Phenotypic detection of Metallo-β-Lactamase in imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia at Schiphra Hospital of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso

Background: Epidemic of carbapenemase-producing bacteria has become worldwide. Thus, during the last decade, the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and non fermentative Gram-negative bacteria in human patients have increased. Carbapenemase-producing bacteria are usually multidrug resistant. Therefore, early recognition of carbapenemase producers is critical to prevent their spread. Objectives: The aim of this study was to contribute establishing the prevalence of isolates producing Metallo-β-Lactamase isolated from patients admitted to Schiphra Hospital of Ouagadougou. Methods: Susceptibility of bacteria to antimicrobial agents was evaluated by disc diffusion method using imipenem as screening antibiotic. The combination of imipenem-EDTA was used after detection the resistance to imipenem. Results: A total of 52 isolates resisting one of the third generation cephalosporins were collected. Five isolates showed an intermediary resistance to imipenem (9.61%). Two isolates were resistant to imipenem-EDTA (3.85%). The test of imipenem-EDTA was done to confirm to production of Metallo-β-Lactamase. The hydrolysis of bacterial extract by meropenem was confirmed by production with a kinetic activity at spectrophotometer V0=4.77x10–5µM/min for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and V0=1.183x10-4 µM/min for Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Conclusion: This study showed that bacterial resistances by production to metallo-β-lactamases are a reality in Burkina Faso

Molecular characterization of Bacillus, lactic acid bacteria and yeast as potential probiotic isolated from fermented food

Spontaneous fermentation or traditional method of preserving indigenous foods using several microorganisms, is frequently practiced in the marginal world. Fermented seeds and milk are mostly consumed in the form of food condiments and desserts in Africa, Asia and others parts of world. Our previous studies deal with the production of Bacteriocin-Like Inhibitory Substances by Bacillus from fermented food and quality of fermented milk consumed in Burkina Faso. The rep-PCR and sequencing were used to characterize thirty eights strains isolated various fermented foods from Burkina Faso. Phylogenetic tree were constructed by the neighbour-joining method based on 16S or 26S rRNA genes sequences using MEGA X. Based on colonies characteristics and cells morphology, biochemical tests and gene sequencing, the isolates were identified as Bacillus cereus sensu lato (13), Bacillus pumilus group (03) with one strain (LCG1) presumed LAB was identified as Bacillus australimaris or Bacillus pumilus by 16S rRNA sequencing, Enterococcus durans (03), Lactobacillus paracasei (03), Lactobacillus plantarum (04), Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides (01), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (04), Kluyveromyces marxianus (01), Candida tropicalis (01), Pichia kudriavzevii (01), Clavispora lusitaniae (02), Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (01) and, Cyberlindnera fabianii (01). Several microorganisms with potential technological interest are housed in fermented foods from Burkina Faso. These microorganisms are responsible for the fermentation of food through their enzymatic activity, leading to production of fermented food with desirable organoleptic characteristics, improved food safety, the enrichment of nutrients and the promotion of health of consumers

SEROTYPING AND ANTIMICROBIAL DRUG RESISTANCE OF SALMONELLA ISOLATED FROM LETTUCE AND HUMAN DIARRHEA SAMPLES IN BURKINA FASO

Background: In Burkina Faso dirty water in particular those of the stoppings and the gutter ones are used for vegetables irrigation in the gardens. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of Salmonella serotypes from humans and lettuce samples in Burkina Faso. Materials and Methods: Salmonella strains isolated from patients in 2009 to 2015 and lettuce samples in 2014 in Burkina Faso were serotyped using specific antisera. All strains were subjected to a set of 14 antibiotics to study their antibiogram by using Baeur–Kirby disk diffusion method. Results: Out of 154 Salmonella isolated, 60 were from human and 94 from lettuce samples. Serotyping revealed four different serotypes and 39% (60) untypeable strains from human and lettuce (14 and 46 strains). Salmonella serotypes from human and lettuce samples were: Paratyphi A (10% and 22%), Paratyphi B (34% and 8%), Paratyphi C (14% and 18%) and Typhi (21% and 1%). A high resistance of Salmonella Paratyphi B and Salmonella spp to tetracycline were 70% from human and 35 % from lettuce samples. Multiresistance was observed to tetracycline, chloramphenicol and amoxicillin/clavulanic-acid or ampicillin with Salmonella Paratyphi B 35% and Salmonella Typhi 33% from human samples and Salmonella spp 4% from lettuce samples. Conclusion: This study showed the diversity of Salmonella serotypes from both clinical and environmental samples and emergence of multiresistant Salmonella to antibiotics in Burkina Faso. A lettuce is a potential source of transmission of Salmonella causing diarrhea among human in Burkina Faso

