Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis C virus in Cambodia during 2016-2017.

In Cambodia, little epidemiological data of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is available. All previous studies were limited to only small or specific populations. In the present study, we performed a characterization of HCV genetic diversity based on demography, clinical data, and phylogenetic analysis of HCV non-structural 5B (NS5B) sequences belonging to a large cohort of patients (n = 3,133) coming from majority part of Cambodia between September 2016 and December 2017.

Usefulness of a serial algorithm of HBsAg and HBeAg rapid diagnosis tests to detect pregnant women at risk of HBV mother-to-child transmission in Cambodia, the ANRS 12328 pilot study.

Background: In Cambodia, access to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) screening is low for pregnant women and Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) DNA quantification is poorly accessible.

Objectives: To evaluate the performance of a serial algorithm using two HBV rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), in which samples positive for HBsAg were further tested for HBeAg as a surrogate marker for HBV DNA quantification.

Study Design: In 2015, we prospectively collected plasma samples from 250 pregnant women consulting for antenatal care in one hospital in Phnom Penh including 128 with a known positive HBsAg status.

Declining hepatitis E virus antibody prevalence in Phnom Penh, Cambodia during 1996-2017.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is endemic in Cambodia. However, little relevant data were available and there is no clue if HEV is an emerging or decreasing pathogen in that setting. The aim of our study was to describe temporal trends of anti-HEV IgG and IgM prevalences during the last two decades (1996-2017) in the context of population growth and urbanisation in Cambodia.

Analytical and field evaluation of the Biocentric Generic HCV assay on open polyvalent PCR platforms in France and Cambodia.

Background: Implementation of affordable methods for HCV viremia is a key priority for identifying individuals who need treatment among persons screened positive for HCV antibodies. Different HCV PCR assays for use on open polyvalent PCR platforms are currently commercially available but studies evaluating the performances of these nucleic acid tests are needed.

Objectives: In the present study, we evaluated the analytical and clinical performances of a recently developed HCV RNA PCR assay for detection and quantification of HCV viremia.

Field evaluation of GeneXpert (Cepheid) HCV performance for RNA quantification in a genotype 1 and 6 predominant patient population in Cambodia.

GeneXpert (Cepheid) is the only WHO prequalified platform for hepatitis C virus (HCV) nucleic acid amplification testing that is suitable for point-of-care use in resource-limited contexts. However, its application is constrained by the lack of evidence on genotype 6 (GT6) HCV. We evaluated its field performance among a patient population in Cambodia predominantly infected with GT6.

Massive Iatrogenic Outbreak of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 in Rural Cambodia, 2014-2015.

Background: In 2014-2015, 242 individuals aged 2-89 years were newly diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in Roka, a rural commune in Cambodia. A case-control study attributed the outbreak to unsafe injections. We aimed to reconstruct the likely transmission history of the outbreak.

Hepatitis B, C, and E infection among HIV-infected patients in Franceville, Gabon: retrospective cross-sectional study.

Access to antiretrovirals has increased the life expectancy of patients living with HIV. However, HIV-viral hepatitis coinfections in countries endemic for these infections make management more difficult. To determine the extent of these coinfections in Gabon, we investigated markers of hepatitis B, C, and E viruses in 762 adults infected with HIV-1 by ELISA.

Phyloepidemiological Analysis Reveals that Viral Divergence Led to the Paucity of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus SIVmus/gsn/mon Infections in Wild Populations.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is the result of cross-species transmission of simian immunodeficiency virus from chimpanzees (SIVcpz). SIVcpz is a chimeric virus which shares common ancestors with viruses infecting red-capped mangabeys and a subset of guenon species. The epidemiology of SIV infection in hominoids is characterized by low prevalences and an uneven geographic distribution.

Hepatitis E virus antibody prevalence, RNA frequency, and genotype among blood donors in Cambodia (Southeast Asia).

Background: Recent studies conducted in developed countries described hepatitis E virus (HEV) as an emerging infectious threat to blood safety. However, data on HEV among blood donors from southeast Asia are lacking.

Study Design And Methods: Between July and August 2014, we assessed the presence of HEV immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgM in 301 Cambodian blood donors.

Estimation of HIV-1 DNA Level Interfering with Reliability of HIV-1 RNA Quantification Performed on Dried Blood Spots Collected from Successfully Treated Patients.

The impact of HIV-1 DNA coamplification during HIV-1 RNA quantification on dried blood spots (DBS) was explored. False-positive HIV RNA detection (22/62, 35%) was associated with high HIV-1 DNA levels. Specificity of HIV-1 RNA assays on DBS should be evaluated following manufacturer protocols on samples with HIV-1 DNA levels of ≥1,000 copies/10(6) peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Cluster of HIV Infections Attributed to Unsafe Injection Practices--Cambodia, December 1, 2014-February 28, 2015.

In December 2014, local health authorities in Battambang province in northwest Cambodia reported 30 cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in a rural commune (district subdivision) where only four cases had been reported during the preceding year. The majority of cases occurred in residents of Roka commune. The Cambodian National Center for HIV/AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), Dermatology and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (NCHADS) investigated the outbreak in collaboration with the University of Health Sciences in Phnom Penh and members of the Roka Cluster Investigation Team.

Factors associated with the failure of first and second-line antiretroviral therapies therapy, a case control study in Cambodian HIV-1 infected children.

