Treponema species enrich the gut microbiota of traditional rural populations but are absent from urban individuals.

There is a significant gap in our knowledge of the microbe-host relationship between urban and traditional rural populations. We conducted a large-scale study to examine the gut microbiota of different traditional rural and urban lifestyles in human populations. Using high-throughput 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing, we tested urban French, Saudi, Senegalese, Nigerian and Polynesian individuals as well as individuals living in traditional rural societies, including Amazonians from French Guiana, Congolese Pygmies, Saudi Bedouins and Algerian Tuaregs. The gut microbiota from individuals living in traditional rural settings clustered differently and presented significantly higher diversity than those of urban populations (p 0.01). The bacterial taxa identified by class analysis as contributing most significantly to each cluster were Phascolarctobacterium for traditional rural individuals and Bifidobacterium for urban individuals. Spirochaetae were only present in the gut microbiota of individuals from traditional rural societies, and the gut microbiota of all traditional rural populations was enriched with Treponema succinifaciens. Cross-transmission of Treponema from termites or swine to humans or the increased use of antibiotics in nontraditional populations may explain why Treponema is present only in the gut microbiota of traditional rural populations.

[Preliminary results about loiasis in the district of Likouala in the Republic of the Congo]. / Résultats préliminaires sur la situation de la loase dans le département de la Likouala, en république du Congo.

The authors report results of a prospective study to assess the prevalence of loiasis in populations older than 18 years in two villages of the Likouala district in the Congo: the study took place during a visit to Lopola in 2012 and to Lopola and Lombo in 2013. The prevalence rate was 20%. Loa loa carriers were treated with diethylcarbamazine citrate and celestamine.

[Report of the 3rd International Conference on Envenomations in Africa]. / Troisième Conférence internationale sur les envenimations en Afrique. Brazzaville, 15-17 novembre 2007.

The 3rd International Conference on Envenomations was held in Brazzaville from 15 to 17 November; 2007. At this meeting, updating of epidemiological and treatment information on envenomations in Africa were presented. A round table concluded the conference drawing contributors' main recommendations. One of these recommendation pointed out the need to treat the problem of envenimations at a regional level by creating a group of experts in charge of considering the priorities as well as identifying relevant strategies of management, ensuring the plea and finding the financing.

[Situation of the envenomations by snakebites in Congo-Brazzaville: epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic approaches]. / Situation des envenimations par morsure de serpent au Congo-Brazzaville: approches épidémiologique, clinique et thérapeutique.

A retrospective study was carried out in six areas of Congo and in the town of Brazzaville for the period between 2000 and 2004 in order to evaluate the incidence, lethality, treatments and the used drugs in cases of snakebites. We associated a retrospective survey using health centre registers (11 centres) and a retrospective survey based on the staff statements of village communities (42) and private pharmacies and drug centrals. The questionnaire related to the snakebites (identification of victims, place of bite, symptoms and treatment) was used in communities. The total case fatality rate was relatively low (3,11%). The incidence of the estimated snakebites was higher in villages (221) than in health centres (165). But, lethality was equal in the two study clusters (6 cases versus 6 cases). There was no difference of cases rate between male and female subjects. Around urban areas, many victims consulted health centre and in rural area, many victims resorted systematically to traditional practitioners. In drug centrals and private pharmacies of Brazzaville, drugs against envenomations were proposed, respectively, by one and two structures. In health centres these drugs were not available. This evaluation could be underestimated as many victims consulted traditional practitioners. This explains why collecting data from health centre registers is not sufficient to evaluate the importance of envenomations in our study area.