L’epilepsie en milieu scolaire : enquete chez les enseignants de la ville de Kati au Mali et revue de la litterature

Introduction La prévalence de l’épilepsie en Afrique subsaharienne est élevée. Nous avons mené une étude transversale et descriptive dans l’ensemble des écoles primaires de la ville de Kati (200 000 habitants). Les enseignants furent interviewés de manière exhaustive à l’aide de questionnaires portant, d’une part, sur les connaissances, attitudes et pratiques des enseignants en matière d’épilepsie et, d’autre part, sur leurs avis sur les conséquences psychologiques, sociales pour l’enfant épileptique et les incidences sur sa scolarité.Résultats Nous avons interrogé 92 enseignants (60 hommes et 32 femmes). L’âge moyen des enseignants était de 30 ans. La majorité d’entre eux avait une expérience professionnelle de plus de 5 ans. Environ 38% des enseignants attribuaient la maladie à une cause surnaturelle. Plus de 39% des enseignants pensaient que l’épilepsie était contagieuse et 61% pensaient que l’épilepsie était incurable. 79% interdisaient systématiquement la pratique du sport à l’enfant épileptique. Environ 55% pensaient que l’enfant épileptique avait des capacités cognitives inférieures à celles de l’enfant non épileptique et 88% affirmaient que l’enfant épileptique était incapable d’avoir une scolarité normale. 59% trouvaient que l’élève épileptique était victime de stigmatisation et de marginalisation. Devant une crise, 68% renvoyaient l’enfant au domicile.Conclusion Ce travail fait apparaître un besoin de formation des enseignants en matière d’épilepsie. Les données actuelles sur la fréquence de l’épilepsie en milieu scolaire justifient une attention particulière des services de santé et de ceux de l’éducation nationale sur la scolarisation de l’enfant épileptique.Mots clés : Epilepsie, Ecole, Enseignants, Mali, Pratiques

Cerebral toxoplasmosis in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) patients also provides unifying pathophysiologic hypotheses for Holmes tremor

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Holmes tremor is a rare symptomatic movement disorder. Currently suggested pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease are mostly derived from stroke cases. Although rare, cerebral toxoplasmosis may strengthen the pathophysiologic mechanism of disease.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A case of Holmes tremor secondary to cerebral toxoplasmosis in an AIDS patient is presented. A relevant literature search was performed, using pubmed and several entries for Holmes tremor as labelled in the literature. The unifying feature of our case and those of the literature is the involvement of either the cerebello-thalamo-cortical and/or the dentato-rubro-olivary pathways. The abscess or the extension of surrounding edema beyond these two circuits may account for the superimposed dysfunction of the nigrostriatal system in some but not all cases. The short delay observed in our observation and the dramatic response to treatment may indirectly support the secondary neuronal degeneration theory in the mechanism of Holmes tremor.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Cases of cerebral toxoplasmosis in AIDS patients also provide arguments for the role of the thalamo-cortical and/or the dentato-rubro-olivary pathways dysfunction in the pathogenesis of Holmes tremor. Involvement of the nigro-striatal pathway may not be crucial in the development of this syndrome. Our case also brings additional indirect arguments for the role of secondary neuronal degeneration in the mechanism of Holmes tremor.</p

Natural enemies of fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in different agro-ecologies

Open Access Journal; Published online: 31 May 2021Fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) and southern armyworm (SAW) Spodoptera eridania (Stoll) have become major threats to crops in Africa since 2016. African governments adopted emergency actions around chemical insecticides, with limited efforts to assess the richness or roles of indigenous natural enemies. Field surveys and laboratory studies were conducted to identify and assess the performance of parasitoids associated with spodopterans in Cameroon. FAW was the most abundant spodopteran pest. Telenomus remus (Nixon), Trichogramma chilonis (Ishi), Charops sp. (Szépligeti), Coccygidium luteum (Cameron), Cotesia icipe (Fernandez & Fiaboe), and Cotesia sesamiae (Cameron) are the first records in the country on spodopterans. Telenomus remus, T. chilonis, C. icipe, and Charops sp. were obtained from both FAW and SAW; C. luteum and C. sesamiae from FAW. The distribution of spodopterans, their endoparasitoids, and parasitism rates varied with host, season and location. In the laboratory, T. remus showed significantly higher parasitism on FAW than SAW, and significant differences in the development parameters between the two host eggs, with shorter development time on FAW. It induced significant non-reproductive mortality on FAW but not on SAW. Developmental parameters showed that C. icipe has a shorter development time compared to other larval parasitoids. Implications for conservative and augmentative biocontrol are discussed

Reliability of pheromone trap catches and maize plant damage as criteria for timing fall armyworm control interventions in humid forest agroecology of central Africa

