Ousmane Faye

• PhD
• Researcher at Pasteur Network

Objectives The tremendous size of the 2013-2016 West African outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) resulted in a sizeable population of survivors, many reporting short-term sequelae such as arthralgia and myalgia. We aimed to examine the occurrence of chronic musculoskeletal (MS) pain among survivors. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study f...

Orthobunyaviruses are a diverse group of segmented RNA viruses with significant but underexplored public and veterinary health implications. This study provides a genomic, phylogenetic, and ecological analysis of neglected Orthobunyaviruses using next-generation sequencing and computational predictions. We identified unique phylogenetic relationshi...

Background Rash is a common childhood infection, mainly caused by viruses. Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), a common viral rash infection, has become one of the most common infectious diseases in Asian countries and caused outbreaks in children and adults worldwide. Following the introduction of enterovirus A71 (EVA71) vaccines, Coxsackievirus...

Rift Valley Fever and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever are two infections classified among the emerging diseases to be monitored with the highest priority. Studies undertaken in human and animal showed endemicity of these two arboviruses in several African countries. However, most of the investigations were carried out on domestic cattle and the stu...

Background Mosquitoes are well-known vectors for arthropod-borne viruses, yet their role as passive carriers of non-arthropod-borne viruses remains underexplored. Xenosurveillance, a method that utilizes blood-feeding arthropods to sample host and pathogen genetic material, has emerged as a valuable tool in viral ecology. In this study, we report t...

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus primarily transmitted among humans by Aedes aegypti. Over the past two decades, it has caused significant outbreaks associated with birth defects and neurological disorders. Phylogenetically, ZIKV consists of two main genotypes referred to as the African and Asian lineages, each exhibiting distinct b...

Given the growing threat posed by viral hemorrhagic fevers, the development of surveillance tools is crucial to provide accurate and rapid solutions. Public health response involves risk assessment as well as effective and sustainable surveillance to ensure downstream communication and preparedness. A serological approach that offers high precision...

Objectives To analyze the clinical and biological characteristics and to evaluate the risk factors associated with the mortality of patients with COVID-19 in Commune IV of the District of Bamako. Methods The cohort consisted of COVID-19 patients managed from March 2020 to June 2022 at the Bamako Dermatology Hospital and the Pasteur Polyclinic in C...

Neurological manifestations associated with human parvovirus B19 (B19V) infections are rare and varied. Acute encephalitis and encephalopathy are the most common, accounting for 38.8% of all neurological manifestations associated with human B19V. Herein, we report on the clinical features of 13 laboratory-confirmed human cases of B19V-associated en...

Background . Health workers (HWs) are at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection due to their frontline role and considered as priority group for COVID-19 vaccination. This study aimed to estimate SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 incidence rates and identify the risk factors among HWs in Mali to strengthen prevention measures. Method . A cohort study of...

Babanki virus is a subtype of the Sindbis virus, a widespread arthropod-borne alphavirus circulating in Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Characterized by rashes and arthritis, clinical infections due to Sindbis were mainly reported in Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe. However, its sub-type, Babanki virus, was reported in Northern Europe and Africa,...

Echovirus 11 has emerged as a major public health concern, causing sepsis in neonates in many European countries in recent years. In Africa, especially West Africa, where resources and diagnostic capacities are limited, only sporadic cases have been reported. To better understand the recent molecular epidemiology of E11 in West Africa, we character...

Wesselsbron is a neglected, mosquito-borne zoonotic disease transmitted by several species of virus-infected Aedes mosquitoes endemic to tropical regions in Africa. It affects primarily domestic livestock species with teratogenic effects, but can jump to humans. Herein, we investigated the molecular epidemiology of Wesselsbron virus in Africa using...

Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection of the skin and lungs, often involving multiple organs. They are opportunistic mycoses usually in HIV-positive patients. Herein, we report the case of a 51-year-old immunocompetent adult. On examination, the patient was generally unwell and had no fever. Multiple subcutaneous nodules were noted. These nodules we...

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a globally important mosquito-borne virus that can also be directly transmitted via aerosolization of body fluids from infected animals. RVFV outbreaks cause mass mortality of young livestock and abortions in animals. In most severe human cases, the disease can progress to hemorrhagic fever and encephalitis, leadin...

Usutu virus (USUV), an arbovirus from the Flaviviridae family, genus Flavivirus, has recently gained increasing attention because of its potential for emergence. After his discovery in South Africa, USUV spread to other African countries, then emerged in Europe where it was responsible for epizootics. The virus has recently been found in Asia. USUV...

Chikungunya virus has caused millions of cases worldwide over the last twenty years, with recent outbreaks in Kedougou region in the southeastern Senegal, West Africa. Genomic characterization highlights that an ongoing epidemic in Kedougou in 2023 is not due to an introduction event but caused by the re-emergence of an endemic strain evolving line...

