Re-Emergence of DENV-3 in French Guiana: Retrospective Analysis of Cases That Circulated in the French Territories of the Americas from the 2000s to the 2023-2024 Outbreak.

French Guiana experienced an unprecedented dengue epidemic during 2023-2024. Prior to the 2023-2024 outbreak in French Guiana, DENV-3 had not circulated in an epidemic manner since 2005. We therefore studied retrospectively the strains circulating in the French Territories of the Americas (FTA)-French Guiana, Guadeloupe, and Martinique-from the 2000s to the current epidemic. To this end, DENV-3 samples from the collection of the National Reference Center for Arboviruses in French Guiana (NRCA-FG) were selected and sequenced using next-generation sequencing (NGS) based on Oxford Nanopore Technologies, ONT. Phylogenetic analysis showed that (i) the 97 FTA sequences obtained all belonged to genotype III (GIII); (ii) between the 2000s and 2013, the regional circulation of the GIII American-I lineage was the source of the FTA cases through local extinctions and re-introductions; (iii) multiple introductions of lineages of Asian origin appear to be the source of the 2019-2021 epidemic in Martinique and the 2023-2024 epidemic in French Guiana. Genomic surveillance is a key factor in identifying circulating DENV genotypes, monitoring strain evolution, and identifying import events.

Molecular epidemiology identifies the expansion of the DENV2 epidemic lineage from the French Caribbean Islands to French Guiana and mainland France, 2023 to 2024.

In 2023, dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV2) affected most French overseas territories. In the French Caribbean Islands, viral circulation continues with > 30,000 suspected infections by March 2024. Genome sequence analysis reveals that the epidemic lineage in the French Caribbean islands has also become established in French Guiana but not Réunion. It has moreover seeded autochthonous circulation events in mainland France. To guide prevention of further inter-territorial spread and DENV introduction in non-endemic settings, continued molecular surveillance and mosquito control are essential.

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in France: results from nationwide serological surveillance.

Assessment of the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections is critical for monitoring the course and extent of the COVID-19 epidemic. Here, we report estimated seroprevalence in the French population and the proportion of infected individuals who developed neutralising antibodies at three points throughout the first epidemic wave. Testing 11,000 residual specimens for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and neutralising antibodies, we find nationwide seroprevalence of 0.41% (95% CI: 0.05-0.88) mid-March, 4.14% (95% CI: 3.31-4.99) mid-April and 4.93% (95% CI: 4.02-5.89) mid-May 2020. Approximately 70% of seropositive individuals have detectable neutralising antibodies. Infection fatality rate is 0.84% (95% CI: 0.70-1.03) and increases exponentially with age. These results confirm that the nationwide lockdown substantially curbed transmission and that the vast majority of the French population remained susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 in May 2020. Our study shows the progression of the first epidemic wave and provides a framework to inform the ongoing public health response as viral transmission continues globally.

Trends and determinants of condomless sex in gonorrhoea patients diagnosed in France through the sentinel surveillance network ResIST, 2005-2014.

BACKGROUND: Gonorrhoea is increasing in France since its resurgence in the late 1990's. Understanding trends of condomless sex is a requirement to tailor prevention toward most exposed individuals. This study aims to analyse trends and determinants of condomless penetrative sex (PS) in MSM and heterosexuals diagnosed with gonorrhoea in France. METHODS: A standardized self-administered questionnaire filled by 3453 patients was used to monitor condomless sex through the sentinel surveillance network ResIST between 2005 and 2014. Trends were used to describe consistent condom use for penetrative sex (PS). A logistic regression model analysed patients' characteristics associated with condomless PS. RESULTS: Between 2005 and 2014, condomless PS increased regardless of sexual orientation. Condomless PS was particularly common among HIV positive men who have sex with men (MSM (65%)). People living in metropolitan regions outside Paris area (adjusted odds-ratio (AOR) [95% CI] =1.33[1.12-1.58]) were more likely to engage in condomless PS. Conversely, MSM (AOR [95% CI] =0.21 [0.16-0.29]), HIV seronegative patients (AOR [95% CI] =0.68 [0.51-0.89]), patients diagnosed in hospital (AOR [95% CI] = 0.66 [0.45-0.97]) and multi-partners (≥ 10 partners, AOR [95% CI] = 0.54 [0.40-0.74]) were more likely to use condoms. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight a decreasing use of condom in MSM and heterosexuals diagnosed with gonorrhoea. Prevention strategies should take in account drivers of condomless sex in a context of uncontrolled STI epidemics.

Tuberculosis treatment outcomes of notified cases: trends and determinants of potential unfavourable outcome, France, 2008 to 2014.

