Introducing cobalt as a potential plasmonic candidate combining optical and magnetic functionalities within the same nanostructure.

The control of magnetic properties at the nanoscale is a current topic of intense research. It was shown that combining both magnetic and plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) led to the improvement of their magneto-optical signal. In this context, common strategies consist of the design of bimetallic NPs.

A Coordinated Public Health Laboratory Response to COVID-19 in Mali.

Ability to rapidly and accurate diagnose pathogens during disease outbreaks is essential for public health. Diagnosis depends largely on laboratory capacity, which can be challenging in resource limited settings. We report Mali's experience involving four research laboratories in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A scheme for detecting every single target molecule with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is now a well-established technique for the detection, under appropriate conditions, of single molecules (SM) adsorbed on metallic nanostructures. However, because of the large variations of the SERS enhancement factor on the surface, only molecules located at the positions of highest enhancement, so-called hot-spots, can be detected at the single-molecule level. As a result, in all SM-SERS studies so far only a small fraction, typically less than 1%, of molecules are actually observed.

Lessons learned during active epidemiological surveillance of Ebola and Marburg viral hemorrhagic fever epidemics in Africa.

Objective: To review epidemiological surveillance approaches used during Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fever epidemics in Africa in the past fifteen years. Overall, 26 hemorrhagic epidemic outbreaks have been registered in 12 countries; 18 caused by the Ebola virus and eight by the Marburg virus. About 2551 cases have been reported, among which 268 were health workers (9,3%).

Trained district health personnel and the performance of integrated disease surveillance in the WHO African region.

Background: African countries have intensified in-service training on Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) for district and facility health personnel to strengthen their disease surveillance systems. Eight countries evaluated their experiences and lessons in the implementation of IDSR.

Methodology: We conducted a secondary analysis of the evaluation reports to assess the impact of training of district health personnel on the performance of disease surveillance systems.

Cost analysis of an integrated disease surveillance and response system: case of Burkina Faso, Eritrea, and Mali.

Background: Communicable diseases are the leading causes of illness, deaths, and disability in sub-Saharan Africa. To address these threats, countries within the World Health Organization (WHO) African region adopted a regional strategy called Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR). This strategy calls for streamlining resources, tools, and approaches to better detect and respond to the region's priority communicable disease.

The first large epidemic of meningococcal disease caused by serogroup W135, Burkina Faso, 2002.

In 2001 a significant proportion of cases of meningococcal meningitis toward the end of a serogroup A epidemic in Niger and Burkina Faso was found to be caused by serogroup W135 meningococci. The World Health Organization put in place in several African countries an extended surveillance scheme in preparation for a possible epidemic situation. In January 2002, the first large epidemic of meningococcal disease caused by serogroup W135 started in Burkina Faso, resulting in more than 12,000 cases and 1400 deaths.