Nouveau concept de séchage et de fumage artisanal des aliments : application en milieu de pêche artisanale au Gabon

L’objet de cette étude est de présenter la conception détaillée et la fabrication d’un fumoir à poissons dont les spécificités permettent de répondre aux besoins de PED (pays en développement) côtiers tropicaux liés au traitement de poissons fraîchement péchés. Cette technique de séchage et fumage correspond à un mode de conservation traditionnel en Afrique subsaharienne et permet l’exportation des produits finis. Le dispositif de fumage proposé ici est autonome en ce sens qu’il fonctionne sans électricité et ne nécessite que l’utilisation de bois de combustion et de bois de pyrolyse ; il est de plus modulaire et réalisable avec les matériaux et les outils standards de la maçonnerie et de la chaudronnerie. Il permet de séparer en deux phases distinctes, les opérations de séchage et de fumage. Le séchage des poissons se fait par convection, conduction et rayonnement à partir des conduites de fumées. De ce fait, nous avons une chaleur uniforme au sein de l'enceinte. Le système de fumage permet d'obtenir une teneur des benzo (a) pyrène recommandé par les organismes internationaux.Mots-clés : bois, conception, fumage, PED, poissons, séchage.New concept of drying and smoking of artisanal foods : application in middle of artisanal fishing in GabonThe purpose of this study is to present the detailed design and construction of a fish smokehouse whose characteristics can meet the needs of tropical coastal developing countries related to the treatment of freshly caught fish. This technique of drying and smoking is a traditional way of conservation in subSaharan Africa and allows the export of finished products. The smoking device proposed here is autonomous in the sense that it works without electricity and requires only the wooden use of combustion and wood of pyrolysis; it is of more modular and built with materials and standard tools of the masonry and the boilermaking. He allows to separate in two different phases, the operations of drying and smoking. The drying of fishes is made by convection, conduction and radiation with smoke ducts. Therefore, we have a uniform heat within the smokehouse. The system of smoking allows to obtain a content of benzo ( a ) pyrène recommended by the international bodies.Keywords : wood, design, smoking, PED, fish, drying

Status and Management of Cashew Disease in Tanzania

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.)is one of the most important export cropsand the main source of cash income in the southern part of Tanzania. However it is challenged by a number of factors such as drought, declining soil fertility, un-improved low yielding cashew genotypes, insect pests and diseases. Of these factors, diseases have been cited to result in high production costs, poor nut quality and low market price. The most devastating diseases that attack cashew are powdery mildew, cashew leaf and nut blight, dieback and fusarium wilt.Other minor diseasesinclude anthracnose, damping off and leaf spots.Despite the negative role that these diseases possess to cashew growers, there is limited or no critical updated information on their current infection status and management in Tanzania. Thus, this review articlediscusses the status of the most important cashew diseases and their management options in the country. Such informationwill be vital to cashewfarmers and other stakeholdersin making appropriate improvements in cashew production in Tanzania

Reproductive biology of the lesser African threadfin Galeoides decadactylus in Gabon, Gulf of Guinea

The lesser African threadfin Galeoides decadactylus (family Polynemidae) is one of the most captured marine fish species in Central Africa. This study examines aspects of the reproductive biology of G. decadactylus in the Libreville area of Gabon. Fish caught with encircling gillnets and bottom gillnets were collected from May 2017 to May 2018 from artisanal fishermen. A total of 776 specimens were studied, comprising 401 females (14–36 cm total length [TL]), 347 males (13–28 cm TL), and 28 individuals of indeterminate sex (12–16 cm TL). Monthly monitoring of gonadosomatic ratio, condition factor and sexual maturity stages revealed that G. decadactylus reproduces continuously but has two slight peak periods: one in the long rainy season and the other in the short rainy season. The species is protandrous, with sizes at first sexual maturity of 17.7 cm TL for males and 18.7 cm for females. Mature individuals largely dominated the catches of small-scale fishers in Gabon. Mean absolute fecundity of females was 179 447 (SD 107 240) oocytes, and mean relative fecundity was 848 (SD 323) oocytes g–1. This study provides fisheries managers with crucial knowledge, such as size at sexual maturity, that could be used as a basis for sustainable management of G. decadactylus stocks in Gabon using minimum size limits