Background The progress made in the fight against malaria has resulted in a reduction of the burden in Senegal on a national scale. Transmission levels tend to be low overall, but there is considerable spatial heterogeneity, which necessitates the identification of the factors responsible for regional or local disparities in order to accelerate the...

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a re-emerging vector-borne zoonosis with a high public health and veterinary impact. In West Africa, many lineages were previously detected, but since 2020, lineage H from South Africa has been the main cause of the outbreaks. In this study, clinical samples collected through national surveillance were screened for RVF vi...

Introduction: Wet wrapping is a local care technique adapted to the treatment of severe forms of eczema. It is a good alternative for AD resistant to the usual local treatments. We report a case. Observation: A 5-month-old infant, with a personal history of allergic rhinitis has been seen in a dermatological for diffuse skin eruption and pruritus e...

Dugbe virus (DUGV) is a tick-borne arbovirus first isolated in Nigeria in 1964. It has been detected in many African countries using such diverse methods as serological tests, virus isolation, and molecular detection. In Senegal, reports of DUGV isolates mainly occurred in the 1970s and 1980s. Here, we report a contemporary detection of three novel...

Evidence is provided that the CDC Trioplex PCR underperforms in detecting the West-African Chikungunya genotype. It is most likely that the failure of the test is due to not including a West-African genotype strain in the validation panel for the Trioplex assay.

Ebolavirus disease (EVD) is an often‐lethal disease caused by the genus Ebolavirus (EBOV). Although vaccines are being developed and recently used, outbreak control still relies on a combination of various factors, including rapid identification of EVD cases. This allows rapid patient isolation and control measure implementation. Ebolavirus diagnos...

The use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) has been the primary vector control strategy in Senegal since 2007, significantly reducing the burden of malaria. However, the emergence of vector resistance to insecticides poses a serious threat to the effectiveness of these strategies. This study aimed to assess...

Objective Crimean‐Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a severe zoonotic arboviral disease that occurs widely in Eastern and Western Europe, Asia and Africa. The disease is becoming of growing public health importance in Senegal. However, analysis of tick infestation, CCHF virus (CCHFV) circulation extent and risk factors during ongoing outbreak are...

In 2020, a sylvatic dengue virus serotype 2 infection outbreak resulted in 59 confirmed dengue cases in Kedougou, Senegal, suggesting those strains might not require adaptation to reemerge into urban transmission cycles. Large-scale genomic surveillance and updated molecular diagnostic tools are needed to effectively prevent dengue virus infections...

Background With growing use of parasitological tests to detect malaria and decreasing incidence of the disease in Africa; it becomes necessary to increase the understanding of causes of non-malaria acute febrile illness (NMAFI) towards providing appropriate case management. This research investigates causes of NMAFI in pediatric out-patients in rur...

We characterized 01 autochthonous chikungunya virus (CHIKV) case from (The Gambia) through a newly implemented local arboviruses surveillance program in the, highlighting the first notification of the virus in the Country. Identified virus is closely related to CHIKV West African genotype detected in Kédougou (Senegal) in 2023 and responsible of a...

Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), the most widespread tick-borne viral human infection, poses a threat to global health. In this study, clinical samples collected through national surveillance systems were screened for acute CCHF virus (CCHFV) infection using RT-PCR and for exposure using ELISA. For any CCHF-positive sample, livestock and tic...

Bataï virus (BATV), belonging to the Orthobunyavirus genus, is an emerging mosquito-borne virus with documented cases in Asia, Europe, and Africa. It causes various symptoms in humans and ruminants. Another related virus is Ilesha virus (ILEV), which causes a range of diseases in humans and is mainly found in African countries. This study aimed to...

Salmonella enterica is a bacterial species that groups +2,600 serotypes, many of which being capable of infecting humans and animals. Salmonella infects its hosts by the oral route, and causes two types of diseases, a gastroenteritis and an invasive infection. Salmonella gastroenteritis is a self-limited infection that is restricted to the gastroin...

Dengue virus is becoming a major public health threat worldwide, principally in Africa. From 2016 to 2020, 23 outbreaks were reported in Africa, principally in West Africa. In Senegal, dengue outbreaks have been reported yearly since 2017. Data about the circulating serotypes and their spatial and temporal distribution were limited to outbreaks tha...

Citation: Mhamadi, M.; Mencattelli, G.; Gaye, A.; Ndiaye, E.H.; Sow, A.A.; Faye, M.; Ndione, M.H.D.; Diagne, M.M.; Mhamadi, M.; Faye, O.; et al. Rapid On-Site Detection of Arboviruses by a Direct RT-qPCR Assay. Abstract: Arthropod-borne diseases currently constitute a source of major health concerns worldwide. They account for about 50% of global i...

