Intense transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Africa might promote emergence of variants. We describe 10 SARS-CoV-2 lineages in Benin during early 2021 that ...harbored mutations associated with variants of concern. Benin-derived SARS-CoV-2 strains were more efficiently neutralized by antibodies derived from vaccinees than patients, warranting accelerated vaccination in Africa.
The fourth edition of Historical Dictionary of Benin covers the history of Benin through a chronology, an introductory essay, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 900 ...cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Benin.
Rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV) is the most harmful virus that affects irrigated and lowland rice in Africa. The RBe24 isolate of the virus is the most pathogenic strain in Benin. A total of 79 ...genotypes including susceptible IR64 (Oryza sativa) and the resistant TOG5681 (O. glaberrima) as checks were screened for their reactions to RBe24 isolate of RYMV and the effects of silicon on the response of host plants to the virus investigated. The experiment was a three-factor factorial consisting of genotypes, inoculation level (inoculated vs. non-inoculated), and silicon dose (0, 5, and 10 g/plant) applied as CaSiO3 with two replications and carried out twice in the screen house. Significant differences were observed among the rice genotypes. Fifteen highly resistant and eight resistant genotypes were identified, and these were mainly O. glaberrima. Silicon application did not affect disease incidence and severity at 21 and 42 days after inoculation (DAI); it, however, significantly increased plant height of inoculated (3.6% for 5 g CaSiO3/plant and 6.3% for 10 g CaSiO3/plant) and non-inoculated (1.9% for 5 g CaSiO3/plant and 4.9% for 10 g CaSiO3/plant) plants at 42 DAI, with a reduction in the number of tillers (12.3% for both 5 and 10 g CaSiO3/plant) and leaves (26.8% for 5 g CaSiO3/plant and 28% for 10 g CaSiO3/plant) under both inoculation treatments. Our results confirm O. glaberrima germplasm as an important source of resistance to RYMV, and critical in developing a comprehensive strategy for the control of RYMV in West Africa.
Cancer incidence in Cotonou (Benin), 2014–2016 Egue, Marcel; Gnangnon, Freddy H.R.; Akele-Akpo, Marie-Thérèse ...
Cancer epidemiology,
April 2019, 2019-04-00, Letnik:
59
Journal Article
Recenzirano
•First incidence rates from a population-based cancer registry in Cotonou, Benin.•Breast and cervical cancers account for half of all cancers in women.•Incidence of breast is 50% higher than cervix; ...cases occur in rather younger women.•Prostate was most common cancer of men, as in other West African countries.•Results compared with other West/Central African countries &black population of USA.
Incidence data from the population cancer registry of Cotonou (Benin) for the three year period 2014–2016 are presented.
1086 cancer cases were recorded, 608 cases (56.0%) in women (corresponding to an age standardized incidence rate (ASR) of 78.4 per 100,000) and 478 cases (44.0%) in men (ASR 91.8 per 100,000).
Breast and cervical cancer accounted for 49.2% of all cancers in women. Breast cancer (ASR 22.6 per 100,000) was more common than cervical cancer (ASR 14.9 per 100,000) and the mean age of cases was lower. The incidence of prostate cancer (one quarter of all cancers in men), 30.5 per 100,000, was similar to that in other West African registries. Cancers of the liver and digestive tract were also relatively common in both sexes.
These are the first data on cancer incidence in Benin, and will be invaluable for the development and evaluation of the National Cancer Control plan.
We used commercially available ELISAs to test 68 samples from coronavirus disease cases and prepandemic controls from Benin. We noted <25% false-positive results among controls, likely due to ...unspecific immune responses elicited by acute malaria. Serologic tests must be carefully evaluated to assess coronavirus disease spread and immunity in tropical regions.
Generational conflicts are increasingly addressed in media and in academic debate. Against this backdrop Karl Mannheim’s investigation of generational change can be brought back into focus. He argues ...that every generation is a potential for change, but this often goes hand in hand with a conflict between generations. From a postcolonial lens we challenge this universal conceptualisation of generational conflict: drawn from case studies in Benin and Austria we show that Mannheim’s argument has to be provincialised. Despite the different settings and methodological approaches, our results are similar: while young people perceive themselves as distinct from the older generation, and despite the rhetoric of rupture, no conflict can be observed in the concrete behaviour of the actors. Despite these similarities, it is important to witness the particular contexts, with specific, generational locations and specific spatial and temporal conditions. Only taking this into account, can it be said why, in what form, and in which contexts young people contribute to social change through the way they interact with other generations. Therefore, we want to question Mannheim’s assumption of a generational conflict and highlight the need to provincialise it as an engine of change.
