Genomic Surveillance Enables the Identification of Co-infections With Multiple SARS-CoV-2 Lineages in Equatorial Guinea

COVID-19 disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 represents an ongoing global public health emergency. Rapid identification of emergence, evolution, and spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) would enable timely and tailored responses by public health decision-making bodies. Yet, global disparities in current SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance activities reveal serious geographical gaps. Here, we discuss the experiences and lessons learned from the SARS-CoV-2 monitoring and surveillance program at the Public Health Laboratory on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea that was implemented as part of the national COVID-19 response and monitoring activities. We report how three distinct SARS-CoV-2 variants have dominated the epidemiological situation in Equatorial Guinea since March 2020. In addition, a case of co-infection of two SARS-CoV-2 VOC, Beta and Delta, in a clinically asymptomatic and fully COVID-19 vaccinated man living in Equatorial Guinea is presented. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a person co-infected with Beta and Delta VOC globally. Rapid identification of co-infections is relevant since these might provide an opportunity for genetic recombination resulting in emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 lineages with enhanced transmission or immune evasion potential.

Review of the genus Oncocephala Agassiz 1846 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Oncocephalini) in Africa, excluding Madagascar

The genus Oncocephala Agassiz, 1846 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Oncocephalini) is reviewed for Africa, except Madagascar. Twenty-four species are treated. Two new synonyms were proposed, Oncocephala kolbei Gestro, 1899a is synonymized with O. promontorii Péringuey, 1898 and O. scabrosa Gestro, 1905 is synonymized with O. severinii Gestro, 1899(1901). Six new species are proposed: Oncocephala susanstainesae Calcetas, Staines & Adorada sp. nov. from Namibia, Oncocephala deleoni Calcetas, Staines and Adorada sp. nov. from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Oncocephala camachoi Calcetas, Staines & Adorada sp. nov. from Cameroon, Oncocephala eborai Calcetas, Staines & Adorada sp. nov. from Equatorial Guinea, Oncocephala dimaculanganae Calcetas, Staines & Adorada sp. nov. from Cameroon and Oncocephala demesai Calcetas, Staines and Adorada sp. nov. from Togo. Oncocephala methneri Uhmann, 1928 and O. madoni Pic, 1941 are treated as incerte sedis. The genus Oncocephala in Africa is divided into seven species groups (Gestroi, Perrieri, Insignis, Senegalensis, Promentorii, Cuneata and Angusticollis) based on the similarity of their elytral characters. A key to the species groups and species of Oncocephala is provided.

Obtaining redress (damages) for torture committed outside South Africa: A comment on Van Rensburg v Obiang (21748/2014) [2021] ZAWCHC 128 (18 June 2021)

In Van Rensburg v Obiang, the High Court (Western Cape Division) awarded the plaintiff damages for the torture, unlawful arrest, and detention to which the plaintiff was subjected by the respondent’s subordinates in Equatorial Guinea. However, the court does not clearly explain how the respondent was responsible for the applicant’s torture and the legal basis on which it made the order for damages. In this article, the author argues that the court’s order is debatable for the following reasons. The evidence before the court did not prove that the defendant had committed torture within the meaning of art. 1 of the UN Convention against Torture and sec. 3 of the Prevention and Combating of Torture of Persons Act; some of the acts attributed to the defendant as torture did not amount to torture; there was no legal basis on which the court based its order to award damages to the plaintiff for the torture committed abroad.

Temporal evolution of the resistance genotypes of Plasmodium falciparum in isolates from Equatorial Guinea during 20 years (1999 to 2019)

Background Malaria is one of the deadliest diseases in the world, particularly in Africa. As such, resistance to anti-malarial drugs is one of the most important problems in terms of global malaria control. This study assesses the evolution of the different resistance markers over time and the possible influence of interventions and treatment changes that have been made in Equatorial Guinea. Methods A total of 1223 biological samples obtained in the period 1999 to 2019 were included in the study. Screening for mutations in the pfdhfr, pfdhps, pfmdr1, and pfcrt genes was carried out by nested PCR and restriction-fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs), and the study of pfk13 genes was carried out by nested PCR, followed by sequencing to determine the presence of mutations. Results The partially and fully resistant haplotypes (pfdhfr + pfdhps) were found to increase over time. Moreover, in 2019, the fully resistant haplotype was found to be increasing, although its super-resistant counterpart remains much less prevalent. A continued decline in pfmdr1 and pfcrt gene mutations over time was also found. The number of mutations detected in pfk13 has increased since 2008, when artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) were first introduced, with more mutations being observed in 2019, with two synonymous and five non-synonymous mutations being detected, although these are not related to resistance to ACT. In addition, the non-synonymous A578S mutation, which is the most frequent on the African continent, was detected in 2013, although not in the following years. Conclusions Withdrawal of the use of chloroquine (CQ) as a treatment in Equatorial Guinea has been shown to be effective over time, as wild-type parasite populations outnumber mutant populations. The upward trend observed in sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) resistance markers suggest its misuse, either alone or in combination with artesunate (AS) or amodiaquine (AQ), in some areas of the country, as was found in a previous study conducted by this group, which allows selective pressure from SP to continue. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) 540E and 581G do not exceed the limit of 50 and 10%, respectively, thus meaning that SP is still effective as an intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) in this country. As for the pfk13 gene, no mutations have been detected in relation to resistance to ACT. However, in 2019 there is a greater accumulation of non-synonymous mutations compared to years prior to 2008. Graphical Abstract

