Dengue Immunological Markers Evolution at Saint Camille Hospital in Ouagadougou (HOSCO) Burkina Faso.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Dengue is a remerging vector-borne viral disease in Burkina Faso since the outbreak of 2013 and requires special attention from health authorities. This study reports the prevalence of dengue fever serological markers (NS1Ag, IgM and IgG) and infection dynamic from January, 2018 to December, 2020 among patients tested for dengue infection at Saint Camille Hospital of Ouagadougou (HOSCO). <b>Materials and Methods:</b> The study population consisted of 6414 patients aged 0-97 years. Dengue virus infection was detected in serum or plasma using the SD bioline dengue duo rapid detection kit. <b>Results:</b> The prevalence of dengue NS1Ag was 2.25% (45/2003), 18.43% (501/2719) and 2.42% (38/1569) in the study population in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. The age groups over 50 years and 15-20 years were significantly more infected compared to the group 21-30 years respectively in 2019 (p = 0.030) and 2020 (p = 0.035). Patients tested positive for at least one of these markers (NSlAg, IgG and IgM) represented 26.01% (521/2003) and 38.98% (1060/2719). The peak of infection during 2018 and 2019 was observed between October and November. The present study reports a high seroprevalence of acute dengue virus infection. The presence of NS1Ag, IgM and IgG in patients suggests an active circulation of the dengue virus in Ouagadougou. <b>Conclusion:</b> Data shows recurrent outbreaks of dengue infection in our country need strong surveillance and a suitable and affordable diagnostic system to clarify the burden, pinpoint the risk factors and for better case management.

High prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among sexually active women in Ouagadougou.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the leading cause of cervical cancer, which in turn is the leading cause of cancer death in women in Africa. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of high-risk HPV infection (HR-HPV) and the distribution of genotypes encountered in the sexually active female population of Ouagadougou. In four level-two health centers, we recruited 234 women who agreed to undergo an endocervical swab. HR-HPV genotypes were identified by real-time PCR. The Chi-square test was used for comparisons, with significance defined by a P-value < 0.05. The prevalence of HR-HPV infection was 52.56%. Fourteen genotypes corresponding to 216 infections were characterized: HPV 59 (42/216), HPV 66 (30/216), HPV 56 (20/216), HPV 45 (20/216), HPV 58 (18/216), HPV 39 (18/216), HPV 51 (16/216), HPV 68 (14/216), HPV 52 (12/216), HPV 18 (12/216), HPV 35 (6/216), HPV 31 (5/216), HPV 16 (3/216), HPV 33 (0/216). HPV infection was statistically associated with age (P = 0.033) and with some specific sexual practices, such as oral sex (P = 0.001). The prevalence of HR-HPV infection among women without lesions in our study is higher than that reported previously in studies conducted in Ouagadougou among women in the general population and those found in the rest of the world. Moreover, HPV16 and 18 were not the genotypes most frequently encountered.

Molecular Epidemiology of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus in High-Grade Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia and in Cervical Cancer in Parakou, Republic of Benin.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection remains a worldwide concern, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa where cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and genotypic distribution of High-Risk HPV (HR-HPV) involved in Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) II and III and in cervical cancer in Parakou. Out of a total of 149 samples of cervical tissues archived, fixed and paraffin-embedded, 78 samples with histological diagnosis of CIN-II, CIN-III and cervical cancer went through deparaffinization with xylene, followed by an extraction of HPV DNA and the detection of HR-HPV by real-time multiplex PCR. The average age of the women was 40.05±13.99 years. The samples were positive to at least one HR-HPV genotype in 76.92% (50/65) of cases. The HR-HPV genotypes which are most common in the cervical cancer and in CIN-II and III were, respectively HPV-39 (38 and 37.50%), HPV-18 (35 and 31.30%), HPV-45 (35 and 31.30%), HPV-35 (9 and 25%) and HPV-52 (9 and 12.50%). The HPV-16 was absent. This study helped to detect (in samples archived, fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues) HR-HPV involved in high-grade precancerous lesions and in cervical cancer in Parakou, some of which are not covered by currently available vaccines.