Development and validation of sensitive real-time RT-PCR assay for broad detection of rabies virus.

Rabies virus (RABV) remains one of the most important global zoonotic pathogens. RABV causes rabies, an acute encephalomyelitis associated with a high rate of mortality in humans and animals and affecting different parts of the world, particularly in Asia and Africa. Confirmation of rabies diagnosis relies on laboratory diagnosis, in which molecular techniques such as detection of viral RNA by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) are increasingly being used. In this study, two real-time quantitative RT-PCR assays were developed for large-spectrum detection of RABV, with a focus on African isolates. The primer and probe sets were targeted highly conserved regions of the nucleoprotein (N) and polymerase (L) genes. The results indicated the absence of non-specific amplification and cross-reaction with a range of other viruses belonging to the same taxonomic family, i.e. Rhabdoviridae, as well as negative brain tissues from various host species. Analytical sensitivity ranged between 100 to 10 standard RNA copies detected per reaction for N-gene and L-gene assays, respectively. Effective detection and high sensitivity of these assays on African isolates showed that they can be successfully applied in general research and used in diagnostic process and epizootic surveillance in Africa using a double-check strategy.

Therapeutic itinerary of severe malaria in adults admitted to a teaching hospital in Dakar, Senegal.

INTRODUCTION: Despite prevention efforts, malaria remains a public health problem. METHODOLOGY: This was a prospective study conducted between October and December 2010 that aimed to describe the therapeutic route of adults presenting with severe malaria prior to being admitted to Fann Teaching Hospital in Dakar, Senegal. RESULTS: A total of 90 patients were included. The majority of them had consulted a public or private health care facility (92%) prior to admission. First consultation occurred on average two days after the onset of the disease. Self-medication (67.4%) and traditional medicine (26.1%) were the main causes of delaying care. CONCLUSIONS: Early care and adequate management are needed to reduce malaria mortality.

[Assessment of the medical care of HIV-infected patients in a voluntary and anonymous screening center in Senegal]. / Bilan de la prise en charge médicale des patients infectés par le VIH dans un centre de dépistage volontaire et anonyme au Sénégal.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a cohort analysis six years after the introduction of medical care for HIV-infected patients in the first voluntary and anonymous screening center in Senegal. This paper provides a retrospective descriptive study of the medical records of HIV-infected patients followed between 2004 and 2009. The center provided care to 389 patients over the course of the six-year period. The median age of patients was 36 years [17- 69 years], with a sex-ratio (F/M) of 2.5. Access to care was mainly by voluntary screening (313 cases). Two thirds (65%) of patients were either asymptomatic or pauci-symptomatic (WHO Stage I/II). Prurigo (20%) and sexually transmitted infections (19%) were the main diseases diagnosed among patients. 66.6% of patients had a CD4+ cell count ? 200/mm3. By the end of 2009, two hundred and thirty-five patients were still being followed. The rate of patients lost to follow-up was 29%, while the lethality rate was 6%. The assessment of the activities of the voluntary, anonymous and free screening center shows the importance of screening centers in the fight to promote knowledge about HIV infection.