Publications by authors named "Fatou Thiam"

Malaria caused by Plasmodium spp., is a major public health issue in sub-Saharan Africa. The fight against malaria has stalled due to increasing resistance to treatments and insecticides.

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A cross-sectional survey was conducted at Polytechnic High School (PHS) to assess the spread of COVID-19 infection among students and staff. A random cluster sampling was conducted between May 19 and August 18, 2022, after the fourth wave of COVID-19 in Senegal. IgM and IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were screened using WANTAI SARS-CoV-2 ELISA assays.

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This study focuses on the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the extract of leaves. The extraction was done using maceration at room temperature in water for 48 h. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by IR, XRD, TEM, and SEM.

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Natural spices play an essential role in human nutrition and well-being. However, their processing on different scales can expose them to potential sources of contamination. This study aimed to describe the bacterial community genomic footprint in spices sold in Senegal.

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Article Synopsis
  • The hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a zoonotic pathogen found in various animals, especially pigs, and is linked to foodborne infections in both developed and developing countries.
  • A study in Saint-Louis, Senegal, tested 74 pork samples (65 from meat and 9 from liver) and found that 5.4% were positive for HEV, with higher contamination rates in liver samples (22.2%).
  • This research is significant as it is the first to document HEV presence in pork sold in Senegal, indicating a potential risk for HEV transmission through pork consumption.
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Acute respiratory viruses (ARVs) are the leading cause of diseases in humans worldwide. High-risk individuals, including children and the elderly, could potentially develop severe illnesses that could result in hospitalization or death in the worst case. The most common ARVs are the Human respiratory syncytial virus, Human Metapneumovirus, Human Parainfluenza Virus, rhinovirus, coronaviruses (including SARS and MERS CoV), adenoviruses, Human Bocavirus, enterovirus (-D68 and 71), and influenza viruses.

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Malaria infection is a multifactorial disease partly modulated by host immuno-genetic factors. Recent evidence has demonstrated the importance of Interleukin-17 family proinflammatory cytokines and their genetic variants in host immunity. However, limited knowledge exists about their role in parasitic infections such as malaria.

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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a global public health threat. Experts agree that unless proper actions are taken, the number of deaths due to AMR will increase. Many strategies are being pursued to tackle AMR, one of the most important being the development of efficient vaccines.

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Background: The control of snails intermediate hosts remains an effective strategy to limit schistosomiasis transmission despite the widespread mass de-worming campaign based on praziquantel. Therefore, the study of snail biology could help to improve snails control strategies. This study evaluated the development of , and in various water sources and their resistance to salinity.

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In West Africa, research on the hepatitis E virus (HEV) is barely covered, despite the recorded outbreaks. The low level of access to safe water and adequate sanitation is still one of the main factors of HEV spread in developing countries. HEV infection induces acute or sub-clinical liver diseases with a mortality rate ranging from 0.

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Background: Host genetic factors contribute to the variability of malaria phenotypes and can allow a better understanding of mechanisms involved in susceptibility and/or resistance to infection outcomes. Several genetic polymorphisms were reported to be prevalent among populations living in tropical malaria-endemic regions and induce protection against malaria. The present study aims to investigate the prevalence of and deficiencies polymorphisms among Senegalese populations and their associations with the risk for severe malaria occurrence.

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Motivation: Amplicon-based nanopore sequencing is increasingly used for molecular surveillance during epidemics (e.g. ZIKA, EBOLA) or pandemics (e.

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Freshwater snails of the genera Biomphalaria, Bulinus, and Oncomelania are intermediate hosts of schistosomes that cause human schistosomiasis, one of the most significant infectious neglected diseases in the world. Identification of freshwater snails is usually based on morphology and potentially DNA-based methods, but these have many drawbacks that hamper their use. MALDI-TOF MS has revolutionised clinical microbiology and has emerged in the medical entomology field.

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Article Synopsis
  • Plasmodium falciparum malaria is a significant health issue in Africa, and understanding its severe form, especially cerebral malaria, could benefit from studying gene expression profiles.
  • Researchers used microarray technology to analyze blood samples from patients with varying severities of malaria, identifying 443 uniquely expressed genes across patient groups and focusing on 842 genes specifically between cerebral and mild malaria cases.
  • The study found that key proteins associated with immune signaling pathways were notably expressed in cerebral malaria patients, highlighting the potential role of these genes in the disease's severe cases.
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Background: Host factors, including host genetic variation, have been shown to influence the outcome of infection. Genome-wide linkage studies have mapped mild malaria resistance genes on chromosome 6p21, whereas polymorphism (rs2736191) lying within this region was found to be associated with mild malaria.

Methods: Blood samples were taken from 188 malaria patients (76 mild malaria patients, 85 cerebral malaria patients, and 27 severe non-cerebral malaria patients).

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Background: Severe forms of malaria (SM) are an outcome of Plasmodium falciparum infection and can cause death especially in children under 4 years of age. RNASE3 (ECP) has been identified as an inhibitor of Plasmodium parasites growth in vitro, and genetic analysis in hospitalized Ghanaian subjects has revealed the RNASE3 +371G/C (rs2073342) polymorphism as a susceptibility factor for cerebral malaria. The +371 C allele results in an Arg/Thr mutation that abolishes the cytotoxic activity of the ECP protein.

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adjuvant effect of the B subunits of cholera toxin (CT) and the thermolabile enterotoxin of Escherichia coli (LT) by the intrarectal route of immunization and compare them to the whole molecules CT and LT-R192G, a non toxic mutant of LT, using 2/6-VLP as an antigen, in mice. All molecules induced similar antigen specific antibody titers in serum and feces, whereas different T cell profiles were observed. CTB and LTB, conversely to CT and LT-R192G, did not induce detectable production of IL-2 by antigen specific T cells.

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In this study, we compared both the profile and distribution of antigen specific primed T cells after intrarectal (IR) and intranasal (IN) immunization with rotavirus (RV) 2/6-VLP, alone or in the presence of LT-R192G, in order to highlight the differences between the two routes and the impact of the adjuvant. Adult BALB/c mice were immunized once with 2/6-VLP with or without adjuvant and the T cell response was analyzed in lymphoid tissues after in vitro restimulation with the antigen. IN, but not IR, immunization of mice with 2/6-VLP alone induced antigen-specific IL-10 and IL-17 secreting T cells.

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LT-R192G, a mutant of the thermolabile enterotoxin of E. coli, is a potent adjuvant of immunization. Immune responses are generally analyzed at the end of protocols including at least 2 administrations, but rarely after a prime.

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Cholera toxin (CT) and the heat-labile enterotoxin of E. coli (LT), as well as their non toxic mutants, are potent mucosal adjuvants of immunization eliciting mucosal and systemic responses against unrelated co-administered antigens in experimental models and in humans (non toxic mutants). These enterotoxins are composed of two subunits, the A subunit, responsible for an ADP-ribosyl transferase activity and the B subunit, responsible for cell binding.

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