Seasonality and shift in age-specific malaria prevalence and incidence in Binko and Carrière villages close to the lake in Selingué, Mali

BACKGROUND: Malaria transmission in Mali is seasonal and peaks at the end of the rainy season in October. This study assessed the seasonal variations in the epidemiology of malaria among children under 10 years of age living in two villages in Selingué: Carrière, located along the Sankarani River but distant from the hydroelectric dam, and Binko, near irrigated rice fields, close to the dam. The aim of this study was to provide baseline data, seasonal pattern and age distribution of malaria incidence in two sites situated close to a lake in Selingué. METHODS: Geographically, Selingué area is located in the basin of Sakanrani and belongs to the district of Yanfolila in the third administrative region of Mali, Sikasso. Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in October 2010 (end of transmission season) and in July 2011 (beginning of transmission season) to determine the point prevalence of asymptomatic parasitaemia, and anaemia among the children. Cumulative incidence of malaria per month was determined in a cohort of 549 children through active and passive case detection from November 2010 through October 2011. The number of clinical episodes per year was determined among the children in the cohort. Logistic regression was used to determine risk factors for malaria. RESULTS: The prevalence of malaria parasitaemia varied significantly between villages with a strong seasonality in Carrière (52.0–18.9 % in October 2010 and July 2011, respectively) compared with Binko (29.8–23.8 % in October 2010 and July 2011, respectively). Children 6–9 years old were at least twice more likely to carry parasites than children up to 5 years old. For malaria incidence, 64.8–71.9 % of all children experienced at least one episode of clinical malaria in Binko and Carrière, respectively. The peak incidence was observed between August and October (end of the rainy season), but the incidence remained high until December. Surprisingly, the risk of clinical malaria was two- to nine-fold higher among children 5–9 years old compared to younger children. CONCLUSIONS: A shift in the peak of clinical episodes from children under 5–9 years of age calls for expanding control interventions, such as seasonal malaria chemoprophylaxis targeting the peak transmission months

Electrochemical oxidation of amoxicillin in its pharmaceutical formulation at boron doped diamond (BDD) electrode

In this work, voltammetric andelectrolysis experiments have been carried out on a conductive boron dopeddiamond (BDD) electrode in solution containing amoxicillin in itspharmaceutical formulation. The physical characterization of the BDD surface byscanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals a polycrystalline structure withgrain sizes ranging between 0.3 and 0.6 µm. With Raman spectroscopy, BDDsurface is composed of diamons (Csp3) type carbon (Csp3)and graphitic type carbon (Csp2). The electrochemical characterization of the BDD electrode in sulfuric acid electrolyte showed a wide potential window worthing 2.74 V. The oxidation of Amoxicillin showed an irreversible anodic wave on the voltammogram in the domain of water stability indicating a direct oxidation of amoxicillin at BDD surface. The treatment of Amoxicillin in the synthetic wastewaters under various constant current densities 20, 50, 100, 135 mA cm-2 on BDD showed that Amoxicillin is highly reducedunder 100 mA cm-2 reaching 92% of the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)removal after 5 h of electrolysis. Investigation performed in perchloric acidas supporting electrolyte led to 87% of COD removal after 5 h of electrolysis.Mineralization of amoxicillin occurs on BDD and the chemical oxygen demandremoval was higher in sulfuric acid than in perchloric acid owing to theinvolvement of the in-situ formed persulfate and perchlorate to the degradation process mainly in the bulkof the solution. The instantaneous current efficiency (ICE) presents anexponential decay indicating that the process was limited by diffusion. Thespecific energy consumed after 5h of the amoxicillin electrolysis was 0.096 kWh COD-1and 0.035 kWh COD-1 in sulfuric acid and in perchloric acidrespectively

Evolutionary profile of patients with hemoglobin SC disease regularly followed in Côte d'Ivoire