Background: Little is known about the efficacy of first and and second-line antiretroviral therapies (ART) for HIV-1 infected children in resource limited Southeast Asian settings. Previous studies have shown that orphans are at a higher risk for virological failure (VF) in Cambodia. Consequently most of them required transfer to second-line ART.

Broad Range of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Patterns, Dual Circulation of Quasi-Subgenotype A3 and HBV/E and Heterogeneous HBV Mutations in HIV-Positive Patients in Gabon.

Integrated data on hepatitis B virus (HBV) patterns, HBV genotypes and mutations are lacking in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) co-infected patients from Africa. This survey was conducted in 2010-2013 among 762 HIV-1-positive adults from Gabon who were predominantly treated with 3TC-based antiretroviral treatment. HBV patterns were identified using immunoassays detecting total antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAb), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), IgM HBcAb, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), antibody to HBsAg (HBsAb) and an in-house real-time PCR test for HBV DNA quantification.

High Rate of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) Infections in Wild Chimpanzees in Northeastern Gabon.

The emergence of HIV-1 groups M, N, O, and P is the result of four independent cross-species transmissions between chimpanzees (cpz) and gorillas (gor) from central/south Cameroon and humans respectively. Although the first two SIVcpz were identified in wild-born captive chimpanzees in Gabon in 1989, no study has been conducted so far in wild chimpanzees in Gabon. To document the SIVcpz infection rate, genetic diversity, and routes of virus transmission, we analyzed 1458 faecal samples collected in 16 different locations across the country, and we conducted follow-up missions in two of them.

Low frequency of acute hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections but high past HEV exposure in subjects from Cambodia with mild liver enzyme elevations, unexplained fever or immunodeficiency due to HIV-1 infection.

Background: In Cambodia, previous studies conducted on hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection are scant, sometimes old, and showed inconsistent results. Moreover, there is no data about HEV infection in Cambodian HIV-1-infected patients.

Objectives: To assess the occurrence of acute HEV infections and the level of past HEV exposure in one Mekong country.

Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection of Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) Shares Features of Both Pathogenic and Non-pathogenic Lentiviral Infections.

The virus-host relationship in simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infected chimpanzees is thought to be different from that found in other SIV infected African primates. However, studies of captive SIVcpz infected chimpanzees are limited. Previously, the natural SIVcpz infection of one chimpanzee, and the experimental infection of six chimpanzees was reported, with limited follow-up.

Usefulness of a fourth generation ELISA assay for the reliable identification of HCV infection in HIV-positive adults from Gabon (Central Africa).

Background/objectives: Guidelines for optimized HCV screening are urgently required in Africa, especially for patients infected with HIV, who sometimes show false positive or false negative reactivity in anti-HCV antibody assays. Here, we assessed the usefulness of a fourth-generation HCV Ag-Ab ELISA for the identification of active HCV infection in HIV-positive patients.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between 03/2010 and 01/2013 and included 762 Gabonese HIV-positive adult patients.

Full-length genome analyses of two new simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) strains from mustached monkeys (C. Cephus) in Gabon illustrate a complex evolutionary history among the SIVmus/mon/gsn lineage.

The Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) mus/mon/gsn lineage is a descendant of one of the precursor viruses to the HIV-1/SIVcpz/gor viral lineage. SIVmus and SIVgsn were sequenced from mustached and greater spot nosed monkeys in Cameroon and SIVmon from mona monkeys in Cameroon and Nigeria. In order to further document the genetic diversity of SIVmus, we analyzed two full-length genomes of new strains identified in Gabon.

HIV-1 DNA concentrations and evolution among African HIV-1-infected children under antiretroviral treatment (ANRS 1244/1278).

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to describe the pretreatment HIV-1 DNA concentrations in children infected with HIV and to evaluate the impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on HIV-DNA concentrations.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of all children followed up in the 'Programme Enfant Yopougon' cohort, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, from 2000 to 2004, who had cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and plasma samples. HIV-DNA was measured using a real-time PCR assay.

24-Month adherence, tolerance and efficacy of once-a-day antiretroviral therapy with didanosine, lamivudine, and efavirenz in African HIV-1 infected children: ANRS 12103/12167.

Background: There is no data on long-term benefit of once-a-day antiretroviral therapy (ART) with combination of DDI, 3TC and EFV to allow its use in future therapeutic strategies.

Objectives: To assess 24-month immuno-virological, adherence, tolerance, and effectiveness of a once-a-day ART with DDI, 3TC and EFV.

Methods: A phase 2 open trial including 51 children aged from 30 months to 15 years, monitored a once-a-day regimen for 24 months from 2006 to 2008 in the Departement de Pediatrie du CHUSS, at Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso.

Loss of memory CD4+ T-cells in semi-wild mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) naturally infected with species-specific simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmnd-1.

Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection is found in a number of African primate species and is thought to be generally non-pathogenic. However, studies of wild primates are limited to two species, with SIV infection appearing to have a considerably different outcome in each. Further examination of SIV-infected primates exposed to their natural environment is therefore warranted.

Significant impact of non-B HIV-1 variants genetic diversity in Gabon on plasma HIV-1 RNA quantitation.

Evaluations of HIV-1 RNA viral load assays are lacking in Central Africa. The main objective of our study was to assess the reliability of HIV-1 RNA results obtained with three different assays for samples collected in Gabon. A total of 137 plasma specimens were assessed for HIV-1 RNA using the Abbott RealTime HIV-1® and Nuclisens HIV-1 EasyQ® version 2.