Field assessment of dog as sentinel animal for plague in endemic foci of Madagascar.

The epidemiology of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, involves vectors and reservoirs in its transmission cycle. The passive plague surveillance in Madagascar targets mainly rodent and fleas. However, carnivores are routinely surveyed as sentinels of local plague activity in some countries.

Trends of Human Plague, Madagascar, 1998-2016.

Madagascar is more seriously affected by plague, a zoonosis caused by Yersinia pestis, than any other country. The Plague National Control Program was established in 1993 and includes human surveillance. During 1998-2016, a total of 13,234 suspected cases were recorded, mainly from the central highlands; 27% were confirmed cases, and 17% were presumptive cases.

A country-wide field evaluation of rapid diagnostic test for meningococcal meningitis.

We comment on a unique country-wide scale field evaluation of rapid diagnostic test (RDT) for meningococcal meningitis in Niger. The authors reported the good sensitivity and specificity of the test, and the reliability of results obtained in the field by non-specialized health staff. This finding allows us to consider RDT as a good candidate laboratory tool to be used for the case-based surveillance system, post introduction of the new conjugate A vaccine (MenAfriVac) in the African meningitis belt countries.

Sensitivity and Specificity of a New Vertical Flow Rapid Diagnostic Test for the Serodiagnosis of Human Leptospirosis.

Unlabelled: : Leptospirosis is a growing public health concern in many tropical and subtropical countries. However, its diagnosis is difficult because of non-specific symptoms and concurrent other endemic febrile diseases. In many regions, the laboratory diagnosis is not available due to a lack of preparedness and simple diagnostic assay or difficult access to reference laboratories.

A decade of plague in Mahajanga, Madagascar: insights into the global maritime spread of pandemic plague.

Unlabelled: A cluster of human plague cases occurred in the seaport city of Mahajanga, Madagascar, from 1991 to 1999 following 62 years with no evidence of plague, which offered insights into plague pathogen dynamics in an urban environment. We analyzed a set of 44 Mahajanga isolates from this 9-year outbreak, as well as an additional 218 Malagasy isolates from the highland foci. We sequenced the genomes of four Mahajanga strains, performed whole-genome sequence single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery on those strains, screened the discovered SNPs, and performed a high-resolution 43-locus multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis of the isolate panel.

Use of serum and blood samples on filter paper to improve the surveillance of Dengue in Pacific Island Countries.

Background: In Pacific Island Countries (PICs) the epidemiology of dengue is characterized by long-term transmission of a single dengue virus (DENV) serotype. The emergence of a new serotype in one island country often indicates major outbreaks with this serotype will follow in other PICs.

Objectives: Filter paper (FP) cards on which whole blood or serum from dengue suspected patients had been dried was evaluated as a method for transportation of this material by standard mail delivery throughout the Pacific.

Divergent KSHV/HHV-8 subtype D strains in New Caledonia and Solomon Islands, Melanesia.

Background: KSHV/HHV-8 is the etiological agent of Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma and most multicentric Castleman's disease cases. KSHV exhibits a high genetic variability comprising five genotypes (A-E). Few data are yet available concerning the situation of KSHV, its genetic variability and the associated diseases in Melanesia.

Phylogeography and molecular epidemiology of Yersinia pestis in Madagascar.

Background: Plague was introduced to Madagascar in 1898 and continues to be a significant human health problem. It exists mainly in the central highlands, but in the 1990s was reintroduced to the port city of Mahajanga, where it caused extensive human outbreaks. Despite its prevalence, the phylogeography and molecular epidemiology of Y.

Field evaluation of two rapid diagnostic tests for Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A during the 2006 outbreak in Niger.

The Pastorex((R)) (BioRad) rapid agglutination test is one of the main rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for meningococcal disease currently in use in the "meningitis belt". Earlier evaluations, performed after heating and centrifugation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples, under good laboratory conditions, showed high sensitivity and specificity. However, during an epidemic, the test may be used without prior sample preparation.

RFLP clusters of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains from the Indian Ocean Region: local and South Asian characteristics.

This is the first study describing the genetic polymorphism of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in the Indian Ocean Region. Using IS6110 RFLP analysis, 475 M. tuberculosis isolates from Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius, Mozambique and La Reunion were compared.

Serogrouping of non-interpretable Neisseria meningitidis carriage strains, using rapid diagnostic tests.