Évaluation des pratiques agricoles des légumes feuilles : le cas des utilisations des pesticides et des intrants chimiques sur les sites maraîchers de Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Objectif : La présente étude vise à évaluer les pratiques phytosanitaires des maraîchers et à fournir une meilleure connaissance des risques liés aux pratiques de maraîchage, notamment l’utilisation des pesticides et intrants chimiques à Ouagadougou au Burkina Faso.Méthodologie et résultats : Des enquêtes ont été réalisées du 10 mars au 08 Avril et du 18 Juillet au 06 Août 2016 auprès de 200 producteurs dans les sites de Tanghin et de Boulmiougou où se pratique une forte activité de production maraîchère. Les observations ont révélées une utilisation des pesticides non autorisés souvent destinés spécialement à d’autres cultures. L’étude a révélé une imprécision manifeste de concentration des insecticides avec une moyenne du nombre d’épandage de 9,5. En outre, 77,88% des maraîchers ont appliqué les insecticides de Profenofos sur Ipomaea batatas (Patate douce), Lambda Cyhalothrine sur Amaranthus hybridu (Amarante), Le Manèbe sur Cleome gynandra (Gynandro)et l’emanectin benzoate sur Hibiscus sabdariffa (Oseille) respectivement dans 67%, 55,5%, et 8,66% des cas d’utilisation détournée. Les résultats révèlent que la plupart des producteurs (96 % à Tanghin et 87 % à Boulmiougou) n’observent aucune mesure de protection lors des traitements phytosanitaires des cultures. En effet, 65 % des pesticides utilisés sont classés selon l’échelle de toxicité de l’OMS et 67,5 % de ses sont destinés au traitement du coton et non à des cultures maraichères.Conclusion et application : La gestion et l’utilisation très peu rigoureuses des pesticides constatés dans ces sites pourraient constituer une menace pour le maintien de la biodiversité et de la productivité des écosystèmes naturels et de la santé des producteurs et des consommateurs. Face à ce constat, le défi de la recherche serait la détermination du niveau actuel de contamination des légumes feuilles et des eaux du barrage et celui de l’État serait l’initiation de programmes de sensibilisation des producteurs par rapport à une gestion plus rigoureuse des pesticides.Mots-clés : pratiques paysannes, cultures maraîchères, pesticides, risques, Burkina Fas

Molecular Characteristics and Epidemiology of Meningococcal Carriage, Burkina Faso, 2003

Meningococcal serogroups are genetically diverse and short-lived in the African meningitis belt

Research Article (New England Journal of Medicine) Four artemisinin-based treatments in African pregnant women with malaria

Background: Information regarding the safety and efficacy of artemisinin  combination treatments for malaria in pregnant women is limited, particularly among women who live in sub-Saharan Africa.Methods: We conducted a multicenter, randomized, open-label trial of treatments for malaria in pregnant women in four African countries. A total of 3428 pregnant women in the second or third trimester who had falciparum malaria (at any parasite density and regardless of symptoms) were treated with artemether–lumefantrine, amodiaquine–artesunate, mefloquine–artesunate, or dihydroartemisinin– piperaquine. The primary end points were the polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR)–adjusted cure rates (i.e., cure of the original infection; new infections during follow-up were not considered to be treatment failures) at day 63 and safety outcomes.Results: The PCR-adjusted cure rates in the per-protocol analysis were 94.8% in the artemether–lumefantrine group, 98.5% in the amodiaquine– artesunate group, 99.2% in the dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine group, and 96.8% in the mefloquine–artesunate group; the PCR-adjusted cure rates in the intention-to-treat analysis were 94.2%, 96.9%, 98.0%, and 95.5%, respectively. There was no significant difference among the amodiaquine–artesunate group, dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine group, and the mefloquine–artesunate group. The cure rate in the artemether–lumefantrine group was significantly lower than that in the other three groups, although the absolute difference was within the 5-percentage-point margin for equivalence. The unadjusted cure rates, used as a measure of the  post-treatment prophylactic effect, were significantly lower in the artemether–lumefantrine group (52.5%) than in groups that received amodiaquine–artesunate (82.3%), dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine (86.9%), or mefloquine–artesunate (73.8%). No significant difference in the rate of serious adverse events and in birth outcomes was found among the treatment groups. Drug-related adverse events such as asthenia, poor appetite, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting occurred significantly more frequently in the mefloquine–artesunate group (50.6%) and the amodiaquine–artesunate group (48.5%) than in the dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine group (20.6%) and the artemether–lumefantrine group (11.5%) (P<0.001 for comparison among the four groups).Conclusions: Artemether–lumefantrine was associated with the fewest adverse effects and with acceptable cure rates but provided the shortest posttreatment prophylaxis, whereas dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine had the best efficacy and an acceptable safety profile. (Funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00852423.

