Genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum isolates from concurrent malaria and arbovirus co-infections in Kedougou, southeastern Senegal.

Background: Concurrent malaria and arbovirus infections are common and represent an important public health concern in regions where both diseases are endemic. The present study investigates the genetic diversity and complexity of Plasmodium falciparum infection in concurrent malaria-arbovirus infections in Kedougou region, southeastern Senegal.

Methods: Parasite DNA was extracted from 60 to 27 sera samples collected from P.

Spectrofluorometric Determination of Putrescine Using Orthophthaldehyde as a Fluorophore: A Novel Method.

This paper concerns spectrofluorometric analysis of putrescine using orthophthaladehyde as a fluorophore in aqueous alkaline medium. Wavelengths of excitation and emission in acid, neutral, and alkaline media were different. There is a maximum intensity of fluorescence in alkaline medium 24 h after complexation compared with other media.

Patterns of insecticide resistance and knock down resistance (kdr) in malaria vectors An. arabiensis, An. coluzzii and An. gambiae from sympatric areas in Senegal.

Background: Malaria vector control in Africa relies on insecticides targeting adult mosquito vectors via insecticide treated nets or indoor residual spraying. Despite the proven efficacy of these strategies, the emergence and rapid rise in insecticide resistance in malaria vectors raises many concerns about their sustainability. Therefore, the monitoring of insecticide resistance is essential for resistance management strategies implementation.

Real-time, portable genome sequencing for Ebola surveillance.

The Ebola virus disease epidemic in West Africa is the largest on record, responsible for over 28,599 cases and more than 11,299 deaths. Genome sequencing in viral outbreaks is desirable to characterize the infectious agent and determine its evolutionary rate. Genome sequencing also allows the identification of signatures of host adaptation, identification and monitoring of diagnostic targets, and characterization of responses to vaccines and treatments.

[Identification of anopheles breeding sites in the residual foci of low malaria transmission «hotspots» in Central and Western Senegal].

Malaria incidence has markedly declined in the Mbour, Fatick, Niakhar and Bambey districts (central and western Senegal) thanks to a scaling up of effective control measures namely LLINs (Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Net), ACTs (Artesunate Combination Therapy) and promoting care seeking. However malaria cases are now maintained by foci of transmission called hotspots. We evaluate the role of anopheles breeding sites in the identification of malaria hotspots in the health districts of Mbour, Fatick, Niakhar and Bambey.

Concurrent malaria and arbovirus infections in Kedougou, southeastern Senegal.

Background: Malaria is one of the leading causes of acute febrile illness (AFI) in Africa. With the advent of malaria rapid diagnostic tests, misdiagnosis and co-morbidity with other diseases has been highlighted by an increasing number of studies. Although arboviral infections and malaria are both vector-borne diseases and often have an overlapping geographic distribution in sub-Saharan Africa, information about their incidence rates and concurrent infections is scarce.

[Pneumocystis pneumonia biological diagnosis at Fann Teaching Hospital in Dakar, Senegal].

Background: Data relative to Pneumocystis pneumonia in sub-Saharan Africa are not well known. Weakness of the technical material and use of little sensitive biological tools of diagnosis are among the evoked reasons. The objective of this study is to update the data of the disease at the Fann Teaching Hospital in Dakar and to estimate biological methods used in diagnosis.

Evaluation of Convalescent Plasma for Ebola Virus Disease in Guinea.

Background: In the wake of the recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in several African countries, the World Health Organization prioritized the evaluation of treatment with convalescent plasma derived from patients who have recovered from the disease. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma for the treatment of EVD in Guinea.

Methods: In this nonrandomized, comparative study, 99 patients of various ages (including pregnant women) with confirmed EVD received two consecutive transfusions of 200 to 250 ml of ABO-compatible convalescent plasma, with each unit of plasma obtained from a separate convalescent donor.

Risk factors associated with abscess formation among patient with leg erysipelas (cellulitis) in sub-Saharan Africa: a multicenter study.

Background: Abscess formation is a frequent local complication of leg erysipelas. In this study we aimed at identifying factors associated with abscess formation of leg erysipelas in patients in sub-Saharan African countries.

Method: This is a multicenter prospective study conducted in dermatology units in eight sub-Saharan African countries from October 2013 to September 2014.

Use of Viremia to Evaluate the Baseline Case Fatality Ratio of Ebola Virus Disease and Inform Treatment Studies: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: The case fatality ratio (CFR) of Ebola virus disease (EVD) can vary over time and space for reasons that are not fully understood. This makes it difficult to define the baseline CFRs needed to evaluate treatments in the absence of randomized controls. Here, we investigate whether viremia in EVD patients may be used to evaluate baseline EVD CFRs.

Does extreme asymmetric dominance promote hybridization between Anopheles coluzzii and Anopheles gambiae s.s. in seasonal malaria mosquito communities of West Africa?

Background: Anopheles gambiae s.s. and An.

Development and deployment of a rapid recombinase polymerase amplification Ebola virus detection assay in Guinea in 2015.

