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F Merouze

Publications and source records attributed to F Merouze.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

[Epidemiologic surveillance of dengue fever in the French army from 1996 to 1999].

Dengue fever is a widespread disease that can occur outside tropical areas. Several thousand French military personnel are exposed to this infectious risk each year and exposure is expected to rise with the creation of a professional army and the increasing number of foreign missions. As a result, dengue fever has become a major priority for the Armed Services Health Corps (ASHC). A system of epidemiological surveillance based on the active participation of all military physicians has been designed by the ASHC to collect and analyze all data relevant to cases of dengue fever involving French military personnel stationed overseas or at home. The purpose of this study is to present data compiled for the period from 1996 to 1999. Analysis of these data demonstrated that the incidence of dengue fever peaked in 1997 due to epidemic outbreaks occurring in French Polynesia and Martinique. In response to these outbreaks control measures were adapted especially in regard to vector control. This study shows that the system of surveillance implemented by the ASHC is an effective but still perfectible tool.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Epidemic of bacillary dysentery in the Rwanda refugee camps of the Goma region (Zaire, North Kivu) in August 1994].

The authors describe the extension of an outbreak of bacillary dysentery among the Rwandese populations seeking refuge in the region of Goma, Zaire in august 1994. Analysis of the epidemiological surveillance data and of the bacteriological laboratory results of the Bioforce, show that this epidemic was probably facilitated by the preceding cholera outbreak. In such circumstances, rapid sterilization of the virus reservoir, by short course treatments, might be beneficial in limiting the extension of the epidemic.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Demonstration of subclinical pulmonary alveolitis in spondylarthropathies].

Restrictive ventilatory dysfunction, lowered diffusing capacity, and apical fibrosis have been reported in ankylosing spondylitis. To investigate the pathogenesis of these abnormalities, we studied distal airspace cytology by performing bronchoalveolar lavage in 34 spondyloarthropathy patients (ankylosing spondylitis, n = 16; reactive arthritis, n = 4; axial psoriatic arthritis, n = 2; and undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy with HLA B27-positivity in every case but one, n = 12). Mean age was 32.4 +/- 13.7 years. None of the study patients had apical fibrosis, lower respiratory tract infection, or exposure to airborne pollutants other than tobacco smoke. The control group was composed of nine subjects who had no lung or inflammatory diseases and were not using medications. Significantly higher proportions of lymphocytes were found in bronchoalveolar lavage specimens from patients, as compared with controls. This difference was not influenced by smoking or medication use (non steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, sulfasalazopyridine). Alveolar lymphocytosis was not correlated with laboratory tests for disease activity (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum IgA levels) or with the presence of restrictive ventilatory dysfunction. Increases in the proportion of lymphocytes were of similar magnitude in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and in those with other spondyloarthropathies. Absolute total cell counts and relative neutrophil counts were similar in patients and controls. However, among the patients with spondyloarthropathies, those with a disease duration of more than five years had a significantly higher proportion of neutrophils than those with a disease duration of less than five years. These findings demonstrate that spondyloarthropathy patients have subclinical lymphocyte alveolitis. Although of unclear significance, this alveolitis may be related to the development of apical fibrosis in some patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Cytological study of deep lung in spondyloarthritis. Apropos of 34 cases].

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed in 34 consecutive patients with spondyloarthropathy (SA) compared with 9 controls. Lymphocytic alveolitis was found in the SA group with decrease in the ratio of the CD4/CD8 subsets in both lung and blood. Neutrophilic alveolitis was also found in 5 patients with SA of long duration. As with other inflammatory diseases, it seems that a subclinical alveolitis is present in SA patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Scrotal temperature in 258 healthy men, randomly selected from a population of men aged 18 to 23 years old. Statistical analysis, epidemiologic observations, and measurement of the testicular diameters].