Influenza D virus has been identified in America, Europe, and Asia. We detected influenza D virus antibodies in cattle and small ruminants from North (Morocco) and West (Togo and Benin) Africa. ...Dromedary camels in Kenya harbored influenza C or D virus antibodies, indicating a potential new host for these viruses.
Documentation on the domestic geese (Anser anser) in Benin is scarce, making it objectively difficult to exploit. Its production depends on small flocks raised by livestock farmers in different ...areas. The aim of the study was to describe the phenotypic and morphometric characteristics of geese encountered in northern Benin. To this end, a total of 576 adult geese (353 males and 223 females) from 102 farms in 4 agro-ecological zones of northern Benin were evaluated for 11 quantitative and 5 qualitative body traits. There are 6 plumage colors with white (42.01%), white-brown magpie (24.65%) and white-grey magpie (17.19%) as dominant colors. The proportions of white-grey (75%) and multicolored (51.85%) in Far northern zone of Benin (FNZB) were higher (P < 0.05) than those in the cotton zone of northern Benin (CZNB), Food-producing zone of southern Borgou (FZSB) and West-Atacora Zone (WAZ). The red coloring of the tarsi was more dominant in the FZSB (63.09%) and the FZSB (61.79%) (P < 0.05). Orange (57.47%) and yellow (28.82%) colored beaks were dominant but did not vary (P > 0.05) from one agro-ecological zone to another. Quantitative traits such as body length, tarsus length, wing span and thoracic circumference of geese varied (P < 0.05) between 71.34 to73.22 cm, 10.08 to 10.6 cm, 131.95 to 135.42 cm and between 42.07 to 43.86 cm respectively. Males differed significantly from females (P < 0.05) for all morphometric traits. The live weight of geese in the FNZB showed higher values than those of other agro-ecological zones (P ˂ 0.05). In addition, white phenotype geese (3.76 kg) were heavier (P ˂ 0.05) than other phenotypes. All correlations between weight and body measurements of domestic geese were positive, but the correlations between live weight and wing span (r = 0.68) were the strongest. These correlations could be used to assess the live weight of the geese population studied and for selection based on live weight. This study provides a reference for morpho-biometric traits and will be complemented by molecular characterization.
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•Predominant drivers of the unregulated shallow aquifer degradation in Cotonou were analysed using major ions, Cl/Br molar ratios and stables isotopes as environmental tracers. ...Vulnerability of this unofficial groundwater resource is due to either salinization or sewage leakage, which is temporally and spatially variable.•Increasing risks from sewage and septic tank leakage during the wet season in neighbourhoods located in discharge areas compared with increasing risk during the dry season in the recharge area.•Mixing with pond water and saline Lake Nokoué water highlight increased risks of shallow groundwater salinization during the dry and small wet seasons in discharge areas.
In Cotonou, as in many expanding West African cities, major population growth and infrastructural development has not kept up with informal settlement development onto floodable plains and marshes. The population of the slum, which makes up about 60% of the city’s inhabitants, is highly disadvantaged and vulnerable to rising sea levels, flooding, sanitation and waste management issues. However, the risks associated with the use of contaminated shallow groundwater for domestic purposes are less recognised. Our study demonstrates that, in many instances, the cheaper option of the use of shallow groundwater from the coastal Quaternary aquifer for domestic purposes represents a significant risk for the poorer residents of Cotonou through the voluntary (drinking) or non-volontary (dish washing, cooking) consumption of this unmonitored and untreated water resource. In the 3 neighbourhoods surveyed, environmental tracers (major ions, Cl/Br molar ratios and stables isotopes) showed that this shallow aquifer is degraded by seawater intrusion as well as septic and sewerage contamination. In particular, the higher NOx concentrations correspond to ranges associated with sewerage and septic tank effluent pollution and the major ion concentrations and δ2H–δ18O signatures showed that high salinity values are where groundwater mixes with saline Lake Nokoue water. The population using this resource from local wells should be made aware of seasonal changes in groundwater contamination and potential health risks associated with sewerage and septic tank contamination.
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