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Canine circovirus (CanineCV) is a DNA virus affecting domestic dogs and other wild carnivore species. Despite the potential implications for dogs' health and wildlife conservation, data on CanineCV presence, epidemiology and genetic features from Africa is still poor. In the present study, biological specimens collected between 2020 and 2022 from a total of 32 jackals and 575 domestic dogs were tested for the presence of CanineCV DNA to evaluate its frequency. Furthermore, sequencing was conducted on positive samples to characterize the strains and compare them with publicly available sequences through phylogenetic analysis. A high CanineCV prevalence was observed both in jackals (43.75%; 95 CI: 28.17% - 60.67%) and domestic dogs (27.13%; 95 CI: 23.66% - 30.91%). All aside from one Namibian strain formed an independent clade, suggestive of extremely rare introduction events, followed by local persistence, circulation, and evolution. Remarkably, different recombination events were observed involving strains from both jackals and domestic dogs, which testify to the likely strain exchange between these populations. Distinctive amino acid residues were also observed in jackals. The limitations of the considered host populations however prevent a definitive conclusion on host adaptation, biological, and clinical features. Further studies should be performed to expand our current knowledge of the CanineCV disease scenario in Namibia, other African regions, and associated host species in Africa., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The commercial farming and trading of parrots and ornamental birds as companion animals are important economic activities in many countries. Some of the bird species farmed/traded are captured from the wild or are closely related to wild birds and therefore represent a risk of pathogen exchange/introduction. Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) and avian poliomavirus (APV) are among the viruses with the biggest impact on companion bird populations and have been detected in different hosts worldwide. Despite their relevance for both domesticated and wild birds, our knowledge of BFDV and APV epidemiology remains limited in several African countries. In the present study, 143 cloacal swabs were collected from companion birds in Windhoek, Namibia, and tested by polymerase chain reaction for BFDV and APV. Of the samples tested, 35/143 (24.48%) tested positive for BFDV; 11/143 (7.69%) were positive for APV; and 6/143 (4.2%) tested positive for both pathogens. Positive amplicons, consisting of segments of the ORF1 and VP1 genes, were sequenced and compared with sequences from viruses identified in other countries. Four Namibian-only clades of BFDV were identified, loosely related to foreign strains, which suggest the occurrence of multiple introduction events in the past, potentially from South Africa, followed by local, independent evolution. In contrast, the Namibian APV sequences were identical to each other and form a single clade. In both instances, no correlation was observed between the sampling host and the viral phylogeny, suggesting the absence of host-specific adaptation and a remarkable, unconstrained viral circulation within Namibian borders. Therefore, while regulations and control measures developed against foreign strain introduction have proven to be effective over time, the spread of BFDV and APV within Namibia's borders appears undeterred. Additional resources should be dedicated to limit strain circulation in commercial farming facilities, markets and small-scale traders., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Canine parvovirus is a member of the Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 species that, after a relatively recent origin, has reached a worldwide distribution. Like other ssDNA viruses, it is featured by a remarkable evolutionary rate and thus genetic variability. CPV-2 is responsible for a severe systemic infection affecting especially domestic dogs. However, other carnivores, including wild species, are susceptible and thus represents a menace to wildlife conservation too. Despite the relevance of the topic, molecular epidemiology data are scarce and outdated in certain areas of the world, like Africa and, in particular, Namibia. The present study investigates the occurrence and genetic features of CPV in Namibian domestic dogs and jackals. The VP2 of detected strains was characterized and analyzed to assess the viral circulation and link among host species, Namibian districts and foreign countries. With the only exception of one New-CPV-2a, all the detected strains belonged to the CPV-2c antigenic variant and were closely related to strains of Asian origin. Nevertheless, a dedicated phylogeographic analysis revealed that the introduction was more likely mediated by other African countries, highlighting the challenge of controlling illegal animal imports across land borders. Similarly, the absence of any geographical clustering within Namibia testify a substantially unconstrained viral circulation among districts. The absence/incomplete vaccination status reported by the animal owners could have significantly contributed to the infection's success after its introduction. Finally, infection of a wild jackal was also proven. Although the limited wild animals' sample size prevents any definitive conclusion, the identity of the sequences from the jackal and the ones originating from the domestic dogs suggests a potential inter-species transmission. The epidemiological and clinical implications in wild specie remain obscure., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Samples from eleven birds (chicken, dove and peacock) with symptoms of fowlpox, caused by the avipoxvirus (APV), were collected in seven different areas of the Windhoek district, Namibia between April and October 2021. A fragment of the 4b core protein and the DNA polymerase gene of APV were amplified by PCR from the DNA of the samples and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the viruses present in the chickens all belonged to clade A1 while the viruses in the doves and peacock were from subclade A3.1. This is the first report of subclade A3.1 avipoxvirus in peacock. In addition, all of the samples obtained from chickens were shown by PCR to be positive for the integration of reticuloendotheliosis virus while those from the doves and peacocks were negative. This study is the first characterization of avipoxvirus in Namibia and provides additional information on the presence of avipoxvirus in southern Africa.