BMC Public Health

BACKGROUND: The extent of SARS-CoV-2 circulation in African countries is still unclear. Seroprevalence studies are a common approach to epidemiological surveillance, allowing estimation of the proportion of people who have had contact with the virus. We aimed at estimating the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and associated factors in Togo at the national level in 2021 according to age groups, gender, and place of residence (rural or urban). METHODS: From 15 May to 31 June 2021, we conducted a nationally representative cross-sectional serological survey in 12 health districts (two districts per health region) in the > 5 years old population in Togo. The Wantai SARS-CoV-2 total antibody assay S protein receptor-binding domain-based ELISA (Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise Co.; Beijing, China) was used to determine the presence of SARS-CoV-2 total antibodies in plasma. Crude and weighted seroprevalences (weighted by age, sex and place of residence) were calculated and then weighted seroprevalences were adjusted according to sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA test. Finally, logistic regression models were performed in order to describe factors associated. RESULTS: Of the 7593 participants, the overall weighted and adjusted seroprevalence of total anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 65.5% (CI95%: 18.9-21.1). Urban dwellers, young adults (30-49 years) and vaccinated individuals were significantly more likely to be seropositive. CONCLUSION: The high seroprevalence we observed is consistent with observations across West Africa. Quantification of the level of immunity in the population is needed to know how close we are to herd immunity. In the meantime, vaccination against the COVID-19 remains necessary

BMC Public Health

The original publication [1] of this paper contained a typo in the abstract. The value "CI95%: 18.9–21.1" should have been "95%CI: 64.3–66.6". This was correct elsewhere in the article. The original article has been updated to correct this

Aetiology of the Lumbar Spinal Stenosis in Black Africans: Intraoperative Observations

Background & Aim: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a common condition. This congenital or acquired stenosis has multiple etiologies. The goal of this study was to describe intraoperative pathoanatomic findings of lumbar spinal stenosis observed within a black African population. Methods & Materials/Patients: It was a retrospective and descriptive study performed at Departmental Teaching Hospital of Borgou in Republic of Benin (West Africa) from January 2008 to June 2014. All black African patients who underwent surgery for LSS were included. Intra operative aetiologies were recorded. Patients with extruded lumbar discopathy were excluded. Results: During study period, 199 patients were selected. It was 109 men (54.8%) and 90 women (42.2%). Patients mean age was 53.2 years ± 10.96, mean weight 77.11kg ± 14.37 and mean height 171 cm ± 8.64cm. The LSS was acquired in 157 patients (78.9%), congenital in 29 (14.6%) and in 13 cases (6.5%) it was mixed origin. A hypertrophyof ligamentum flavum was observed in 101 patients (50.8%), zygapophyseal joint hypertrophy in 15 cases (7.2%) and in 74 cases (37.2%) the two factors were associated. A disc bulge were observed in 9 cases (4.5%).  Conclusion: The ligamentum flavum hypertrophy is the main cause of LSS in black Africans. Studies to determine the mechanism of hypertrophy will be useful in order to initiate preventive treatment

Lymphome osseux primitif multifocal révélé par une fièvre au long cours : A propos d’un cas : Primary multifocal bone lymphoma revealed by long-term fever: A case report

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) is a malignant clonal proliferation of lymphoid tissue; they represent the majority of lymphomas. NHL mainly affects the lymph nodes, but they can develop in all organs. Primary bone NHL is rare and multifocal localization remains exceptional. We report the observation of a patient with multifocal primary bone lymphoma (PBL) with localization in the spine, collarbone and pelvis. Les lymphomes non hodgkiniens (LNH) representant la majorité des lymphomes sont des proliférations clonales malignes du tissu lymphoïde. Les LNH affectent surtout les ganglions lymphatiques mais ils peuvent se développer dans tous les organes. Les LNH osseux primitifs sont rares et la localisation multifocale reste exceptionnelle. Nous rapportons l’observation d’un patient qui présente un lymphome osseux primitif (LOP) multifocal avec une localisation au rachis, à la clavicule et au bassin