Fragmenting nanoPutians: Capturing admiration to the rationality, predictability, and beauty of ion chemistry in mass spectrometry.

The fragmentation chemistry of the protonated and ionized nanoPutian 1 has been studied in the gas phase via electrospray ionization and tandem mass spectrometry. A direct analogy was observed between the fragmentation chemistry of this fascinating "humanoid molecule" and "cleavages" at certain parts of the human body. We argue that such direct analogy and illustrative schemes for the fragmentation of molecular ions of 1 offer a ludic and efficient tool to teach and capture attention to ion chemistry in mass spectrometry.

Field assessment of dog as sentinel animal for plague in endemic foci of Madagascar.

The epidemiology of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, involves vectors and reservoirs in its transmission cycle. The passive plague surveillance in Madagascar targets mainly rodent and fleas. However, carnivores are routinely surveyed as sentinels of local plague activity in some countries.

Trends of Human Plague, Madagascar, 1998-2016.

Madagascar is more seriously affected by plague, a zoonosis caused by Yersinia pestis, than any other country. The Plague National Control Program was established in 1993 and includes human surveillance. During 1998-2016, a total of 13,234 suspected cases were recorded, mainly from the central highlands; 27% were confirmed cases, and 17% were presumptive cases.

A country-wide field evaluation of rapid diagnostic test for meningococcal meningitis.

We comment on a unique country-wide scale field evaluation of rapid diagnostic test (RDT) for meningococcal meningitis in Niger. The authors reported the good sensitivity and specificity of the test, and the reliability of results obtained in the field by non-specialized health staff. This finding allows us to consider RDT as a good candidate laboratory tool to be used for the case-based surveillance system, post introduction of the new conjugate A vaccine (MenAfriVac) in the African meningitis belt countries.

Isolation and partial characterization of bacteria (Pseudoalteromonas sp.) with potential antibacterial activity from a marine costal environment from New Caledonia.

Unlabelled: Marine bacteria are a rich source of bioactive metabolites. However, the microbial diversity of marine ecosystem still needs to be explored. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize bacteria with antimicrobial activities from various marine coastal environment of New Caledonia.

Sensitivity and Specificity of a New Vertical Flow Rapid Diagnostic Test for the Serodiagnosis of Human Leptospirosis.

Unlabelled: : Leptospirosis is a growing public health concern in many tropical and subtropical countries. However, its diagnosis is difficult because of non-specific symptoms and concurrent other endemic febrile diseases. In many regions, the laboratory diagnosis is not available due to a lack of preparedness and simple diagnostic assay or difficult access to reference laboratories.

Partial characterization of an exopolysaccharide secreted by a marine bacterium, Vibrio neocaledonicus sp. nov., from New Caledonia.

Aims: Exopolysaccharides (EPS) are industrially valuable molecules with numerous useful properties. This study describes the techniques used for the identification of a novel Vibrio bacterium and preliminary characterization of its EPS.

Methods And Results: Bioprospection in marine intertidal areas of New Caledonia followed by screening for EPS producing brought to selection of the isolate NC470.

A decade of plague in Mahajanga, Madagascar: insights into the global maritime spread of pandemic plague.

Unlabelled: A cluster of human plague cases occurred in the seaport city of Mahajanga, Madagascar, from 1991 to 1999 following 62 years with no evidence of plague, which offered insights into plague pathogen dynamics in an urban environment. We analyzed a set of 44 Mahajanga isolates from this 9-year outbreak, as well as an additional 218 Malagasy isolates from the highland foci. We sequenced the genomes of four Mahajanga strains, performed whole-genome sequence single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery on those strains, screened the discovered SNPs, and performed a high-resolution 43-locus multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis of the isolate panel.

Use of serum and blood samples on filter paper to improve the surveillance of Dengue in Pacific Island Countries.

Background: In Pacific Island Countries (PICs) the epidemiology of dengue is characterized by long-term transmission of a single dengue virus (DENV) serotype. The emergence of a new serotype in one island country often indicates major outbreaks with this serotype will follow in other PICs.

Objectives: Filter paper (FP) cards on which whole blood or serum from dengue suspected patients had been dried was evaluated as a method for transportation of this material by standard mail delivery throughout the Pacific.

Divergent KSHV/HHV-8 subtype D strains in New Caledonia and Solomon Islands, Melanesia.

Background: KSHV/HHV-8 is the etiological agent of Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma and most multicentric Castleman's disease cases. KSHV exhibits a high genetic variability comprising five genotypes (A-E). Few data are yet available concerning the situation of KSHV, its genetic variability and the associated diseases in Melanesia.

