Recurrent Episodes of Some Mosquito-Borne Viral Diseases in Nigeria: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
, Arome Cornelius Omatola 2, Mamoudou Maiga 3 and Ishaya Samuel Gadzama 4
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Introduction
1. Lines 21-24, rewrite sentences 1 and 2 for clarity, chikungunya is an alphavirus.
2. Lines 26-27, Aedes albopictus may no longer serve as a secondary vector for some viruses
3. Lines 27-28, rewrite sentence for grammar
4. Lines 28-31, include references to support information in this sentence
Results:
1. Line 95, claim in this sentence is unsupported
2. Tables 1 and 2 legends are insufficient
3. Figures 1-5 legends are insufficient and incomplete
Discussion:
1. Lines 128-132, rewrite section for clarity and grammatical flow
2. Lines 135-140, cite literature to support claims
3. Lines 160-161, rephrase sentence in line with academic/scientific writing (“due to cultural beliefs” may be more appropriate)
4. Line 216, correct for grammar
5. Lines 231-233, should be in a separate paragraph
6. Line 239, “outbreaks driven by sylvatic strains of YFV”
Author Response
Introduction
- Q: Lines 21-24, rewrite sentences 1 and 2 for clarity, chikungunya is an alphavirus.
Author’s response: Done. Now reads “Two of these, yellow fever virus and dengue virus, with Chikungunya which is an alphavirus rank among the most important arthropod-borne diseases in the developing world.”
- Q: Lines 26-27, Aedes albopictus may no longer serve as a secondary vector for some viruses
Author’s response: Has been removed.
- Q: Lines 27-28, rewrite sentence for grammar
Author’s response: Yellow fever epidemics have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Nigeria, and across Africa [2-3]. Similarly, dengue has emerged as another important arthropod-borne viral disease in humans in the last 40 years.
- Q: Lines 28-31, include references to support information in this sentence
Author’s response: Reference now included.
Results:
- Q: Line 95, claim in this sentence is unsupported
Author’s response: Sentence has been properly written to capture the author’s view on DENV-2 in Nigeria.
- Q: Tables 1 and 2 legends are insufficient
Author’s response: More content has been added to the legend of Tables 1 and 2.
- Q: Figures 1-5 legends are insufficient and incomplete
Author’s response: Full complement of legend has now been included.
Discussion:
- Q: Lines 128-132, rewrite section for clarity and grammatical flow
Author’s response. The entire section has been rewritten.
- Q: Lines 135-140, cite literature to support claims
Author’s response. Reference cited Liang et al., 2015,
- Q: Lines 160-161, rephrase sentence in line with academic/scientific writing (“due to cultural beliefs” may be more appropriate)
Author’s response: Change to due to cultural beliefs
- Q: Line 216, correct for grammar
Author’s response: Done.
- Q: Lines 231-233, should be in a separate paragraph
Author’s Response: Now in a separate paragraph.
- Q: Line 239, “outbreaks driven by sylvatic strains of YFV”
Author’s Response: Rephrased to read “As a result, arboviral transmission is currently emerging in the West African front.”
Reviewer 2 Report
The authors presented here an interesting work, which I consider needs to be revised in order to be published.
- Line 4. Aedes species. “Species” without italics
- Line 21. … genus Flavivirus.
- Line 25. You mean Aedes (St.) aegypti?
- Line 40 to 45. I suggest including the name of the countries as well. It will be easier to understand to readers from other parts of the world.
- Line 45. DRC: Democratic Republic of Congo? Include the complete name of the country the first time you mention it.
- Line 46. … Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1964 …
- Line 54. Aedes species …
- Line 64. “… were retrieved”. Is redundant, in Line 61 you began the sentence mentioning the virus sequences that “were retrieved”. I think that you could reorganize the paragraph.
- Line 66. What “similar viruses” you refer to?
- Line 109. You don’t mention Table 1 in the text.
- Lines 114-123. The results shown in Figures 1 to 5 must be explained in the Results section. The Figures show a result that cannot be mentioned in the Discussion section for the first time.
- Line 128. Is not what you show in Figure 1.
- Line 151. “The worldwide total of …” check English.
- Line 154. I cannot find the 1965 report.
