Cooperation for malaria control and elimination in the Guiana Shield.

The Guiana Shield, a small region of South America, is currently one of the main hotspots of malaria transmission on the continent. This Amazonian area is characterised by remarkable socioeconomic, cultural, health, and political heterogeneity and a high degree of regional and cross-border population mobility, which has contributed to the increase of malaria in the region in the past few years. In this context, regional cooperation to control malaria represents both a challenge and an indispensable initiative. This Viewpoint advocates for the creation of a regional cooperative mechanism for the elimination of malaria in the Guiana Shield. This strategy would help address operational and political obstacles to successful technical cooperation in the region and could contribute to reversing the regional upsurge in malaria incidence through creating a functional international control and elimination partnership.

Social determinants of health among people working on informal gold mines in French Guiana: a multicentre cross-sectional survey.

INTRODUCTION: Social determinants of health, such as living and working conditions, economical and environmental context and access to care, combine to impact the health of individuals and communities. In French Guiana (FG), the persons working in informal artisanal and small-scale gold mining in the rainforest are a particularly vulnerable population which lives in precarious conditions and far from the health system. Previous studies have demonstrated their high morbidity due to infectious diseases. This study aims to describe the social determinants of health in this specific population. METHODS: This international multicentre cross-sectional survey included people working on the informal FG gold mines at the crossing points located at both borders with Suriname and Brazil. After collecting written informed consent, a structured questionnaire was administered. RESULTS: From September to December 2022, 539 gold miners were included. These poorly educated migrants, mainly from Brazil (99.1%) did not have access to drinkable water (95.4%), lived in close contact with wild fauna by hunting, eating bushmeat or being bitten and were exposed to mercury by inhalation (58.8%) or ingestion (80.5%). They report frequent accidents (13.5%) and chronic treatment interruptions (26.6% of the 11.9% reporting chronic treatment). Half of them considered themselves in good health (56.4%). CONCLUSION: This study shows a singular combination of adverse exposures of gold miners working in FG such as zoonoses, heavy metal poisoning, aggression of wild fauna. For ethical as well as public health reasons, actions towards health equity must be considered at different levels: individual, community, environmental, systemic and global level. As end users of minerals, we must assume our responsibilities for the well-being of the extractors by including health in political decisions to engage together in global health. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05540470.

From an interventional study to a national scale-up: lessons learned from the Malakit strategy at the French Guiana-Suriname border.

Scaling-up an experimental intervention is always a challenge. On the border between French Guiana, Brazil and Suriname, an interventional study demonstrated the effectiveness of distributing self-diagnosis and self-treatment kits (Malakits) to control malaria in mobile and hard-to-reach populations. Its integration into the Suriname's National Malaria Elimination Plan after a 2-year experiment faced numerous challenges, including human resources to cope with the additional workload of coordinators and to maintain the motivation of community health workers. The economic recession in Suriname, the Covid pandemic, and logistical issues also hampered the scale-up. Finally, thanks to the commitment of stakeholders in Suriname and French Guiana, the integration of Malakit distribution into the Surinamese national programme was proved possible.

COVID-19 and Vaccination: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of People Working on Illegal Gold Mining Sites in French Guiana.

INTRODUCTION: French Guiana is a French territory bordering Brazil and Suriname where the COVID-19 pandemic has severely strained the French Guianese health system. The people working on illegal gold mining sites in French Guiana, also known as garimpeiros, are mainly of Brazilian origin. Their health conditions are precarious, they live under the radar of the surveillance system and therefore, assessment of their health is quite challenging.. The objective of this study was to describe their knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding COVID-19 and vaccination against this infection. METHODS: We conducted an international multicenter cross-sectional survey between 1 March 2022 and 30 April 2022 in French Guiana and Suriname, using a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: Eighty persons were included, 95.0% of whom were Brazilian. Most had good general knowledge of COVID-19. Antibiotic prophylaxis had been practiced by 10.0% of participants. Forty-three people thought they had been infected with COVID-19 (53.8%). Self-medication was frequent, often with antibiotics (32.6%, mostlychloroquine, ivermectin or azithromycin) and most had not consulted a physician for symptoms of COVID-19. A majority (62.5%) had received at least one dose of vaccine. Those who were ever tested for COVID-19 were the most likely to be vaccinated (PR = 1.98, p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Garimpeiros have a good level of knowledge about COVID-19 but the high consumption of antibiotics raises concerns about the selection of resistant bacteria. The vaccination rate was higher than that of the Guianese population. The most vaccinated individuals were those who had already taken a COVID test suggesting that these individuals had more exposure to the disease, were more health conscious, or had easier access to health centers.

