Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R Josse.
Thirty clusters of children have been tested for schistosomiasis serology in the town of Pointe-Noire (Popular Republic of Congo). Out of 360 patients, 3 presented antibodies against schistosomiasis. The antibodies prevalence of this parasitosis is 0.83% +/- 0.008% which is very low as compared to other areas of the country.
The authors report the results of 4 sample surveys carried out in Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon in the Bonny's Bay area, to evaluate the main malarial indexes. In rural and semi-rural areas one notice a high rate of fever attacks and splenomegaly. Parasitaemia is more important in rural areas than in urban areas and is decreasing where the therapeutic pressure is strong and long-lasting. Immunological indexes are high everywhere.
The authors report the results of a sample survey made in January 1985 in a Northern Cameroon Division following the observation of a very high mortality rate by serious jaundice in 1983 and 1984. Within a representative population sample of 395 persons of more than 4 years old, they observed that: 100 were HBs antigen carriers (detected by ELISA), 25.3% +/- 5.5%, 19 were HBe antigen carriers (RIA), 4.8% +/- 2.4%, and 202 were HBs antigen or HBs antibody carriers: 51.1% +/- 6.5%, There was only one carrier of delta antigen. There is no difference in HBs antigen bearing according to sex or age, but HBe antigen appears to be more frequent among young people.
A 47-year-old male schizophrenic with hyperthyroidism was found to have non-neoplastic inappropriate thyrotropin (TSH) secretion. Anterior pituitary function, CT scan and alpha subunit determinations were normal. TSH rose after TRH (7.8 to 22.5 microU/ml) and propylthiouracil (26.1 microU/ml after 3 months) and decreased with oral T3 (Cytomel 25 micrograms po q.i.d.). Cytomel and glucocorticoid infusion blunted but did not completely suppress the TSH response to TRH. Intravenous dopamine infusion (4 micrograms/kg/min) completely suppressed the prolactin but not the TSH response to TRH. The association of schizophrenia and differential thyrotroph sensitivity to dopamine suggests a possible role for dopamine in the pathogenesis of selected cases of non-neoplastic inappropriate TSH secretion.
The prevalence of serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was measured in a Gabonese community at high risk for HBV infection. Among 698 subjects 5 to 24 years old, the prevalence of HBsAg was 11.1% vs. 57.9% for anti-HBs and 7.2% for anti-HBc alone. The prevalence of HBeAg among HBsAg-positive subjects was 26.5% vs. 59.5% for anti-HBe. The prevalence of HBV DNA tested by a hybridization spot test was 2.1% in the overall population and 18.7% among HBsAg-positive subjects. HBV DNA was found in 15 of 21 HBeAg-positive subjects but in none of the subjects positive for anti-HBe or negative for both HBeAg and anti-HBe. HBV DNA was not detected in any HBsAg negative subjects. The prevalence of HBV DNA decreased with age. This low prevalence of HBV DNA contrasts with the high level of endemicity in the study population.
We report the results of a seroepidemiological study on the prevalence of cysticercosis in Bénin. Cluster sampling at 3 levels was performed in the 6 départements (Atacora, Borgou, Zou, Mono, Atlantique and Oueme) and 2625 serum samples, from 1329 adult females and 1296 adult males, were collected. Antibodies against Taenia solium cysticerci were first searched for by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the 41 seropositive samples were then examined by enzyme-linked electroimmunotransfer blot assay (EITB). Thirty-five samples gave positive results in the EITB. The overall seroprevalence of cysticercosis was therefore 1.3% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.9-1.9). The seroprevalence was 1.9% in males (95% CI 1.2-2.7) and 0.8% (95% CI 0.4-1.5) in females (P < 0.05). A progressive increase in seroprevalence with increasing age was found. The highest seroprevalences were observed in Atacora and Atlantique, 2 non-Muslim départements (3.3% and 3.0%, respectively). This study demonstrated the public health importance of cysticercosis in Bénin.
