Enjeux et Défis de l’Intercommunalité au Sénégal : Observation à Partir du Niombato, Région de Fatick

Cet article se propose de traiter des enjeux et défis de l’intercommunalité au Sénégal, en particulier dans le Niombato. Ce territoire, essentiellement rural, regroupe les communes de Toubacouta, Karang Poste, Keur Saloum Diané, Keur Samba Gueye et Nioro Alassane Tall constituant l’arrondissement de Toubacouta, dans le département de Foundiougne, région de Fatick. Il est une belle illustration des enjeux de l’intercommunalité au Sénégal, où la réforme de l’Acte 3 de la décentralisation initiée en décembre 2013 fait de la cohérence et de la gouvernance territoriale des outils de la viabilité et du développement des territoires. La méthodologie combine recherche documentaire, enquêtes de terrain à partir de guides d’entretien et un questionnaire adressé aux ménages et des observations participantes. Les résultats font, d’abord, ressortir la pertinence du Niombato comme cadre d’intercommunalité compte tenu de son caractère homogène et de ses interdépendances territoriales avec l’existence de fortes interactions spatiales, sociales et économiques. Ensuite, l’étude révèle l’existence d’un cadre formel d’intercommunalité qui traduit la perception des enjeux de la part des acteurs territoriaux et de leurs partenaires de l’intérêt de se doter d’un outil de gouvernance territoriale. Enfin, les résultats soulignent l’existence de plusieurs défis politiques, juridiques, techniques et financiers qui plombent la fonctionnalité de la structure intercommunale. L’étude conclue ainsi à la nécessité d’une volonté politique des acteurs territoriaux, notamment l’Etat et les collectivités territoriales pour relever les défis et faire de l’intercommunalité du Niombato un outil de gouvernance et de développement territorial.     This article looks at the issues and challenges of intercommunality in Senegal, with particular reference to Niombato. This essentially rural territory comprises the communes of Toubacouta, Karang Poste, Keur Saloum Diané, Keur Samba Gueye and Nioro Alassane Tall, which make up the Toubacouta arrondissement, in the Foundiougne department, Fatick region. It is a fine illustration of the challenges of intercommunality in Senegal, where the Act 3 decentralization reform initiated in December 2013 makes territorial coherence and governance tools for the viability and development of territories. The methodology combines documentary research, field surveys using interview guides and a questionnaire addressed to households, and participant observations. The results highlight the relevance of Niombato as a framework for intercommunality, given its homogeneous nature and territorial interdependence, with strong spatial, social and economic interactions. Secondly, the study reveals the existence of a formal framework for intercommunality, reflecting the perception of the issues at stake on the part of territorial players and their partners, as well as the interest in adopting a territorial governance tool. Finally, the results highlight the existence of a number of political, legal, technical and financial challenges to the functionality of the intercommunal structure. The study thus concludes that the political will of territorial players, in particular the State and local authorities, is needed to meet the challenges and make the Niombato intermunicipality a tool for governance and territorial development

Enjeux et Défis de l’Intercommunalité au Sénégal : Observation à Partir de l’Intercommunalité de Niombato

              Cet article se propose de traiter des enjeux et défis de l’intercommunalité au Sénégal, en particulier dans le Niombato. Ce territoire essentiellement rural regroupe les communes de Toubacouta, Karang Poste, Keur Saloum Diané, Keur Samba Gueye et Nioro Alassane Tall constituant l’arrondissement de Toubacouta, dans le département de Foundiougne, région de Fatick. Il est une belle illustration des enjeux de l’intercommunalité au Sénégal, où la réforme de l’Acte 3 de la décentralisation initiée en décembre 2013 fait de la cohérence et de la gouvernance territoriales des outils de la viabilité et du développement des territoires. La méthodologie combine recherche documentaire, enquêtes de terrain par guides d’entretien et questionnaires ménages et des observations participantes. Les résultats font, d’abord, ressortir la pertinence du Niombato comme cadre d’intercommunalité compte tenu de son caractère homogène et de ses interdépendances territoriales avec l’existence de fortes interactions spatiales, sociales et économiques. Ensuite, l’étude révèle l’existence d’un cadre formel d’intercommunalité qui traduit la perception des enjeux de la part des acteurs territoriaux et de leurs partenaires de l’intérêt de se doter d’un outil de gouvernance territoriale. Enfin, les résultats soulignent l’existence de plusieurs défis politiques juridiques, techniques et financiers qui plombent la fonctionnalité de la structure intercommunale. L’étude conclue ainsi à la nécessité d’une volonté politique des acteurs territoriaux, notamment l’Etat et les collectivités territoriales pour relever les défis et faire de l’intercommunalité du Niombato un outil de gouvernance et de développement territorial.     This article looks at the issues and challenges of intercommunality in Senegal, and in particular in Niombato. This essentially rural territory includes the communes of Toubacouta, Karang Poste, Keur Saloum Diané, Keur Samba Gueye and Nioro Alassane Tall, which make up the arrondissement of Toubacouta, in the department of Foundiougne, Fatick region. It is a fine illustration of the challenges of intercommunality in Senegal, where the Act 3 decentralization reform initiated in December 2013 makes territorial coherence and governance tools for the viability and development of territories. The methodology combines documentary research, field surveys using interview guides and household questionnaires, and participant observation. The results highlight the relevance of Niombato as a framework for intercommunality, given its homogeneous nature and territorial interdependence, with strong spatial, social and economic interactions. Secondly, the study reveals the existence of a formal framework for intercommunality, reflecting the perception of the issues at stake on the part of territorial players and their partners, as well as the interest in adopting a territorial governance tool. Finally, the results highlight the existence of a number of political, legal, technical and financial challenges to the functionality of the intercommunal structure. The study concludes that there is a need for political will on the part of local players, in particular the State and local authorities, to meet the challenges and make the Niombato intermunicipality a tool for governance and territorial development