In the absence of a vaccine or specific treatments for Ebola virus disease (EVD), early identification of cases is crucial for the control of EVD epidemics. We evaluated a new extraction kit (SpeedXtract (SE), Qiagen) on sera and swabs in combination with an improved diagnostic reverse transcription recombinase polymerase amplification assay for the detection of Ebola virus (EBOV-RT-RPA). The performance of combined extraction and detection was best for swabs.

Zahedan rhabdovirus, a novel virus detected in ticks from Iran.

Background: Rhabdoviridae infect a wide range of vertebrates, invertebrates and plants. Their transmission can occur via various arthropod vectors. In recent years, a number of novel rhabdoviruses have been identified from various animal species, but so far only few tick-transmitted rhabdoviruses have been described.

Potential of selected Senegalese Aedes spp. mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) to transmit Zika virus.

Background: Zika virus (ZIKV; genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae) is an emerging virus of medical importance maintained in a zoonotic cycle between arboreal Aedes spp. mosquitoes and nonhuman primates in African and Asian forests. Serological evidence and virus isolations have demonstrated widespread distribution of the virus in Senegal.

[Risk factors associated with leg erysipelas (cellulitis) in sub-Saharan Africa: A multicentre case-control study].

Background: Acute bacterial cellulitis of the leg (erysipelas) is a common problem involving considerable morbidity in dermatology practice in Africa. Previous studies conducted in Europe and North Africa have highlighted lymphoedema and toe-web intertrigo as independent factors associated with leg erysipelas. The aim of this case-control study was to identify risk factors associated with leg erysipelas in sub-Saharan Africa, within a different socio-economic and culture context.

Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Mauritania: First Report on the Presence of the Arbovirus Mosquito Vector in Nouakchott.

Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) is a major vector of yellow fever, dengue, and chikungunya viruses throughout tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Although the southernmost part of Mauritania along the Senegal river has long been recognized at risk of yellow fever transmission, Aedes spp.

Malaria-associated morbidity during the rainy season in Saharan and Sahelian zones in Mauritania.

Reliable epidemiological data based on laboratory-confirmed cases are scarce in Mauritania. A large majority of reported malaria cases are based on presumptive clinical diagnosis. The present study was conducted to establish a reliable database on malaria morbidity among febrile paediatric and adult patients consulting spontaneously at public health facilities in Nouakchott, situated in the Saharan zone, and in Hodh Elgharbi region in the Sahelian zone in south-east Mauritania during the peak transmission periods.

Sero-epidemiological evaluation of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Senegal.

Background: In Senegal, a significant decrease of malaria transmission intensity has been noted the last years. Parasitaemia has become lower and, therefore, more difficult to detect by microscopy. In the context of submicroscopic parasitaemia, it has become relevant to rely on relevant malaria surveillance tools to better document malaria epidemiology in such settings.

Customized online and onsite training for rabies-control officers.

Problem: It is difficult to deliver adequate training for people working in rabies control in low and middle-income countries. Popular e-learning systems for low-income settings are not well suited to developing and testing practical skills, including laboratory methods.

Approach: We customized training in rabies control methods for African professionals and students from different disciplines.

Distinct lineages of Ebola virus in Guinea during the 2014 West African epidemic.

An epidemic of Ebola virus disease of unprecedented scale has been ongoing for more than a year in West Africa. As of 29 April 2015, there have been 26,277 reported total cases (of which 14,895 have been laboratory confirmed) resulting in 10,899 deaths. The source of the outbreak was traced to the prefecture of Guéckédou in the forested region of southeastern Guinea.

Reassortment and distinct evolutionary dynamics of Rift Valley Fever virus genomic segments.

Rift Valley Fever virus (RVFV) is a member of Bunyaviridae family that causes a febrile disease affecting mainly ruminants and occasionally humans in Africa, with symptoms that range from mid to severe. RVFV has a tri-segmented ssRNA genome that permits reassortment and could generate more virulent strains. In this study, we reveal the importance of reassortment for RVFV evolution using viral gene genealogy inference and phylodynamics.

Host preferences and circadian rhythm of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), vectors of African horse sickness and bluetongue viruses in Senegal.

African horse sickness- and bluetongue virus are orbiviruses transmitted by Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) to horses and to ruminants, respectively. Since the last epizootic outbreak of African horse sickness in 2007 in Senegal, extensive investigations have been undertaken to improve our knowledge on Culicoides species involved locally in the transmission of the virus. The purpose of this study was to compare and quantify the host preferences of potential vectors of these orbiviruses on horse and sheep and to study their circadian rhythm.

Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Assay for Rapid Diagnostics of Dengue Infection.

Background: Over 2.5 billion people are exposed to the risk of contracting dengue fever (DF). Early diagnosis of DF helps to diminish its burden on public health.

Transmission potential of Rickettsia felis infection by Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes.

A growing number of recent reports have implicated Rickettsia felis as a human pathogen, paralleling the increasing detection of R. felis in arthropod hosts across the globe, primarily in fleas. Here Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes, the primary malarial vectors in sub-Saharan Africa, were fed with either blood meal infected with R.