Persistent carriage of subpatent Plasmodium falciparum parasites associated with clinical malaria in a low transmission area in Senegal.

Objectives: In low malaria transmission areas, the elimination of the disease has been hampered partly by the existence of a reservoir of subpatent Plasmodium falciparum infections within communities. This reservoir, often undetected, serves as a source of parasites and contributes to ongoing transmission and clinical malaria cases.

Methods: This study, spanning a period of 9 years from June 2014 to December 2022, examined individual variations and long-term subpatent P.

Temporal changes in Plasmodium falciparum reticulocyte binding protein homolog 2b (PfRh2b) in Senegal and The Gambia.

Background: The Plasmodium falciparum reticulocyte binding protein homolog 2b (PfRh2b) is an important P. falciparum merozoite ligand that mediates invasion of erythrocytes by interacting with a chymotrypsin-sensitive "receptor Z". A large deletion polymorphism is found in the c-terminal ectodomain of this protein in many countries around the world, resulting in a truncated, but expressed protein.

Malaria in Dielmo, a Senegal village: Is its elimination possible after seven years of implementation of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets?

Background: The malaria burden has decreased significantly in recent years in Africa through the widespread use of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) and long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs). However, the occurrence of malaria resurgences, the loss of immunity of exposed populations constitute among other factors, serious concerns about the future of malaria elimination efforts. This study investigated the evolution of malaria morbidity in Dielmo (Senegal) before and after the implementation of LLINs.

Subtelomere organization in the genome of the microsporidian Encephalitozoon cuniculi: patterns of repeated sequences and physicochemical signatures.

Background: The microsporidian Encephalitozoon cuniculi is an obligate intracellular eukaryotic pathogen with a small nuclear genome (2.9 Mbp) consisting of 11 chromosomes. Although each chromosome end is known to contain a single rDNA unit, the incomplete assembly of subtelomeric regions following sequencing of the genome identified only 3 of the 22 expected rDNA units.

MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry: A Powerful Tool for Clinical Microbiology at Hôpital Principal de Dakar, Senegal (West Africa).

Our team in Europe has developed the routine clinical laboratory identification of microorganisms by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). To evaluate the utility of MALDI-TOF MS in tropical Africa in collaboration with local teams, we installed an apparatus in the Hôpital Principal de Dakar (Senegal), performed routine identification of isolates, and confirmed or completed their identification in France. In the case of discordance or a lack of identification, molecular biology was performed.

High-quality genome sequence and description of Bacillus dielmoensis strain FF4(T) sp. nov.

Strain FF4(T) was isolated from the skin flora of a 16-year-old healthy Senegalese female. This strain exhibited a 16S rRNA sequence similarity of 97.5 % with Bacillus fumarioli, the phylogenetically closest species with standing in nomenclature and a poor MALDI-TOF-MS score (1.

No difference in the incidence of malaria in human-landing mosquito catch collectors and non-collectors in a Senegalese village with endemic malaria.

Background: The human landing catches is the gold standard method used to study the vectors of malaria and to estimate their aggressiveness. However, this method has raised safety concerns due to a possible increased risk of malaria or other mosquito-borne diseases among the mosquito collectors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of malaria attacks among mosquito collectors and to compare these results with those of non-collectors in a Senegalese village.

The implication of long-lasting insecticide-treated net use in the resurgence of malaria morbidity in a Senegal malaria endemic village in 2010-2011.

Background: Although the burden of malaria has significantly declined in recent years in sub-Saharan Africa through the widespread use of long-lasting insecticide treated bed-nets (LLINs) and artemisinin-based combination therapy, resurgence of malaria is observed in some settings after several years of LLINs use. This study aimed to assess if LLINs use remains protective against malaria during a period of resurgence of malaria morbidity in Dielmo, a rural village of Senegal.

Methods: In July 2008, LLINs were offered to all villagers and lately in July 2011, LLINs were renewed.

Comparison of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry and molecular biology techniques for identification of Culicoides (Diptera: ceratopogonidae) biting midges in senegal.

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides are implicated as vectors for a wide variety of pathogens. The morphological identification of these arthropods may be difficult because of a lack of detailed investigation of taxonomy for this species in Africa. However, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) profiling is efficient for arthropod identification at the species level.

Identification of rickettsial pathogens in ixodid ticks in northern Senegal.

The spotted fevers, caused by the Rickettsia bacteria, are a group of emerging diseases that are responsible for significant human morbidity. In Africa, the distribution of different species of Rickettsia in their tick vectors is poorly studied. We have collected 1169 hard ticks from 5 different species in the northern Senegal, close to the Saharan border.

Non-contiguous finished genome sequence and description of Clostridium dakarense sp. nov.

Clostridium dakarense strain FF1(T), is the type strain of Clostridium dakarense sp. nov., a new species within the genus Clostridium.

Plasmodium falciparum infection during dry season: IgG responses to Anopheles gambiae salivary gSG6-P1 peptide as sensitive biomarker for malaria risk in Northern Senegal.

Background: The Northern part of Senegal is characterized by a low and seasonal transmission of malaria. However, some Plasmodium falciparum infections and malaria clinical cases are reported during the dry season. This study aims to assess the relationship between IgG antibody (Ab) responses to gSG6-P1 mosquito salivary peptide and the prevalence of P.

gSG6-P1 salivary biomarker discriminates micro-geographical heterogeneity of human exposure to Anopheles bites in low and seasonal malaria areas.

Background: Over the past decade, a sharp decline of malaria burden has been observed in several countries. Consequently, the conventional entomological methods have become insufficiently sensitive and probably under-estimate micro-geographical heterogeneity of exposure and subsequent risk of malaria transmission. In this study, we investigated whether the human antibody (Ab) response to Anopheles salivary gSG6-P1 peptide, known as a biomarker of Anopheles exposure, could be a sensitive and reliable tool for discriminating human exposure to Anopheles bites in area of low and seasonal malaria transmission.

Henneguya mauritaniensis n. sp. (Myxozoa) from the arterial bulb of Pagrus caeruleostictus (Valenciennes, 1830) off Mauritania.

We describe a new species of myxozoan, Henneguya mauritaniensis n. sp., extracted from the arterial bulb of the bluespotted seabream, Pagrus caeruleostictus (Valenciennes, 1830), collected in Mauritanian waters.