- Line 205. Ae. albopictus (italics)
- Line 208. “…studies have suggested that …”
- Line 247. species (without italics)
- Line 270. Antiviral Res
- Line 278. Check the style for the Journal names.
- Line 305. Journal abbreviation
Author Response
The authors presented here an interesting work, which I consider needs to be revised in order to be published.
Q- Line 4. Aedes species. “Species” without italics
Author’s Response: Done
Q- Line 21. … genus Flavivirus.
Author’s Response: Done
Q- Line 25. You mean Aedes (St.) aegypti?
Author’s Response: Changed
Q- Line 40 to 45. I suggest including the name of the countries as well. It will be easier to understand to readers from other parts of the world.
Author’s Response: Tanzania and Sudan, now included.
Q- Line 45. DRC: Democratic Republic of Congo? Include the complete name of the country the first time you mention it.
Author’s Response: This has been done with DRC in bracket the first time used.
Q- Line 46. … Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1964 …
Author’s Response: Ibadan Nigeria in 1974 has now been included.
Q- Line 54. Aedes species …
Author’s Response: Aedes has been italicized
Q- Line 64. “… were retrieved”. Is redundant, in Line 61 you began the sentence mentioning the virus sequences that “were retrieved”. I think that you could reorganize the paragraph.
Author’s Response: were retrieved has been removed. Paragraph now reads ‘The search words in the nucleotides and genome database were dengue virus, yellow fever virus, Chikungunya, and Nigeria.’’
Q- Line 66. What “similar viruses” you refer to?
Author’s Response: Has been changed to these three viruses
Q- Line 109. You don’t mention Table 1 in the text.
Author’s Response: Done. Dengue is highly endemic in Nigeria, with intermittent outbreaks of Asian lineage in Edo State (Table 1).
Q- Lines 114-123. The results shown in Figures 1 to 5 must be explained in the Results section. The Figures show a result that cannot be mentioned in the Discussion section for the first time.
Author’s response: Figures 1-5 have been explained in results section now.
Q- Line 128. Is not what you show in Figure 1.
Q- Line 151. “The worldwide total of …” check English.
Author’s Response: Thank you. Modified and now reads, the period 1986-1991 was an extraordinarily active period for yellow fever in Africa [2]. The largest number of cases was reported from Nigeria, where the resurgence of yellow fever continues [28].
Q- Line 154. I cannot find the 1965 report.
Author’s Response: It has been modified to read. YFV was identified far back as 1946 in southern Nigeria, and later in Osun State in 1965 and 1969 (Figure 4)
Q- Line 205. Ae. albopictus (italics)
Author’s Response: Modified
Q- Line 208. “…studies have suggested that …”
Author’s Response: Modified
Q- Line 247. species (without italics)
Author’s Response: Italics removed
Q- Line 270. Antiviral Res
Author’s Response: Full stop added
Q- Line 278. Check the style for the Journal names.
Author’s Response: Checked all journal names and corrected accordingly
Q- Line 305. Journal abbreviation
Author’s Response: All the journal abbreviations have been properly captured.
Reviewer 3 Report
Figures 2 and 4 are not clearly visible; please enhance their quality as in figures 1 and 3. Please include a concise description for tables 1 and table 2 under the caption that corresponds to each table. It provides the readers with a basic summary of the table's purpose to assist them to comprehend it. Since Table 2 hasn't been covered in the discussion section, please add a brief paragraph under the title "discussion" summarizing Table 2's conclusion. In the result section, only the result from table 2 has been mentioned, thus cite table 1 and figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Please add a final heading, "Conclusion," and provide a conclusion to the entire study.
Author Response
Q: Figures 2 and 4 are not clearly visible; please enhance their quality as in figures 1 and 3.
Author’s Response: Maximum Likelihood method was used to draw the trees again with adjustments for better visibility.
Q: Please include a concise description for tables 1 and table 2 under the caption that corresponds to each table. It provides the readers with a basic summary of the table's purpose to assist them to comprehend it.
Author’s response: This has been done.
Q: In the result section, only the result from table 2 has been mentioned, thus cite table 1 and figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Author’s Response: Results for Fig. 1-5 now added.
Q: Please add a final heading, "Conclusion," and provide a conclusion to the entire study.
Author’s Response: The conclusion section has been added, with a summary of the study
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
Please, check Line 362: it should say "Aedes species"
