Virological outcomes in ARV-naïve patients switching or not from a first successful boosted PI-regimen to efavirenz, nevirapine or abacavir regimens

International audiencen.

Long-term maintenance of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli carried by vampire bats and shared with livestock in Peru

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-E. coli) have been reported in wildlife worldwide. Whether wildlife is transient hosts of ESBL-E. coli or comprises an independently maintained reservoir is unknown. We investigated this question by longitudinally monitoring ESBL-E. coli in common vampire bats and nearby livestock in Peru. Among 388 bats from five vampire bat colonies collected over three years, ESBL-E. coli were detected at a low prevalence (10% in 2015, 4% in 2017 and 2018) compared to a high prevalence (48%) from 134 livestock sampled in 2017. All ESBL-E. coli were multidrug-resistant, and whole genome sequencing of 33 randomly selected ESBL-E. coli isolates (18 recovered from bats) detected 46 genes conferring resistance to antibiotics including third-generation cephalosporins (e.g., blaCTX-M-55, blaCTX-M-15, blaCTX-M-65, blaCTX-M-3 blaCTX-M-14), aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, and colistin (mcr-1). The mcr-1 gene is reported for the first time on a wild bat in Latin America. ESBL-E. coli also carried 31 plasmid replicon types and 16 virulence genes. Twenty-three E. coli sequence types (STs) were detected, including STs involved in clinical infections worldwide (e.g., ST 167, ST 117, ST 10, ST 156 and ST 648). ESBL-E. coli with identical cgMLST (ST 167) were detected in the same bat roost in 2015 and 2017, and several ESBL-E. coli from different bat roosts clustered together in the cgMLST reconstruction, suggesting longterm maintenance of ESBL-E. coli within bats. Most antibiotic resistance and virulence genes were detected in E. coli from both host populations, while ESBL-E. coli ST 744 was found in a bat and a pig from the same locality, suggesting possible cross-species exchanges of genetic material and/or bacteria between bats and livestock. This study suggests that wild mammals can maintain multidrug-resistant bacteria and share them with livestock

Identification of novel Coxiella burnetii genotypes from Ethiopian ticks

Background: Coxiella burnetii , the etiologic agent of Q fever, is a highly infectious zoonotic bacterium. Genetic information about the strains of this worldwide distributed agent circulating on the African continent is limited. The aim of the present study was the genetic characterization of C. burnetii DNA samples detected in ticks collected from Ethiopian cattle and their comparison with other genotypes found previously in other parts of the world. Methodology/Principal Findings: A total of 296 tick samples were screened by real-time PCR targeting the IS 1111 region of C. burnetii genome and from the 32 positive samples, 8 cases with sufficient C. burnetii DNA load ( Amblyomma cohaerens ,n 5 6; A. variegatum ,n 5 2) were characterized by multispacer sequence typing (MST) and multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). One novel sequence type (ST), the proposed ST52, was identified by MST. The MLVA-6 discriminated the proposed ST52 into two newly identified MLVA genotypes: type 24 or AH was detected in both Amblyomma species while type 26 or AI was found only in A. cohaerens . Conclusions/Significance: Both the MST and MLVA genotypes of the present work are closely related to previously described genotypes found primarily in cattle samples from different parts of the globe. This finding is congruent with the source hosts of the analyzed Ethiopian ticks, as these were also collected from cattle. The present study provides genotype information of C. burnetii from this seldom studied East-African region as well as further evidence for the presumed host-specific adaptation of this agent

Circulating insulin‐like growth factor I in relation to melanoma risk in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition

Insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I) regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis, and is thought to play a role in tumour development. Previous prospective studies have shown that higher circulating concentrations of IGF‐I are associated with a higher risk of cancers at specific sites, including breast and prostate. No prospective study has examined the association between circulating IGF‐I concentrations and melanoma risk. A nested case–control study of 1,221 melanoma cases and 1,221 controls was performed in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort, a prospective cohort of 520,000 participants recruited from 10 European countries. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for incident melanoma in relation to circulating IGF‐I concentrations, measured by immunoassay. Analyses were conditioned on the matching factors and further adjusted for age at blood collection, education, height, BMI, smoking status, alcohol intake, marital status, physical activity and in women only, use of menopausal hormone therapy. There was no significant association between circulating IGF‐I concentration and melanoma risk (OR for highest vs lowest fifth = 0.93 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71 to 1.22]). There was no significant heterogeneity in the association between IGF‐I concentrations and melanoma risk when subdivided by gender, age at blood collection, BMI, height, age at diagnosis, time between blood collection and diagnosis, or by anatomical site or histological subtype of the tumour (Pheterogeneity≥0.078). We found no evidence for an association between circulating concentrations of IGF‐I measured in adulthood and the risk of melanoma

Cryptic species in a well-known habitat: applying taxonomics to the amphipod genus Epimeria (Crustacea, Peracarida)

Taxonomy plays a central role in biological sciences. It provides a communication system for scientists as it aims to enable correct identification of the studied organisms. As a consequence, species descriptions should seek to include as much available information as possible at species level to follow an integrative concept of ‘taxonomics’. Here, we describe the cryptic species Epimeria frankei sp. nov. from the North Sea, and also redescribe its sister species, Epimeria cornigera. The morphological information obtained is substantiated by DNA barcodes and complete nuclear 18S rRNA gene sequences. In addition, we provide, for the first time, full mitochondrial genome data as part of a metazoan species description for a holotype, as well as the neotype. This study represents the first successful implementation of the recently proposed concept of taxonomics, using data from highthroughput technologies for integrative taxonomic studies, allowing the highest level of confidence for both biodiversity and ecological research

La lithiase du bas appareil urinaire : Aspects diagnostiques et thérapeutiques à l’Hôpital de la Mère et de l’Enfant (HME) à N’Djamena (Tchad)

Objectif: rapporter les aspects épidémiologiques cliniques et thérapeutiques de la lithiase du bas appareil urinaire de l’enfant à l’Hôpital de la mère et de l’enfant à N’Djamena(Tchad). Patients et méthodes: Il s’agit d’une étude descriptive portant sur 130 cas de lithiase du bas urinaire colligés sur 44 Mois allant d’avril 2011 à décembre 2014, réalisée au service de la chirurgie pédiatrique de l’Hôpital de la Mère et de l’Enfant de N’Djamena. Les paramètres d’étude étaient l’âge, le sexe, les antécédents, les caractéristiques cliniques et para clinique, le traitement institué et le résultat du traitement. Nous avons fait des calculs de fréquence et de moyenne. Résultats: La moyenne d’âge dans notre étude était de 5,25±2,52 ans (1 ; 14 ans). La tranche d’âge de 1-5 ans était la plus atteinte avec une fréquence de 57%. Le sex ratio était de 25/1. Les lithiases étaient survenues toute l’année, avec 2 pics de fréquence aux mois chauds de mars et mai. La majorité de nos patients résidait dans la zone sahélienne (92%) contre 7% en zone désertique à bas niveau socio-économique. A l’examen des urines, les germes pathogènes étaient retrouvés chez 31 patients soit 26,2%. La lithiase du bas appareil urinaire représentait 95,58% des cas. La cystolithotomie était réalisée dans 100% des cas dont 33 cas soit 25,4% après refoulement de la lithiase de l’urètre dans la vessie. La chirurgie à ciel ouvert a été le seul traitement avec une morbidité de 3,7% et une mortalité nulle. Conclusion: La lithiase du bas appareil urinaire est fréquente. La chirurgie à ciel ouvert est la seule méthode thérapeutique qui est pratiquée dans notre contexte. Faute d’une recherche étiologique réelle, la prise en charge correcte des lithiases reste limitée

ETUDE COMPARATIVE DE LA SALINITE DE L\u2019EAU ET DES SOLS DANS LA ZONE NORD DES NIAYES (SENEGAL)

