Capture-recapture method for estimating annual incidence of imported dengue, France, 2007-2010.

Imported dengue cases pose the public health risk for local circulation in European areas, especially southeast France, where the Aedes mosquito is established. Using a capture-recapture method with Chao's estimator, we estimated the annual incidence of dengue fever and the completeness of existing mandatory notification and laboratory network surveillance systems. During 2007-2010, >8,300 cases with laboratory evidence of recent dengue infection were diagnosed.

[Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) in France].

Chagas disease is an anthropozoonotic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, transmitted by a hematophagous triatomine insect vector belonging to the Reduviidae family, while taking a blood meal. There is a large reservoir of wild and domestic mammals. Human contamination may come via vectorial, transplacental, and digestive routes, blood transfusion, organ or tissue transplantation, and by accident.

Epidemiology, surveillance and control of infectious diseases in the European overseas countries and territories, 2011.

The 25 European overseas countries and territories (OCTs) are closely associated with the European Union (EU) through the four related UE Member States: Denmark, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. In 2008 and 2009, these four EU Member States, in association with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), reviewed the OCTs’ needs, with the objectives of documenting their capacity to prevent and respond to infectious diseases outbreaks, and identifying deficiencies. This Euroroundup is based on the review’s main findings, and presents an overview of the OCTs’ geography and epidemiology, briefly introduces the legal basis on which they are linked to the EU and describes the surveillance and infectious disease response systems.

The Chikungunya epidemic on La Réunion Island in 2005-2006: a cost-of-illness study.

Background: This study was conducted to assess the impact of chikungunya on health costs during the epidemic that occurred on La Réunion in 2005-2006.

Methodology/principal Findings: From data collected from health agencies, the additional costs incurred by chikungunya in terms of consultations, drug consumption and absence from work were determined by a comparison with the expected costs outside the epidemic period. The cost of hospitalization was estimated from data provided by the national hospitalization database for short-term care by considering all hospital stays in which the ICD-10 code A92.

[Malaria in France: Mainland and territories].

Malaria, which was eliminated first from Metropolitan France (mainland and Corsica), then in the French West Indies and the Reunion Island during the 20(th) century, remains endemic in two French territories: French Guiana and the Indian Ocean Mayotte island. Despite differences in the dominating plasmodial species and epidemiological patterns, these two territories have achieved marked quantitative improvements (in the reported number of cases and severe cases) thanks to efforts undertaken over the past decade. The situation, however, remains a concern from a qualitative standpoint with the emergence of resistance to antimalarial drugs and logistical and administrative issues which hinder access to treatment.

First two autochthonous dengue virus infections in metropolitan France, September 2010.

In September 2010, two cases of autochthonous dengue fever were diagnosed in metropolitan France for the first time. The cases occurring in Nice, southeast France, where Aedes albopictus is established, are evidence of dengue virus circulation in this area. This local transmission of dengue calls for further enhanced surveillance, active case finding and vector control measures to reduce the spread of the virus and the risk of an epidemic.

The influenza A(H5N1) epidemic at six and a half years: 500 notified human cases and more to come.

Since November 2003, the epidemic intelligence team at the French Institut de Veille Sanitaire has been gathering data on influenza A(H5N1) circulation in poultry and on human cases worldwide. As Indonesia notifies the world's 500th case to the World Health Organization, we discuss the epidemiological situation and trends of A(H5N1) influenza. Although the overall number of cases reported worldwide has decreased, influenza A(H5N1) continues to circulate intensely in some countries and more cases are to be expected, especially in Egypt and Indonesia.

[Chagas disease in France: estimated number of infected persons and cardiac diseases in 2009, by risk groups].

An estimation of the number of Trypanosoma cruzi infected individuals and expected number of Chagasic cardiomyopathies in France (excluding French Guyana) was conducted in June, 2009 by InVS. Different risk groups were identified: Latino-Americans (LA) from endemic area (naturalized, legal and illegal migrants, adopted children), children born from LA's mother, French Guyanese living in Metropolitan France, expatriated and travellers from endemic countries. Prevalence rates by country of origin were applied to official data on risk populations obtained from the International Adoption Agency, Tourism Direction and French ministries (Finances, Foreign Affairs and Migrations).

Influenza A(H1N1)2009 in the French Pacific territories: assessment of the epidemic wave during the austral winter.

