[First detection of Rift Valley Fever Virus among in Tahoua, Niger].

Background: The Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is an arbovirus disease responsible of regular epizootics and epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa and Arabian Peninsula. In 2016, Niger experienced its first outbreak of RVF in Tahoua region, which resulted in high consequences in animal and human health. The aim of this study was to investigate on the RVFV circulation among potential vectors of the disease.

First report of V1016I, F1534C and V410L kdr mutations associated with pyrethroid resistance in Aedes aegypti populations from Niamey, Niger.

Background: Ae. aegypti is the vector of important μ arboviruses, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever. Despite not being specifically targeted by insecticide-based control programs in West Africa, resistance to insecticides in Ae.

Genetic polymorphism of merozoite surface protein 1 and antifolate-resistant genes in Plasmodium falciparum from Mali and Niger.

Since 2015, countries in the Sahel region have implemented large-scale seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC). However, the mass use of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) plus amodiaquine impacts the genetic diversity of malaria parasites and their sensitivity to antimalarials. This study aimed to describe and compare the genetic diversity and SP resistance of Plasmodium falciparum strains in Mali and Niger.

Impact of the addition of azithromycin to antimalarials used for seasonal malaria chemoprevention on antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Objective: A trial was conducted in Burkina Faso and Mali to investigate whether addition of azithromycin to the antimalarials used for seasonal malaria chemoprevention reduces mortality and hospital admissions of children. We tested the sensitivity of nasal isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae obtained during this trial to azithromycin and other antibiotics.

Methods: Azithromycin or placebo was administered monthly, in combination with the antimalarials used for seasonal malaria chemoprevention, for four months, over the annual malaria transmission seasons of 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Colonization Density of the Upper Respiratory Tract as a Predictor of Pneumonia-Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pneumocystis jirovecii.

Background.: There is limited information on the association between colonization density of upper respiratory tract colonizers and pathogen-specific pneumonia. We assessed this association for Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pneumocystis jirovecii.

Standardization of Laboratory Methods for the PERCH Study.

The Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health study was conducted across 7 diverse research sites and relied on standardized clinical and laboratory methods for the accurate and meaningful interpretation of pneumonia etiology data. Blood, respiratory specimens, and urine were collected from children aged 1-59 months hospitalized with severe or very severe pneumonia and community controls of the same age without severe pneumonia and were tested with an extensive array of laboratory diagnostic tests. A standardized testing algorithm and standard operating procedures were applied across all study sites.