Control of fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) since its invasion of Africa still depends on pesticides. Early detection of adults is considered the key to the success of larvae control in the crop field. However, FAW control thresholds based on current monitoring techniques are not well established in Africa. We investigated the efficacy of moth capture frequencies and FAW incidence levels as decision tools for FAW management. Experiments were conducted over two maize cropping seasons during which FAW incidence, severity, and larvae count were recorded during destructive sampling after the application of a homologated insecticide. During the first season, the FAW incidence ranged from 37.5 ± 5.6% in the 25% incidence threshold treatment to 48.1 ± 8.1% in the control. During the second season, the incidence was significantly lower in the 25% incidence threshold treatment (55.8 ± 5.7%) compared with the control (75.7 ± 3.0%). Over the two seasons, no significant difference in FAW damage severity was recorded between the treatments and control. The highest number of larvae per plant (4.0 ± 0.6) was observed in the 10% incidence threshold treatment. Insecticide application did not consistently contribute to reducing FAW incidence and observed plant damage did not translate into yield loss. FAW control needs further investigation to establish a threshold above which damage translates into yield loss, thus necessitating control intervention

Tephritid fruit fly species composition, seasonality, and fruit infestations in two central African agro-ecological zones

Open Access Journal; Published online: 13 Nov 2022Bactrocera dorsalis and several Africa-native Ceratitis species are serious constraints to fruit production in sub-Saharan Africa. A long-term trapping and fruit collection study was conducted (2011–2016) in two contrasting agro-ecological zones (AEZs) of Cameroon to determine fruit fly species composition, seasonality, attraction to various lures and baits, and fruit infestation levels. Ten tephritid species from genera Bactrocera, Ceratitis, Dacus, and Perilampsis were captured in traps. Bactrocera dorsalis was the most dominant of the trapped species and persisted throughout the year, with peak populations in May–June. Ceratitis spp. were less abundant than B. dorsalis, with Ceratitis anonae dominating in the western highland zone and Ceratitis cosyra in the humid forest zone. Methyl eugenol and terpinyl acetate captured more B. dorsalis and Ceratitis spp., respectively than Torula yeast. The latter was the most effective food bait on all tephritid species compared with Bio- Lure and Mazoferm. Bactrocera dorsalis was the dominant species emerging from incubated fruits, particularly mango, guava, and wild mango. Four plant species—I. wombolu, Dacryodes edulis, Voacanga Africana and Trichoscypha abut—were new host records for B. dorsalis. This study is the first long-duration and comprehensive assessment of frugivorous tephritid species composition, fruit infestations, and seasonality in Central Africa

Plantain hybrids for the humid forest agroecology of Central Africa – diseases and pests load, fruit yield and farmers perception

Open Access Journal; Published online: 01 Nov 2022Plantain is one of the major staples contributing to food security and income generation in West and Central Africa. Local cultivars in Cameroon are susceptible to pests and diseases causing severe losses in plantain production. This study aimed at evaluating the agronomic performance and producer’s perception of plantain hybrids in the humid forest of Cameroon. Field trials were established in a completely randomized block design with eight genotypes and three replicates. Data on pest and disease as well as farmer perception were collected over two growing cycles. These genotypes included seven improved and one local genotype (check). Improved genotypes were highly tolerant to the Black Sigatoka disease compared to local plantain. While root necrosis index was above 50% in local varieties, indices below 25% were recorded in hybrids. Weevil severity in local was higher (55.0 ± 5.2%) compared to 21.0 ± 4.6% to 28.5 ± 3.2% in improved plantains. Average bunch weight was higher for FHIA 21 with 17.9 ± 0.7 kg in the first and 19.7 ± 0.3 kg for the second cycle, while those of the local Ebang were 9.6 ± 0.5 kg and 12.8 ± 0.9 kg, respectively. FHIA 21 and CRBP 568 were the preferred varieties by farmers (68.8% and 56.3% acceptance) from an agronomic perspective. The consumers’ preferences for all the genotypes varied with types of cooking. The implications of these findings for adoption by farmers and consumers as well as for the promotion of the plantain sector in central Africa are discussed

