ABSTRACT
"New method for molecular typing of human enteroviruses: characterization of ""untypeable"" strains isolated in Madagascar"" : Enteroviruses; members of the family icornaviridae;are responsible for a wide variety of diseases and represent a major public health hazard. Typing of non polio enterovirus (NPEV) infection is traditionally based on a serum neutralization assay. However; this method is time-consuming; labor-intensive; expensive; and may fail to identify antigenic variation. A new molecular typing involving partial sequencing of the genome has been recently developed. In this study; 46 NPEV strains were analyzed; including 37 antigenicaly ""untypeable"" viruses. Partial sequencing of the C-end of the viral capsid protein VP1 and pairwise identity with the prototype strains allow us to assign a serotype for all ""untypeable"" viruses. The result show a large number and wide variety of Coxsackieviruses A which belong to the HEV-C species and also Echoviruses and Coxsackieviruses B of the HEV-B species. This method may be useful to identify all NPEV serotypes in Madagascar and to assess the possible impact of circulating NPEV populations; as we enter the final stage of poliomyelitis eradication."
Subject(s)
Enterovirus , Molecular Sequence DataABSTRACT
Epidemics of acute respiratory infections in Madagascar in 2002 : from alert to confirmation : An epidemiological investigation (Ministry of Health/Institut Pasteur de dagascar (IPM)) was conducted in July 2002; in two districts of a same province (Fianarantsoa : Fianarantsoa II and Ikongo) considering the high frequency of deaths linked with acute respiratory infection (ARI). Morbidity and mortality data was collected in the Centre de Sante de Base (CSB) which gave the alert (village of Sahafata; district Fianarantsoa II). Analysis of monthly activity reports (MAR) allowed calculation of incidence rates of ARI/pneumonia in Fianarantsoa province. Virological data was based on the analysis of nasopharyngal samples collected during the investigations. Clinical symptoms and homogeneity of laboratory results are consistent with an origin of these epidemics being related to the circulation of an influenza virus A subtype H3N2. Attack rates were very high. CFR was significantly higher in individuals of less than 1 year and more than 65 years. This data was confirmed by posterior investigations of teams from MoH/WHO. Surprisingly; this large epidemic was due to a known influenza virus that previously circulated in countries of northern hemisphere (the year before) and even in Antananarivo weeks before. Different hypothesis could be proposed to explain such phenomenon : great restriction of exchanges between different geographical zones; nutritional status
Subject(s)
Disease Outbreaks , Humans/prevention & control , Influenza, Human , Severe Acute Respiratory SyndromeABSTRACT
"Genetic variability of Poliovirus : typing of strains isolated in Madagascar by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) assay"". The differentiation of the vaccineor wild origin of Poliovirus at the laboratory is an important step towards the process of the poliomyelitis eradication. We report herein the results obtained from Poliovirus types 3 and 2; isolated in Madagascar in 1997 and 2002 from healthy children and cases of acute flaccid paralysis; respectively. The technique used is based on the amplification of genome (RT-PCR); followed by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism assay (RFLP); performed in 3 different regions of the genome. In the capsid region (VP3-VP1 and VP1-2A); RFLP analysis allowed us to differentiate without ambiguity the wild or vaccine origin of the Poliovirus type 3; and to identify Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus (VDPV) type 2. In the noncapsid region; including the RNA polymerase and 3' non coding region (3Dpol-3' NTR); the VDPV were found to be recombinant with other Enteroviruses. These results confirm that RFLP assay is a reliable tool for intratypic differentiation and to study the genetic drift and recombination of Poliovirus."
Subject(s)
Poliovirus , VaccinationABSTRACT
La Peste Porcine Africaine (PPA) a récemment fait son apparition à Madagascar.Officiellement diagnostiquée fin 1998, la PPA a vraisemblablement été introduite à Madagascar en 1997 dans le sud du pays à partir de virus provenant du continent africain. La PPA s'estensuite propagée dans la quasi-totalité du pays à l'exception de la région d'Antsiranana (Nord) et de Morondava (Ouest). La maladie a eu des conséquences économiques désastreuses et aentraîné la désorganisation de la filière porcine malgache.Nous rapportons ici l'histoire de cette émergence et l'existence de particularités locales comme la présence de vecteurs, les tiques du genre Ornithodoros - O. moubata porcinus - et de réservoirs sauvages potentiels comme le potamochère - Potamochoerus larvatus - qui compromettentl'éradication de la maladie.Ces faits renforcent la nécessité pour Madagascar de disposer d'un système d'alerte et de riposte rapide