The objective of this study is to assess the acidity and salinity of irrigation water and soils in the northern Niayes zone. Seven soil profiles were described and their texture measured. Soils were sampled from the 0 - 20 and 20 - 40 cm horizons and water was taken from horitcultural watering wells. Our results show that most of the seven profiles are represented by strongly sandy soils. Soil pH varies among sites but there was no significant difference between shallow (0-20) and deeper (20 - 40) fractions. Soil salinity, however, does vary according do both site and sampling depth, with more saline soils at the surface. Factorial correspondence analysis results show a gradient of both acidity and salinity and discriminate two main groups of soil and water. The first group is constituted by alkaline and saline soils and water. The second group is composed of acidic and non-saline soils and water. This study facilitated the identification of two key zones : an inland area subject to high acidity and a littoral area subject to high salinity. These two factors considerably limit agricultural production.L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude est d\u2019\ue9valuer l\u2019acidit\ue9 et la salinit\ue9 de l\u2019eau d\u2019irrigation et du sol dans la zone nord des Niayes. Sept profils p\ue9dologiques ont \ue9t\ue9 d\ue9crits et leur granulom\ue9trie d\ue9termin\ue9e. La salinit\ue9 et l\u2019acidit\ue9 de sols, pr\ue9lev\ue9s dans les horizons \ue0 20 et 40 cm de profondeur et de l\u2019eau des puits d\u2019arrosage ont \ue9t\ue9 analys\ue9s. Les r\ue9sultats ont montr\ue9 que la fraction sableuse est la plus repr\ue9sentative pour l\u2019ensemble des profils d\ue9crits. Le pH du sol varie selon les sites mais il n\u2019y a pas de diff\ue9rence significative entre la surface (0 - 20 cm) et la profondeur (20 \u2013 40 cm) alors que la salinit\ue9 varie par contre selon les sites et la profondeur avec des valeurs plus \ue9lev\ue9es en surface qu\u2019en profondeur. L\u2019analyse factorielle des correspondances (AFC) a permis de mettre en \ue9vidence un gradient d\u2019acidit\ue9 et/ou d\u2019alcalinit\ue9 et de discriminer deux groupes de sols et d\u2019eaux. Le groupe 1 est constitu\ue9 des sols et eaux alcalins et salins et le groupe 2 est compos\ue9 des sols et eaux acide et non salins. Cette \ue9tude a permis de distinguer deux sous zones : une partie continentale soumise \ue0 une acidit\ue9 plus \ue9lev\ue9e et une partie littorale soumise \ue0 une salinisation \ue9lev\ue9e. Ces deux facteurs limitent consid\ue9rablement la production agricole

Seroprevalence of rift valley fever, Q fever, and brucellosis in ruminants on the southeastern shore of lake Chad

Abstract The seroprevalence of Rift Valley fever (RVF), brucellosis, and Q fever among domestic ruminants on the southeastern shore of Lake Chad was studied. The study area consisted of two parts, including mainland and islands. On the mainland, the study was conducted in nine randomly selected villages and camps. On the islands, samples were collected from all four available sites. A total of 985 serum samples were collected and 924 were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for RVF. A total of 561 samples collected from islands were analyzed using ELISA for Q fever and both ELISA and Rose Bengal tests (RBT) for brucellosis. The apparent RVF seroprevalence by species was 37.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 34.2-41.3) in cattle, 18.8% (95% CI 12.3-25.2) in goats, and 10.8% (95% CI 3.0-18.5) in sheep. For brucellosis and Q fever, only cattle samples from islands were analyzed. For Q fever, the apparent seroprevalence was 7.8% (95% CI 5.6-10.1). For brucellosis, the RBT showed a prevalence of 5.7% (95% CI 3.8-7.6), and ELISA showed 11.9% (95% CI 9.3-14.6) with a kappa value of 0.53 showing a moderate agreement between the two tests. This study confirms the presence of the three diseases in the study area. More research is required to assess the importance for public health and conservation of the Kouri cattle breed