Arthropod-borne diseases currently constitute a source of major health concerns worldwide. They account for about 50% of global infectious diseases and cause nearly 700,000 deaths every year. Their rapid increase and spread constitute a huge challenge for public health, highlighting the need for early detection during epidemics, to curtail the viru...

The Chikungunya virus, a global arbovirus, is currently causing a major outbreak in the Western African region, with the highest cases reported in Senegal and Burkina Faso. Recent molecular evolution analyses reveal that the strain responsible for the epidemic belongs to the West African genotype, with new mutations potentially impacting viral repl...

Hyalomma ticks are the principal vectors of the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus. Antibody responses and the viral genome, are usually used for virus surveys. These markers cannot assess the role of ticks in the burden of CCHFV. It has been documented that tick bites induce a host immunological response, and numerous antigens have been describ...

Dengue outbreaks in West Africa, linked to urban cycle viruses, pose a significant public health threat. In 2020, a sylvatic Dengue 2 outbreak in Kedougou, southeastern Senegal, resulted in 59 confirmed cases, suggesting these strains may not require additional adaptation but could re-emerge into urban transmission cycles in the region.

Chikungunya virus has caused millions of cases worldwide over the last twenty years, with recent outbreaks in Kedougou region in the southeastern Senegal, West Africa. Genomic characterization highlights that an ongoing epidemic in Kedougou in 2023 is not due to an introduction event but caused by the re-emergence of an endemic strain evolving line...

Dengue virus is becoming a major public health threat worldwide principally in Africa. From 2016 to 2020, 23 outbreaks were reported in Africa principally in West Africa. In Senegal outbreak are reported yearly since 2017 ; data about the circulating serotypes and their spatial and temporal distribution are limited to 2017 – 2018 period. Herein we...

The emergence of the Omicron variant in November 2021, has caused panic worldwide due to the rapid evolution and the ability of the virus to escape the immune system. Since, several Omicron sublineages (BA.1 to BA.5) and their descendent recombinant lineages have been circulating worldwide. Furthermore, in December 2022, a new Omicron subvariant XB...

Astroviruses are common causes of gastroenteritis in humans and other animals. Herein, we reported a near-complete human astrovirus (HAstV) sequence detected in a child with acute flaccid paralysis. The sample was collected in Guinea in January 2021. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that this virus belonged to the HAstV-1 genotype.

Dengue fever is the most prevalent arboviral disease worldwide. Dengue virus (DENV), the etiological agent, is known to have been circulating in Senegal since 1970, though for a long time, virus epidemiology was restricted to the circulation of sylvatic DENV−2 in southeastern Senegal (the Kedougou region). In 2009 a major shift was noticed with the...

Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii, often found in sympatry and synchronous, have undergone a premating reproductive isolation across their distribution range. However, in the Western coast of Africa, unexpected hybridization zones have been observed, and little is known about swarming behavior of these cryptic taxa. Here, we characterized th...

Background Malaria is endemic in Senegal, with seasonal transmission, and the entire population is at risk. In recent years, high malaria incidence has been reported in urban and peri-urban areas of Senegal. An urban landscape analysis was conducted in three cities to identify the malaria transmission indicators and human behavior that may be drivi...

Rapid proliferation of traditional gold mining sites in Kédougou a Southeast region in Senegal, led to mass population migration from the neighboring West African countries and rapid expansion of small mining villages with poor hygiene and sanitation conditions. An outbreak of hepatitis E was reported in 2014 with several cases of febrile jaundice...

Background In Senegal, the main vector control strategies include implementing indoor residual spraying (IRS) and distribution of long-lasting insecticides insecticidal nets (LLINs). Drugs resistance and insecticides resistance use on public health were appearing affected to combatted malaria transmission. In the country vectors became resistant to...

Herein, we report a case of thromboembolic disease occurring during endemic Kaposi’s disease treated with bleomycin. Kaposi’s disease is a vascular and fibroblastic disorder caused by human herpes virus type 8. The endemic form remains prevalent yet with a less severe prognosis. The first line of systemic treatment in our country is classically a m...

Objectives: To analyze the clinical and biological characteristics and to evaluate the risk factors associated to the mortality of patients with COVID-19 in Commune 4 of the District of Bamako. Methods: The cohort consisted of COVID-19 patients treated from March 2020 to June 2022 at the Bamako Dermatology Hospital and the Pasteur private Polyclini...

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic recurrent inflammatory dermatosis occurring in genetically predisposed individuals. Its dramatic nature of the lesions, successive flare-ups, and skin discomfort may affect the quality of life of patients and result in a depressive tendency. Objective: To assess the impact of psoriasis on the quality of life of pa...

