Assessing the utility of the COVID-19 epidemic Situations of Concern classification system in guiding operational responses to the pandemic in the WHO African region: retrospective analysis.

During a public health emergency, early implementation of response activities is crucial for saving lives and protecting livelihoods. The COVID-19 pandemic, declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, posed a global public health crisis that required timely decision-making despite limited data and capacity. In this context, WHO's Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) developed the Situations of Concern (SOC) classification system to assess and monitor epidemiological risk across its 47 Member States.

Surgical site infections after caesarean section across sub-Sahara Africa: a scoping review of prevalence and associated factors.

Unlabelled: Surgical site infections are among the most common healthcare associated infections worldwide and pose a significant risk in cesarean section procedures, which are the most frequently performed surgical operations globally. Our scoping review aimed to synthesize available literature from studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa on the prevalence of post-caesarean surgical site infections, as well as on reported associated factors. In this scoping review we included studies retrieved in OVID from January 2014 to January 15, 2024 without restrictions on the language of publication or publication status focusing on studies from sub-Saharan African countries.

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak in Podor, Northern Senegal in 2022: Two Independent Emergences and Unprecedented Mortality.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a lethal zoonotic disease transmitted through tick bites and contact with infected animals or humans. As CCHF continues to expand worldwide, we report on the first severe outbreak in Senegal (Podor, Saint-Louis region) in 2022. We conducted a comprehensive outbreak investigation after a confirmed CCHF human case in Podor.

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Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of launching the new human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) drug and its use in the three endemic foci in Guinea.

Methodology: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the feasibility of this implementation in the foci of Boffa, Dubréka, and Forécariah located on the Guinean coast.

Results: The results of this study showed that (i) nearly one in three respondents (27.

RDT performance through high-throughput bead-based antigen detection during malaria school survey in Senegal.

Background: Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) remain the frontline tool for malaria diagnosis, but their performance in detecting low-density infections is variable and poorly characterized at the population level.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of HRP2-based RDTs by integrating high-throughput bead-based HRP2 quantification into school-based malaria surveys.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in three Senegalese districts (Diourbel, Tambacounda, and Kédougou), enrolling 3,748 school-aged children.

Learning from China's journey to achieve malaria elimination.

The country’s success is a call to action for other affected areas

Seropositivity to Dengue, Zika, Yellow Fever, and West Nile Viruses in Senegal, West Africa.

West Africa serves as a critical region for the co-circulation of mosquito-borne flaviviruses, which often precipitate sporadic outbreaks. This study investigated the seropositivity to dengue virus serotypes 1-4 (DENV-1-4), Zika virus (ZIKV), yellow fever virus (YFV), and West Nile virus (WNV) in three regions of Senegal: Sindia, Thies, and Kedougou. We retrospectively analyzed 470 serum samples for flavivirus immunoglobulin G (IgG) using a DENV-2 envelope (E) ELISA.

Clinical characteristics and management of long survivors in extensive stage small cell lung cancer.

Background: Extensive disease small cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC) accounts for more than 70% of new diagnoses of SCLC with a 5-year survival of 12%. A limited percentage of ED-SCLC achieved a long term survival but their clinical and biological characteristics are largely unknown. Here we reported baseline clinical characteristics and treatment sequences of a large cohort of Long Survivors ED-SCLC compared to patients with poor outcomes.

Seroprevalence of Chikungunya and O'nyong-nyong Viruses in Senegal, West Africa.

Arthritogenic alphaviruses such as chikungunya (CHIKV) and o'nyong-nyong (ONNV) viruses have shown capacity to cause widespread epidemics, with recurrent and sporadic outbreaks occurring throughout sub-Saharan Africa. We analyzed the seroprevalence for CHIKV and ONNV in 470 non-febrile subjects from three regions in Senegal (Sindia, 2018; Thies, 2018; and Kedougou, 2022/2023) using retrospective samples. We assessed the presence of anti-CHIKV IgG and neutralizing antibody titers against CHIKV and ONNV via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and microneutralization tests, respectively, and determined risk factors of CHIKV and ONNV exposure by binary logistic regression.