BackgroundSurveillance of tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcome, for which reporting has been mandatory in France since 2007, is a key component of TB control.AimWe aimed to present surveillance data for non-multidrug-resistant (MDR) cases reported between 2008 and 2014, and identify factors associated with potentially unfavourable treatment outcome.MethodsPatients were classified according to their treatment outcome 12 months after beginning treatment. Poisson regression with a robust error variance was used to investigate factors associated with potentially unfavourable treatment outcome. Missing data were handled using multiple imputation.ResultsA total of 22,526 cases were analysed for treatment outcome. Information available on treatment outcome increased between 2008 (60%) and 2014 (71%) (p < 0.001). During this period, 74.1% of cases completed treatment, increasing from 73.0% in 2008 to 76.9% in 2014 (p < 0.001). This proportion was 74.0% in culture-positive pulmonary cases. Overall, 19.8% of cases had a potentially unfavourable outcome, including lost-to-follow-up, transferred out, still on treatment, death related to TB and interrupted treatment. Potentially unfavourable outcome was significantly associated with TB severity, residing in congregate settings, homelessness, being a smear-positive pulmonary case, being born abroad and residing in France for < 2 years, history of previous anti-TB treatment and age > 85 years.ConclusionMonitoring of treatment outcome is improving over time. The increase in treatment completion over time suggests improved case management. However, treatment outcome monitoring needs to be strengthened in cases belonging to population groups where the percentage of unfavourable outcome is the highest and in cases where surveillance data shows poorer documented follow-up.

Epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile infections, France, 2010 to 2017.

BackgroundClostridioides difficile is a leading cause of healthcare-associated diarrhoea in middle and high-income countries. Up to 2018, there has been no systematic, annual surveillance for C. difficile infections (CDI) in France.AimsTo provide an updated overview of the epidemiology of CDI in France between 2010 and 2017 based on five different data sources.MethodsThis is a descriptive study of retrospective surveillance and alerts data. Incidence of CDI cases was estimated through the CDI incidence survey (2016) and data from the French National Uniform Hospital Discharge Database (PMSI; 2010-16). Testing frequency for CDI was estimated through the CDI incidence survey and point prevalence studies on healthcare-associated infections (HAI; 2012 and 2017). The national early warning response system for HAI (HAI-EWRS, 2012-17) and National Reference Laboratory data (2012-17) were used to follow the number of severe CDI cases and/or outbreaks.ResultsIn 2016, CDI incidence in acute care was 3.6 cases per 10,000 patient days (PD). There was a statistically significant increase in CDI incidence between 2010 and 2016 (+ 14% annually) and testing frequency was 47.4 per 10,000 PD. The number of CDI HAI-EWRS notifications decreased between 2015 and 2017 with only a few large outbreaks reported.ConclusionThe CDI incidence estimate increased from 2010, but remained below the European average of 7 per 10,000 PD in 2014; there were fewer severe cases or clusters reported in France. The consistency between PMSI and laboratory-based estimated CDI incidence could allow for more routine monitoring of CDI incidence.

Corrigendum: Continuous Decline of Toxoplasma gondii Seroprevalence in Hospital: A 1997-2014 Longitudinal Study in Paris, France.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02369.].

[Angst and suffering among student nurses]. / Mal-être et souffrance des étudiants en soins infirmiers.

Nurse training constitutes a radical personal change for most students, heading for a profession deemed difficult by many. A study into student nurses' stress, carried out in 2017, identifies several types of issues.

Continuous Decline of Toxoplasma gondii Seroprevalence in Hospital: A 1997-2014 Longitudinal Study in Paris, France.

Background: The protozoan Toxoplasma gondii presents a risk for reactivation of latent cysts in immunocompromised patients. Anti-T. gondii antibodies are therefore usually screened before chemotherapy or transplantation to propose prophylactic measures against this parasite. We analyzed the results obtained in our hospital to study the epidemiological trend of T. gondii infection. Methods: We collected all the anti-Toxoplasma antibody titers from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2013 using the Platelia IgG ELISA assay (Bio-Rad). The results were classified as positive when titers reached a concentration of ≥10 UI/ml. Only the first result obtained at entry for each patient was considered. T. gondii seroprevalence was estimated using a multivariate logistic regression model accounting for age, sex, and year in which the sample was collected. Results: A total of 21,480 patient samples were analyzed. The seroprevalence continuously decreased over time, from 64.5% in 1997 to 54.7% in 2013 (i.e., an average of 1.3% per year, p < 0.001). The decrease was 5.0% per year for patients <20 years. After 2013, the model predicts that the seroprevalence would continuously decrease. We also observed a higher proportion of seropositive men than women in the 15- to 45-year-old group (58.5% versus 52.0%, p < 10-3). Conclusion: The overall seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis at our hospital showed an accelerating downward trend over 17 years. The reason for this continuous decline is likely associated with the lower parasite presence within meat. Thus, although young immunocompromised patients are increasingly less at risk of reactivation in the near future, older immunocompromised patients will remain at high risk of reactivation. The reasons of the higher prevalence in men remain to be explored.

Design-based inference in time-location sampling.