Field evaluation of two rapid diagnostic tests for Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A during the 2006 outbreak in Niger.

The Pastorex((R)) (BioRad) rapid agglutination test is one of the main rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for meningococcal disease currently in use in the "meningitis belt". Earlier evaluations, performed after heating and centrifugation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples, under good laboratory conditions, showed high sensitivity and specificity. However, during an epidemic, the test may be used without prior sample preparation.

Outbreak of leptospirosis in New Caledonia: diagnosis issues and burden of disease.

A leptospirosis epidemic affected New Caledonia during the first semester of 2008. A total of 135 cases were diagnosed with a relatively low fatality rate of 3.7%.

RFLP clusters of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains from the Indian Ocean Region: local and South Asian characteristics.

This is the first study describing the genetic polymorphism of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in the Indian Ocean Region. Using IS6110 RFLP analysis, 475 M. tuberculosis isolates from Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius, Mozambique and La Reunion were compared.

Field evaluation of rapid diagnostic tests for meningococcal meningitis in Niger.

Objective: To evaluate dipstick rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for meningococcal meningitis in basic health facilities.

Methods: Health facility staff received a one-day training. During the meningitis season, they performed RDTs on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from suspected cases of meningitis.

[ Bancroftian lymphatic filariasis: toward its elimination from the Pacific?].

The region of the Pacific is historically affected by lymphatic filariasis (LF). Following the World Health Assembly resolution in 1997, the Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) was launched. In the Pacific, the World Health Organization (WHO) has implemented from 1999, the Pacific Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (PacELF) bringing together the 22 countries and territories, in a common effort to eliminate the disease.

Serogrouping of non-interpretable Neisseria meningitidis carriage strains, using rapid diagnostic tests.

Large-scale Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) carriage studies in Africa are hampered by the lack of easy-to-perform and reliable methods for serogrouping strains that are largely polyagglutinable or autoagglutinable isolates using the conventional agglutination method. We tested the recently developed duplex rapid diagnostic tests (RDT1 Nm A and Y/W135, RDT2 Nm C and Y) for the serogrouping of 55 non-interpretable carriage strains. Thirteen (23.

HIV seroprevalence surveys in Nigerien pregnant women: a comparison between 2002 and 2006.

In the framework of HIV serosurveillance, serosurveys in pregnant women are a good alternative to population-based surveys, which are more difficult to implement. In 2002 and 2006, surveys were conducted in Niger to assess the HIV seroprevalence in pregnant women and to evaluate the trend of the HIV epidemic. The overall seroprevalence was 0.

Case-fatality ratio of bacterial meningitis in the African meningitis belt: we can do better.

In the African meningitis belt, reported case-fatality ratio (CFR) for meningitis are usually calculated on the basis of presumed cases. We reviewed 3509 presumed cases of bacterial meningitis reported in Niger for which a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample had been tested later at the reference laboratory. The main aetiologies were Neisseria meningitidis (1496 cases), Streptococcus pneumoniae (303 cases) and Haemophilus influenzae (105 cases).

Populations of pharyngeal meningococci in Niger.

This study investigated the carriage of Neisseria meningitidis group W135 (NmW135) belonging to sequence type (ST)-2881, ST-11 and NmA ST-7, as these three lineages have been responsible for sporadic cases in 2003 in Niamey (Niger). ST-7 and ST-11 were also the two genotypes involved in recent outbreaks in the African meningitis belt. Among the 97 Nm isolates obtained from 287 schoolchildren swabbed three times, 1 was identified as NmA, 34 as NmW135, 8 as NmY and 54 were non-groupable (NG).

Meningococcal meningitis: unprecedented incidence of serogroup X-related cases in 2006 in Niger.

Background: In Niger, epidemic meningococcal meningitis is primarily caused by Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) serogroup A. However, since 2002, Nm serogroup W135 has been considered to be a major threat that has not yet been realized, and an unprecedented incidence of Nm serogroup X (NmX) meningitis was observed in 2006.

Methods: Meningitis surveillance in Niger is performed on the basis of reporting of clinically suspected cases.

[From genomics to surveillance, prevention and control: new challenges for the African meningitis belt].

An international conference was held in Niamey, Niger, in November 2005. It aimed at reviewing the current situation in the meningitis belt. This region stretches from Senegal to Ethiopia and is characterized by high levels of seasonal endemicity with large epidemics of meningococcal meningitis occurring cyclically, generally caused by N.