[Seroprevalence of HIV infection in pregnant women in the Annaba region (Algeria)]. / Séroprévalence de l'infection VIH chez les femmes enceintes dans la région de Annaba (Algérie).

BACKGROUND: The goal of the study is to assess the prevalence and the risk factors of the infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among pregnant women in the area of Annaba (Algeria). METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study with analytical purposes. The study included 3044 pregnant women admitted to two regional hospitals within a period of time of five months. Two Elisa tests were used to determine the prevalence of HIV infection. An analysis of medical history and serum tests for biomarkers hepatitis virus B infection, hepatitis virus C infection and syphilis to determine the possible mode of contamination, by blood or sexual transmission. RESULTS: HIV prevalence was 5.3/1000 (CI 95%; 3.12-8.37), HBV prevalence 24.7/1000 (CI 95%; 19.6-30.7), HCV prevalence 6.3/1000 (CI 95%; 3.8-9.5) and syphilis prevalence 2.6/1000 (CI 95%; 1.2-5). On average, pregnant women infected by HIV were 33+/-5 years old, married, and had three children. The analysis of the markers of exposure risk investigated in our study showed that the pregnant women infected with HIV do not compose a specific risk group. Overall our results suggest that the more probable route of HIV transmission for women of the Annaba region is via heterosexual intercourse with spouse. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HIV infection in Annaba remains high 5.3/1000, compared with the national average of 1/1000. In this region, pregnant women infected with HIV are not part of a group at particular risk. The HIV monitoring should be further strengthened in our country.

[Cholera morbidity problems in 1 of the departments of the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria]. / Nekotorye voprosy zabolevaemosti kholeroi v odnom iz regionov Alzhirskoi Narodnoi Demokraticheskoi Respubliki.

A total of 1,078 cases of bacteriologically confirmed cholera were analyzed at the period of 1979-1983. In 1981 Vibrio eltor, serotype Inaba, replaced V. cholerae, serotype Ogawa, and became the prevailing infective agent. Every year young children and persons over 50 years of age were most actively involved into the epidemic process. The peak of seasonal morbidity was observed in September-October. The appearance of the foci of infection in families was found to be slightly pronounced in cholera. 85.3% of the families had only a single case of cholera. The cases of cholera with the fatal termination of the disease were registered mostly at the beginning of the seasonal rise of morbidity and at its peak.