Role of complement and antibodies in controlling infection with pathogenic simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in macaques vaccinated with replication-deficient viral vectors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We investigated the interplay between complement and antibodies upon priming with single-cycle replicating viral vectors (SCIV) encoding SIV antigens combined with Adeno5-SIV or SCIV pseudotyped with murine leukemia virus envelope boosting strategies. The vaccine was applied via spray-immunization to the tonsils of rhesus macaques and compared with systemic regimens.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Independent of the application regimen or route, viral loads were significantly reduced after challenge with SIVmac239 (p < 0.03) compared to controls. Considerable amounts of neutralizing antibodies were induced in systemic immunized monkeys. Most of the sera harvested during peak viremia exhibited a trend with an inverse correlation between complement C3-deposition on viral particles and plasma viral load within the different vaccination groups. In contrast, the amount of the observed complement-mediated lysis did not correlate with the reduction of SIV titres.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The heterologous prime-boost strategy with replication-deficient viral vectors administered exclusively via the tonsils did not induce any neutralizing antibodies before challenge. However, after challenge, comparable SIV-specific humoral immune responses were observed in all vaccinated animals. Immunization with single cycle immunodeficiency viruses mounts humoral immune responses comparable to live-attenuated immunodeficiency virus vaccines.</p

New cassava germplasm for food and nutritional security in central Africa

Open Access Journal; Published online: 01 Apr 2021Cassava is a key food security crop in Central Africa, but its production depends largely on the use of local farmers’ varieties characterized by inherently low yield which is compounded by generally high susceptibility to various growth and yield-limiting pests and diseases. Improved cassava genotypes have demonstrated the potential to substantially improve cassava’s contribution to food security and the development of the cassava industry and the improvement of nutrition status elsewhere in Western Africa. Eleven improved cassava genotypes were compared with a local landrace (LMR) used as a check under field conditions over two years in eight locations, grouped in four agro-ecologies in Cameroon. Pest and disease abundance/incidence and damage severity were evaluated. At harvest, root yield and carotenoid content were measured. Best linear unbiased predictors showed the lowest breeding value for LMR with the cassava mosaic virus disease (+ 66.40 ± 2.42) compared with 1.00 ± 0.02% for the most susceptible improved genotype. Two genotypes (I010040-27 and I011797) stood out for having higher predicted fresh root yield means which were at least 16 times greater compared with LMR. Predicted total carotenoid content was the highest (+ 5.04 ± 0.17) for improved genotype I070593 compared with LMR which showed the lowest (− 3.90 ± 0.06%) and could contribute to the alleviation of vitamin A deficiency from cassava-based food systems. Diffusion of high-yielding and nutritious genotypes could alleviate food and nutritional security in Central Africa

Global, regional, and national burden of chronic kidney disease, 1990–2017 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Health system planning requires careful assessment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) epidemiology, but data for morbidity and mortality of this disease are scarce or non-existent in many countries. We estimated the global, regional, and national burden of CKD, as well as the burden of cardiovascular disease and gout attributable to impaired kidney function, for the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017. We use the term CKD to refer to the morbidity and mortality that can be directly attributed to all stages of CKD, and we use the term impaired kidney function to refer to the additional risk of CKD from cardiovascular disease and gout. Methods The main data sources we used were published literature, vital registration systems, end-stage kidney disease registries, and household surveys. Estimates of CKD burden were produced using a Cause of Death Ensemble model and a Bayesian meta-regression analytical tool, and included incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability, mortality, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). A comparative risk assessment approach was used to estimate the proportion of cardiovascular diseases and gout burden attributable to impaired kidney function. Findings Globally, in 2017, 1·2 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 1·2 to 1·3) people died from CKD. The global all-age mortality rate from CKD increased 41·5% (95% UI 35·2 to 46·5) between 1990 and 2017, although there was no significant change in the age-standardised mortality rate (2·8%, −1·5 to 6·3). In 2017, 697·5 million (95% UI 649·2 to 752·0) cases of all-stage CKD were recorded, for a global prevalence of 9·1% (8·5 to 9·8). The global all-age prevalence of CKD increased 29·3% (95% UI 26·4 to 32·6) since 1990, whereas the age-standardised prevalence remained stable (1·2%, −1·1 to 3·5). CKD resulted in 35·8 million (95% UI 33·7 to 38·0) DALYs in 2017, with diabetic nephropathy accounting for almost a third of DALYs. Most of the burden of CKD was concentrated in the three lowest quintiles of Socio-demographic Index (SDI). In several regions, particularly Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America, the burden of CKD was much higher than expected for the level of development, whereas the disease burden in western, eastern, and central sub-Saharan Africa, east Asia, south Asia, central and eastern Europe, Australasia, and western Europe was lower than expected. 1·4 million (95% UI 1·2 to 1·6) cardiovascular disease-related deaths and 25·3 million (22·2 to 28·9) cardiovascular disease DALYs were attributable to impaired kidney function. Interpretation Kidney disease has a major effect on global health, both as a direct cause of global morbidity and mortality and as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. CKD is largely preventable and treatable and deserves greater attention in global health policy decision making, particularly in locations with low and middle SDI