[Identification of yeasts from commercial attiéké in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire): Preliminary study]. / Identification des espèces de levures isolées de l'attiéké commercialisé sur les marchés à Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) : étude préliminaire.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify yeasts from commercial attiéké. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional survey involving 103 samples of attiéké sold on the market from August to September 2017. It was conducted from the mycology laboratory of the Institut Pasteur of Côte d'Ivoire. The samples were seeded on YGC medium. The colonies of positive culture were counted and seeded again on chromogen medium. Identification of yeasts species was carried out by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (Vitek MS bioMérieux). RESULTS: As a whole, 63 samples were contaminated with fungi i.e. an overall prevalence of 61.1 %. Fifty-nine of yeasts were identified i.e. 57.2 %. Candida rugosa was most frequently isolated (62.7 %), followed by Ccandida albicans (8.5 %), Candida krusei (8.5 %) et Candida tropicalis (8.5 %). Geotrichum candidum represented 6.8 % isolated yeasts. The yeast average load is 10,124×102 CFU/g with high contamination of commercial attiéké in the commune of Abobo. CONCLUSION: The contamination of attiéké by yeasts is a reality. C. rugosa was most frequently isolated. It would be necessary to investigate the food chain to determine the source of contamination.

[Intestinal parasites in children in Biankouma, Ivory Coast (mountaineous western region): efficacy and safety of praziquantel and albendazole]. / Parasitoses intestinales infantiles à Biankouma, région des 18 Montagnes (ouest de la Côte d'Ivoire): étude de l'efficacité et de la tolérance du praziquantel et de l'albendazole.

Schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis are a global public health problem, especially among schoolchildren. The purpose of this study was to determine the overall and specific prevalences of intestinal helminth infection and to assess the clinical efficacy, tolerance, and safety of praziquantel and albendazole for treating it. A descriptive cross-sectional study based on random sampling with one degree of freedom was conducted from November 2006 to March 2007 in the primary schools of Biankouma, Côte d'Ivoire. Stool samples were collected from 386 children aged from 4 to 15 years and analyzed by direct examination, with both the simplified Ritchie and Kato techniques. Children infected by schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis eggs were treated with praziquantel (40 mg/kg in a single dose), albendazole (400 mg/kg in a single dose) or both, as deemed necessary. The prevalence rate of intestinal parasite infection was 55.2%, including overall 15.4% with more than one parasite: two in 14.2% and three in 1.2%. Infection was correlated with male gender and older age. The most frequent helminths were Schistosoma mansoni (35.5%) and Necator americanus (25.9%). The efficacy rate for praziquantel, defined as parasite-free stools, was 57.7% on day 14 and 80.9% on day 90. The efficacy rate for albendazole on day 7 was 96.1% for Ascaris lumbricoides, 93% for Necator americanus and 81.3% for Trichuris trichiura. Adverse effects were common (40.8%) but minor (abdominal pain, headache, and itching) within 2 to 4 hours after intake of praziquantel.

[Symptomatic and asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infection in children from 6 months to 6 years old in the Abobo general hospital (Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire)]. / Portage symptomatique et asymptomatique de Plasmodium falciparum chez les enfants de 6 mois a 6 ans a l'hôpital général d'Abobo (Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire).

It is commonly admitted that people living in malarial zone are carrying asymptomatic Plasmodium. Côte d'Ivoire is one of these zones. The studies carried out on malaria in these areas have focused mainly on the clinical forms of the disease and effectiveness of the antimalarial drugs. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of the symptomatic and asymptomatic carriage of Plasmodium falciparum in children of 6 months to 180 months old in the Abidjan area. Over a period of twelve months, 902 feverish subjects and 681 non-feverish subjects were selected among the 7,017 people admitted in the paediatrics service of the Abobo general hospital for detection of malaria parasite. Among 1,583 selected subjects, 358 were carrying Plasmodium falciparum implying a total prevalence rate of 22.6%. The prevalence rate was 13.5% and 29.5% respectively in the asymptomatic subjects and symptomatic subjects. The highest proportions of positive thick smears were observed during the long rainy and dry seasons but, parasitaemia was the highest during the short dry season. In 31.5% of the cases, the asymptomatic carriers had a parasitic density higher or equal to 10,000 trophozoites/microl of blood and fever was not related to parasitic load. The prevalence rates of Plasmodium carriage and malaria were higher during the long rainy season. This study highlighted a considerable proportion of asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum carriers. Improving environmental conditions should help to reduce this rate of carriage.