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Senegal, contact tracing was done to identify transmission clusters, their analysis allowed to understand their dynamics and evolution. In this study, we used information from the surveillance data and phone interviews to construct, represent and analyze COVID-19 transmission clusters from March 2, 2020, to May 31, 2...

West Nile virus is a re-emerging arbovirus whose impact on public health is increasingly important as more and more epidemics and epizootics occur, particularly in America and Europe, with evidence of active circulation in Africa. Because birds constitute the main reservoirs, migratory movements allow the diffusion of various lineages in the world....

As part of the syndromic surveillance of fever in Senegal, the virology department at Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) in collaboration with the Epidemiology Unit and the Senegalese Ministry of Health conducted syndromic surveillance of fever in Senegal. Sample are from all suspected arboviral infections patients attending any of the sentinel sites....

The emergence of artemisinin partial resistance (ART-r) in Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites has substantially compromised the efficacy of antimalarial treatments across southeast Asia (SE Asia). The spread of ART-r within the African continent could jeopardize past progress made in reducing worldwide malaria burden. A clinical index malaria...

Management of the COVID-19 pandemic relies on molecular diagnostic methods supported by serological tools. Herein, we developed S-RBD- and N- based ELISA assays useful for infection rate surveillance as well as the follow-up of acquired protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2. ELISA assays were optimized using COVID-19 Tunisian patients’ sera and pr...

Dengue fever is the most important mosquito-borne viral disease of humans, with a significant disease burden in tropical and subtropical countries. The disease is caused by four distinct dengue virus (DENV) serotypes, DENV-1 to -4, all of which belong to the family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus. Approximately 3.6 billion people live in areas where...

Background: Evidence indicates that fractional doses of yellow fever vaccine are safe and sufficiently immunogenic for use during yellow fever outbreaks. However, there are no data on the generalisability of this observation to populations living with HIV. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity of fractional and standard doses of yello...

Original Research Article Albinism is a genetic mutation that affects the production of melanin in the skin, hair and eyes, making people with albinism vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation, with a greater susceptibility to skin cancer. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) access to care for people with albinism remains difficult. The province o...

Yellow fever (YF) virus is a mosquito-borne virus belonging to the Flaviviridae family that circulates in tropical and subtropical areas of Africa and South America. Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, YF remains a threat to travelers, residents of endemic areas, and unvaccinated populations. YF vaccination and natural infection both...

Understanding the behavior and ecology of local malaria vectors is essential for the effectiveness of the commonly used vector-targeted malaria control tools in areas of low malaria transmission. This study was conducted to determine species composition, biting behavior and infectivity of the major Anopheles vectors of Plasmodium falciparum in low...

Abstract Background : The COVID-19 pandemic led to severe health systems collapse, as well as logistics and supply delivery shortages across sectors. Delivery of PCR related healthcare supplies continue to be hindered. There is the need for a rapid and accessible SARS-CoV-2 molecular detection method in low resource settings. Objectives : To valid...

Objectives: Rift Valley Fever and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever are two infections classified among the emerging diseases to be monitored with highest priority. Studies undertaken in human and animals have shown endemicity of these two arboviruses in several African countries. However, most of the investigations were carried out on domestic catt...

On 10th September 2018, the Syndromic Sentinel Surveillance network that monitors febrile illnesses in all 14 regions of Senegal detected a peak of fever in the Fatick region. On 13 September 2018, 10 samples were sent to the WHO Collaborating Centre for Arboviruses and Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers at the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD). Laboratory in...

The mosquito-borne disease caused by the Rift Valley Fever Virus (RVFV) is a viral hemorrhagic fever that affects humans and animals. In 1987, RVFV emerged in Mauritania, which caused the first RVFV outbreak in West Africa. This outbreak was shortly followed by reported cases in humans and livestock in Senegal. Animal trade practices with neighbori...

Zika virus (ZIKV) diagnostics are crucial for proper antenatal and postnatal care and also for surveillance and serosurvey studies. Since the viremia during ZIKV infection is fleeting, serological testing is highly valuable to inform diagnosis. However, current serology tests using whole virus antigens frequently suffer from cross reactivity issues...

Monkeypox is a viral disease endemic to some countries in Central and Western Africa. However, sporadic human cases have also been reported outside of Africa. The first human case was reported in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Very similar to the eradicated smallpox regarding its clinical representation, the Monkeypox disease is most com...

Background This was a descriptive and prospective study that focused on 73 cases of delirium of skin infestation (DSI) from January 1st to December 31st, 2018, in the dermatology department of the Bamako Dermatology Hospital (HDB). Aim The aim of this work was to describe the epidemiological and clinical profile of delusions of infestation (Ekbom s...