Large-scale Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) carriage studies in Africa are hampered by the lack of easy-to-perform and reliable methods for serogrouping strains that are largely polyagglutinable or autoagglutinable isolates using the conventional agglutination method. We tested the recently developed duplex rapid diagnostic tests (RDT1 Nm A and Y/W135, RDT2 Nm C and Y) for the serogrouping of 55 non-interpretable carriage strains. Thirteen (23.

Case-fatality ratio of bacterial meningitis in the African meningitis belt: we can do better.

In the African meningitis belt, reported case-fatality ratio (CFR) for meningitis are usually calculated on the basis of presumed cases. We reviewed 3509 presumed cases of bacterial meningitis reported in Niger for which a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample had been tested later at the reference laboratory. The main aetiologies were Neisseria meningitidis (1496 cases), Streptococcus pneumoniae (303 cases) and Haemophilus influenzae (105 cases).

Populations of pharyngeal meningococci in Niger.

This study investigated the carriage of Neisseria meningitidis group W135 (NmW135) belonging to sequence type (ST)-2881, ST-11 and NmA ST-7, as these three lineages have been responsible for sporadic cases in 2003 in Niamey (Niger). ST-7 and ST-11 were also the two genotypes involved in recent outbreaks in the African meningitis belt. Among the 97 Nm isolates obtained from 287 schoolchildren swabbed three times, 1 was identified as NmA, 34 as NmW135, 8 as NmY and 54 were non-groupable (NG).

Meningococcal meningitis: unprecedented incidence of serogroup X-related cases in 2006 in Niger.

Background: In Niger, epidemic meningococcal meningitis is primarily caused by Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) serogroup A. However, since 2002, Nm serogroup W135 has been considered to be a major threat that has not yet been realized, and an unprecedented incidence of Nm serogroup X (NmX) meningitis was observed in 2006.

Methods: Meningitis surveillance in Niger is performed on the basis of reporting of clinically suspected cases.

Carriage of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135 ST-2881.

Serogroup W135 ST-2881 meningococci caused a cluster of meningitis cases in Niger in 2003. Of 80 healthy persons in the patients' villages, 28 (35%) carried meningococci; 20 of 21 W135 carrier strains were ST-2881. Ten months later, 5 former carriers were still carriers of W135 ST-2881 strains.

New rapid diagnostic tests for Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, W135, C, and Y.

Background: Outbreaks of meningococcal meningitis (meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis) are a major public health concern in the African "meningitis belt," which includes 21 countries from Senegal to Ethiopia. Of the several species that can cause meningitis, N. meningitidis is the most important cause of epidemics in this region.

Epidemiological trends for human plague in Madagascar during the second half of the 20th century: a survey of 20,900 notified cases.

Objectives: To describe the principal characteristics and epidemiological trends for human plague in modern times based on the largest reported series of cases from the highly active Malagasy focus.

Methods: We used a file of 20,900 notified cases of suspected plague, 4,473 of which were confirmed or probable, to carry out a statistical analysis of incidence and mortality rates and associated factors for 5-year periods from 1957 to 2001.

Results: Our analysis of trends showed (1) an increase in the incidence rate and the number of districts affected, (2) an increase in the proportion of bubonic forms (64.

Prospective survey on carriage of Neisseria meningitidis and protective immunity to meningococci in schoolchildren in Niamey (Niger): focus on serogroup W135.

We investigated the carriage of serogroup W135 meningococci and its relationship with protective immunity in Niamey. Between February and May 2003, three oropharyngeal swabs and two serum samples were each taken from 287 school children. Serogroup W135 isolates were obtained from 8.

Usefulness of restriction fragment length polymorphism and spoligotyping for epidemiological studies of Mycobacterium bovis in Madagascar: description of new genotypes.

Tuberculosis is highly prevalent in cattle in Madagascar. An epidemiological study based on genotyping of Mycobacterium bovis and its transmission to humans was carried out. The restriction fragment length polymorphism (IS6110 and DR markers) and spoligotyping were used to assess the genetic diversity of strains from different regions of Madagascar.

A study of spoligotyping-defined Mycobacterium tuberculosis clades in relation to the origin of peopling and the demographic history in Madagascar.

Despite well-developed tuberculosis (TB) control policies in Madagascar, the incidence of TB remains high and is estimated at about 100 new cases per 100000 inhabitants. This paper describes genetic characteristics of TB bacilli in Madagascar. Using an international spoligotyping database, SpolDB4, we also attempted to identify the origin of strains circulating in Madagascar.