Time-location sampling (TLS), also called time-space sampling or venue-based sampling is a sampling technique widely used in populations at high risk of infectious diseases. The principle is to reach individuals in places and at times where they gather. For example, men who have sex with men meet in gay venues at certain times of the day, and homeless people or drug users come together to take advantage of services provided to them (accommodation, care, meals). The statistical analysis of data coming from TLS surveys has been comprehensively discussed in the literature. Two issues of particular importance are the inclusion or not of sampling weights and how to deal with the frequency of venue attendance (FVA) of individuals during the course of the survey. The objective of this article is to present TLS in the context of sampling theory, to calculate sampling weights and to propose design-based inference taking into account the FVA. The properties of an estimator ignoring the FVA and of the design-based estimator are assessed and contrasted both through a simulation study and using real data from a recent cross-sectional survey conducted in France among drug users. We show that the estimators of prevalence or a total can be strongly biased if the FVA is ignored, while the design-based estimator taking FVA into account is unbiased even when declarative errors occur in the FVA.

HIV prevalence and sexual risk behaviors associated with awareness of HIV status among men who have sex with men in Paris, France.

A cross-sectional survey, using self-sampled finger-prick blood on blotting paper and anonymous behavioral self-administrated questionnaires was conducted in Paris in 2009 among MSM attending gay venues. Paired biological results and questionnaires were available for 886 participants. HIV seroprevalence was 17.7 % (95 % CI: 15.3-20.4). Four groups were identified according to their knowledge of their HIV biological status. Among the 157 found to be seropositive, 31 (19.7 %) were unaware of their status and reported high levels of sexual risk behaviors and frequent HIV testing in the previous 12 months. Among the 729 MSM diagnosed HIV-negative, 183 were no longer sure whether they were still HIV-negative, or had never been tested despite the fact that they engaged in at-risk sexual behaviors. This study provides the first estimate of HIV seroprevalence among MSM in Paris and underlines the specific need for combined prevention of HIV infection in this MSM population.

Increasing Role of Roof Gutters as Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Breeding Sites in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) and Consequences on Dengue Transmission and Vector Control.

During the past ten years, the islands of Guadeloupe (French West Indies) are facing dengue epidemics with increasing numbers of cases and fatal occurrences. The vector Aedes aegypti is submitted to intensive control, with little effect on mosquito populations. The hypothesis that important Ae. aegypti breeding sites are not controlled is investigated herein. For that purpose, the roof gutters of 123 houses were systematically investigated, and the percentage of gutters positive for Ae. aegypti varied from 17.2% to 37.5%, from humid to dry locations. In the dryer location, most of houses had no other breeding sites. The results show that roof gutters are becoming the most important Ae. aegypti breeding sites in some locations in Guadeloupe, with consequences on dengue transmission and vector control.

Impaired quality of life after chikungunya virus infection: a 2-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVES: To measure the frequency of and risk factors for rheumatic manifestations after chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection and to assess their impact on quality of life (QoL). METHODS: In a cohort study among 509 cases diagnosed in France, demographic and clinical characteristics were collected at baseline, and QoL status by 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36), a short form of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales 2 (AIMS2-SF) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) at follow-up. SF-36 scores were compared with population norms. Factors associated with QoL were identified in multivariate linear regression models. RESULTS: A total of 391 (77%) patients participated (53.5% female, mean age 50.2 years). Median time from onset at follow-up was 23.4 months. Among 176 recovered patients, a shorter duration of symptoms was observed in younger age groups and male patients. The probability of full recovery at 1 year was 0.39. Those not recovered were older, had more comorbidities and a longer acute stage with joint swelling. Scores of physical and mental components of the SF-36 and GHQ-12 were low. The AIMS2-SF was affected mainly in symptoms, psychological and social dimensions. Recovered patients did not differ significantly from age- and gender-matched population SF-36 norms. Older age (P = 0.01-0.002) was associated with lower SF-36 scores. Other factors associated with lower SF-36, lower GHQ12 scores and higher AIMS2-SF dimensions were lack of recovery (P = 0.017 to <0.0001), presence of comorbidity (P = 0.005 to <0.0001) and a longer duration of acute stage (P = 0.047 to <0.0001). CONCLUSION: Medical follow-up with special attention to comorbidity providing information on possible chronic symptoms and giving support for potential depression and anxiety are recommended.

Preclinical sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in French blood donors: an epidemiologic model-based study.

BACKGROUND: A recent case-control study showed that transfusion recipients were at an increased risk of developing sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), suggesting that blood donors with silent preclinical sCJD could transmit the sCJD agent. We therefore estimated the annual number of French blood donors expected to have preclinical sCJD at the time of donation. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We developed a mathematical model to estimate the number of blood donors who would subsequently develop sCJD, under various assumptions about how long their blood might be infective before clinical onset. The model used distributions by age group and sex for sCJD cases, blood donor population, French general population, and mortality in the general population. RESULTS: Using 1999 to 2008 data, modeling showed that, each year, a mean of 1.1 (standard deviation [SD], 0.3) donors were within 1 year of sCJD onset at the time of blood donation, 6.9 (SD, 0.5) donors were within 5 years, 18.0 (SD, 0.6) were within 10 years, and 33.4 (SD, 1.1) were within 15 years. CONCLUSION: Few donors are expected to be in the late preclinical stage of sCJD at the time of blood donation. This result and that of the worldwide absence of any epidemic increase in sCJD over the years indicate that this risk of transfusion-transmitted sCJD, if any, is likely to be very low.