[Lymphatic filariasis transmission assessment survey in schools three years after stopping mass drug treatment with albendazole and ivermectin in the 7 endemic districts in Togo]. / Enquête d'évaluation de la transmission de la filariose lymphatique en milieu scolaire, 3 ans après l'arrêt du traitement de masse à l'albendazole et à l'ivermectine dans les 7 districts endémiques du Togo.

The aim of this study is to verify the level of transmission of lymphatic filariasis three years after stopping mass drug treatment in the 7 endemic districts in Togo. The survey was conducted in 2012 in Togo's 7 endemic districts grouped into four evaluation units (EU) using the WHO-recommended transmission assessment survey (TAS) protocol. Children aged 6-7 years were screened for Wuchereria bancofti antigen using the immunochromatographic card (ICT) method. A cluster sampling method was used to select eligible children in schools as the net primary-school enrolment ratio is greater than or equal to 75% in each of the four EUs. The number of children and schools to be selected in each EU, the randomization list for the selection of these children and the critical cut-off number of positive cases not to exceed were automatically generated using the Survey Sample Builder (SSB) tool, (NTD Support Center, Atlanta, Ga, USA). For confirmation, positive cases were subsequently tested for microfilaremia using nocturnal thick blood smear and for filarial antigen using Og4C3 antigen ELISA (TropBio ELISA Kit®, Townsville, Queensland, Australia). An EU is considered to have passed the test successfully (it is assumed that transmission can no longer be sustained), when the number of positive cases is below the critical cut-off number set by the SSB, which is roughly equivalent to 2% prevalence. Of the 1 706 children surveyed in Kpendjal-Tone's EU, 1 549 in Binah-Doufelgou's EU, 1 550 in Kozah's EU and the 1 575 in Amou-Haho's EU, 8 (0.46%), 1 (0.08%), 0 (0.00%) and 4 (0.25%) ICT positive cases respectively were detected. The number of positive ICT tests was well below 18, the critical cut number for each of the 4 EUs. All 13 ICT positive cases tested negative for nocturnal microfilaremia and Og4C3 ELISA. We conclude that all four EU passed the TAS with success, and the transmission of Wuchereria bancrofti is no longer likely to be sustained in the 7 endemic districts in Togo 3 years after stopping the MDA. A new TAS will be carried out in 2015, after which, if the results are still good, the country will submit a dossier to WHO for verification of the elimination of lymphatic filariasis.

[What do we know about trachoma in the economically weakest infantile population of Kara in Togo?]. / Que savons-nous de la prévalence du trachome dans la population infantile économiquement défavorisée de la region de Kara au Togo?

PURPOSE: To describe the distribution of the trachoma in the infantile population of Kara region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross sectional investigation has been achieved in 6 sanitary districts of Kara's region in November 2009. In each of the 2 villages of the sanitary area of every peripheral health unit (PHU), 15 schoolchildren aged of 6 to 9 years then 35 children of the community aged of 1 to 5 years have been examined to search signs of trachoma with the help of a lamp wipes coupled of a binocular loupe (2.5X magnification). RESULTS: To the total 10,100 children have been examined in 202 villages of the sanitary areas of 101 PHU. Among the 7070 children aged of 1-5 years, 289 presented trachomatous inflammation follicular (TF) and 131 trachomatous inflammation intense (TI), corresponding to a prevalence rate of 5.94%. Among the 3030 schoolchildren, 68 presented TF and 62 TI corresponding to 4.29% prevalence rate. The prevalence rate of the active trachoma was of 5.44% in the infantile population of this region. CONCLUSION: This investigation could confirm that active trachoma still exists in this region. Another investigation will be carried out to determine the prevalence of trachoma among the adult subjects in order to have a more complete data base in view of further action for trachoma elimination in this region.

Chloroquine efficacy in the treatment of uncomplicated malaria at three sentinel sites in northern Togo.

In Togo, chloroquine (CQ) remains the first-line drug for the treatment of uncomplicated, Plasmodium falciparum malaria. In the absence of recent data on the level of parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs, Togo's National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) decided to assess the current efficacy of CQ in the treatment of uncomplicated, P. falciparum malaria at three sentinel sites in the north of the country. Between the September and November of 2001, the World Health Organization's standard 14-day protocol was used to investigate 153 malarious children aged 6-59 months old (46 from Sokode, 54 from Niamtougou and 53 from Dapaong). Of the subjects from Sokode, Niamtougou and Dapaong, early treatment failure was observed in 0%, 7% and 12%, late treatment failure in 0%, 11% and 17%, and overall parasitological failure in 0%, 45% [with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 39%-51%] and 62% (CI=54%-70%), respectively. Even within northern Togo, there is clearly considerable geographical variation in the level of resistance to CQ. Before an efficient antimalarial-drug policy can be developed, there is an urgent need to develop and use the national surveillance system further, to collect relevant data on the efficacies of CQ and other antimalarial drugs, such as amodiaquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine.