Enjeux et Défis de l’Intercommunalité au Sénégal : Observation à Partir de l’Intercommunalité de Niombato

              Cet article se propose de traiter des enjeux et défis de l’intercommunalité au Sénégal, en particulier dans le Niombato. Ce territoire essentiellement rural regroupe les communes de Toubacouta, Karang Poste, Keur Saloum Diané, Keur Samba Gueye et Nioro Alassane Tall constituant l’arrondissement de Toubacouta, dans le département de Foundiougne, région de Fatick. Il est une belle illustration des enjeux de l’intercommunalité au Sénégal, où la réforme de l’Acte 3 de la décentralisation initiée en décembre 2013 fait de la cohérence et de la gouvernance territoriales des outils de la viabilité et du développement des territoires. La méthodologie combine recherche documentaire, enquêtes de terrain par guides d’entretien et questionnaires ménages et des observations participantes. Les résultats font, d’abord, ressortir la pertinence du Niombato comme cadre d’intercommunalité compte tenu de son caractère homogène et de ses interdépendances territoriales avec l’existence de fortes interactions spatiales, sociales et économiques. Ensuite, l’étude révèle l’existence d’un cadre formel d’intercommunalité qui traduit la perception des enjeux de la part des acteurs territoriaux et de leurs partenaires de l’intérêt de se doter d’un outil de gouvernance territoriale. Enfin, les résultats soulignent l’existence de plusieurs défis politiques juridiques, techniques et financiers qui plombent la fonctionnalité de la structure intercommunale. L’étude conclue ainsi à la nécessité d’une volonté politique des acteurs territoriaux, notamment l’Etat et les collectivités territoriales pour relever les défis et faire de l’intercommunalité du Niombato un outil de gouvernance et de développement territorial.     This article looks at the issues and challenges of intercommunality in Senegal, and in particular in Niombato. This essentially rural territory includes the communes of Toubacouta, Karang Poste, Keur Saloum Diané, Keur Samba Gueye and Nioro Alassane Tall, which make up the arrondissement of Toubacouta, in the department of Foundiougne, Fatick region. It is a fine illustration of the challenges of intercommunality in Senegal, where the Act 3 decentralization reform initiated in December 2013 makes territorial coherence and governance tools for the viability and development of territories. The methodology combines documentary research, field surveys using interview guides and household questionnaires, and participant observation. The results highlight the relevance of Niombato as a framework for intercommunality, given its homogeneous nature and territorial interdependence, with strong spatial, social and economic interactions. Secondly, the study reveals the existence of a formal framework for intercommunality, reflecting the perception of the issues at stake on the part of territorial players and their partners, as well as the interest in adopting a territorial governance tool. Finally, the results highlight the existence of a number of political, legal, technical and financial challenges to the functionality of the intercommunal structure. The study concludes that there is a need for political will on the part of local players, in particular the State and local authorities, to meet the challenges and make the Niombato intermunicipality a tool for governance and territorial development

Distribution, host preference and infection rates of malaria vectors in Mauritania