Characterisation and categorisation of the diversity in viscoelastic vibrational properties between 98 wood types

International audienceContext Increased knowledge on diversity in wood properties would have implications both for fundamental research and for promoting a diversification of uses as material. *Aims The objective is to contribute to overcoming the critical lack of data on the diversity of wood dynamic mechanical/viscoelastic vibrational properties, by testing lesser-known species and categorizing sources of variability. *Methods Air-dry axial specific dynamic modulus of elasticity (E'/γ) and damping coefficient (tanδ) were measured on a wide sampling (1792 specimens) of 98 wood types from 79 species. An experimental device and protocol was designed for conducting systematic (i.e. rapid and reproducible) characterizations. *Results Diversity at the specimens' level corroborates the "standard" relationship between tanδ and E'/γ, which is discussed in terms of orientation of wood elements and of chemical composition. Diversity at the species level is expressed on the basis of results for normal heartwood, with specific gravity (γ) ranging from 0.2 to 1.3. Axial E'/γ ranges from 9 to 32 GPa and tanδ from 4×10-3 to 19×10-3. Properties distribution follows a continuum, but with group characteristics. The lowest values of tanδ are only found in certain tropical hardwoods. Results can also suggest alternative species for musical instruments making

Delivery of seasonal malaria chemoprevention with enhanced infection prevention and control measures during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Chad: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is a WHO-recommended intervention for children aged 3-59 months living in areas of high malaria transmission to provide protection against malaria during the rainy season. Operational guidelines were developed, based on WHO guidance, to support countries to mitigate the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission within communities and among community distributors when delivering SMC. METHODS: A cross-sectional study to determine adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC) measures during two distribution cycles of SMC in Nigeria, Chad and Burkina Faso. Community distributors were observed receiving equipment and delivering SMC. Adherence across six domains was calculated as the proportion of indications in which the community distributor performed the correct action. Focus group discussions were conducted with community distributors to understand their perceptions of the IPC measures and barriers and facilitators to adherence. RESULTS: Data collectors observed community distributors in Nigeria (n = 259), Burkina Faso (n = 252) and Chad (n = 266) receiving IPC equipment and delivering SMC. Adherence to IPC indications varied. In all three countries, adherence to mask use was the highest (ranging from 73.3% in Nigeria to 86.9% in Burkina Faso). Adherence to hand hygiene for at least 30 s was low (ranging from 3.6% in Nigeria to 10.3% in Burkina Faso) but increased substantially when excluding the length of time spent hand washing (ranging from 36.7% in Nigeria to 61.4% in Burkina Faso). Adherence to safe distancing in the compound ranged from 5.4% in Chad to 16.4% in Nigeria. In Burkina Faso and Chad, where disinfection wipes widely available compliance with disinfection of blister packs for SMC was low (17.4% in Burkina Faso and 16.9% in Chad). Community distributors generally found the IPC measures acceptable, however there were barriers to optimal hand hygiene practices, cultural norms made social distancing difficult to adhere to and caregivers needed assistance to administer the first dose of SMC. CONCLUSION: Adherence to IPC measures for SMC delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic varied across domains of IPC, but was largely insufficient, particularly for hand hygiene and safe distancing. Improvements in provision of protective equipment, early community engagement and adaptations to make IPC measures more feasible to implement could increase adherence