Between 1985 and 1987, 5,070 randomly selected persons living in 6 central African countries (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon) were checked for serological evidence of haemorrhagic fever. Rural and urban areas were studied, including ecoclimatic zones ranging from dry savana to tropical rain forest. Virus-reactive antibodies were found with all antigens tested, and the global prevalence of positive sera was distributed as follows: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, 0.22%; Rift Valley fever virus, 0.18%; Ebola virus, 12.40%; Marburg virus, 0.39%; Lassa virus, 0.06%; and Hantaan virus, 6.15%. A significant variation in antibody prevalence was observed within the study regions. Association between the viruses was not observed.
The blood glucose response to feeding 50-g carbohydrate portions of white and wholemeal bread and white spaghetti was studied in a group of nine diabetic subjects. Blood glucose rises after white and wholemeal bread were identical, but the response after spaghetti was markedly reduced. These results emphasize that food form rather than fiber may be important in determining the glycemic response and that pasta may be a useful source of carbohydrate in the diabetic diet.
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The authors report a case of Mycobacterium Fortuitum infection in one AIDS patient. This case underlines the interest for the clinicians to investigate systematically a possible infection by Mycobacterium fortuitum in all AIDS patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.
The authors report the results of 3 sample surveys carried out in Libreville, Ngounié and Haut-Ogooué Provinces to evaluate the main malarial indexes among 0 to 15 years old children in Gabon. These investigations would suggest that malaria is mesoendemic in the three areas. The systematic presumptive antimarial treatment of fever attacks is widely used in Libreville but not so frequent in rural areas.
The authors report the results of a sample survey carried out in Djoum to evaluate the main malarial indexes among 0-15 years old children. These investigations suggest that malaria is hyperendemic in this forestry area, at the end of the dry season.
The authors are recording results of a clinical, parasitological and immunological sample survey about african human trypanosomiasis in the South Chad where old focus has been reexplored. In 1988 the situation ever remains as a problem in some areas (Tapol, Ranga) where high prevalence rates are found again.
The authors report the results of a survey on missed opportunities for immunization. The exit interview surveys were carried out at seven clinics in Cotonou (Bénin). Missed opportunities show a level from 15% among children and from 21% among attending women. The authors are insisting about the "daily immunization" for the whole country.
The authors report the results of sample surveys carried out in september 1986 in Yaounde and Nanga-Eboko and in january 1987 in Edea (Cameroon) to evaluate the main malarial indexes among 0-15 years old children. These investigations suggest that malaria is hypoendemic in Yaounde and mesoendemic in Nanga-Eboko during the rainy months. In Edea malaria is hyperendemic.
The efficiency of the African Year of Immunization has been studied in Cameroon by the evaluation of the nationwide coverage thanks to two cluster sample surveys carried out in rural and urban areas. The results are compared to those of previous surveys.
Since 1985, OCEAC, the organization for control of widespread endemic disease in Central Africa, has managed an epidemiological surveillance programme concerning HIV infection and AIDS in six countries of the Sub-Region: Cameroon, Tchad, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. This programme consists in evaluating longitudinally incidence rates of infection and clinical cases, and mortality rates. It is based on a selective strategy using a network of sentinels (hospitals and maternity care consultation centers), completed by cross sectional epidemiological studies. Thanks to this programme high risk groups of population, high risk places and high risk activities have been identified. These observations will be used to plan national prevention programmes on AIDS.
In this work are summarized the results of the serological investigations about HIV1 and HIV2 done since 1986 in the Republic of Cameroon, using the Henderson's cluster sampling method (2). With regard to neighbour countries' results, the prevalence of specific antibodies against HIV1 is weak (less than or equal to 0.5%). This is confirmed by the few number of AIDS (53) since 1985. The prevalence of the HIV2 antibodies carriers is null. Since 1987, the Centre Pasteur of Cameroon is able to isolate retrovirus. The lymphocyte cultures from false positive samples were always negatives.