Background: West Africa is recognized as the elective focus of hemoglobin C. The S and C combination in the same patient gives a major sickle cell syndrome. In our country, very few series dealing with the evolutionary features of this SC form have been published contrary to the homozygous SS form. The aim of this study was to describe the evolutionary profile of double heterozygous SC sickle cell patients.Methods: This was a retrospective and prospective study with descriptive and analytical purpose of 174 SC sickle cell patients.Results: The median age was 26 years with extremes of 6 years and 57 years. 96% of patients had less than 4 vaso-occlusive seizures per year. The evolutionary complications were mainly ischemic (56.30%) and infectious (39.10%). Among ischemic complications, sickle cell retinopathies and aseptic osteonecrosis are the most common with 59.20% and 31.63% respectively. Infectious complications were dominated by ENT (36.76%) and osteoarticular (35.29%) infections. Only age had an influence on the occurrence of ischemic complications (p = 0.0001). The probability of survival at 5 years was 99.38% and that at 20 years was 91.57%. The overall survival was not influenced by evolutionary complications.Conclusions: Infectious and ischemic evolutionary complications show the importance of vaccination and an early screening program

Un Cas de Lupus Erythemateux Dissemine (LED) Revele par une Anemie Chronique au Service d’hematologie Clinique du CHU de Yopougon

The authors report one case of systemic lupus erythematosus revealed by chronic anemia. This was a 29-year-old patient with long-term fever, chronic skin and joint lesions with isolated hypochrome microcytic haemolytic anemia on the hemogram. The diagnosis of SLE was made three years after the onset of symptomatology based on seven of the American Rheumatology Association's (ARA) criteria out of 11, including positive immunological status (antinuclear antibodies and native DNA). This observation shows the interest of evoking SLE, while looking for signs in a young woman with multiple and varied symptoms with signs of skin, kidney, osteoarticular and hematological disorders.Les auteurs rapportent un cas de lupus érythémateux disséminé révélé par une anémie chronique. IL s’agissait d’une patiente de 29 ans présentant une fièvre au long cours, des lésions cutanées et articulaires d’évolution chronique avec à l’hémogramme une anémie hémolytique isolée hypochrome microcytaire. Le diagnostic de LED a été retenu trois années après le début de la symptomatologie devant sept critères sur 11 de L’American Rheumatology Association (ARA) dont le bilan immunologique positif (anticorps antinucléaires et DNA natif). Cette observation montre l’intérêt d’évoquer le LED, tout en recherchant les signes chez une femme jeune présentant une symptomatologie multiple et variée avec les signes d’atteintes cutanée, rénale, ostéo-articulaire et hématologique

Imatinib Mesylate Effectiveness in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia with Additional Cytogenetic Abnormalities at Diagnosis among Black Africans

Imatinib mesylate provides good results in the treatment of CML in general. But what about the results of this treatment in CML associated with additional cytogenetic abnormalities at diagnosis among black Africans? For this, we retrospectively studied 27 cases of CML associated with additional cytogenetic abnormalities, diagnosed in the department of clinical hematology of the University Hospital of Yopougon in Côte d'Ivoire, from May 2005 to October 2011. The age of patients ranged from 13 to 68 years, with a mean age of 38 years and a sex ratio of 2. Patients were severely symptomatic with a high Sokal score of 67%. CML in chronic phase accounted for 67%. The prevalence of additional cytogenetic abnormalities was 29.7%. There were variants of the Philadelphia chromosome (18.5%), trisomy 8 (14.8%), complex cytogenetic abnormalities (18.5%), second Philadelphia chromosome (14.8%), and minor cytogenetic abnormalities (44.4%). Complete hematologic remission was achieved in 59%, with 52% of major cytogenetic remission. The outcome was fatal in 37% of patients. Death was related in 40% to hematologic toxicity and in 30% to acutisation. The median survival was 40 months

Primaquine to reduce transmission of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Mali : a single-blind, dose-ranging, adaptive randomised phase 2 trial

