[Epidemiologic study of human listeriosis in France, 1984]. / Etude épidémiologique de la listériose humaine en France en 1984.

To estimate the incidence rate of listeriosis in France during one year, a census of all the isolates of Listeria monocytogenes was made in 1984 by the microbiologists of 78% of the French hospitals. 630 cases of listeriosis were registered giving a yearly incidence rate of 11.3 cases for 1 million inhabitants. 353 cases (56%) were perinatal listeriosis (positive cultures for L. monocytogenes from the mother, the child or the placenta). Compared with earlier data, listeriosis seems to be more frequent in France now than ten years ago. A higher incidence rate in and around the Ile de France region and a seasonal increase in October were observed in 1984.

[Encephalitic complications of measles in 1987]. / Complications encéphalitiques de la rougeole en 1987.

Surveillance data on subacute sclerosing panencephalitis from participating virology laboratories are reported to the French National Health Laboratory from 1980 to 1987. Among 157 individuals having S.S.P.E., at least 52 cases are related to natural measles infection which occurred since 1970, the year of measles vaccine licensure. In 1987, 39 neurological complications in the acute phase of measles were confirmed by laboratories, all of them in non-immunized persons. 34 would be preventable by vaccine according to current recommendations. Though below the current number of cases, these numbers show the importance of the failure to control measles. It is essential that a program with combined measles/mumps/rubella vaccine be rapidly initiated and completely achieved.

[Non-polio enterovirus in France from 1974 to 1985. Data collected from a system of 30 hospital virology laboratories]. / Les enterovirus non poliomyélitiques en France de 1974 à 1985. Données recueillies à partir d'un réseau de trente laboratories hospitaliers de virologie.

A total of 12,097 isolates of NPEV was reported in France from 1974 through 1985 by 30 volunteers laboratories (71% of all virology laboratories). The 14 most common types which accounted for 75% of all isolates are echoviruses 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 14, 30 and 33, coxsackieviruses A9, B1 to B5. Among them, 12 are equally reported as the most common types isolated in the United States from 1970 through 1983. Echoviruses 14 and 33 are specially found in France; Echoviruses 3 and 5 in the United States. We can estimate that those 16 types are the most common EVNP in human pathology. The pattern of each type is different in the United States and in France: it seems not possible to assign an epidemic character specific to each of them. Yet epidemic types accounted for 13 to 27% of isolates in March, April, May. Among clinical manifestations, aseptic meningitis are the most frequently reported: 37% of 3,619 cases. Echoviruses are significantly most often associated with meningitis than coxsackieviruses (p less than 0.001) and coxsackieviruses more often associated with other neurological manifestations, myocarditis and pericarditis. From these results wa can suggest to simplify the typing procedures of NPEV for routine diagnosis.

[Genetics of child spinal amyotrophy : existence of 2 autosomal recessive forms]. / Génétique de lamyotrophie spinale infantile : existence de deux formes autosomiques récessives.

An analysis of within sibship resemblances in age of onset of symptoms and age of death (or at last examination) was made in families affected with infantile spinal muscular atrophy. The observed correlation coefficients, 0.52 and 0.75, favor the existence of a least two different mutant genes for the disease. In 63 families, the disease was of the acute infantile form and in 71 families it was of the chronic form. Both forms show autosomal recessive transmission.

Impact of measles in France.

Although measles vaccine has been licensed since 1968, immunization against measles has not met with much success in France, partly because the disease is no longer feared. The level of vaccination coverage appears to be less than 20%. Indeed, the present epidemiologic situation is similar to the natural situation in a developed country. A multicenter, retrospective hospital survey revealed that 1,157 patients with measles were hospitalized during a 30-month period in five areas (total population, 4.2 million). Analysis of the preliminary results of this survey and of available national data showed an incidence of 5.6-7.5 cases per 1,000 population; a hospitalization rate of one per 10,000; a death rate of 0.56 per 1 million; and a disability rate of 0.48 per 1 million. Encephalitis (the definition of which should be reappraised) occurred once in 2,850 cases, and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis was not rare (incidence, one case per 2.6 million people). The problem posed by measles is sufficiently grave to justify a national campaign urging the widespread vaccination of children.

[Rubella and congenital cataracts]. / Rubéole et cataractes congénitales.

Between April 3, 1977 and June 6, 1980, 97 children with congenital cataracts and 97 evenly matched control children were examined in order to clarify the biological criteria of congenital rubella and to estimate its importance in the etiology of congenital cataracts. Although the age limit had been fixed at 60 months, the 1978 rubella outbreak accelerated the immunization in young children and resulted in difficulties in interpreting some results. All children presenting with congenital cataracts associated with clinical symptoms of rubella embryopathy displayed anti-rubella antibodies including anti-rubella IgM up to the 13th month: they represent 16% of cases with congenital cataracts in this series. The rubella etiology could not be proven in children with clinically isolated congenital cataracts.

[Sero-epidemiology of infections due to cytomegalovirus by indirect hemagglutination technic]. / Sero-epidemiologie des infections à cytomegalovirus par la technique d'hemagglutination indirecte

Applied to cytomegalovirus, the technique of indirect hemagglutination offers a good sensitivity and reliable specificity for serological testings. Improvements in the standardization are however still required. Sero-epidemiological studies performed in different groups of children and carried out with this method led to the following results: mother-child contagium, early infection in young infants, and influence of socio-economical and ethnical factors. Studies performed on pregnant women showed that the risk of infection decreased after the first pregnancy.

[Prevention of hepatitis A by polyvalent immunoglobulins. Study in a child population]. / Prévention de l'hépatite A par immunoglobulines polyvalentes. Etude dans une collectivité d' enfants

A longitudinal study in a residential centre for the treatment of children with primary tuberculosis.

Paralytic poliomyelitis in vaccinated children.

Paralytic poliomyelitis were observed in two healthy children who both had previously received four doses of standard inactivated poliovaccine (IPV). These children, whose immune defenses were normal, failed to respond to IPV. This absence of antibody response might be related to an insufficient antigenicity of inactivated vaccines, justifying the extensive use of the more potent IPV, now produced on continuous cell lines.