This study reports for the first time on the distribution, host preference and infection rates of malaria vectors in Mauritania. It was conducted during an outbreak of Rift valley fever. Three anopheline species were reported. An. arabiensis was the predominant species observed in all regions whereas An. pharoensis and An. funestus were observed along the south border in the Senegal River valley where extensive irrigation schemes are present. The distribution limits of anopheline species were observed from the Senegal River basin in the Trarza region up to the south limit of the Saharan desert in Tidjikja city. Overall, all An. funestus and An. pharoensis were fed respectively on human and ovine hosts whereas the mean anthropophilic rate of An. gambiae s.l. was 53%. A low Plasmodium falciparum infection rate was observed for species of the An. gambiae complex (0.17%) represented mainly by An. arabiensis. Because of the specific nature of this investigation, longitudinal studies are essential to better characterize the malaria vectors and their respective role in malaria transmission

Modelling hotspots of the two dominant Rift Valley fever vectors (Aedes vexans and Culex poicilipes) in Barkedji, Senegal

BACKGROUND: Climatic and environmental variables were used successfully by using models to predict Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus outbreaks in East Africa. However, these models are not replicable in the West African context due to a likely difference of the dynamic of the virus emergence. For these reasons specific models mainly oriented to the risk mapping have been developed. Hence, the areas of high vector pressure or virus activity are commonly predicted. However, the factors impacting their occurrence are poorly investigated and still unknown. In this study, we examine the impact of climate and environmental factors on the likelihood of occurrence of the two main vectors of RVF in West Africa (Aedes vexans and Culex poicilipes) hotspots. METHODS: We used generalized linear mixed models taking into account spatial autocorrelation, in order to overcome the default threshold for areas with high mosquito abundance identified by these models. Getis’ Gi*(d) index was used to define local adult mosquito abundance clusters (hotspot). RESULTS: For Culex poicilipes, a decrease of the minimum temperature promotes the occurrence of hotspots, whereas, for Aedes vexans, the likelihood of hotspot occurrence is negatively correlated with relative humidity, maximum and minimum temperatures. However, for the two vectors, proximity to ponds would increase the risk of being in an hotspot area. CONCLUSIONS: These results may be useful in the improvement of RVF monitoring and vector control management in the Barkedji area. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1399-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), a new pest of maize in Africa: monitoring, damage evaluation and identification of natural enemies on production areas of Senegal

The fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), an invasive pest of cereal crops in Africa, poses a real threat to food security in sub-Saharan African countries where cereals are the staple food. Since its appearance in Africa in 2016, the FAW has invaded almost all African countries due to its great dispersal capacity. Because of its resistance to a number of chemical pesticides but also the risks associated with the use of these, the search for an alternative method becomes essential. In order to report on the incidence of this pest and explore its associations with native natural enemies, a monitoring study of S. frugiperda populations, its damage as well as its natural enemies was carried out during the period of August to September 2020 in corn fields of two agro-ecological zones of Senegal and in the laboratory. Monitoring results show a heavy infestation with rates of up to nearly 75% of defoliated plants and more than 60% of attacked ears. The damage recorded remains low overall (score below 3/9). A wide range of auxiliary insects (17 families) made up of parasitoids and predators were identified in the field and in the laboratory as well as an endoparasitic nematode with a parasitism rate of 38.46% and a fungus in one of the sites. These results pave the way for the development of an approach to control CLA with these biological agents

Larval ecology of mosquitoes in sylvatic arbovirus foci in southeastern Senegal

BACKGROUND: Although adult mosquito vectors of sylvatic arbovirus [yellow fever (YFV), dengue-2 (DENV-2) and chikungunya (CHIKV)] have been studied for the past 40 years in southeastern Senegal, data are still lacking on the ecology of larval mosquitoes in this area. In this study, we investigated the larval habitats of mosquitoes and characterized their seasonal and spatial dynamics in arbovirus foci. METHODS: We searched for wet microhabitats, classified in 9 categories, in five land cover classes (agriculture, forest, savannah, barren and village) from June, 2010 to January, 2011. Mosquito immatures were sampled monthly in up to 30 microhabitats of each category per land cover and bred until adult stage for determination. RESULTS: No wet microhabitats were found in the agricultural sites; in the remaining land covers immature stages of 35 mosquito species in 7 genera were sampled from 9 microhabitats (tree holes, fresh fruit husks, decaying fruit husks, puddles, bamboo holes, discarded containers, tires, rock holes and storage containers). The most abundant species was Aedes aegypti formosus, representing 30.2% of the collections, followed by 12 species, representing each more than 1% of the total, among them the arbovirus vectors Ae. vittatus (7.9%), Ae. luteocephalus (5.7%), Ae. taylori (5.0%), and Ae. furcifer (1.3%). Aedes aegypti, Cx. nebulosus, Cx. perfuscus, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Er. chrysogster and Ae. vittatus were the only common species collected from all land covers. Aedes furcifer and Ae. taylori were collected in fresh fruit husks and tree holes. Species richness and dominance varied significantly in land covers and microhabitats. Positive associations were found mainly between Ae. furcifer, Ae. taylori and Ae. luteocephalus. A high proportion of potential enzootic vectors that are not anthropophilic were found in the larval mosquito fauna. CONCLUSIONS: In southeastern Senegal, Ae. furcifer and Ae. taylori larvae showed a more limited distribution among both land cover and microhabitat types than the other common species. Uniquely among vector species, Ae. aegypti formosus larvae occurred at the highest frequency in villages. Finally, a high proportion of the potential non-anthropophilic vectors were represented in the larval mosquito fauna, suggesting the existence of unidentified sylvatic arbovirus cycles in southeastern Senegal

