[Ebola, a matter of trust].

An outbreak of Ebola occurred in 2014-2015 in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Two opposing hypotheses may be put forward to explain its decline in these countries. The first of which attributes this decline to authoritarian emergency action imposed on the populations.

From research to practice: use of short course zidovudine to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission in the context of routine health care in Northern Thailand.

Thailand has made remarkable progress in battling the HIVepidemic, as the decreases in HIV prevalence and changes in sexual behavior attest. Yet, in Phayao, a northern province severely affected by HIV, approximately 280 HIV-infected women, or 5% of all pregnant women, gave birth to an estimated 70 infected children in 1997. As many of these infants die within their first year of life, the infant mortality rate is on the rise after years of decline.

Effect of a fermented infant formula containing viable bifidobacteria on the fecal flora composition and pH of healthy full-term infants.

We assessed the growth, tolerance, and acceptability as well as fecal flora composition and stool pH of 20 healthy full-term infants fed with a fermented whey-adapted infant formula containing viable bifidobacteria (10(6)/g of powder) during the first 2 months of life. This fermented infant formula, first biologically acidified by Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus helveticus, was compared to a whey-adapted, nonacidified, low-phosphate infant formula in a double-blind, randomized controlled study. The results were compared to a control group (n = 14) of fully breast-fed infants.

Accuracy of two enzyme immunoassays and cell culture in the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in low and high risk populations in Senegal.

Two enzyme immunoassays (EIAs), Chlamydiazyme (CZ; Abbott Laboratories) and Pathfinder (PF; Kallestadt), were compared with a cell culture technique in the detection of cervical Chlamydia trachomatis infection in 670 women in urban settings in Senegal (377 pregnant women and 293 prostitutes). Positive CZ and positive PF specimens were tested a second time using a monoclonal antibody blocking technique. True positive specimens were defined as those positive on culture or positive on EIA with confirmation of the result after blocking.