[Prevalence of intestinal parasitism in the public laboratories of Martinique: development from 1988 to 1995]. / Prévalence des parasitoses intestinales dans les laboratoires publics de Martinique: évolution de 1988 à 1995.

This survey drew up the epidemiological situation of intestinal parasitism in Martinique in 1994-1995. 13,978 stool specimens collected in 1994-1995 were tested by parasitologic examination. Stool specimens were from patients hospitalised in the 3 principal hospitals of Martinique or coming to the Laboratoire départemental d'hygiène. The parasitism rate was 8.73%. This study showed a significant reduction of intestinal parasitism between results of 1988 and results of 1994-1995. The oro-faecal parasitism was not very important that reflected the good economic and sanitation level of Martinique. On the other hand, regarding the important prevalence of parasitism with Strongyloïdes stercoralis and hookworm, it would be good to improve detection, sanitary education and know better local contamination factors to decrease the prevalence of this parasitism.

[Apropos of a case of Streptococcus pneumoniae salpingitis, epidemiology of female genital pneumococcal infections]. / A propos d'un cas de salpingite à Streptococcus pneumoniae, épidemiologie des infections génitales de la femme à pneumocoque.

BACKGROUND: Pneumoccocci were sometimes isolated from female genital tract specimens, usually without any clinical signification. However few cases of female pneumococcal genital infections were previously reported. CASE REPORT: We describe an additional report of salpingitis, occurring in a 35-years old female early after installation of an intra-uterine device. DISCUSSION: Data collected by the National Reference Center for Pneumococci show that 0.9% of the strains documented in the past five years (1992 to 1996) were isolated from the female genitals tract. Most of these infections are caused by S. pneumoniae belonging to the serotypes 1 or 3. About 20% of the strains displayed a reduced sensitivity to penicillin. Although genital infections caused by S. pneumoniae and the neonatal colonisation with the maternal strain are rare, their potential occurrence should not be neglected. Thus, in order to limit the risks of such infections, an antibiotic treatment should immediately started following the detection of a pneumococcal genital carriage.

[Antibiotics resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Results from the Brittany registry for 1999]. / Etat de la résistance aux antibiotiques de Streptococcus pneumoniae dans la région Bretagne. Résultats de l'Observatoire Régional du Pneumocoque pour l'année 1999.

Throughout 1999, clinical microbiology laboratories of 13 hospitals in Brittany have recovered Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates in 832 patients, 312 (37.5%) female and 518 (62.2%) male. Two hundred fifty five of them (30.6%) were children. One hundred eighty eight isolates were recovered from blood cultures (22.6%), 16 from CSF (1.9%), 449 from lungs (54%), and 88 from ear exsudates (10.6%).A 5 microgram oxacillin-disk test was used to detect isolates with reduced susceptibility to penicillin G. Determination of MICs of penicillin G, amoxicillin and cefotaxime were then performed by agar dilution method on 402 strains previously categorized resistant or intermediate. Five hundred forty six isolates were PSDP, 33.5% of them were resistant to penicillin G, 2.2% to amoxicillin and 0.2% to cefotaxime. As expected, a decreased susceptibility to beta-lactamins was frequently associated with resistance to macrolides, cotrimoxazole and tetracycline. Among PSDP, the most prevalent serotypes were 23 (23.7%), 14 (23.5%) and 19 (19.1%). In Brittany, the constant rise of PSDP (1993-1994: 28.5%; 1997: 56.4%; 1999: 65.6 %) could be perhaps explain by analysis of social and demographic data.