Dietary exposure and health risk assessment for 14 toxic and essential trace elements in Yaoundé: the Cameroonian total diet study

<div><p>Dietary exposure to trace elements (aluminium, antimony, barium, cadmium, lead, nickel, vanadium, copper, manganese, molybdenum, germanium, lithium, strontium and tellurium) was assessed by the total diet study (TDS) method. Sixty-four pooled samples representing 96.5% of the diet in Yaoundé, Cameroon, were prepared “as consumed” before analysis. Consumption data were sourced from a households’ budget survey. Dietary exposures were compared with health-based guidance or nutritional values and to worldwide TDS results. The health-based guidance value was exceeded by ≤ 0.2% of the study population for aluminium, antimony, barium, cadmium, nickel and vanadium. For lead, the observed 95th percentile of exposure (3.05 µg kg⁻¹ body weight day⁻¹) equals the critical value considered by JECFA for cardiovascular effects; therefore, risk to health cannot be excluded for certain consumer groups. The population at risk of excess intake for manganese, copper, molybdenum and nickel was considered to be low (≤ 0.3%). The prevalence of inadequate intake was estimated at 5.9% for copper and was nil for molybdenum. Due to the lack of toxicological and/or nutritional consistent data to perform a risk assessment, dietary exposures to germanium, lithium, strontium and tellurium were provided as supplementary data. The food groups highest contributors to exposure were “tubers and starches” for aluminium (27%), lead (39%) and copper (26%), “cereals and cereal products” for cadmium (54%) and manganese (35%), “fruits, vegetables and oilseeds” for barium (34%), molybdenum (49%) and nickel (31%), “beverages” for antimony (27%) and “fish” for vanadium (43% – lower bound). Measures should be recommended to maintain low levels of exposure before the problem could become an important health or trade issue.</p></div

Sero-epidemiologic survey of dengue in Yaounde, Cameroon in 2006–2007: Multivariate analysis using logistic regression with random effect.

<p>Sero-epidemiologic survey of dengue in Yaounde, Cameroon in 2006–2007: Multivariate analysis using logistic regression with random effect.</p

Descriptive statistics from the empirical posterior distribution of the date of the most recent common ancestors (MRCAs) of Gabonese HCV NS5B partial sequences according to HCV-4 subtype.

<p>These distributions were obtained by Bayesian inferences with BEAST software, with a normal posterior distribution of the mean mutation rate at a mean of 5×10⁴ and a standard deviation of 7.14×10⁵. 95% credible confidence intervals are delimited by the 0.025th and 0.975th quantiles.</p

Dengue seroprevalence according to (a) serotypes and (b) age groups in the three main cities in Cameroon in 2006–2007.

<p>Dengue seroprevalence according to (a) serotypes and (b) age groups in the three main cities in Cameroon in 2006–2007.</p

Bayesian skyline plots estimated for HCV subtypes 4e, 4f, 4c, 4t, and 4k in Gabon.

<p>The middle line is the median estimate of effective population size, and the envelope shows the 95% highest posterior density interval of this estimate.</p

Sero-epidemiologic survey of dengue in Garoua, Cameroon in 2006–2007: Multivariate analysis using logistic regression with random effect.

<p>Sero-epidemiologic survey of dengue in Garoua, Cameroon in 2006–2007: Multivariate analysis using logistic regression with random effect.</p

Map of Cameroon: main climatic zones and location of the 3 study sites.

<p>Map of Cameroon: main climatic zones and location of the 3 study sites.</p

Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection according to age group and administrative area in Gabon.

<p>O, Ogooué.</p

Distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes and subtypes according to administrative area in Gabon.

<p>N, number of samples tested.</p

Univariate analysis of risk factors for HCV infection among HCV-positive and HCV-negative individuals.

*<p>OR, odds ratio; CI, confidential interval; †, reference.</p