Origin and mobility of Iron Age Gaulish groups in present-day France revealed through archaeogenomics

The Iron Age period occupies an important place in French history, as the Gauls are regularly presented as the direct ancestors of the extant French population. We documented here the genomic diversity of Iron Age communities originating from six French regions. The 49 acquired genomes permitted us to highlight an absence of discontinuity between Bronze Age and Iron Age groups in France, lending support to a cultural transition linked to progressive local economic changes rather than to a massive influx of allochthone groups. Genomic analyses revealed strong genetic homogeneity among the regional groups associated with distinct archaeological cultures. This genomic homogenisation appears to be linked to individuals’ mobility between regions as well as gene flow with neighbouring groups from England and Spain. Thus, the results globally support a common genomic legacy for the Iron Age population of modern-day France that could be linked to recurrent gene flow between culturally differentiated communities

Autochthony, natural resource management and conflicting rights in West Africa

Global phenomena such as nationalism, extremism and xenophobia are related today to discourses on autochthony and citizenship. Given current processes of democratisation and economic liberalisation, and the scarcity of natural resources, interaction between people of diverse origins is becoming increasingly violent. In West Africa, the declining resource base and power relations are important factors in conflicts between different communities. Many outbreaks of violence are caused by attempts on the part of ‘autochthons’ to safeguard ‘ancestral lands’ against ‘newcomers’ accused of overusing this patrimony. This seems paradoxical at a time of political and socio-economic change, when official discourse invites national and regional integration. The present article draws on studies carried out in West Africa between 2002 and 2007. Data extracted from various individual studies on institutions concerned with natural resource management, livelihood and territory, and negotiated statehood were compiled, analysed and discussed in two interdisciplinary meetings involving researchers from many scientific backgrounds. Focusing on pastoralism and access to land, this article aims to demonstrate that management institutions are eroded in a context of resource scarcity, and that certain groups build discourse and strategies on fuzzy notions of nationhood or identity in order to exclude other users. In this process, the notion of autochthony appears to be an ideological tool in the hands of native people, used to combat social malaise and difficulty in sustaining a livelihood in a context of global development. W that in a context of ‘presence-absence’ of the state, negotiations between various stakeholders at different levels could foster sustainable development

Acces to Natural Resources and Autochthony in West Africa

In contemporay West Africa the declining ressource base and power relations are causes of conflict. Many outbreaks of violence are caused by "autochthons" or first comers to safeguard "ancestral lands" against "newcomers" accused of overusing resources. This is paradoxical at a time when official discourse invites national and regional intergration

Effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on ART initiation and access to HIV viral load monitoring in adults living with HIV in West Africa: a regression discontinuity analysis

International audienceOBJECTIVES: Efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic have potentially compromised the availability and/or quality of HIV services. We aimed to assess the pandemic's impact on ART initiation and HIV viral load (VL) monitoring in three West African countries. METHODS: We used routinely collected data from five clinics contributing to the IeDEA collaboration in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria. We included ART-naïve adults living with HIV (ALWH) initiating ART from 01/01/2018. We conducted regression discontinuity analysis to estimate changes in the number of ART initiations and VL measures per week, before and during the pandemic period in each country. RESULTS: In clinics in Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire, ART initiations per week remained constant throughout the studied periods (-0.24 points (p) of ART initiations/week 95%CI -5.5, 5.9, -0.9 p 95%CI -8.5,8.6, respectively), whereas in Nigeria's clinic, they decreased significantly (-6.3 p, 95% CI -10.8, -1.7) after the beginning of the pandemic. The volume of VL tests performed decreased significantly in all three countries (-17.0 p 95%CI -25.3, -8.6 in Burkina Faso, -118.4 p 95%CI -171.1, -65.8 in Côte d'Ivoire and -169.1p 95%CI-282.6, -55.6 in Nigeria). CONCLUSIONS: Access to ART was maintained for newly diagnosed ALWH despite pandemic-related physical/social distancing measures. However, VL monitoring was severely disrupted and did not return to pre-pandemic levels approximately one year after the beginning of the pandemic. While HIV services in West Africa appear rather resilient, the impact of disruptions in VL monitoring on virological and clinical outcomes should continue to be monitored

Diagnosis and clinical outcomes of extrapulmonary tuberculosis in antiretroviral therapy programmes in low- and middle-income countries: a multicohort study.

