Onychomycosis: experience of the laboratory of parasitology-mycology of CHU-Joseph Ravoahangy Andrianavalona, Antananarivo, Madagascar.

Introduction: onychomycosis is defined as a fungal infection of the nails. They represent the main cause of onychopathy. They constitute a public health problem because of their increased prevalence in the world ranging between 20 to 30%.

Sickle-cell disease in febrile children living in a rural village of Madagascar and association with malaria and respiratory infections.

Background: In Madagascar, the last study on sickle cell disease (SCD) was done in the early 1980s. The country is known as endemic for malaria and respiratory infections. The main objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of SCD; the secondary objective was to evaluate its association with malaria and respiratory infections.

Mutation of the translation initiation codon in FGA causes congenital afibrinogenemia.

Congenital afibrinogenemia is characterized by the complete absence of fibrinogen, the precursor of the major protein constituent of the blood clot, fibrin. Extensive allelic heterogeneity has been found for this disorder and more than 40 mutations, the majority in FGA, have been identified in homozygosity or in compound heterozygosity. However, the continuous genetic analysis of additional patients still allows the identification of novel mutations and thus the greater understanding of fibrinogen structure and function.