Scrotal hyperthermia can induce certain alterations in spermatogenesis. The basal scrotal temperature used to define hyperthermia is usually 33 degrees C. However, no study, conducted according to a strict methodology has validated this mean measurement. We therefore randomly selected 258 men between the ages of 18 and 23 years from a population of 2,000 young French men seen at the National Service Selection Centre in order to measure the scrotal temperature over each testis and in the median raphe in order to determine the mean and median values for these temperatures. For a mean room temperature of 23 +/- 0.5 degrees C with a range of 18 to 31 degrees C, the mean right and left scrotal temperature was 34.2 +/- 0.1 degree C and the mean medioscrotal temperature was 34.4 +/- 0.1 degree C. Scrotal temperature was very significantly correlated to room temperature and its variations. It was therefore impossible to define a normal value for scrotal temperature. Only measurement of scrotal temperature at neutral room temperature, between 21 and 25 degrees C, is able to provide a reference value for scrotal temperature. In this study, the mean scrotal temperature under these conditions was 34.4 +/- 0.2 degree C, i.e. 2.5 degrees C less than body temperature. In the 12.9% of cases with left varicocele, left scrotal temperature was significantly higher than in the absence of varicocele and was also higher than right Scrotal temperature. The authors also determined the dimensions of the testes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[Difficulties in the epidemiological surveillance of measles in Africa: exemplified by the Ivory Coast].

In tropical areas measles cases often are under-reported but the authors comment here two epidemics which had at first been considered as outbreaks of measles but were not. The first epidemic resembled a Chikungunya virus outbreak with important rashes, hyperthermia and pain attacks and was due to Igbo-Ora arbovirus. In the second epidemic children were having rashes with hyperthermia and adenopathy evoking rubella. The authors consider the possibility of over-reporting in view of the surveillance of measles, the target-disease in EPI (Expanded Programme on Immunization). This hypothesis is confirmed by the distribution of reported cases at national level with a high rate of out-season cases and among adults.

Arbovirus Infections↗
PubMed1986

Clinical and pathological aspects of human African trypanosomiasis (T. b. gambiense) with particular reference to reactive arsenical encephalopathy.

Fourteen of 330 patients treated with melarsoprol (Mel B) for human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) developed a severe reactive arsenical encephalopathy (RAE). Six of these cases were fatal and postmortem examination was performed on 5 patients. Symptoms of "sleeping sickness" were compared with symptoms after treatment with arsenicals and the subsequent onset of RAE. There are 3 characteristic syndromes of RAE: convulsive status associated with acute cerebral edema, rapidly progressive coma without convulsions, and acute nonlethal mental disturbances without neurological signs. Three subjects revealed hypoxic brain damage with acute cerebral edema, and multiple hemorrhages of brain stem in those comatose. The pathology of the underlying HAT (chronic perivascular inflammation and plasma cytic infiltration of the brain) and the pathology of the RAE (characterized by acute vasculitis) are distinct. RAE occurs in the first as well as in the second stage (CNS involvement) of trypanosomiasis but the reason for this is unclear; an exclusive toxicity of the drug, or a Herxheimer reaction are possible but seem unlikely. Both clinical and laboratory findings point rather to a drug-related, delayed immune response.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Cutaneous malignant melanomas in New Caledonia. Study of the Cancer Registry (1977-1987)].

Investigation of cancer registration files in New Caledonia over a period of 11 years (1977-1987) draws the following conclusions: --The uncorrected incidence rate of cutaneous malignant melanoma is 3.63/100,000 inhabitants/year, for all ethnic groups together. --The incidence rate in the "non-European" population is 0.6/100,000 inhabitants/year. This low incidence and the anatomo-clinical manifestations observed (lentiginous melanoma of extremities) are common in coloured people. --The incidence rate in the "European" population is 8.75/100,000 inhabitants/year is noticeably higher than the incidence in the metropolitan population. Such conclusions are in accordance with the admitted data regarding epidemiology of cutaneous melanoma in high insolation countries. Cumulated incidence rate and topography of lesions are similar in this series whatever the sex.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The reaction to viewing slides on tropical medicine. Evaluation study].

A series of slides on health priorities in Africa was shown to an audience of 123 people, of which 19 were not medical specialists. The authors of this experiment wanted to verify that the objectives set by the producers were met. The study, conducted in the form of a questionnaire, asked the people questioned to give their opinion on the objectives, the kind of public aimed at, the standard of the various subjects covered and the usefulness and cost-efficiency ratio of the type of audio-visual equipment used. Although the analysis of collected data reveals certain discrepancies as to the professional status of those questioned, the vast majority of participants considered this documentary support to be extremely worthwhile.

Africa↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Monkeypox: second human case observed in Ivory Coast (rural health sector of Daloa].

A second case of human monkeypox (world fifty-forth case) has been observed in Ivory Coast (rural health sector of Daloa). A three years old girl presented a major pox-like eruption which evolved to recovery. The authors describe the eruption, the evolution of the sickness, and the scars observed at the fourth month after recovery. It has not been possible to prove neither animal-human nor interhuman contagion.

Child, Preschool↗