[Severe pulmonary embolism and acute lower limb ischemia complicating peripartum cardiomyopathy successfully treated by streptokinase]. / Embolie pulmonaire grave et ischémie aiguë de membre inférieur compliquant une cardiomyopathie du péripartum traitées avec succès par thrombolyse à la streptokinase.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a cardiac disease at high thromboembolism potential. The authors report a case of peripartum cardiomyopathy admitted for congestive heart failure. Echocardiography found a dilated cardiomyopathy with severely impaired left ventricular systolic function and biventricular thrombi. During hospitalization his condition was complicated by severe bilateral pulmonary embolism and left lower limb arterial acute thrombosis. The treatment consisted of thrombolysis with streptokinase associated with dobutamine (in addition to the conventional treatment of heart failure and bromocriptine). The outcome was favorable, marked by pulmonary and lower limb arterial unblocking.

[Connective tissue diseases in hospital practice in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)]. / Les connectivites en pratique hospitalière à Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).

To describe the semiological and immunological features of connective tissue diseases seen at the Yalgado Ouédraogo University Hospital in Ouagadougou. A retrospective study reviewed the records of patients seen in the hospital dermatology and internal medicine departments from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2009 and diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (ScS), dermatopolymyositis (DPM), primary Gougerot-Sjögren disease (GS), polymyositis (PM) or indeterminate connective tissue disease (ICTD) meeting the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology. The study included 42 patients, 36 women and 6 men. Their mean age was 41.2 years ±11.97 (range: 15-75). SLE was the diagnosis for 10 patients, ScS for 14, DPM for 7, primary GS for 1, PM for 1, and ICTD for 9. Hematologic (93%), cutaneous (88%), and rheumatologic (81%) abnormalities were the most frequent manifestations. The specific auto-antibodies associated with SLE patients were: anti-native DNA (3/6), anti-Sm (3/6), anti-RNP (3/6), and anti-SSA (4/6); anti-Scl 70 antibodies were present in 5 patients with ScS. Connective tissue diseases seem to be rare in Africa, south of the Sahara. However, the very fragmentary studies and the weak healthcare coverage do not allow any definitive conclusions.

Association between potential zoonotic enteric infections in children and environmental risk factors in Quebec, 1999-2006.

This study was designed to evaluate the association of potential zoonotic gastroenteritis in children, and specifically giardiasis, salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis, with environmental risk factors in rural areas of Quebec. Notified cases of gastroenteritis in children of 0-4 years of age reported in the period of 1999 through 2006 from municipalities in southern Quebec with <100,000 inhabitants were investigated. Negative binomial regression models accounting for overdispersion and adjusted for clustering were used to estimate relative risks (RR) associated with livestock densities and drinking water quality. Analyses revealed that, during this period, 2500 cases of gastroenteritis were reported in children of 0-4 years, including 819 cases of giardiasis, 690 of salmonellosis and 852 of campylobacteriosis. The incidence rate associated with all potential zoonotic agents reported was 163 cases/100,000 children-years and this was statistically associated with cattle density: RR Quartile 4/Quartile 1 (Q4/Q1) = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.43-2.58. When estimated specifically for each pathogen, incidence rates of giardiasis (RR Q4/Q1 = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.11-2.87), salmonellosis (RR Q4/Q1 = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.15-2.33) and campylobacteriosis (RR Q4/Q1 = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.60-3.68) were also associated with cattle density, with a monotonic increase of RR with increasing animal density. Giardiasis incidence was also positively associated with a poor drinking water quality, although no statistically significant association was found. Our results suggest that, in rural Quebec, bacterial and parasitic enteric infections in young children may be zoonoses related to environmental risk factors and especially cattle production.

Ethnoveterinary medicine and indigenous pharmacopoeia of Passoré Province in Burkina Faso.

A study of traditional animal health care practices in Passoré province of Burkina Faso led to the characterization of 24 diseases, together with their local names, causes of their appearance, and their treatment. Most (95%) of the medicinal recipes used to treat affected animals were based on plants.

Red meat production and meat losses in Burkina Faso (1987-1997).

Based on monthly recorded data collected from 1987 to1997 in all official slaughter houses across the country, this study analyzes the trends of ruminant meat production and importance of meat condemnations by veterinary inspection in Burkina Faso. The average beef production per year is estimated at 6.717.5 + or - 2.969.1 tons, nd for small ruminant meat it is 8,715.5 + or - 4,161.3 tons. During the ten-year period (1987-1997) it appears that a large drop in production (up to 18%) occurred in 1994-1995 consistent with monetary devaluation. The average amount of red meat theoretiacally available for each inhabitant is estimated at 2.14 + or - 0.27 kg per year. Approximately 10 to 16 tons of diseased red meat is condemned every year by veterinary inspection. This is very important for a country where malnutrition and undernutrition is quasi endemic.

Seasonal variation of ticks on cattle in Burkina Faso.