The assessment of gestational age: a comparison of different methods from a malaria pregnancy cohort in sub-Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: Determining gestational age in resource-poor settings is challenging because of limited availability of ultrasound technology and late first presentation to antenatal clinic. Last menstrual period (LMP), symphysio-pubis fundal height (SFH) and Ballard Score (BS) at delivery are therefore often used. We assessed the accuracy of LMP, SFH, and BS to estimate gestational age at delivery and preterm birth compared to ultrasound (US) using a large dataset derived from a randomized controlled trial in pregnant malaria patients in four African countries. METHODS: Mean and median gestational age for US, LMP, SFH and BS were calculated for the entire study population and stratified by country. Correlation coefficients were calculated using Pearson's rho, and Bland Altman plots were used to calculate mean differences in findings with 95% limit of agreements. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated considering US as reference method to identify term and preterm babies. RESULTS: A total of 1630 women with P. falciparum infection and a gestational age > 24 weeks determined by ultrasound at enrolment were included in the analysis. The mean gestational age at delivery using US was 38.7 weeks (95%CI: 38.6-38.8), by LMP, 38.4 weeks (95%CI: 38.0-38.9), by SFH, 38.3 weeks (95%CI: 38.2-38.5), and by BS 38.0 weeks (95%CI: 37.9-38.1) (p < 0.001). Correlation between US and any of the other three methods was poor to moderate. Sensitivity and specificity to determine prematurity were 0.63 (95%CI 0.50-0.75) and 0.72 (95%CI, 0.66-0.76) for LMP, 0.80 (95%CI 0.74-0.85) and 0.74 (95%CI 0.72-0.76) for SFH and 0.42 (95%CI 0.35-0.49) and 0.77 (95%CI 0.74-0.79) for BS. CONCLUSIONS: In settings with limited access to ultrasound, and in women who had been treated with P. falciparum malaria, SFH may be the most useful antenatal tool to date a pregnancy when women present first in second and third trimester. The Ballard postnatal maturation assessment has a limited role and lacks precision. Improving ultrasound facilities and skills, and early attendance, together with the development of new technologies such as automated image analysis and new postnatal methods to assess gestational age, are essential for the study and management of preterm birth in low-income settings

Inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum Field Isolates-Mediated Endothelial Cell Apoptosis by Fasudil: Therapeutic Implications for Severe Malaria

Plasmodium falciparum infection can abruptly progress to severe malaria, a life-threatening complication resulting from sequestration of parasitized red blood cells (PRBC) in the microvasculature of various organs such as the brain and lungs. PRBC adhesion can induce endothelial cell (EC) activation and apoptosis, thereby disrupting the blood-brain barrier. Moreover, hemozoin, the malarial pigment, induces the erythroid precursor apoptosis. Despite the current efficiency of antimalarial drugs in killing parasites, severe malaria still causes up to one million deaths every year. A new strategy targeting both parasite elimination and EC protection is urgently needed in the field. Recently, a rho-kinase inhibitior Fasudil, a drug already in clinical use in humans for cardio- and neuro-vascular diseases, was successfully tested on laboratory strains of P. falciparum to protect and to reverse damages of the endothelium. We therefore assessed herein whether Fasudil would have a similar efficiency on P. falciparum taken directly from malaria patients using contact and non-contact experiments. Seven (23.3%) of 30 PRBC preparations from different patients were apoptogenic, four (13.3%) acting by cytoadherence and three (10%) via soluble factors. None of the apoptogenic PRBC preparations used both mechanisms indicating a possible mutual exclusion of signal transduction ligand. Three PRBC preparations (42.9%) induced EC apoptosis by cytoadherence after 4 h of coculture (“rapid transducers”), and four (57.1%) after a minimum of 24 h (“slow transducers”). The intensity of apoptosis increased with time. Interestingly, Fasudil inhibited EC apoptosis mediated both by cell-cell contact and by soluble factors but did not affect PRBC cytoadherence. Fasudil was found to be able to prevent endothelium apoptosis from all the P. falciparum isolates tested. Our data provide evidence of the strong anti-apoptogenic effect of Fasudil and show that endothelial cell-P. falciparum interactions are more complicated than previously thought. These findings may warrant clinical trials of Fasudil in severe malaria management