Background Single low doses of primaquine, when added to artemisinin-based combination therapy, might prevent transmission of Plasmodium falciparum malaria to mosquitoes. We aimed to establish the activity and safety of four low doses of primaquine combined with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine in male patients in Mali. Methods In this phase 2, single-blind, dose-ranging, adaptive randomised trial, we enrolled boys and men with uncomplicated P falciparum malaria at the Malaria Research and Training Centre (MRTC) field site in Ouelessebougou, Mali. All participants were confirmed positive carriers of gametocytes through microscopy and had normal function of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) on colorimetric quantification In the first phase, participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to one of three primaquine doses: 0 mg/kg (control), 0.125 mg/kg, and 0.5 mg/kg. Randomisation was done with a computer-generated randomisation list (in block sizes of six) and concealed with sealed, opaque envelopes. In the second phase, different participants were sequentially assigned (1:1) to 0.25 mg/kg primaquine or 0.0625 mg/kg primaquine. Primaquine tablets were dissolved into a solution and administered orally in a single dose. Participants were also given a 3 day course of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine, administered by weight (320 mg dihydroartemisinin and 40 mg piperaquine per tablet). Outcome assessors were masked to treatment allocation, but participants were permitted to find out group assignment. Infectivity was assessed through membrane feeding assays, which were optimised through the beginning part of phase one. The primary efficacy endpoint was the mean within-person percentage change in mosquito infectivity 2 days after primaquine treatment in participants who completed the study after optimisation of the infectivity assay, had both a pre-treatment infectivity measurement and at least one follow-up infectivity measurement, and who were given the correct primaquine dose. The safety endpoint was the mean within-person change in haemoglobin concentration during 28 days of study follow-up in participants with at least one follow-up visit. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01743820. Findings Between Jan 2,2013, and Nov 27,2014, we enrolled 81 participants. In the primary analysis sample (n=71), participants in the 0.25 mg/kg primaquine dose group (n=15) and 0.5 mg/kg primaquine dose group (n=14) had significantly lower mean within-person reductions in infectivity at day 2-92.6% (95% CI 78.3-100; p=0.0014) for the 0.25 mg/kg group; and 75.0% (45.7-100; p=0.014) for the 0.5 mg/kg primaquine group compared with those in the control group (n=14; 11.3% [-27.4 to 50.0]). Reductions were not significantly different from control for participants assigned to the 0.0625 mg/kg dose group (n=16; 41.9% [1.4-82.5]; p=0.16) and the 0.125 mg/kg dose group (n=12; 54.9% [13.4-96.3]; p=0.096). No clinically meaningful or statistically significant drops in haemoglobin were recorded in any individual in the haemoglobin analysis (n=70) during follow-up. No serious adverse events were reported and adverse events did not differ between treatment groups. Interpretation A single dose of 0.25 mg/kg primaquine, given alongside dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine, was safe and efficacious for the prevention of P falciparum malaria transmission in boys and men who are not deficient in G6PD. Future studies should assess the safety of single-dose primaquine in G6PD-deficient individuals to define the therapeutic range of primaquine to enable the safe roll-out of community interventions with primaquine.Peer reviewe

