[Seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Senegalease blood donors]. / Seroprevalence du virus de l'hepatite C (VHC) chez les donneurs de sang au Senegal.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important problem of public health in the world according to its transmission mode and its pathogenesis. The risk of blood transmission has led to be the systematic screening of blood donors in the world. In Senegal no study about HCV prevalence on the general population and also has been done. The aim of our study was to determine HCV prevalence in blood donors and the rate of co-infection with hepatitis B (HCV/HBV) or with HIV infection (HCV/HIV). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study had been done in the National Blood Transfusion Centre (CNTS) in Dakar. Two different techniques has been used for the assessment HCV: 1/ ELISA technique and 2/ Immunoblot RIBA as confirmation test. RESULTS: Our study relates to 1565 blood donors recruited in CNTS during 2002. 369 of them were new blood donors with 365 females and 1200 males. The mean average was 30.5 +/- 9.5 years, ranged from 18 to 59 years. HCV ELISA test were positive in 22 plasma samples and one of them were co-infected with hepatitis B (HCV/HBV). Four out of these 22 samples have been confirmed positive to RIBA test and three of them were not determined. HCV seroprevalence were 1.4% after ELISA and 0.25% after RIBA testing. This seroprevalence were similar in male and in female and higher in new blood donors than in regular blood donors. CONCLUSION: Our results reinforce the necessity to screen hepatitis C virus in all Senegalese blood transfusion centres.

[Postnatal depression in a Colombian city. Risk factors]. / Depresión posparto en una ciudad colombiana. Factores de riesgo.

OBJECTIVE: Depression is a major public health problem, which women present, as well as at other periods of their lives, at the puerperium. Postnatal depression is the most frequent complication at this period, with worldwide prevalence as high as 15%. In Colombia, its frequency and associated factors were not clearly defined. DESIGN: To establish the incidence and associated factors for postnatal depression in the Bucaramanga, Colombia, metropolitan area. METHODS: Between May 2003 and April 2004, a cohort was assembled of 286 puerperal women from 11 health centres at different levels, within the Bucaramanga metropolitan area. Women were monitored for 6 weeks. Information was obtained on social, demographic and obstetric variables, psychiatric history, variables concerning the newborn, satisfaction with delivery, and breast-feeding. Postnatal depression was established by a psychiatrist, in a semi-structured clinical interview, using DSM-IV criteria. Incidence rate and associated factors were calculated through a regression model. RESULTS: Incidence rate of postnatal depression was: 1 case per 1000 days/person monitored (95% CI, 0.5-1.7). After the data were then fitted, only these factors were associated with postnatal depression: depression background, HR 3.87 (95% CI, 1.02-14.7), absence of prenatal monitoring, HR 3.87 (95% CI, 1.1-13.2), and background of dysphoria, HR 15.13 (95% CI, 1.9-118.2). CONCLUSIONS: Postnatal depression is little recognized during the puerperium. It is a major public health problem in Bucaramanga, where an appropriate prenatal monitoring program could reduce it. A follow-up program for mother and child would help its early diagnosis and management.