Central African Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program: building and strengthening regional workforce capacity in public health

The Central African Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (CAFELTP) is a 2-year public health leadership capacity building training program. It was established in October 2010 to enhance capacity for applied epidemiology and public health laboratory services in three countries: Cameroon, Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The aim of the program is to develop a trained public health workforce to assure that acute public health events are detected, investigated, and responded to quickly and effectively. The program consists of 25% didactic and 75% practical training (field based activities). Although the program is still in its infancy, the residents have already responded to six outbreak investigations in the region, evaluated 18 public health surveillance systems and public health programs, and completed 18 management projects. Through these various activities, information is shared to understand similarities and differences in the region leading to new and innovative approaches in public health. The program provides opportunities for regional and international networking in field epidemiology and laboratory activities, and is particularly beneficial for countries that may not have the immediate resources to host an individual country program. Several of the trainees from the first cohort already hold leadership positions within the ministries of health and national laboratories, and will return to their assignments better equipped to face the public health challenges in the region. They bring with them knowledge, practical training, and experiences gained through the program to shape the future of the public health landscape in their countries

Flavan‑3‑ol and favonol analysis in healthy and infected parents and progenies of cocoa leaves (Theobroma cacao L.) with Phytophthora megakarya Bras. and Grif

Flavonoids are phenolic compounds involved in defense mechanisms against black pod disease (BPD). Crossing between Forastero and Trinitario-resistant cocoa genotypes usually produce resistant progenies with high contents of bioactive components. This study aims at analyzing flavan-3-ol and flavonol content in the defense against P. megakarya in T. cacao genotypes for their potential selection as markers of partial resistance to BPD. Assessment of necrosis development and biochemical markers of stress (total polyphenols (TPP), total flavonoids (TF), and condensed tannins (CT)) through spectrophotometric methods of 19 genotypes identified eight hybrids that contained higher amounts (P˂0.05) of bioactive components than the better parent T79/467. The necrosis length revealed to be negatively correlated with metabolite concentrations (P < 0.05). Flavan-3-ols and flavonols were analyzed by normal phase (NP) and reverse phase (RP) HPLC–DAD-ESI (-)-MS/MS. Among the best genotypes, flavan-3-ol monomers (( +)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin), derived procyanidins (especially B2 and four of its isomers, C1, and one pentamer), and flavonols (quercetin, quercetin-3-O-arabinoside, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-rhamnoglucoside, and one isomer) were evidenced both in healthy and infected leaves. Analyzed metabolites increase following infection, but infection does not trigger the synthesis of new compounds. The order of accumulation of biomolecules is as follows: (-)-epicatechin (196%), procyanidin C1 (184%), pentamers (140%), procyanidin B2 (135%), quercetin (80%), quercetin derivatives (57–69%), and ( +)-catechin (57%). Yet their accumulation after infection revealed to be genotype-dependent. This breeding approach is designed to select partial resistant cocoa genotypes against BPD evidenced useful biomarkers in hybrids with high flavonoid content

Urethral duplication in a 12-year-old child

Urethral duplication is a rare congenital malformation affecting mainly boys. The authors report a case in a Cameroonian child who was diagnosed and managed at the Gynaeco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital, Yaounde. The malformation was characterized by the presence of an incontinent epispadic urethra and a normal apical urethra. We describe the difficulties faced in the management of this disorder in a developing country

Long-term neurological symptoms after acute COVID-19 illness requiring hospitalization in adult patients: insights from the ISARIC-COVID-19 follow-up study

in this study we aimed to characterize the type and prevalence of neurological symptoms related to neurological long-COVID-19 from a large international multicenter cohort of adults after discharge from hospital for acute COVID-19