The Last Mission: Religion and Colonial Francoism in Spanish Representations of Africa

During Francoism, Spanish cultural production on Equatorial Guinea placed missionaries in a central narrative role, exalting their evangelizing labor. This article concentrates on the representation of the colonial mission in works by lay authors who shared an ideological affinity with the regime and received its institutional support: the documentary Una cruz en la selva (1946), the film Misión blanca (1946) and the novel Tierra negra (1957). These works branded a kind of Spanish Catholic colonialism as superior to other European models, but despite their propagandistic intention, they also reveal a series of anxieties and contradictions inherent to the Spanish colonial project.

Spanisch in Afrika/Afrika in Spanien. Sprachliche Charakteristika von Spanischsprecherinnen und Spanischsprechern aus Äquatorialguinea in Madrid

In this paper, from the perspective of the migration context in Madrid, we look at the only officially Hispanophone country in Africa: Equatorial Guinea. After a detailed introduction to Equatorial Guinea’s history and languages, we offer an overview of the Equatoguinean migration to Spain and its current situation. In the main part of the article, we discuss three linguistic characteristics of Spanish spoken by people of Equatoguinean origin. In order to do so, we use a corpus of 24 sociolinguistic life-story interviews, conducted in Madrid in 2017 and 2018. The selected features represent different linguistic levels: syntax (variable use of prepositions in the construction ir ‘to go’ + preposition a or en + destination), semantics (use of the verbs oír ‘to hear’ and escuchar ‘to listen’), and pragmatics (discursive use of tío/tía ‘[literally:] uncle/aunt’). To gain a better understanding, we consider the sociolinguistic context of Equatorial Guinea and compare our results with other contact varieties of Spanish. Altogether, this study offers an insight into the Equatoguinean diaspora in Madrid and at the same time makes a contribution to the modern description of Equatoguinean Spanish.

A colorimetric test for the evaluation of the insecticide content of LLINs used on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea

Background Insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying of insecticides are used as the vector control interventions in the fight against malaria. Measuring the actual amount of deposits of insecticides on bed nets and walls is essential for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of the intervention. A colorimetric “Test Kit” designed for use as a screening tool, able to detect the type II pyrethroids on fabrics and sprayed walls, was used for the first time to detect deltamethrin on long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) deployed on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. Methods LLINs were analysed using the colorimetric Test Kit performed in situ, which leads to the formation of an orange-red solution whose depth of colour indicates the amount of type II pyrethroid on the net. The kit results were validated by measuring the amount of extracted insecticide using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection (DAD). Results Deltamethrin concentration was determined for 130 LLINs by HPLC–DAD. The deltamethrin concentration of these nets exhibited a significant decrease with the age of the net from 65 mg/m2 (< 12 months of use) to 31 mg/m2 (> 48 months; p < 0.001). Overall, 18% of the nets being used in households had < 15 mg/m2 of deltamethrin, thus falling into the “Fail” category as assessed by the colorimetric Test Kit. This was supported by determining the bio-efficacy of the nets using the WHO recommended cone bioassays. The Test Kit was field evaluated in situ and found to be rapid, accurate, and easy to use by people without laboratory training. The Test Kit was shown to have a reliable linear relationship between the depth of colour produced and deltamethrin concentration (R2 = 0.9135). Conclusion This study shows that this colorimetric test was a reliable method to assess the insecticidal content of LLINs under operational conditions. The Test Kit provides immediate results and offers a rapid, inexpensive, field-friendly alternative to the complicated and costly methods such as HPLC and WHO cone bioassays which also need specialist staff. Thus, enabling National Malaria Control Programmes to gain access to effective and affordable monitoring tools for use in situ.