Cattle of the Sahel Zebu peuhl breed from traditionally managed livestock herds in a representative area of north soudanese savana (with 400-900 mm of rainfall/year from May to September) located in the central land of Burkina Faso, were monitored over 12 months for tick and blood parasite. Two species of ticks were found: Amblyomma variegatum and Hyalomma marginatum rufipes. H. m. rufipes was found on cattle all year round with a highest infestation rate in June characterized by means of 10 +/- 4.72 male and 3 +/- 2.43 female ticks per animal. A variegatum appeared on cattle at the beginning of the rainy season in May and quickly reached its highest infestation rate in June with means of 36 +/- 3.67 male and 16 +/- 1.54 female ticks per animal. Thereafter, the infestation rate progressively decreased to reach almost zero in October at the end of the rainy season. There were three preferred body sites for attachment: the axilla area, the area of the scrotum or the udder and the teats depending on the sex of the animal, and the anal area. No blood parasites were found in blood smears. However, a higher prevalence rate of dermatophilosis was noticed on highly infested animals during the rainy season as well as wounds on teats leading to decreased milk production and feeding of calves. Effort should be done to fight against ticks of Amblyomma genus at the period of the year where they are most numerous. Manual removal of ticks could be practiced, making certain to completely detach all mouthparts of the ticks. Complete removal of ticks will avoid wounds and secondary bacterial infections as well as myiasis. During the period of highest prevalence, the rainy season, acaricides could be applied on animal either by dipping the animals or spraying on the predilection sites of the ticks which are the axilla, the scrotum or the udder and the teats, depending on the gender of the animal, and around the anus.

Etiology and prophylaxis of helminthiasis in sheep in Burkina Faso.

Helminths of "Mossi" sheep from traditional livestock were investigated at three different seasons (humid, cold dry, and hot dry seasons) in the village of Donsin from the central land of Burkina Faso. Three prophylaxis plans using Fenbendazole were tested. Primary parasites identified were: Oesophagostomum sp., Trichostrongylus sp., and Haemonchus contortus. These parasites were noticed mainly during the rainy season with mean egg per gram (epg) numbers of 500 +/- 141.42 in August-September, at the end of the rainy season. At this same period, hematocrit (22%) and body weights (17 kg of live weight) (LW) were low. These values progressively increased to reach their highest levels (32% and 27 kg of LW respectively) in February. The prophylactic plan consisting of two treatments with oral drench of 5 mg/kg LW of Fenbendazole turned out to be the most efficacious and the most economical.

Comparative evaluation of the prophylactic effect of slow release devices containing homidium bromide and isometamidium on Trypanosoma congolense in rabbits.

Two consecutive experiments were carried out to evaluate the prophylactic effect of biodegradable slow release devices (SRD), containing either isometamidium or homidium bromide. Rabbits subcutaneously implanted with SRD, were challenged with different Trypanosoma congolense stocks at regular intervals between 1 and 6.5 months after treatment. In a first experiment the efficacy of two types of isometamidium-SRD (poly(D,L-lactide) and poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide)) was compared with the classical intramuscular (i.m.) injection of the drug. Since the former polymer gave an average protection period, which was much longer than the other isometamidium formulation, a second experiment was carried out to evaluate the prophylactic effect of poly(D,L-lactide) SRD, containing either isometamidium or homidium bromide, with that of the i.m. injections of the same drugs at a dose of 1 mg kg-1. The average protection period of the homidium bromide SRD was significantly longer than that of the i.m. injected drug (112 vs. 49 days). No significant difference was obtained, however, when isometamidium was administered either as a SRD or as an i.m. injection. The average protection periods were, respectively, 106 +/- 37 days and 84 +/- 18 days. When breakthrough isolates derived from SRD-treated animals were compared with the original stocks of T. congolense, the former showed some loss of sensitivity to homidium bromide. No difference in sensitivity was observed, however, for isometamidium.

[Standardization and evaluation of a manual salivation method for the detection of Trypanosoma infection in the tsetse fly (Diptera: Glossinidae)]. / Standardisation et évaluation de la technique de salivation manuelle pour le dépistage des infections par trypanosomes chez la glossine (Diptera: Glossinidae).

Two methods of salivation of tsetse flies, namely manual salivation and method of Bruce et al. were simultaneously evaluated on 1,702 male uninfected Glossina palpalis palpalis (Zaire), G. palpalis gambiensis (Bobo-Dioulasso), G. p. gambiensis (Maisons-Alfort) et G. morsitans morsitans (Mall) fasted for 23, 48 and 72 hours. The risk of salivation was 0.66 by the manual method and 0.01 by the method of Bruce et al. The manual salivation method was standardised on 79 male G. m. morsitans (Mall) infected with Trypanosoma congolense IL 1180. By this method, 70.88% of flies carrying mature and/or immature infection were identified. A clear difference was observed in the proportion of tsetse flies which salivated after 72 hours and those which salivated after 48 and 24 hours of fasting.