Involving hard-to-reach populations is pivotal for the tailoring and implementation of an epidemiological study in cross-border communities of French Guiana and Suriname.

Background: Hard-to-reach, vulnerable and cross-border populations are often disproportionately affected by communicable diseases. Epidemiological data on viral hepatitis in French Guiana and Suriname are available for urban areas, but not for remote communities. The Maroni River, which separates FG and Suriname, is home to Tribal and Indigenous communities. Reaching these populations is challenging due to logistical constraints, cultural and language barriers, and mistrust of outsiders. Objectives: We aimed to conduct an epidemiological study of viral hepatitis [Maroni Hepatites Virales (MaHeVi)] in this remote and complex area. Here, we describe the operational hurdles and solutions required to achieve this. Methods: We undertook a preliminary assessment of the area with local community leaders and health workers to gain approval of MaHeVi, acceptance of blood sampling, and suggestions for adapting the study to cultural and logistical constraints. Anthropological assessments were conducted through focus groups and interviews with key individuals to assess knowledge, beliefs and risk factors for VH. Results: MaHeVi was well received by the local communities. The approval of the community leaders was crucial for the implementation and acceptance of the study. The main adaptations were hiring community health mediators to overcome cultural and language differences, using blotting paper instead of venipuncture for logistical and acceptability reasons, and adapting communication materials. Conclusion: Careful preparation and tailoring of the communication materials and research protocol have enabled the successful implementation of the study. This process could be replicated in this area and transferred to other complex contexts combining borders, logistical hurdles and populations requiring cultural adaptations.

Automated and combined HIV, HBV, HCV, and syphilis testing among illegal gold miners in French Guiana using a standardized dried blood device.

Blood spotted onto filter paper can be easily collected outside healthcare facilities and shipped to a central laboratory for serological testing. However, dried blood testing generally requires manual processing for pre-analytical steps. In this study, we used a standardized blood collection device combined with an automated elution system to test illegal gold miners living in French Guiana for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and syphilis. We included 378 participants, 102 females and 266 males, in three illegal gold mining resting sites. Blood collected on the Ser-Col device (Labonovum) was eluted using an automated system (SCAUT Ser-Col automation, Blok System Supply) and an automated analyzer (Alinity i, Abbott). Ser-Col results were compared to both plasma results, considered the gold standard, and to Dried blood Spot (DBS) results, considered the reference sampling method using dried blood. In plasma samples, two participants (0.5%) tested positive for HIV, six (1.5%) tested positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), eight were weakly positive for anti-HCV antibodies but negative for HCV RNA, and 47 tested positive for treponemal antibodies (12.4%), including 20 females (19.6%) and 27 males (9.8%, p= 0.010179). We observed a full concordance of Ser-Col and DBS results for HIV diagnosis compared to plasma results. Ser-Col and DBS samples tested positive in five HBsAg carriers and negative for one participant with a low HBsAg level in plasma (0.5 IU/mL). All participants tested negative for HCV in Ser-Col and DBS samples, including the eight participants who tested low positive for HCV antibodies and HCV RNA negative in plasma. Among syphilis seropositive participants, 41 (87.2%) and 40 (85.1%) tested positive for treponemal antibodies in Ser-Col and DBS samples, respectively. The Ser-Col method allows automated dried blood testing of HIV, HBV, HCV and syphilis with performances comparable to DBS. Automated approaches to test capillary blood transported on dried blood devices may facilitate large-scale surveys and improve testing of populations living in remote areas.

