Nutritional, clinical and immunological status of children at HIV diagnosis in the continental region of Equatorial Guinea.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the nutritional, clinical and immunological status of children at HIV diagnosis in the continental region of Equatorial Guinea. METHODS: Children <18 years diagnosed with HIV between 2009 and 2017 were included. Clinical, immunological and nutritional data were collected. Weight-for-height, weight-for-age and height-for-age Z-scores were calculated using WHO Child Growth Standards. The population was assessed in two equal periods (2009-2013 and 2014-2017) from the time of diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 213 children were diagnosed with HIV (49.3% males), median age 3.8 years (IQR: 1.5-8.2). A total of 121 cases (56.8%) were at WHO clinical stage III, and 53 (24.9%) were at WHO clinical stage IV. CDC immunological stage II was diagnosed in 51/130 (39.2%) and CDC stage III in 44/130 (33.8%). About 56.2% of children were underweight (weight-for-age <-2 SD); 20.1% moderately and 36.1% severely so. About 27.6% of children were wasted (weight-for-height <-2 SD); 11.9% moderately and 15.7% severely so. About 56.3% of children were stunted (height-for-age <-2 SD); 20.7% moderately and 35.6% severely so. The prevalence of wasting was higher in children ≤5 years than in children >5 years (36.4% vs. 19.1%, P = 0.026). In the second period, the prevalence of moderate-severe immunodeficiency decreased (87.2% to 67.0%, P = 0.018), without significant differences in the other nutritional or clinical data. Severe underweight was a risk factor for moderate-severe immunodeficiency (aOR: 4 [95% CI: 1.4-11.4], P = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: We highlight a high proportion of malnutrition at the time of HIV diagnosis in Guinea´s paediatric population. Early diagnosis of HIV infection is a priority, achievable by training Guinea´s physicians to suspect HIV early, introducing HIV molecular diagnostic techniques and ensuring intensive nutritional treatment.

OBJECTIF: Evaluer le statut nutritionnel, clinique et immunologique des enfants au moment du diagnostic du VIH dans la région continentale de la Guinée équatoriale. MÉTHODES: Les enfants de moins de 18 ans diagnostiqués avec le VIH entre 2009 et 2017 ont été inclus. Les données cliniques, immunologiques et nutritionnelles ont été collectées. Les scores Z du poids pour la taille, du poids pour l'âge et de la taille pour l'âge ont été calculés en utilisant les normes de croissance de l'enfant de l'OMS. La population a été évaluée en deux périodes égales (2009-2013 et 2014-2017) à partir du moment du diagnostic. RÉSULTATS: 213 enfants ont été diagnostiqués avec le VIH (49,3% de sexe masculin), âge médian de 3,8 ans (IQR: 1,5-8,2). 121 cas (56,8%) étaient au stade clinique III de l'OMS et 53 (24,9%) étaient au stade clinique IV de l'OMS. Le stade immunologique II du CDC a été diagnostiqué chez 51/130 (39,2%) et le stade III du CDC chez 44/130 (33,8%). 56,2% des enfants avaient un poids insuffisant (poids pour âge <-2 écart type [ET]); 20,1% modérément et 36,1% sévèrement. 27,6% des enfants étaient émaciés (poids pour taille <-2 ET); 11,9% modérément et 15,7% sévèrement. 56,3% des enfants avaient un retard de croissance (taille pour l'âge <-2 ET); 20,7% modérément et 35,6% sévèrement. La prévalence de l'émaciation était plus élevée chez les enfants ≤5 ans que chez les enfants > 5 ans (36,4% contre 19,1%; P = 0,026). Dans la deuxième période, la prévalence de l'immunodéficience modérée à sévère a diminué (87,2% à 67,0% ; P = 0,018), sans différences significatives dans les autres données nutritionnelles ou cliniques. L'insuffisance pondérale sévère était un facteur de risque d'immunodéficience modérée à sévère (aOR: 4 [IC95%: 1,4-11,4] ; P = 0,010). CONCLUSIONS: Nous mettons en évidence ici une forte proportion de malnutrition au moment du diagnostic du VIH dans la population pédiatrique guinéenne. Le diagnostic précoce de l'infection par le VIH est une priorité, réalisable en formant les médecins guinéens à identifier le VIH tôt, en introduisant des techniques de diagnostic moléculaire du VIH et en assurant un traitement nutritionnel intensif.

Molecular evidence of a Trypanosoma brucei gambiense sylvatic cycle in the human african trypanosomiasis foci of Equatorial Guinea.

Gambiense trypanosomiasis is considered an anthroponotic disease. Consequently, control programs are generally aimed at stopping transmission of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (T. b. gambiense) by detecting and treating human cases. However, the persistence of numerous foci despite efforts to eliminate this disease questions this strategy as unique tool to pursue the eradication. The role of animals as a reservoir of T. b. gambiense is still controversial, but could partly explain maintenance of the infection at hypo-endemic levels. In the present study, we evaluated the presence of T. b. gambiense in wild animals in Equatorial Guinea. The infection rate ranged from 0.8% in the insular focus of Luba to more than 12% in Mbini, a focus with a constant trickle of human cases. The parasite was detected in a wide range of animal species including four species never described previously as putative reservoirs. Our study comes to reinforce the hypothesis that animals may play a role in the persistence of T. b. gambiense transmission, being particularly relevant in low transmission settings. Under these conditions the integration of sustained vector control and medical interventions should be considered to achieve the elimination of gambiense trypanosomiasis.

Glossina palpalis palpalis populations from Equatorial Guinea belong to distinct allopatric clades.

BACKGROUND: Luba is one of the four historical foci of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) on Bioko Island, in Equatorial Guinea. Although no human cases have been detected since 1995, T. b. gambiense was recently observed in the vector Glossina palpalis palpalis. The existence of cryptic species within this vector taxon has been previously suggested, although no data are available regarding the evolutionary history of tsetse flies populations in Bioko. METHODS: A phylogenetic analysis of 60 G. p. palpalis from Luba was performed sequencing three mitochondrial (COI, ND2 and 16S) and one nuclear (rDNA-ITS1) DNA markers. Phylogeny reconstruction was performed by Distance Based, Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference methods. RESULTS: The COI and ND2 mitochondrial genes were concatenated and revealed 10 closely related haplotypes with a dominant one found in 61.1% of the flies. The sequence homology of the other 9 haplotypes compared to the former ranged from 99.6 to 99.9%. Phylogenetic analysis clearly clustered all island samples with flies coming from the Western African Clade (WAC), and separated from the flies belonging to the Central Africa Clade (CAC), including samples from Mbini and Kogo, two foci of mainland Equatorial Guinea. Consistent with mitochondrial data, analysis of the microsatellite motif present in the ITS1 sequence exhibited two closely related genotypes, clearly divergent from the genotypes previously identified in Mbini and Kogo. CONCLUSIONS: We report herein that tsetse flies populations circulating in Equatorial Guinea are composed of two allopatric subspecies, one insular and the other continental. The presence of these two G. p. palpalis cryptic taxa in Equatorial Guinea should be taken into account to accurately manage vector control strategy, in a country where trypanosomiasis transmission is controlled but not definitively eliminated yet.