Controlling Schistosomiasis: Significant Decrease of Anaemia Prevalence One Year after a Single Dose of Praziquantel in Nigerien Schoolchildren

The World Health Organization's recommendation for the control of urinary schistosomiasis is to reduce morbidity by reducing the prevalence of heavy infections. In Niger, where urinary schistosomiasis is endemic along the Niger River valley and in proximity to ponds, a national control programme for schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminth was launched in 2004 with the financial support of the Gates Foundation through the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative. In the framework of the monitoring and evaluation of the control programme, a follow-up of school children took place in eight sentinel sites. The aim of this study was to assess the evolution of Schistosoma haematobium infection and associated morbidity after a single-dose administration of praziquantel and albendazole. Before treatment, the overall prevalence of S. heamatobium infection was 75.4% and anaemia (haemoglobin <11.5 g/dl) was present in 61.6% of the study sample. One year after a single-dose praziquantel treatment (administered by dose-pole) co-administered with albendazole (400 mg single dose) for de-worming, all morbidity markers of the infection decreased significantly. This study shows how a schistosomiasis control programme can benefit populations by improving their health status

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Les prothèses sur mesure dans les désarthrodèses prothèses de hanche

AIX-MARSEILLE2-BU Méd/Odontol. (130552103) / SudocPARIS-BIUM (751062103) / SudocSudocFranceF

Use of emergency intravenous injection in dental practice

Medical emergencies can occur in dental practice and dental surgeons have to be able to handle them effectively. The intravenous route has long been advocated for dental surgeon in emergency. Since 2006, recommendations from the British Resuscitation Council tend to discourage this route of administration for dental practitioners in emergency. In France there is no consensus on this subject and most French dental schools still teach intravenous route in case of medical emergency. We reviewed international literature regarding medical emergencies in dental practice since 2006 and identified those dealing with intravenous access. Half of the publications suggest or encourage the use of intravenous access. Nevertheless, most of dental surgeons do not feel confident in realizing an urgent intravenous injection. Indeed, this technique requires an intensive phase of learning and regular practice to be performed in safety and effectively. Thus, this technique is difficult to realize in a context of stress and of under-training. Dental surgeons should be familiar with other methods of administration to manage medical emergencies encountered in dental practice such as intramuscular, inhalatal, sublingual, buccal and oral. It seems necessary to encourage an European consensus on this subject in order to improve the management of medical emergencies

Actes du séminaire d'économie et de sociologie nigérienne (année 1993 - 1994)

India - Udaipur, Same as #2 [Previous slide Photographer's Note: Udaipur, Street scene]ColorVolume 127, Page 1

Local Th17 immunity upon mammary immunization is protective against E. coli mastitis

Current vaccines to Escherichia coli mastitis have shown some albeit limited efficacy. Their mode of action is poorly documented and the immune response protecting the mammary gland against E. coli is not completely understood. To improve our knowledge of mammary gland immune defenses, we compared the response of three groups of six cows that received either an intramuscular or an intramammary protocol of immunizationagainst E. coli P4 before a homologous challenge. The control group received adjuvant only. Local immunization modified favorably the course of infection, by improving bacterial clearance while limiting inflammation. Systemic clinical score was also reduced and mammary secretion was preserved (Herry, 2017). High-throughput profiling using a newly developed cytokine 15-plex assay indicated a diminished TNFα production while increased IFNγ was detected in the immunized groups. Antibody response did not correlate with protection, but cellular immunity better related to protection of the mammary gland. Indeed, a transcriptome analysis performed using RNA sequencing on blood samples collected during immunization and infection phases shows that the lymphocyte response was activated in all groups 12 hours after inoculation and correlated with lower clinical scores as shown by weighted correlation network analysis. At the same time, neutrophils were produced and recruited with a moderate neutropenia in immunized groups. Type I interferon response correlated with intensity and persistence of inflammation during the late phase of mastitis. Furthermore, to assess the local T cell response in mammary tissues of locally immunized and control cows, CD4pos T cells were isolated by fluorescence cell sorting upon mammary tissue digestion of challenged and control glands, and their transcriptome determined by RNA sequencing. Results show that IL-17 expression was increased during E. coli infection and Th17 response was significantly enriched in immunized glands. These findings indicate that protective mechanisms linked to local immunization rely on IL-17-mediated immunity

Local Th17 immunity upon mammary immunization is protective against <em>E. coli</em> mastitis

International audienceCurrent vaccines to Escherichia coli mastitis have shown some albeit limited efficacy. Their mode of action is poorly documented and the immune response protecting the mammary gland against E. coli is not completely understood. To improve our knowledge of mammary gland immune defenses, we compared the response of three groups of six cows that received either an intramuscular or an intramammary protocol of immunizationagainst E. coli P4 before a homologous challenge. The control group received adjuvant only. Local immunization modified favorably the course of infection, by improving bacterial clearance while limiting inflammation. Systemic clinical score was also reduced and mammary secretion was preserved (Herry, 2017). High-throughput profiling using a newly developed cytokine 15-plex assay indicated a diminished TNFα production while increased IFNγ was detected in the immunized groups. Antibody response did not correlate with protection, but cellular immunity better related to protection of the mammary gland. Indeed, a transcriptome analysis performed using RNA sequencing on blood samples collected during immunization and infection phases shows that the lymphocyte response was activated in all groups 12 hours after inoculation and correlated with lower clinical scores as shown by weighted correlation network analysis. At the same time, neutrophils were produced and recruited with a moderate neutropenia in immunized groups. Type I interferon response correlated with intensity and persistence of inflammation during the late phase of mastitis. Furthermore, to assess the local T cell response in mammary tissues of locally immunized and control cows, CD4pos T cells were isolated by fluorescence cell sorting upon mammary tissue digestion of challenged and control glands, and their transcriptome determined by RNA sequencing. Results show that IL-17 expression was increased during E. coli infection and Th17 response was significantly enriched in immunized glands. These findings indicate that protective mechanisms linked to local immunization rely on IL-17-mediated immunity