Capacity building in Sub-Saharan Africa as part of the INTENSE-TBM Project during the COVID-19 pandemic

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most severe and disabling form of tuberculosis (TB), with at least 100,000 cases per year and a mortality rate of up to 50% in individuals co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). To evaluate the efficacy and safety of an intensified anti-tubercular regimen and an anti-inflammatory treatment, the INTENSE-TBM project includes a phase III randomised clinical trial (TBM-RCT) in four countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Within this framework, we designed a comprehensive capacity-building work package ensuring all centres had, or would acquire, the ability to conduct the TBM-RCT and developing a network of skilled researchers, clinical centres and microbiology laboratories. Here, we describe these activities, identify strengths/challenges and share tools adaptable to other projects, particularly in low- and lower-middle income countries with heterogeneous settings and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite major challenges, TBM-RCT initiation was achieved in all sites, promoting enhanced local healthcare systems and encouraging further clinical research in SSA. In terms of certified trainings, the achievement levels were 95% (124/131) for good clinical practice, 91% (39/43) for good clinical laboratory practice and 91% (48/53) for infection prevention and control. Platform-based research, developed as part of capacity-building activities for specific projects, may be a valuable tool in fighting future infectious diseases and in developing high-level research in Africa

Effect of systematic tuberculosis detection on mortality in young children with severe pneumonia in countries with high incidence of tuberculosis: a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial

Background: Tuberculosis diagnosis might be delayed or missed in children with severe pneumonia because this diagnosis is usually only considered in cases of prolonged symptoms or antibiotic failure. Systematic tuberculosis detection at hospital admission could increase case detection and reduce mortality. Methods: We did a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial in 16 hospitals from six countries (Cambodia, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia) with high incidence of tuberculosis. Children younger than 5 years with WHO-defined severe pneumonia received either the standard of care (control group) or standard of care plus Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Xpert Ultra; Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) on nasopharyngeal aspirate and stool samples (intervention group). Clusters (hospitals) were progressively switched from control to intervention at 5-week intervals, using a computer-generated random sequence, stratified on incidence rate of tuberculosis at country level, and masked to teams until 5 weeks before switch. We assessed the effect of the intervention on primary (12-week all-cause mortality) and secondary (including tuberculosis diagnosis) outcomes, using generalised linear mixed models. The primary analysis was by intention to treat. We described outcomes in children with severe acute malnutrition in a post hoc analysis. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03831906) and the Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR202101615120643). Findings: From March 21, 2019, to March 30, 2021, we enrolled 1401 children in the control group and 1169 children in the intervention group. In the intervention group, 1140 (97·5%) children had nasopharyngeal aspirates and 942 (80·6%) had their stool collected; 24 (2·1%) had positive Xpert Ultra. At 12 weeks, 110 (7·9%) children in the control group and 91 (7·8%) children in the intervention group had died (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0·986, 95% CI 0·597–1·630, p=0·957), and 74 (5·3%) children in the control group and 88 (7·5%) children in the intervention group had tuberculosis diagnosed (adjusted OR 1·238, 95% CI 0·696–2·202, p=0·467). In children with severe acute malnutrition, 57 (23·8%) of 240 children in the control group and 53 (17·8%) of 297 children in the intervention group died, and 36 (15·0%) of 240 children in the control group and 56 (18·9%) of 297 children in the intervention group were diagnosed with tuberculosis. The main adverse events associated with nasopharyngeal aspirates were samples with blood in 312 (27·3%) of 1147 children with nasopharyngeal aspirates attempted, dyspnoea or SpO2 less than 95% in 134 (11·4%) of children, and transient respiratory distress or SpO2 less than 90% in 59 (5·2%) children. There was no serious adverse event related to nasopharyngeal aspirates reported during the trial. Interpretation: Systematic molecular tuberculosis detection at hospital admission did not reduce mortality in children with severe pneumonia. High treatment and microbiological confirmation rates support more systematic use of Xpert Ultra in this group, notably in children with severe acute malnutrition