The use of spatial analysis in mapping the distribution of bancroftian filariasis in four West African countries.

The geographical distribution of human infection with Wuchereria bancrofti was investigated in four West African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Togo), using a commercial immunochromatographic test for filarial antigen. Efforts were made to cover each health-system implementation unit and to ensure no sampling point was >50 km from another, but otherwise the 401 study communities were selected at random. The aim was to enable spatial analysis of the data, to provide a prediction of the overall spatial relationships of the infection. The results, which were subjected to an independent random validation in Burkina Faso and Ghana, revealed that prevalence in the adult population of some communities exceeded 70% and that, over large areas of Burkina Faso, community prevalences were between 30% and 50%. Most of Togo, southern Benin and much of southern Ghana appeared completely free of the infection. Although there were foci on the Ghanaian coast with prevalences of 10%-30%, such high prevalences did not extend into coastal Togo or costal Benin. The prevalence map produced should be useful in prioritizing areas for filariasis control, identifying potential overlap with ivermectin-distribution activities undertaken by onchocerciasis-control programmes, and enabling inter-country and sub-regional planning to be initiated. The results indicate that bancroftian filariasis is more widely distributed in arid areas of Burkina Faso than hitherto recognized and that the prevalences of infection have remained fairly stable for at least 30 years. The campaign to eliminate lymphatic filariasis as a public-health problem in Africa will require significantly more resources (human, financial, and logistic) than previously anticipated.

[The prevalence of schistosomiasis in Togo. A cross-sectional study conducted in a school setting]. / Prévalence des schistosomoses au Togo. Etude transversale réalisée en milieu scolaire.

As a prelude to a national campaign to control schistosomiasis in Togo, mass screening of school children in 22 prefectures was undertaken to determine the extent of endemic schistosomiasis. Children were randomly selected for testing. In each case, stool examinations using by the Kato-Katz method and urine tests (centrifugation of 10 ml) were performed to detect Schistosome eggs. A total of 2511 children were tested. The sex ratio was 1.7 and mean age 10.4 years (range: 5 to 20 years). The incidence of schistosomiasis was 26.7 p. 100. Schistosoma haematobium was the most widespread and active Schistosome species, being endemic in all locations studied. The incidence of Schistosoma haematobium ranged from 0.6 to 72 p. 100 (national mean: 25.5 p. 100). Schistosoma mansoni was prevalent in only 12 prefectures (range 0.6 to 10 p. 100; national average 2.2 p. 100). The rate of infection was highest in the age group between 10 and 20 years and the risk appeared to be significantly higher in males than in females (p < 0.05). This study confirmed the high incidence of schistosomiasis infection in Togo and identified hyperendemic areas in which control measures should be programmed first.

Comparison of sample preparation methods for detection of Legionella pneumophila in culture-positive bronchoalveolar lavage fluids by PCR.

A prospective study was conducted on 25 Legionella pneumophila culture-positive and 98 culture-negative bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples to compare two DNA preparation methods: a rapid modified Chelex-based protocol and a proteinase K method. PCR was found to be more sensitive with the Chelex-based method (P = 0.03). N difference was found concerning the inhibition rate.

Glycated immunoglobulin M in diabetic patients.

Measurement of glycation levels on isolated immunoglobulin M (IgM), a short half-life protein, could be an index of glycaemic control. We determined glycated IgM levels in a diabetic patients population as compared to control non-diabetic subjects in a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. For that purpose we developed a precipitation method for IgM purification, measured glycation on the purified protein by a nitroblue tetrazolium assay and correlated glycated IgM, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and fructosamine rates. The purification method we developed comprises dextran sulfate-CaCl2, ammonium sulfate and polyethylene glycol precipitations and it allows extraction of IgM free of contaminants as shown by immunoelectrophoresis. Glycated IgM levels were 8.65 +/- 0.15 nmol deoxymorpholinofructose (DOMF) equivalents/mg protein for non-diabetic subjects (n = 30) and 12.08 +/- 0.60 nmol DOMF equivalents/mg protein (n = 67) for diabetic patients. Diabetic patients had then a 40% rise in glycated IgM (p < 0.0005). In a longitudinal study with patients undergoing treatment aimed at improving their metabolic control, glycated IgM levels decreased significantly (p < 0.001) between the day of admission and the fifth day. Average rate of fall was 13% with a range of 3.0 to 22.0% (n = 28). Glycated IgM clearly responds more rapidly than fructosamines which fell by 7.0% and than HbA1c, which showed a rate of fall of 3.9% in the same period. A significant positive correlation was found between these parameters, being stronger between glycated IgM and fructosamines. This method could provide an alternative approach as a short-term marker of glycaemic control for clinical trials.