Real-Time RT-PCR Assays for Detection and Genotyping of West Nile Virus Lineages Circulating in Africa

West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging arbovirus, circulating worldwide between birds and mosquitoes, which impacts human and animal health. Since the mid-1990s, WNV outbreaks have emerged in Europe and America and represent currently the primary cause of encephalitis in the United States. WNV exhibits a great genetic diversity with at least eight different lineages circulating in the world, and four (1, 2, Koutango, and putative new) are present in Africa. These different WNV lineages are not readily differentiated by serology, and thus, rapid molecular tools are required for diagnostic. We developed here real-time RT-PCR assays for detection and genotyping of African WNV lineages. The specificity of the assays was tested using other flaviviruses circulating in Africa. The sensitivity was determined by testing serial 10-fold dilutions of viruses and RNA standards. The assays provided good specificity and sensitivity and the analytical detection limit was 10 copies/ reaction. The RT-PCR assays allowed the detection and genotyping of all WNV isolates in culture medium, human serum, and vertebrate tissues, as well as in field and experimental mosquito samples. Comparing the ratios of genome copy number/infectious virion (plaque-forming units), our study finally revealed new insight on the replication of these different WNV lineages in mosquito cells. Our RT-PCR assays are the first ones allowing the genotyping of all WNV African variants, and this may have important applications in surveillance and epidemiology in Africa and also for monitoring of their emergence in Europe and other continents

Gestational diabetes and endothelial function: impact of gestational insulin resistance on reactive hyperhemia index

Our aim was to characterize endothelial function in gestational diabetes by evaluating the reactive hyperemia index (RHI, LnRHI). A prospective, descriptive and comparative study was conducted on a population of pregnant women aged over 20 and under 36, located in the gestational age group 24-38th week of amenorrhea. They were divided into two groups. Group 1 (G1): group of pregnancies without diabetes, consists of pregnant women with no risk factor for gestational diabetes and with normal fasting blood glucose. Group 2 (G2): group of pregnancies with diabetes, includes pregnancies whose oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) came back positive. Anthropo-physiological parameters (age, weight, height, blood pressure (PA) and biochemical parameters (glycemia, insulinemia, HOMA-IR, cholesterol, triglycerides) were measured. RHI and LnRHI were determined at Endopat 2000. The two groups were matched for age, weight, heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP). Levels of glucose (G1:0.76±0.11; G2:1.11±0.11; p˂0.0001), insulin (G1:7.67±4.35; G2:22.9±3.75; p˂0.0001), HOMA-IR (G1:1.51±0.97; G2:6.29±1.23; p˂0.0001), total cholesterol (G1:1±0.81; G2:2.49±0.74; p=0.002), HDL cholesterol (G1:0.45±0.23; G2: 0.8±0.19; p=0.004, LDL cholesterol (G1:0.42±0.54; G2:1.39±0.6; p=0.004), triglycerides (G1:0.65±0.49; G2:1.48±0.27; p=0.0018), were significantly higher in the diabetic group. Both RHI and LnRHI were negatively correlated with HOMA-IR (respectively, r=-0.8931, p<0.0001; r=-0.8938; p<0.0001). HOMA-IR index was independently associated with levels of RHI and LnRHI (respectively r²=0.797; p<0.0001); (r²=0.804; p<0.0001)). Thus, gestational insulin resistance would be associated with a change in endothelial function such as a decrease in endothelium-dependent vasodilatation reflecting endothelial dysfunction, hence an increase in cardiovascular risk