Subclinical Cardiac Dysfunction Is Associated With Extracardiac Organ Damages

Background: Several studies conducted in America or Europe have described major cardiac remodeling and diastolic dysfunction in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). We aimed at assessing cardiac involvement in SCD in sub-Saharan Africa where SCD is the most prevalent.Methods: In Cameroon, Mali and Senegal, SCD patients and healthy controls of the CADRE study underwent transthoracic echocardiography if aged ≥10 years. The comparison of clinical and echocardiographic features between patients and controls, and the associations between echocardiographic features and the vascular complications of SCD were assessed.Results: 612 SCD patients (483 SS or Sβ0, 99 SC, and 19 Sβ+) and 149 controls were included. The prevalence of dyspnea and congestive heart failure was low and did not differ significantly between patients and controls. While left ventricular ejection fraction did not differ between controls and patients, left and right cardiac chambers were homogeneously more dilated and hypertrophic in patients compared to controls and systemic vascular resistances were lower (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Three hundred and forty nine SCD patients had extra-cardiac organ damages (stroke, leg ulcer, priapism, microalbuminuria or osteonecrosis). Increased left ventricular mass index, cardiac dilatation, cardiac output, and decreased systemic vascular resistances were associated with a history of at least one SCD-related organ damage after adjustment for confounders.Conclusions: Cardiac dilatation, cardiac output, left ventricular hypertrophy, and systemic vascular resistance are associated with extracardiac SCD complications in patients from sub-Saharan Africa despite a low prevalence of clinical heart failure. The prognostic value of cardiac subclinical involvement in SCD patients deserves further studies

Characteristics and Results of the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma in the Subject under the Age of 65 at the University Hospital of Yopougon in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

We retrospectively studied 30 cases of multiple myeloma in patients under the age of 65, diagnosed from 1991 to 2005 in the clinical hematology department of the University Hospital of Yopougon that is a hospital incidence of 2.9 cases/year. The age of patients ranged from 34 to 64 years, with a mean age of 49 years and a sex ratio of 1.73. The professional activity was variable with 3% of radiographers and 10% of farmers. Clinically, the dominant sign was bone pain in 83% of cases. Myeloma was secretory in 93% of cases. It was Ig G-type in 86%, kappa-type in 66% of cases. 86% of patients were anemic, 20% had creatinine >20 mg/L, and 10% had serum calcium >120 mg/L. Geodes were found in 80% of cases. 53% were at stage III of DURIE and SALMON. Complications were infectious (33%), renal (20%), and hemorrhagic (7%). Chemotherapy regimens were VAD (10%), VMCP (30%), and VMCP/VBAP (60%) with 47% of partial responses, 33% of stable disease, and 7% of very good quality partial responses. The outcome developed towards death in 37% and causes of death were renal in 46% of cases. The median survival was only 5.1 months

BMJ Open

In low-income settings with limited access to diagnosis, COVID-19 information is scarce. In September 2020, after the first COVID-19 wave, Mali reported 3086 confirmed cases and 130 deaths. Most reports originated from Bamako, with 1532 cases and 81 deaths (2.42 million inhabitants). This observed prevalence of 0.06% appeared very low. Our objective was to estimate SARS-CoV-2 infection among inhabitants of Bamako, after the first epidemic wave. We assessed demographic, social and living conditions, health behaviours and knowledges associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity. We conducted a cross-sectional multistage household survey during September 2020, in three neighbourhoods of the commune VI (Bamako), where 30% of the cases were reported. We recruited 1526 inhabitants in 3 areas, that is, 306 households, and 1327 serological results (≥1 years), 220 household questionnaires and collected answers for 962 participants (≥12 years). We measured serological status, detecting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibodies in blood sampled. We documented housing conditions and individual health behaviours through questionnaires among participants. We estimated the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections and deaths in the population of Bamako using the age and sex distributions. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was 16.4% (95% CI 15.1% to 19.1%) after adjusting on the population structure. This suggested that ~400 000 cases and ~2000 deaths could have occurred of which only 0.4% of cases and 5% of deaths were officially reported. Questionnaires analyses suggested strong agreement with washing hands but lower acceptability of movement restrictions (lockdown/curfew), and mask wearing. The first wave of SARS-CoV-2 spread broadly in Bamako. Expected fatalities remained limited largely due to the population age structure and the low prevalence of comorbidities. Improving diagnostic capacities to encourage testing and preventive behaviours, and avoiding the spread of false information remain key pillars, regardless of the developed or developing setting. This study was registered in the registry of the ethics committee of the Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology and the Faculty of Pharmacy, Bamako, Mali, under the number: 2020/162/CA/FMOS/FAPH