[Reasons for hospitalisation of hiv-infected children in pediatric service of the Gabriel Toure teaching hospital, Bamako]. / Causes d'hospitalisation des enfants infectes par le vih dans le service de pediatrie du CHU Gabriel Toure de Bamako.

PURPOSE: The aim of our study was to determine the reasons of hospitalization of HIV-infected children in our context and to identify factors associated with mortality in the course of hospitalization. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Our study took place in the department of pediatrics of the Gabriel Touré Teaching Hospital. It involved all the children hospitalized between March 1st and August 31st, 2010 to whom an infection with HIV was diagnosed before or during the hospitalization. RESULTS: Thirty seven HIV-infected children were hospitalized. The average age at admission was 46,9 months and the sex ratio was 0,76. HIV infection was discovered during the hospitalization for 29 children (78,4%). Fifteen children were orphan of at least a parent. The medical pathological history include sickle cell disease (2 cases) and tuberculosis (1 case). The great majority (91,9%) were at WHO stage 3 or 4. The main AIDS-defining events were severe malnutrition (73%) and pneumonia (45,9%). They were followed by bacterial infections (21,6%) and malaria (13,5%). An anemia was found at 85,7 % of the children. CONCLUSION: Efforts must be made for early diagnosis and management of pediatric's HIV infection.

BUT: L'objectif de notre étude était de déterminer les raisons d'hospitalisation des enfants infectés par le VIH dans notre contexte et d'identifier les facteurs associés à la mortalité en cours d'hospitalisation. MATÉRIELS ET MÉTHODE: Elle s'est déroulée dans le service de pédiatrie du CHU Gabriel Touré. Elle a concerné tous les enfants hospitalisés entre le 1er mars et le 31 août 2010 chez lesquels une infection à VIH a été diagnostiquée avant ou pendant l'hospitalisation. RÉSULTATS: Trente sept enfants infectés par le VIH ont été hospitalisés. L'âge moyen à l'admission était de 46,9 mois avec un sexe ratio de 0,76. L'infection au VIH a été découverte pendant l'hospitalisation pour 29 enfants (78,4%). Quinze enfants étaient orphelins d'au moins un parent. Les antécédents pathologiques médicaux retrouvés étaient la drépanocytose (2 cas) et la tuberculose (1 cas). La grande majorité (91,9%) était à un stade 3 ou 4 de l'OMS. Les principales affections classant SIDA retrouvées ont été la dénutrition (73%) et la pneumonie (45,9%) sévères. Elles ont été suivies des infections bactériennes (21,6%) et du paludisme (13,5%). Une anémie a été retrouvée chez 85,7% des enfants. CONCLUSION: Des efforts doivent être fournis pour le diagnostic et la prise en charge précoces de l'infection à VIH pédiatrique.

[Organisation of Veterinary Services in the developing countries of West Africa]. / Organisation des Services vétérinaires dans les pays en développement d'Afrique de l'Ouest.

The Veterinary Services in West Africa focused on animal health and production activities, which up until the beginning of the 1990s, were exclusively their responsibility. They were supported by many projects, conducted with notable successes. Veterinary public health activities were considered to be less of a priority because the major objective was improving productivity and because the concept of food safety was perceived by stakeholders to be much less important. The major challenges and issues that the weakened Veterinary Services will have to face are complying with the requirements of the World Trade Organization, negotiating new economic partnership agreements and dealing with the consequences of the implementation of structural adjustment programmes in the agricultural sector. The reorganisation of these Services is therefore taking place in the context of the globalisation of health problems, and in a trading framework that requires the application of the current international standards and regulations. Veterinary Services and their governments will have to meet these challenges by initiating discussions that lead to effective operational structures that can implement public health measures, satisfy the expectations of consumers and partner countries and withstand assessment by other countries. However, such reform depends upon several factors, such as a demonstration of political will, the development of an approach based on regional economic unions, and the indispensable support of financial backers. To add to the debate, the author offers recommendations and guidelines on the institutional framework, veterinary personnel and equipment and material needs. Creating effective Veterinary Services that have efficient operational structures and procedures is an ongoing process; how long this process takes depends on the ability of Veterinary Services to respond to the various challenges. Underlying these challenges and issues, in this region of the world as elsewhere, is the possibility of official Veterinary Services losing their credibility with international trade partners if all the procedures governing international trade are not followed.

[Prevalence and perception of schistosomiasis in a periurban school of Bamako in Mali]. / Prévalence et perception de la schistosomose en milieu scolaire périurbain de Bamako au Mali.

The prevalence of urinary and intestinal schistosomiasis, the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) regarding the disease among both the children and their parents were investigated in Djikoroni para, a Suburban area of Bamako. The prevalence of Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni were respectively 69.8% and 8.7%. Compared with the girls, the boys were significantly more infected by S. haematobium (p = 5.10(-3)), but no difference between the sexes was observed for S. mansoni (p = 0.36). Interviews indicated that 88% of children and 91% of adults considered micro-haematuria as a pathology, but did not know anything about intestinal schistosomiasis. The low sensitivity of micro-haematuria (56.8%) and of the criterion "abdominal pains" (66.7%) indicated that they couldn't be relevant diagnosis signs. The symptoms and mode of transmission were generally well understood for S. haematobium but not for S. mansoni. The later parasite, its intermediate host and their interactions were unknown. The main man water contacts are bathing and playing in the Woyowayanko and in the Niger river. Inadequate perception of schistosomiasis contributes to maintain schistosomiasis at a high level of prevalence in Djikoroni.

[Measurement of immunologic agglutination of erythrocytes by ultrasonic interferometry]. / Mesure de l'agglutination immunologique des globules rouges par interférométrie ultrasonore.

Ultrasound interferometry is a new methodology which has been developed in our laboratories in order to measure precisely and quickly the size of particles sedimenting in liquid on horizontal surface, upon gravity. Applied to red blood cells, this method evaluates the sedimentation of erythrocytes, their aggregation induced by proteins or aggregating compounds as well as their agglutination upon immune reactions. The quantitative assessment of red cell agglutination was applied to the study of blood groups and to the search for red cell antibodies. Preliminary results show that ultrasound interferometry is 1) quantitative, measuring the size of agglutinates; 2) sensitive; 3) specific; 4) fast; 5) able to detect irregular antibodies.

A preliminary study on selenium content of forages and local by-products in the Tadla area (Morocco) in connection with ovine nutritional myopathy.

In order to provide epidemiological support to tentative diagnosis of ovine enzootic myopathy in the Tadla area (Morocco), 20 feedstuff samples, representative of ovine rations, were tested for selenium content. All but one samples had a far lower value than the recommended level of 0.1 mg/kg dry matter.