AEZs. DNA was extracted and genotyped using the genotype by sequencing (GBS) method. Analysis revealed the existence of medium to high genetic diversity between and within the indigenous cattle populations. Scanning of selection signatures revealed genomic regions under positive selection. The regions harboured genes (IFNAR2, CASR, AHSG, ATP1B3, AIRE, ROBO2, SCHIP1 and PARS2) of importance for facial morphology, locomotion, mineral homeostasis, immune system and skeletal and muscle system development. Findings pointed out the influence of AEZ landscapes on the genetic differentiation of indigenous cattle appearances probably due to selection driven by diverse climatic and biophysical conditions. The differentiation is orientated towards adaptive characteristics.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows:

The microsporidian fungal pathogen