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Biomedical subjects

C Gateff

Publications and source records attributed to C Gateff.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Current quantitative approach to the splenic index in malaria: the median hypertrophied spleen].

The mean Hackett score is a commonly used index in malaria surveys. It is, however not suitable for comparing the distribution of hypertrophied spleens among small population samples, owing to the validity conditions of statistical tests. The authors suggest to use another index, the median Hackett score, which can be compared to the Tukey test. This test gives a graphical representation of hypertrophied spleen distribution, allowing for rapid and easy comparison. The lack of power of this test is compensated by its robustness (a consequence of its broad limits of validity), its graphical simplicity and its easy interpretation.

Child↗

[Expanded vaccination program. Training model for community medicine].

The expanded programme on immunization (E.P.I.) is a very concrete example of community health programme. In so far, it uses various methods which the medical personnel should be taught a better way: the epidemiological method, health planning, health management. The E.P.I. provides a great deal of actual conditions well-suited to the preparing of either tutorials or self-training modules within various fields such as epidemiological surveys with estimate or evaluation purposes, planning for a prevention strategy, supply management. Aiming at the enlargement to community health and with a much more participative pedagogical spirit, the author points out the importance of making the educators aware of unequalled capabilities of training provided by the E.P.I.

Communicable Disease Control↗

Simultaneous administration of live attenuated measles vaccine with DTP vaccine.

Live attenuated measles vaccine was administered to Cameroonian children 12 to 39 months of age alone or with either diphtheria-tetanus toxoids or diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis (DTP) vaccine. Among children who were initially seronegative for measles hemagglutination inhibition antibodies, seroconversion rates and postvaccination geometric mean titers were similar in all groups. Pertussis antigen in the DTP vaccine was judged to be potent by laboratory potency testing and serologic response in recipients of the vaccine. Thus, the two vaccines may be administered simultaneously without compromising their immunogenicity. These results allow greater flexibility in planning individual or mass immunization schedules.

Antibodies↗

Evaluation of a mass measles immunization campaign in Yaoundé, Cameroun.

A mass measles immunization campaign carried out in Yaoundé, Cameroun, has been evaluated. Sixty per cent of the children were immune to measles at the time of the campaign. Only 51% of the susceptible children received vaccine. This was caused by a lack of attendance at the vaccination centres and errors in the selection of children given vaccine. The vaccine administered was relatively ineffective: 40% seroconversion. Difficulties which probably contributed to the low seroconversion rate included sub-optimal vaccine titre, inadequate doses of vaccine, and the relatively long time of vaccine utilization under tropical temperatures. Overall, 83% of the vaccine given to the vaccinating team was wasted. Future immunization campaigns can be improved through better screening of the children, improved handling of the vaccine, the use of marker vaccines, and improved health education.

Cameroon↗

The use of jet-injectors in BCG vaccination.

In mass vaccination programmes, the jet-injection of vaccine may have considerable operational advantages over the classical techniques. The technical performance of two models of jet-injector, the Dermo-Jet and the Ped-O-Jet, in BCG vaccination was assessed in a number of studies which are reviewed by the authors. It is shown that the jet-injectors do not administer the full dose for which they are calibrated and that the size of the vaccination lesion varies more than after vaccination by syringe.By increasing the dosage considerably, the results of vaccination by jet-injection may be improved to a certain extent but the risk of unpleasant reactions is also increased.

BCG Vaccine↗

[Simultaneous vaccination with BCG and measles vaccine: results of a controlled trial].

The main purpose of the controled assay on a combination of B.C.G. and measles vaccine was to ascertain whether these two vaccines could be administered on young children in simultaneous injections, in two different parts of the body and on the same day, and whether in that case they led to rates of haemagglutination inhibitory antibodies against measles on the one hand, and induration diameters of Mantoux's intradermoreactions against B.C.G. on the other, not inferior to rates and diameters obtained when using the same vaccines separately. This survey, carried out in Cameroon, involved one thousand individuals. It confirms the suggestion that the two vaccinations may be carried out simultaneously when circumstances require an early and total protection of a child population with minimum sanitary stress.

BCG Vaccine↗

[A comparison of the serological effects of classical cholera vaccine and of purified fraction vaccine, with or without simultaneous yellow fever vaccine (author's transl)].

In order to test whether simultaneously administered cholera vaccine has a depressive effect on yellow fever vaccine, a controlled trial was undertaken on school-age children in the South-Central Province of Cameroun. In addition to this principle objective, the study also permitted a comparison of the serological response in subjects vaccinated with classical cholera vaccine and in those vaccinated with a purified fraction vaccine, either with or without simultaneous yellow fever vaccine. The evaluation was measured by changes in vibriocidal antibodies and cholera agglutinins 30 days after vaccination. Only subjects without cholera antibodies prior to the study, were included. 1) Results obtained by assay of vibriocidal antibodies. It was confirmed that, no matter which cholera vaccine was used, the simultaneous administration of yellow fever vaccine had no influence on the percentage of subjects showing a significant rise in vibriocidal antibodies (4-fold increase in titre) following vaccination. In addition, in this study the purified fraction vaccine resulted in a significantly higher rate of seroconversion than did the classical vaccine. However, in comparison to other studies using classical cholera vaccine, our figures for seroconversion after purified fraction vaccine show very little, if any, differences. 2) Results obtained by assay of agglutinating antibodies. When measured by this method, there was a high frequency of non-reactors to the vaccines. This may be attributed to the date of the post vaccination blood speciment (30th day after vaccination). It has been shown that agglutinins decay rapidly after the 15th day following clinical cholera. Thus, the late date of the second speciment after vaccination could explain why we were unable to show any difference in the level of agglutinin after either classical or purified cholera vaccination. The simultaneous administration of the yellow fever vaccine did not influence the titre of agglutinins induced by the classic cholera vaccine. On the other hand, using the association, the seroconversion rate as observed on the 30th day post vaccination was significantly higher than that observed when the fraction was administered alone. If one accepts the generally admitted specificity of the agglutination reaction after clinical disease, two hypotheses can be considered: a) the yellow fever vaccine has an adjuvant effect for the production of antibodies induced by the purified fraction vaccine, or b) the addition of yellow fever vaccine has a retarding effect on the elimination of the agglutinins which, in the natural disease, are rapidly eliminated. Further studies to verify these hypothesis should be undertaken.

Adolescent↗

[Measles throughout the world].

Measles is described according to two different environmental conditions: in industrialized countries and in developing countries. In the first case, it is usually accepted as a benign disease and the parents feel its set back mainly because of the absenteeism it causes. In the developing countries, its frequency and its severity induce the public as well as the health service officers to accept the heavy cost of mass campaign vaccination. The United States are next to the point of eradication and this goal should be one of the countries where measles are still a problem of public health.

Africa↗