INTRODUCTION Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) is difficult to confirm bacteriologically and requires specific diagnostic capacities. Diagnosis can be especially challenging in under-resourced settings. We studied diagnostic modalities and clinical outcomes of EPTB compared to pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) among HIV-positive adults in antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). METHODS We collected data from HIV-positive TB patients (≥16 years) in 22 ART programmes participating in the International Epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Caribbean, Central and South America regions between 2012 and 2014. We categorized TB as PTB or EPTB (EPTB included mixed PTB/EPTB). We used multivariable logistic regression to assess associations with clinical outcomes. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION We analysed 2695 HIV-positive TB patients. Median age was 36 years (interquartile range (IQR) 30 to 43), 1102 were female (41%), and the median CD4 count at TB treatment start was 114 cells/μL (IQR 40 to 248). Overall, 1930 had PTB (72%), and 765 EPTB (28%). Among EPTB patients, the most frequently involved sites were the lymph nodes (24%), pleura (15%), abdomen (11%) and meninges (6%). The majority of PTB (1123 of 1930, 58%) and EPTB (582 of 765, 76%) patients were diagnosed based on clinical criteria. Bacteriological confirmation (using positive smear microscopy, culture, Xpert MTB/RIF, or other nucleic acid amplification tests result) was obtained in 897 of 1557 PTB (52%) and 183 of 438 EPTB (42%) patients. EPTB was not associated with higher mortality compared to PTB (adjusted odd ratio (aOR) 1.0, 95% CI 0.8 to 1.3), but TB meningitis was (aOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.0 to 3.1). Bacteriological confirmation was associated with reduced mortality among PTB patients (aOR 0.7, 95% CI 0.6 to 0.8) and EPTB patients (aOR 0.3 95% CI 0.1 to 0.8) compared to TB patients with a negative test result. CONCLUSIONS Diagnosis of EPTB and PTB at ART programmes in LMIC was mainly based on clinical criteria. Greater availability and usage of TB diagnostic tests would improve the diagnosis and clinical outcomes of both EPTB and PTB

Determination of reverse transcriptase inhibitor resistance mutations in HIV-1 infected children in Côte d’Ivoire

Treatment scale-up is leading to a progressive increase in HIV resistance to antiretrovirals, especially in children. To assess resistance to reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTIs) in HIV-1 infected children in Côte d’Ivoire, genotypic resistance tests were performed and interpreted using the ANRS algorithm (www.hivfrenchresistance.org). Phylogenetic trees were created using BioEdit v7 and Mega7 software. The frequency of resistance to at least one RTI was 79%. It was 88% for nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), 71% for non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), and 63% for both classes (NRTI + NNRTI). The frequency of resistance was 50% for the ZDV + 3TC + EFV combination, 42% for the ABC + 3TC + EFV combination, and 8% for the TDF + 3TC + EFV combination. Frequently encountered resistance mutations were for NRTIs: M184V (88%), TAMs (67%), T215F/I/V/Y (33%), and L74I/V (24%); for NNRTIs: K103N/S (74%), P225H (26%), and G190A/E/Q (24%). The synthesis of phylogenetic analyses showed the predominance of the viral subtype CRF02_AG (85%). These results show a high prevalence of resistance to RTIs in children infected with HIV-1. Hence the interest of a more accessible monitoring of viral load and genotypic resistance tests in HIV-1 infected children undergoing treatment in Côte d’Ivoire.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

GENETIX : un état des lieux des populations de l’âge du Fer en France. Regards croisés de l’archéologie et de la génétique

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