Efficacy of prebiotic, probiotic and synbiotic administration in improving growth in children aged 0-59 months living in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Poor growth is one of the major obstacles to human development, affecting millions of children under the age of 5 years, particularly those living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The objective of this review was to evaluate the efficacy of administering pre-, pro- or synbiotics on the growth of children aged 0-59 months living in LMICs.

Methods: Google scholar, Pubmed, clinical trial.

Discovery of Isobavachin, a Natural Flavonoid, as an Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) Structure Corrector for Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by extensive neurodegeneration and consequent severe memory loss. Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) is the strongest genetic risk factor for AD, with its pathological effects linked to structural instability and altered interactions with lipids and other important disease proteins including amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau (). Therefore, correcting and stabilizing the ApoE4 structure has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for mitigating its detrimental effects.

A survey on the prevalence of health care-associated infections at the Fann University Hospital in Dakar, Senegal.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of health care-associated infections (HAIs) at Fann Hospital, describe the profile of patients with HAI, and identify the causative pathogens.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of the records of patients hospitalized in eight departments of the Fann University Hospital for a microbiologically confirmed HAI from January 1, 2024 to March 31, 2024. Data were collected using an HAI surveillance form and analyzed using R software version 4.

Adult With Tinea Capitis: A Five-Year (2015-2019) Trend Study Among Patients Attending the Aristide Le Dantec University Hospital in Dakar, Senegal.

Background: Although tinea capitis (TC) is most commonly diagnosed in children, several studies have also shown that it is far from unusual in adults.

Objectives: To determine the frequency and risk factors of TC in adults in Dakar, Senegal.

Patients And Methods: A cross-sectional study including all patients who visited the Parasitology and Mycology Lab at Aristide Le Dantec University Hospital for suspicion of TC was conducted from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2019.

Outbreak of severe acute respiratory infections caused by recombinant human adenovirus type B 7/3 in hospitalized infants from a nursery in Dakar, April 2024.

Objectives: Acute respiratory infections are among the leading cause of mortality in children under 5 years of age worldwide, with most of these deaths due to bronchiolitis and pneumonia. We investigated and analyzed a pediatric outbreak of acute respiratory infections that resulted in the hospitalization of four infants in a nursery in Dakar in late April 2024.

Methods: Nasopharyngeal specimens were collected from infants and tested for a panel of respiratory pathogens by multiplex real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

Efficacy of prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotics in improving growth in children under age five years in Africa: A protocol for a systematic review.

Stunting is among the main obstacles to human development affecting millions of children worldwide, particularly in the sub-Saharan Africa region. Randomized clinical trials have shown the positive effects of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics in improving growth in children and toddlers. However, although the global mobilization to tackle its challenges in their different aspects is visible, it remains to define effective large-scale up interventions and strategies to obtain long-lasting impacts.

Incidence of infection rate for shunt implantation: the zero % rate is always a myth.

Introduction: Paediatric CSF shunt infection rate remains a well-known complication that is not only responsible of potentially severe sequels for patients but also for economical expenses. In that study, we questioned if it is possible to attain the zero percent rate of infection that should be the goal of every paediatric neurosurgeon.

Methods: We report our series of patients treated with a CSF device from January the first 2016 to December 31 2018.

Circulation of Non- Species in Niger: Implications for Malaria Diagnosis.

Background: Niger's National Malaria Control Programme and its partners use histidine-rich protein 2-based RDTs, which are specific to diagnosis. This study aimed to screen for the circulation of non- species in Zinder, a region of Niger, West Africa.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from July to December 2022 at the district hospital of the Zinder region of Niger.

Epileptic seizures revealing tuberous sclerosis in a tropical environment: A study of 12 case series.

Background: Epilepsy remains a significant public health concern in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where diverse etiological factors contribute to its prevalence. Among these factors are conditions originating from the neuroectoderm, such as tuberous sclerosis. Insufficient medical attention and a lack of comprehensive multidisciplinary care contribute to its under-recognition.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies and Associated Factors in Bamako, Mali: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study in September 2022.

Background: The sero-epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Mali are not yet well understood. This study assessed SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence and factors associated with antibody responses in the general population of Bamako, the capital city and epicenter of COVID-19, to assess the magnitude of the pandemic and contribute to control strategy improvements in Mali.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in September 2022 to collect sociodemographic information, clinical characteristics, comorbid factors, and blood samples.