Ethnic differences in hepatitis A and E virus seroprevalence in patients attending the Emergency Department, Paramaribo, Suriname.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) have enteric modes of transmission and are common causes of acute hepatitis in low- and middle-income countries. HEV is also characterised as a zoonotic infection and is prevalent in high-income countries. Data on HAV and HEV prevalence in Suriname, a middle-income country in South America, are scarce. METHODS: Serum samples of 944 and 949 randomly selected patients attending the Emergency Department at the Academic Hospital of Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname, were analysed for anti-HAV antibodies (anti-HAV) and anti-HEV antibodies (anti-HEV), respectively. Determinants of anti-HAV and anti-HEV positive serology were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Anti-HAV prevalence was 58.3% (95% CI 55.4 to 61.4%) and higher prevalence was independently associated with belonging to the Tribal or Indigenous population and older age. Anti-HEV prevalence was 3.7% (95% CI 2.6 to 5.0%) and higher prevalence was associated with Tribal and Creole ethnicity and older age. CONCLUSIONS: In Suriname, exposure to HAV is consistent with a very low endemic country and exposure to HEV was rare. Both viruses were more prevalent in specific ethnic groups. As anti-HAVantibodies were less frequently found in younger individuals, they could be susceptible to potential HAV outbreaks and might require HAV vaccination.

Training-of-trainers program for community health workers involved in an innovative and community-based intervention against malaria among goldminers in the Guiana shield: a quality and effectiveness evaluation.

Introduction: An innovative and community-based intervention is implemented in the Guiana Shield to eliminate malaria among people involved in artisanal and small-scale gold mining. The intervention consists of the distribution of malaria self-management kits to goldminers and the presumptive treatment for individuals at risk of carrying Plasmodium vivax hypnozoites. The intervention is possible owing to community health workers (CHWs) who are previously trained to master all intervention procedures, including health education activities and goldmining training. This study aimed to evaluate the training program provided to CHWs in terms of quality and effectiveness. Methods: A training-of-trainers program for CHWs has been developed based on the CDC framework. A mixed-method case study was implemented in two steps between February and March 2023. The evaluation was based on a knowledge survey, satisfaction test, observations, and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed and triangulated. Results: A total of 20 CHWs participated in the training and the first-step evaluation. For the second step, four semi-structured interviews were conducted. The Qualitative data showed that group dynamics and adaptations were central elements of a high-quality training program. Quantitative analysis found that CHWs' satisfaction was elevated (> 4/5 overall), especially regarding format and learning results. Improvements in knowledge level demonstrated good effectiveness (pre-training vs. post-training, p < 0.05). Nevertheless, some difficulties persisted regarding tasks of the intervention procedure, such as informed consent and smartphone application procedures (with an inaccuracy rate of 29.2% and 16.7%, respectively). Further on-the-job training permitted to address these issues. The project team's previous experience and the Guiana Shield countries' commitment to the WHO-E-2025-initiative were identified as levers for the quality of the training, while the complexity of the project context was a challenge. Discussion: High-quality, effective, and appropriate training programs are required for effective and sustainable interventions involving CHW profiles. Training design is a crucial point to address to accomplish quality and effectiveness. The training-of-trainers model has been shown to allow a high level of satisfaction, good learning results, and satisfactory implementation in the field. Initial and continuing training is an indispensable continuum to sustain good practices in the field and CHWs' motivation. Training evaluation permits standardizing methods and facilitates transferability.

Impact of Malakit intervention on perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to malaria among workers in clandestine gold mines in French Guiana: results of multicentric cross-sectional surveys over time.

