Brucellosis in dairy herds: a public health concern in the milk supply chains of West and Central Africa

Ten herd-level cross-sectional studies were conducted in peri-urban dairy production areas of seven West and Central African countries (Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo). The objectives were to estimate herd level Brucella spp. seroprevalence and identify risk factors for seropositivity. In each of the ten study areas, herds (between 52 and 142 per area, total = 965) were selected probabilistically and a structured questionnaire was administered to gather information on their structure and management. A bulk milk sample from each herd was tested by indirect ELISA for Brucella spp. For each area, herd seroprevalence estimates were obtained after adjusting for the assumed performance of the diagnostic test. Herd level risk factors for Brucella spp. seropositivity were identified by means of stratified logistic regression, with each peri-urban zone as a stratum. Area-specific models were also explored. Estimated herd seroprevalences were: Lomé (Togo) 62.0% (95% CI:55.0-69.0), Bamako (Mali) 32.5% (95% CI:28.0-37.0), Bujumbura (Burundi) 14.7% (95%CI:9.4-20.8), Bamenda (Cameroon) 12.6% (95% CI:7.6-21.9), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) 3.0% (95% CI:1.0-9.1), Ngaoundere (Cameroon) 2.3% (95% CI:1.0-7.0), Thies (Senegal) 1.3% (95% CI:0.1, 5.3), Niamey (Niger) 1.2% (95% CI:0.08-5.3), Dakar (Senegal) 0.2% (95% CI:0.01-1.7) and Niakhar (Senegal) <0.04%. Logistic regression modelling revealed transhumant herds to be at lower risk of infection (adjusted OR: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.13 - 0.5) and in one of the areas (Bamenda), regular purchase of new animals was found to be strongly associated with Brucella spp. seropositivity (adjusted OR = 5.3, 95% CI: 1.4-25.9). Our findings confirm that Brucella spp. circulates among dairy cattle supplying milk to urban consumers in West and Central Africa, posing a serious public health concern. Control programs are urgently needed in areas such as Lomé or Bamako, where more than 30% of the herds show evidence of infection

Socializing One Health: an innovative strategy to investigate social and behavioral risks of emerging viral threats

In an effort to strengthen global capacity to prevent, detect, and control infectious diseases in animals and people, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) PREDICT project funded development of regional, national, and local One Health capacities for early disease detection, rapid response, disease control, and risk reduction. From the outset, the EPT approach was inclusive of social science research methods designed to understand the contexts and behaviors of communities living and working at human-animal-environment interfaces considered high-risk for virus emergence. Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, PREDICT behavioral research aimed to identify and assess a range of socio-cultural behaviors that could be influential in zoonotic disease emergence, amplification, and transmission. This broad approach to behavioral risk characterization enabled us to identify and characterize human activities that could be linked to the transmission dynamics of new and emerging viruses. This paper provides a discussion of implementation of a social science approach within a zoonotic surveillance framework. We conducted in-depth ethnographic interviews and focus groups to better understand the individual- and community-level knowledge, attitudes, and practices that potentially put participants at risk for zoonotic disease transmission from the animals they live and work with, across 6 interface domains. When we asked highly-exposed individuals (ie. bushmeat hunters, wildlife or guano farmers) about the risk they perceived in their occupational activities, most did not perceive it to be risky, whether because it was normalized by years (or generations) of doing such an activity, or due to lack of information about potential risks. Integrating the social sciences allows investigations of the specific human activities that are hypothesized to drive disease emergence, amplification, and transmission, in order to better substantiate behavioral disease drivers, along with the social dimensions of infection and transmission dynamics. Understanding these dynamics is critical to achieving health security--the protection from threats to health-- which requires investments in both collective and individual health security. Involving behavioral sciences into zoonotic disease surveillance allowed us to push toward fuller community integration and engagement and toward dialogue and implementation of recommendations for disease prevention and improved health security

Planification familiale et IST/VIH : connaissances et pratiques des adolescents du lycée Monseigneur Luc Sangaré de Bamako

Notre étude a porté sur 330 adolescents du Lycée Monseigneur Luc Sangaré de Bamako. Il s’agissait d’une étude transversale prospective de 3 mois allant du 02 janvier au 30 Mars 2007. L’objectif général était d’étudier le comportement des élèves dudit lycée sur la planification familiale et les connaissances sur les IST/VIH. Ont été inclus à cette étude les élèves des deux sexes inscrits pour l’année 2006-2007 et ayant donné leur consentement. Un questionnaire a été donné à chacun des participants afin de recueillir des informations sur la connaissance de la planification familiale et des IST /VIH. Nous avons constaté que la presque la totalité des élèves avait déjà entendu parler de la planification familiale, soit 99,4% ; 97,3% l’associent à l’espacement de naissance. Les méthodes contraceptives les plus connues étaient le préservatif (97,9%), la pilule (72,4%). Quant aux IST, le VIH (99,7%) et la gonococcie (46,1%) ont été les plus cités ; 83,3% des élèves savaient que le VIH se transmet par l’usage de seringues souillées et 76,4% par voie sexuelle. L’utilisation du préservatif (92,4%) a été le moyen de prévention le plus répandu. Les principales sources d’information ont été les médias et les amis. L’information ne venait pas des parents. Malgré leur connaissance sur les IST-VIH, la plupart des adolescents n’ont pas eu recours aux préservatifs lors de leur premier rapport sexuel alors que 32,7% des élèves avaient un comportement à risque élevé

Adverse Drug Reactions to Antiretroviral Therapy (ART): Prospective Study in HIV Infected Adults in Sikasso (Mali)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adverse effects of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in adult HIV-infected patients in decentralized setting of Sikasso, in Mali. Methods: This is a proactive study that took place from 2 January 2011 to 30 December 2012 at the Hospital of Sikasso (Department of Medicine). HIV-infected adult patients who have started ART at least 3 months before were included in this study to monitor the laboratory and clinical Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) for at least 6 months. The WHO classification of adverse drug reactions has been used to investigate the causality of antiretrovirals. Results: Women were the most represented with 58% of the cases. The most represented age range was 26-47 years with 73.6%. Of the 178 patients enrolled, 61.2% had an ADR. ADR were neurological (40.4%), digestive (35.8%), cutaneous (18.3%) and hematological (5.5%). Stavudine was the most incriminated molecule, in 24.8% of the cases. The WHO grade 4 classification of ART toxicity was represented in 3.4% of the cases. The WHO causality score of “certain” was found in 29.8% of the cases. Conclusion: Adverse effects of Antiretrovirals are frequent and could be life-threatening in short and long terms. Regular follow-up of patients receiving these triple therapies, and the associated complications, is essential. We recommend active surveillance of antiretroviral therapy to strengthen Pharmacovigilance in Mali

Co-translational assembly of mammalian nuclear multisubunit complexes

Genes encoding protein complex subunits are often dispersed in the genome of eukaryotes, raising the question how these protein complexes assemble. Here, the authors provide evidence that mammalian nuclear transcription complexes are formed co-translationally to ensure specific and functional interactions

G protein as key regulators of GPCR-regulating brain tumors cells signaling?

International audienc

Characterization of chemotactic GPCRs and G proteins in brain tumors

International audienc

Niveaux de protéines G et impact sur la survie et la migration des gliomes de haut-grade

National audienc

Niveaux de protéines G et impact sur la survie et la migration des gliomes de haut-grade

National audienc