[External Quality Assessment of Thick and Thin Blood Smear Slides for the Diagnosis of Malaria in the Lomé and Gulf Health Districts of Togo]. / Évaluation Externe de la Qualité de la Goutte Épaisse/Frottis Sanguin pour le Diagnostic du Paludisme dans les Districts Sanitaires de Lomé et du Golfe au Togo.

Objective: In sub-Saharan Africa where 90% of malaria cases are concentrated, the control of this disease constitutes a major challenge whose diagnosis by thick and thin smear deserves to be exact and reproducible. The purpose of this study is to assess the performance of thick/thin blood smear in order to improve its implementation process. Material and methods: This was a descriptive and analytical study that took place from May to June 2017 and involved participating laboratories (PL) coming from public, liberal and confessional sectors in Lomé. A set of 13 blood smear slides of variable parasite densities (PD) with assigned values (AV) of parasite densities and the Plasmodium species assigned was used. The criterion for establishing the parasite densities compliance interval was assigned values ± 25% and the performance rates were compared to the 80% recommended by the WHO for Africa region. Results: 41.9% (13/31) of the PLs had a compliance rate greater than 80% including four with a performance of 100% for the ability to identify the Plasmodium species. For the parasitaemia < 100/µl, 51.6% of participating laboratories had a performance rate less than 80% and for parasitaemia > 2000/µl, 100% of these laboratories had a performance rate greater than 80%. Conclusion: The evaluated laboratories had insufficient ability for the identification of Plasmodium falciparum and the correct estimation of low parasitaemia. A need to strength the technical skills, adapted to the context of low parasitaemia are essential to improve the biological diagnosis of malaria in Togo.

[Protein-calorie nutritional state in elderly patients hospitalized in Lomé Campus university hospital: pilot study about 33 patients versus 30 reference cases registered in three care units]. / Statut nutritionnel protéinoénergétique des personnes âgées hospitalisées au CHU Campus de Lomé (Togo) : étude pilote à propos de 33 cas versus 30 témoins colligés dans trois unités de soins.

Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the protein-calorie nutritional status of elderly hospitalized patients admitted to the hepato-gastroenterology, cardiology and internal medicine departments of the Lomé Campus University Hospital and identify the endogenous and mixed undernutrition to provide patients with better nutrition and assistance. Methodology. This cross-sectional study conducted between April 1 and July 31, 2009, included 33 hospitalized case patients aged at least 55 years and 30 age-matched outpatient control subjects. Patients were evaluated according to body mass index (BMI), the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), and their serum albumin, serum prealbumin and orosomucoid levels. Results. Among the hospitalized case patients, 37% had protein-calorie undernutrition (low serum albumin), and 73% were at risk of this undernutrition (low serum prealbumin). Five patients (16%) were endogenously undernourished and 17 (57%) exogenously undernourished. Six to 13% of the oupatient controls were undernourished and 33% at risk of undernutrition according to the MNA scale. A significant difference existed between the mean albumin values of case patients and controls (38 ± 9 g/L vs 46 ± 7 g/L, p = 0.002). Conclusion. Our results confirm that the elderly inpatients were regularly malnourished. Knowledge of their nutritional profile has allowed us to launch an improved nutritional assistance program and to supervise it properly.

Variation in the susceptibility of the forest tent caterpillar (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) to Bacillus thuringiensis variety kurstaki HD-1: effect of the host plant.

Host-mediated effect on the efficacy of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner against larvae of the forest tent caterpillar. Malacosoma disstria Hübner, was investigated under controlled conditions. Host plants used in this study were quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides Michx., a preferred host, and sugar maple, Acer saccharum Marsh., a secondary host. Larvae were reared in the laboratory on leaves of these hosts, and upon reaching the third, fourth, and fifth instar, they were fed leaves treated with one of a range of concentrations of B. thuringiensis variety kurstaki HD-1 suspensions. Larvae were tested on the host on which they were feeding before the 4-d bioassays. The estimated LC50s were 100-fold greater on quaking aspen than on sugar maple. Also, there was a decrease in efficacy over the whole ranges of concentrations with larval age on both hosts. LC50s varied approximately two-fold between third and fifth instar. These results indicate that host-mediated effects on B. thuringiensis efficacy warrant more interest. In particular, they strongly indicate that the host plant modifies the interaction between B. thuringiensis and a target insect, and offer the opportunity to investigate the mechanism(s) that may be involved in the enhancement of B. thuringiensis toxicity.