The three French territories in the Pacific (New Caledonia [NC], French Polynesia [FP] and Wallis and Futuna [WF]) have been affected by an outbreak of influenza A(H1N1)2009 during the austral winter of 2009. This wave of influenza-like illness was characterized by a short duration (approximately 8 weeks) and high attack rates: 16-18% in NC and FP, 28% in Wallis and 38% in Futuna. The number of infected patients requiring hospitalization in critical care services and the number of deaths were, respectively, 21 and 10 in NC and 13 and 7 in FP (none in WF).

The 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza and indigenous populations of the Americas and the Pacific.

There are few structured data available to assess the risks associated with pandemic influenza A(H1N1)v infection according to ethnic groups. In countries of the Americas and the Pacific where these data are available, the attack rates are higher in indigenous populations, who also appear to be at approximately three to six-fold higher risk of developing severe disease and of dying. These observations may be associated with documented risk factors for severe disease and death associated with pandemic H1N1 influenza infection (especially the generally higher prevalence of diabetes, obesity, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pregnancy in indigenous populations).

[Evaluation of the pertinence of international courses on human African trypanosomiasis].

The goal of this study was to evaluate the adequacy and relevance of a training course on Human African Trypanosomiasis, targeted to reach support and coordination staff in charge of activities being carried out in related prevention and control programmes. A questionnaire was emailed to the four course organisers and the 65 participants. The response rate among the participants was 41%.

Treatment of human African trypanosomiasis--present situation and needs for research and development.

Human African trypanosomiasis re-emerged in the 1980s. However, little progress has been made in the treatment of this disease over the past decades. The first-line treatment for second-stage cases is melarsoprol, a toxic drug in use since 1949.

Biological data and clinical symptoms as predictors of astrogliosis and neurodegeneration in patients with second-stage Trypanosoma brucei gambiense sleeping sickness.

Concentrations of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAp) and light subunit neurofilament protein (NFL) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured in patients with second-stage Trypanosoma brucei gambiense sleeping sickness. Correlations between GFAp and NFL in CSF as markers for astrogliosis and neurodegeneration, and clinical and biological data were investigated. Abnormal levels of GFAp and NFL were significantly associated with increasing CSF cell number and protein concentration, and with the absence of lymph nodes or the absence of trypanosomes in lymph node aspirate.

[Therapeutic failure of melarsoprol among patients treated for late stage T.b. gambiense human African trypanosomiasis in Uganda].

The failure rate of melarsoprol after treatment of late stage cases of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) is usually under 7%, even though the drug has been used for such treatment over the past 50 years. We report a melarsoprol treatment failure rate of 26.9% among 428 patients treated in Northern Uganda.

B-mode-guided vector-A-mode versus A-mode biometry to determine axial length and intraocular lens power.

Purpose: To compare prospectively the reproducibility and accuracy of B-mode-guided biometry with those of A-scan biometry using a conventional A-mode probe to calculate intraocular lens (IOL) power.

Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, Hôtel-Dieu de Paris, France.

Methods: The axial length (AL) in 87 eyes of 72 candidates for cataract surgery was determined by B-mode-guided vector-A-mode and A-mode biometry using an Ophthascan S Ultrasound imager.

[Trypanosomiasis from Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in the center of north-west Uganda. Evaluation of 5 years of control (1987-1991)].

In Uganda, a case-finding and treatment programme has been implemented by Médecine Sans Frontières (MSF) and the Ministry of Health in the North of West-Nile province. Data collected in the hospital of Moyo from January 1987 to June 1991 were analyzed. Forty eight hundred and twenty two cases of trypanosomiasis due to T.

[Resistance of Vibrio cholerae 0:1 to the 0/129 compound and multiresistance to antibiotics].

The authors present a study of the in vitro susceptibility to O/129 compound and usual antibiotics of 29 strains of V. cholerae O:1 biotype El Tor isolated during epidemics in miscellaneous countries over the world from 1982 to 1991. Several identical isolates from the same epidemic are represented by one strain.

Measles outbreaks in the Mozambican refugee camps in Malawi: the continued need for an effective vaccine.

Between November 1988 and January 1989, measles outbreaks occurred in 11 Mozambican refugee camps in Malawi with five camps principally affected. A total of 1214 cases were reported. Despite the reduction of the age of measles vaccination to six months in 1987, attack rates were highest in children aged 6-9 months (10-26%); rates were also high in the 0-5 month age group (3-21%).