ABSTRACT
The authors describe the first two cases, to their knowledge, of retinal vasculitis, associated with Q fever. The first case was a chronic infection induced by Coxiella burnetii associated with HLA group A29 and B12; in the second case, the phenotype was B12. The authors tried to determine whether this agent could be the "Birdshot chorioretinopathy" promoting factor. Several epidemiologic findings tend to prove that Q fever is not the only cause. On the other hand, its similarity with rickettsia, the fact that it is found in patients with vasculitis, suggest that it could be one of the initial causal factors.
Subject(s)
Q Fever/complications , Retinal Vessels , Retinitis/microbiology , Adult , Aged , Female , HLA-A Antigens/analysis , HLA-B Antigens/analysis , Humans , Male , Retinitis/immunology , Retrospective StudiesSubject(s)
Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome/etiology , France , Humans , Male , Romania/ethnologyABSTRACT
A sero-epidemiological study of Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses in a urban population of Cameroon. The authors report the results of a sero-epidemiological survey undertaken in a urban population of Cameroon and concerning Congo, Rift (RVF), Lassa, Ebola, Marburg and Yellow Fever Viruses. On 375 human sera tested, 1.06% show antibodies against RVF virus and 1.87% are positive for anti-Ebola antibodies thus yielding evidence that these two viruses are present in this area of Cameroon. 33.75% have antibodies against Yellow Fever Virus as determined with an Hemagglutination-inhibition test. This quite high percentage, in spite of the weak specificity of the method for this virus, could raise the problem of the opportunity of a vaccination campaign. No antibody to Marburg, Lassa or Congo viruses is detected.