Epidemiology of Lyme borreliosis through two surveillance systems: the national Sentinelles GP network and the national hospital discharge database, France, 2005 to 2016.

BACKGROUND: Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most frequent vector-borne disease in France. Since 2009, surveillance of LB is conducted by a sentinel network of general practitioners (GPs). This system, in conjunction with the national hospitalisation database was used to estimate the incidence and describe the characteristics of LB in France. AIM: To describe the estimated incidence and trends in GP consultations and hospital admissions for LB in France and identify risk groups and high-incidence regions. RESULTS: From 2011 to 2016, the mean yearly incidence rate of LB cases was 53 per 100,000 inhabitants (95% CI: 41-65) ranging from 41 in 2011 to 84 per 100 000 in 2016. A mean of 799 cases per year were hospitalised with LB associated diagnoses 2005-16. The hospitalisation incidence rate (HIR) ranged from 1.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005 to 1.5 in 2011 with no statistically significant trend. We observed seasonality with a peak during the summer, important inter-regional variations and a bimodal age distribution in LB incidence and HIR with higher incidence between 5 and 9 year olds and those aged 60 years. Erythema migrans affected 633/667 (95%) of the patients at primary care level. Among hospitalised cases, the most common manifestation was neuroborreliosis 4,906/9,594 (51%). CONCLUSION: Public health strategies should focus on high-incidence age groups and regions during the months with the highest incidences and should emphasise prevention measures such as regular tick checks after exposure and prompt removal to avoid infection.

Surveillance of Zika virus infection in the EU/EEA, June 2015 to January 2017.

Surveillance of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) was implemented in 2016 in response to the large outbreak reported in the Americas in 2015 associated with an increased number of infants born with microcephaly. Between June 2015 and January 2017, 21 EU/EEA countries reported 2,133 confirmed cases of ZIKV infection, of whom 106 were pregnant women. Cases infected in the Caribbean constituted 71% of reported cases. Almost all cases (99%) were most probably infected by mosquito bite during travel outside continental Europe, while only 1% were transmitted sexually. Considering that 584 imported cases were reported between May and October 2016 among residents of areas with established presence of Aedes albopictus, the absence of autochthonous vector-borne cases suggests that Ae. albopictus is not an efficient vector for ZIKV infection.

Travel-associated and autochthonous Zika virus infection in mainland France, 1 January to 15 July 2016.

During summer 2016, all the conditions for local mosquito-borne transmission of Zika virus (ZIKV) are met in mainland France: a competent vector, Aedes albopictus, a large number of travellers returning from ZIKV-affected areas, and an immunologically naive population. From 1 January to 15 July 2016, 625 persons with evidence of recent ZIKV infection were reported in mainland France. We describe the surveillance system in place and control measures implemented to reduce the risk of infection.

Chikungunya outbreak in Montpellier, France, September to October 2014.

In October 2014, an outbreak of 12 autochthonous chikungunya cases, 11 confirmed and 1 probable, was detected in a district of Montpellier, a town in the south of France colonised by the vector Aedes albopictus since 2010. A case returning from Cameroon living in the affected district was identified as the primary case. The epidemiological investigations and the repeated vector control treatments performed in the area and around places frequented by cases helped to contain the outbreak. In 2014, the chikungunya and dengue surveillance system in mainland France was challenged by numerous imported cases due to the chikungunya epidemic ongoing in the Caribbean Islands. This first significant outbreak of chikungunya in Europe since the 2007 Italian epidemic, however, was due to an East Central South African (ECSA) strain, imported by a traveller returning from West Africa. Important lessons were learned from this episode, which reminds us that the threat of a chikungunya epidemic in southern Europe is real.

[Motivations for cannabis cessation, coping and adaptation strategies, and perceived benefits: impact on cannabis use relapse and abstinence]. / Motivations et stratégies lors d'arrêt spontané de la consommation de cannabis: quel impact sur les rechutes ?

OBJECTIVES: While cannabis has been recognized as the most illicit drug use in the world, few studies focusing on cannabis self-change and cannabis relapse or abstinence in adult non-treatment samples have been conducted. The first aim of this study was to understand cannabis self-change motives, coping and adaptation strategies and evaluating perceived benefits from cannabis cessation. The second aim was to compare, in a convenience sample of non-treatment-seeking adult cannabis smokers, motivations to quit smoking cannabis, coping and adaptive strategies, as well as perceived benefit from cessation between cannabis abstinent and participants who relapse. METHOD: Sixty-three participants (31 men and 32 women) who attempted to quit cannabis in a non-controlled environment without medical help and were enrolled. They completed the Marijuana Quit Questionnaire (MJQQ), a self-report questionnaire collecting information in three areas: sociodemographic characteristics, cannabis use history (including any associated problems), and participants' characteristics regarding their "most difficult" (self-defined) attempt to quit in a non-controlled environment. For this study the index quit attempt was characterized in two areas: reasons for quitting marijuana, coping strategies used while quitting. Two additional questionnaires were added to the MJQQ; the Brief Cope, and a questionnaire assessing perceived benefit of the cannabis quit attempt. The participants were on average 28.5 years old (±5.1), and started using cannabis on average at 15.8 years (±2.8). Seventy-four percent (n=45) of the participants met the DSM-IV criteria for cannabis dependence before cannabis cessation. T-tests were used to compare abstainers and participants who relapsed after the quit attempt. RESULTS: Realizing that cannabis induces disabling cognitive disorders such as affection of memory, concentration and attention were reported by 71% of the participant as a motivation for quitting cannabis use. Then, being more energetic (reported by 68%) and more active during the day (62%), being able to control their life (67%), proving themselves they could quit (60%), saving money (60%), as well being less worried about their health (57%) were also reported as motivations to quit cannabis use. Different coping and adaptation strategies were also reported. First, environmental strategies such as disposing of both cannabis (71%) and equipment to smoke (71%), no longer going to places where cannabis is smoked (33%) or lifestyle changes (68%) were used to cope with cannabis cessation. Then cognitive strategies such as motivation, willingness (71%), self-control and having a positive perception of the situation (68%) were also reported. Regarding coping strategies, participants accepted and learned how to live with the new situation (68%), and social support from family (32%) and friends (30%) were reported. Perceived benefits were linked with motivations for cannabis cessation. Thus, participants reported having more energy (75%), being more active (73%), less tired (70%) and recovering memory (57%) after cannabis cessation. Fifty-two percent of participants relapsed after the quit attempt. Abstainers had significantly higher scores on two subscales: the "negative impact of cannabis use on one's health and on self and social image" (t(61)=-3.84; P<0.001; d=-0.76) and "negative reinforcement (e.g. seeking relief for specific physical symptoms or social problems caused by cannabis)" (t(61)=3.56; P=0.01; d=-0.51) than non-anstainers. Non-abstainers reported significantly less social support from family (t(61)=-3.85; P<0.001, d=-0.76) and friends (t(61)=-2.22; P=00.03, d=-0.51) than abstainers. CONCLUSION: This study underlines different aspects of cannabis cessation, self-change, relapse, and abstinence. Social and family support, as well as social network appears to be of prime importance in relapses and prevention programs for cannabis use. New perspectives for research on cannabis cessation self-change and relapses are thus highlighted, notably regarding factors that could predict relapse or success in cessation of smoking cannabis. Research on cannabis self-change and relapse are warranted for both prevention and therapeutic programs.