Transmission of hepatitis C virus among spouses in Cameroon and the Central African Republic.

Heterosexual transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is uncommon, with few studies undertaken in Central Africa. To determine the frequency of inter-spouse HCV transmission, cross-sectional studies of elderly individuals in Ebolowa, Cameroon and Nola, Central African Republic, in which, respectively, 24 and 83 long-term couples had been identified, were examined further. Blood samples were tested for antibody to HCV. Anti-HCV positive samples were genotyped by phylogenetic analysis of a fragment of the NS5B gene. In Nola, 4 out of 9 (44.4%) wives of anti-HCV positive husbands and 1 out of 74 (1.4%) wives of anti-HCV negative husbands were anti-HCV positive (P < 0.001); in Ebolowa, the corresponding proportions were 10 out of 15 (66.7%) and 3 out of 9 (33.3%) (P = 0.21). After adjustment for age and site-specific risk factors of HCV infection, HCV seropositivity of the wives remained associated with their husbands' HCV serostatus, significantly so in Nola (P = 0.003) and marginally in Ebolowa (P = 0.06). In 7 out of 14 concordant seropositive couples, the genotype could be determined in both spouses. Four couples were infected with different genotypes, while three were infected with the same genotype. Thus, serological concordance between the spouses was related to a combination of infections acquired independently and inter-spouse transmission. It could not be determined whether inter-spouse transmission occurred sexually, through blood-blood contact, or otherwise. Inter-spouse transmission may have contributed to the high prevalence among elderly populations of Central Africa since some patients infected during healthcare subsequently transmitted the virus to their spouse.

Iatrogenic transmission of human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 and hepatitis C virus through parenteral treatment and chemoprophylaxis of sleeping sickness in colonial Equatorial Africa.

BACKGROUND: The simultaneous emergence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 group M and HIV-2 into human populations, circa 1921-1940, is attributed to urbanization and changes in sexual behavior. We hypothesized that the initial dissemination of HIV-1, before sexual transmission predominated, was facilitated by the administration, via reusable syringes and needles, of parenteral drugs against tropical diseases. As proxies for highly lethal HIV-1, we investigated risk factors for hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human T cell lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) infections, blood-borne viruses compatible with prolonged survival, in an area known in 1936-1950 as the most virulent focus of African trypanosomiasis. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey of individuals 55 years and older in Mbimou land and Nola, Central African Republic. Dried blood spots were used for HCV and HTLV-1 serologic testing and nucleic acid detection. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were measured by logistic regression. RESULTS: The only risk factor for HCV genotype 4 infection was treatment of trypanosomiasis before 1951 (OR, 3.13; 95% CI, 1.38-7.09). HTLV-1 infection was associated with having received 2 injections of pentamidine for trypanosomiasis chemoprophylaxis (adjusted OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.01-4.06) and with transfusions (adjusted OR, 2.82; 95% CI, 1.04-7.67). From historical data, we predicted that 59% of Mbimous 65 years and older would report treatment for trypanosomiasis before 1951; only 11% did so. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of trypanosomiasis before 1951 may have caused iatrogenic HCV transmission. Population-wide half-yearly intramuscular pentamidine for trypanosomiasis chemoprophylaxis in 1947-1953 may have caused iatrogenic HTLV-1 transmission. These and other interventions against tropical diseases could have iatrogenically transmitted SIV(cpz), jump-starting the HIV-1 epidemic. The excess mortality among patients with trypanosomiasis treated before 1951 supports this hypothesis.

Predominance of hepatitis C virus genotype 4 infection and rapid transmission between 1935 and 1965 in the Central African Republic.

The molecular epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the Central African Republic (CAR) is poorly documented. Thus, we conducted phylogenetic analyses of NS5B gene sequences from 58 HCV-infected inhabitants of a remote area of south-west CAR, which indicated that 48 (82.8%) were infected with genotype 4 (HCV-4), five (8.6%) with genotype 2 and five (8.6%) with genotype 1. HCV-4 strains were highly heterogeneous, containing previously described subtypes 4k (48%), 4c (27%), 4r (4%), 4f (4%) and unclassified subtypes (17%). To estimate the epidemic history of these HCV-4 strains, an evolutionary analysis using the coalescent approach was used. The estimated date of the most recent common ancestor of the CAR HCV-4 strains was 1539 (95% confidence intervals, 1317-1697). They exhibited a rapid, exponential spread from 1935 to 1965, simultaneously with what was recently reported in neighbouring Cameroon and Gabon. The hypothesis of a massive iatrogenic transmission during interventions for the control of endemic tropical diseases is discussed.

Histoire du foyer de la trypanosomes humaine africaine de nola en republique Centrafricaine; de 1971 a 2004

La trypanosomiase humaine africaine (THA) ou maladie du sommeil; affection redoutable qui fit jadis beaucoup de ravages au sein des populations dans differentes regions d'Afrique dont celle de Nola en Republique Centrafricaine (RCA); reste un probleme de sante publique en Afrique sub-saharienne. La cinquante sixieme assemblee mondiale de la sante; tenue le 26/03/2003; reconnaissait que les douleurs; les souffrances et la mortalite dues a la trypanosomiase menacent quotidiennement plus de 60 millions d'habitants dans plus de 37 pays d'Afrique sub-saharienne dont 22 comptent parmi les moins avances. Nous rapportons ici; l'histoire du foyer de THA de Nola en RCA; de 1971 a 2004. Sur le plan methodologique; il s'agit d'une etude retrospective couvrant la periode de 1971 a 2004. Sur des fiches d'enquete etablies; nous avons collecte des donnees a Nola a partir des registres des trypanosomes et a Bangui la capitale; a partir des rapports des missions de prospection de depistage actif. L'analyse des donnees a ete faite a l'aide du logiciel EPI INFO 6 version 2000. De 1971 a 2004; 3348 patients ont ete recenses parmi lesquels 1814 anciens malades et 1534 nouveaux cas. Les femmes etaient plus atteintes (54) que les hommes avec un sex-ratio de 1;2. La tranche d'age la plus touchee est celle de 20 a 29 ans (67;0). L'indice de morbidite nouvelle (IMN) est passe de 0;01en 1971 a 1;7en 1991 et a 0;05en 2004. L'indice de contamination totale (ICT) est passe de 0;05en 1971 a 2;3en 1989 et a 0;05en 2004. Les cas de rechutes et de reinfections representaient 54;2entre 1992 et 2004. La majorite des malades depistes etaient en 2eme phase (64). La lutte anti-vectorielle avec pose de pieges coniques impregnes d'insecticides a ete primordiale dans la maitrise de l'epidemie dans cette region