Dermatophytosis and the associated risk factors among primary school children in southern and central Côte d'Ivoire.

BACKGROUND: Dermatophytosis, particularly the subtype tinea capitis, is common among African children; however, the risk factors associated with this condition are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the factors associated with tinea capitis and the prevalence rate of other dermatophytoses among primary school students in the rural and urban areas of the southern and central Côte d'Ivoire. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was carried out in seven towns of Côte d'Ivoire from October 2008 to July 2009, among 17,745 children aged 4-17 years and attending urban and rural primary schools; a complete physical examination of the skin and appendages, including nails and hair, was performed by the physicians. Direct microscopic examination using 30% potassium hydroxide solution and culture on Sabouraud's dextrose agar supplemented with 0.5 g/L chloramphenicol and 0.4 g/L actidione was performed during sampling. RESULTS: For the 17,745 children clinically examined, 2645 exhibited symptoms suggestive of tinea capitis. Positive cultures for dermatophytes were found in 2635 patients, and the overall prevalence rate of tinea capitis was 14.8%. The following factors, age, sex, pets at home, number of bathing daily, sharing of sponges, combs and towels and hair length, were statistically associated with tinea capitis (p < .001). In addition to tinea capitis, other superficial fungal infections were identified among these children. These included tinea corporis (0.9%), tinea unguium (0.6%) and pityriasis versicolor (0.4%). CONCLUSION: Tinea capitis is common among pupils in rural southern and central Côte d'Ivoire, especially in young boys.

Evaluation of Malaria Microscopy Diagnostic Performance at 40 Public Health Facilities in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire in 2020.

PURPOSE: Microscopic diagnosis of Giemsa-stained thick and thin blood films remained the gold standard laboratory method for the diagnosis of malaria. In this context, we felt it was important to conduct this evaluation with 40 public medical biology laboratories (MBLs) in the Abidjan 1 health region that perform blood parasitology tests to improve their implementation process. METHODS: This descriptive and analytical study took place in July 2020 and involved participating laboratories (PLs) from the public sector in Abidjan. A set of 3 blood smear slides of variable parasite densities (PDs) with assigned values (AVs) of parasite densities and assigned Plasmodium species was used. The criterion for establishing the parasite density compliance interval was assigned values of ± 25%, and the performance rates were compared to the 80% recommended by the WHO for the African region. RESULTS: Nearly a quarter (11/40) of the participating laboratories had a compliance rate greater than 80%, including 10 with a performance of 100% for the ability to identify parasites. Regarding identifying plasmodial species, a concordance rate of 100% was obtained for slide 1 for Plasmodium falciparum, while this rate was 20% for slide 2 for Plasmodium ovale. For parasite densities < 200/µl, 87.5% of the participating laboratories (PLs) had a performance rate lower than 80%, while 95% of these PLs had a performance rate higher than 80% for parasitaemia > 2000/µl. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to strengthen adapted to low parasitaemia, to improve the biological confirmation of malaria in Côte d'Ivoire.

Monitoring parasite diversity for malaria elimination in sub-Saharan Africa.

The African continent continues to bear the greatest burden of malaria and the greatest diversity of parasites, mosquito vectors, and human victims. The evolutionary plasticity of malaria parasites and their vectors is a major obstacle to eliminating the disease. Of current concern is the recently reported emergence of resistance to the front-line drug, artemisinin, in South-East Asia in Plasmodium falciparum, which calls for preemptive surveillance of the African parasite population for genetic markers of emerging drug resistance. Here we describe the Plasmodium Diversity Network Africa (PDNA), which has been established across 11 countries in sub-Saharan Africa to ensure that African scientists are enabled to work together and to play a key role in the global effort for tracking and responding to this public health threat.