Kirigami stretchable strain sensors with enhanced piezoelectricity induced by topological electrodes

Objectives: To investigate the reasons for the high prevalence of epilepsy (>6%) discovered in 2015 in the Aketi health zone in the north of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Methods: Persons with epilepsy (PWE) diagnosed in a door-to-door survey in 2015 were traced and re-examined in 2017 by a neurologist. Confirmed PWE were paired with matched controls. For onchocerciasis assessment, children 7–10 years old were tested for IgG4 Onchocerca volvulus (OV16) antibodies, a rapid epidemiological mapping of onchocerciasis (REMO) study was performed, and ivermectin coverage was investigated. Results: Forty-three (61.4%) previously diagnosed PWE were traced; the neurologist confirmed the epilepsy diagnosis in all of them. The overall OV16 positivity rate was 64.5%. Poor ivermectin coverage (55.9%) and a high prevalence of onchocercal nodules (>70%) were observed. The prevalence of epilepsy was 5.7% in Aketi rural town, with nine PWE (13.8%) experiencing head nodding seizures. A case-control study showed that PWE had lower body weight and higher ivermectin coverage in 2017 than healthy controls. Conclusions: The high prevalence of epilepsy in the Aketi health zone, despite 14 years of community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI), was found to be associated with high onchocerciasis transmission and low ivermectin use. An awareness programme to increase ivermectin coverage and the introduction of a bi-annual CDTI programme should be considered. Keywords: Onchocerciasis, Epilepsy, Ivermectin, Prevalence, Incidence, Case–control, Focus group discussion, Stigm

Risk factors for measles mortality and the importance of decentralized case management during an unusually large measles epidemic in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in 2013.

In 2013, a large measles epidemic occurred in the Aketi Health Zone of the Democratic Republic of Congo. We conducted a two-stage, retrospective cluster survey to estimate the attack rate, the case fatality rate, and the measles-specific mortality rate during the epidemic. 1424 households containing 7880 individuals were included. The estimated attack rate was 14.0%, (35.0% among children aged <5 years). The estimated case fatality rate was 4.2% (6.1% among children aged <5 years). Spatial analysis and linear regression showed that younger children, those who did not receive care, and those living farther away from Aketi Hospital early in the epidemic had a higher risk of measles related death. Vaccination coverage prior to the outbreak was low (76%), and a delayed reactive vaccination campaign contributed to the high attack rate. We provide evidences suggesting that a comprehensive case management approach reduced measles fatality during this epidemic in rural, inaccessible resource-poor setting

Suspected measles cases by week, Aketi Health Zone, Province Orientale, DRC, 2013 (source: MSF and MoH).

<p>Suspected measles cases by week, Aketi Health Zone, Province Orientale, DRC, 2013 (source: MSF and MoH).</p

Risk factors for measles mortality and the importance of decentralized case management during an unusually large measles epidemic in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in 2013 - Fig 2

<p><b>Geospatial representation of CFR from December 25th, 2012 to February 28th 2013 (A), and from March 1st, 2013 to October 9th, 2013 (B) , Aketi Health Zone, Province Orientale, Democratic Republic of Congo.</b> The white cross is at the location of the central hospital of Aketi. The scale represent the CFR expressed in %. The 40 dots represent the cluster locations.</p

Multivariate regression analysis of factors associated to measles fatality, Aketi Health Zone, Province Orientale, Democratic republic of Congo, December2012- October 2013.

<p>Multivariate regression analysis of factors associated to measles fatality, Aketi Health Zone, Province Orientale, Democratic republic of Congo, December2012- October 2013.</p

Measles vaccination coverage, children 9 to 59 months old, Aketi Health Zone, Province Orientale, Democratic Republic of Congo, October 2013.

<p>Measles vaccination coverage, children 9 to 59 months old, Aketi Health Zone, Province Orientale, Democratic Republic of Congo, October 2013.</p

Measles attack rate by age, December 25, 2012 to October 9, 2013, Aketi Health Zone, Province Orientale, Democratic Republic of Congo.

<p>Measles attack rate by age, December 25, 2012 to October 9, 2013, Aketi Health Zone, Province Orientale, Democratic Republic of Congo.</p

Role of Wildlife in Emergence of Ebola Virus in Kaigbono (Likati), Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2017

International audienceAfter the 2017 Ebola virus (EBOV) outbreak in Likati, a district in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo, we sampled small mammals from the location where the primary case-patient presumably acquired the infection. None tested positive for EBOV RNA or antibodies against EBOV, highlighting the ongoing challenge in detecting animal reservoirs for EBOV