BACKGROUND: Clandestine gold miners remain key hosts for malaria in French Guiana (FG) and contribute to imported malaria cases in Suriname and Brazil. The Malakit intervention, implemented in FG borders with Suriname and Brazil, provided gold miners with training on malaria and kits for self-diagnosis and self-treatment. Having shown a likely impact on malaria transmission, Suriname has now implemented it in routine care for cross-border moving populations. However, a decrease in malaria transmission is frequently associated with a decrease in risk perception, knowledge, and good practices regarding malaria. This study aims to describe the evolution of the perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to malaria among clandestine gold miners between 2015 and 2019, and to estimate the impact of Malakit on the FG/Suriname border. METHODS: The primary outcome was the overall KAP score over time and among participants and not participants in the Malakit intervention. A propensity score matching analysis and an inverse probability of treatment weighing analysis were used to estimate the Average Treatment effect on the Treated and the Average Treatment Effect of Malakit, respectively. RESULTS: Perception and knowledge scores were significantly lower in 2019 compared to 2015 (- 0.27 and - 0.23 points, respectively, p < 0.001) while attitude and practice scores were higher (+ 0.16 and + 0.47 points, respectively, p < 0.001). The overall KAP score was significantly higher among participants in Malakit with both propensity score matching (+ 0.72 points, 95%IC [0.29; 1.15]) and inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis (+ 0.70 points, 95%IC [0.34; 1.05]). CONCLUSION: A decrease in perception and knowledge about malaria but an improvement of attitudes and practices as the incidence of malaria decreased are observed. The Malakit intervention seems to have a significant positive impact on the overall KAP related to malaria. The integration of this strategy into malaria control programmes could help to improve the KAP, even in areas where malaria is nearly eliminated, through optimal training and health empowerment. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT03695770.

Sexually transmitted infections on the border between Suriname and French Guiana: A scoping review.

Purpose: The Maroni basin -delineating the border between Suriname and French Guiana- presents sociocultural, geographical and economic circumstances that have been conducive to the circulation of sexually transmitted infections and to delays in diagnosis and care. Given the scarcity of published data, we aimed to describe different sexually transmitted infections along the Maroni and to gain a broader understanding of the epidemiologic situation. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of the efforts to approach the problem of sexually transmitted infections in this complex border area. Temporal trends were plotted and crude numbers were divided by local population numbers. Results: For HIV, despite increasing testing efforts, most patients still present at the advanced HIV stage (median CD4 count at diagnosis is < 20 per mm3), and 25% of patients in Saint Laurent du Maroni were lost to follow-up within 6 years. However, progress on both sides has led to a decline in AIDS cases and mortality. Despite a rapid increase in the 1990's along the Maroni, the current HIV prevalence seemed lower (0.52%) in the rural villages than in coastal urban centers (> 1%). High risk HPV infection prevalence among women reaches 23.3%. The incidence of gonorrhea was 4.2 per 1,000 population aged 15-59. For chlamydiasis it was 3.4 per 1,000 population aged 15-59. For syphilis, the incidence was 2.5 per 1,000 population aged 15-59. Gonorrhea, chlamydiasis, hepatitis B detection increased over time with greater testing efforts and new diagnostic tests. Since the COVID-19 epidemic, congenital syphilis has dramatically increased in Saint Laurent du Maroni reaching 808 per 100,000 live births. Conclusion: Sexually transmitted infections seemed more prevalent in Saint Laurent du Maroni -the sole urban center-than in the remote villages along the Maroni. The syndromic approach and the heterogeneity of diagnostic platforms presumably overlook most infections in the region. Therefore, a concerted approach and a shared diagnostic upgrade with molecular diagnosis and rapid diagnostic tests seem necessary to reduce the burden of sexually transmitted infections on both sides of the Maroni. Congenital syphilis resulting from COVID-19 disruption of health services requires urgent attention.

Sexual and addictive risk behaviors and sexually transmitted infections in illegal gold miners in French Guiana: A multicenter observational study.

OBJECTIVES: Common representations of the world of gold mining-especially illegal-are usually negative: the activity conjures up images of drug trafficking, human exploitation, the sex trade, environmental destruction, and infectious diseases, in particular sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The aim of the present article is to describe the levels of risk behaviors such as transactional sex, multiple sexual partners, and the frequency of condom use, addictive substance consumption, and the prevalence of STIs among the population of illegal gold miners in French Guiana (FG), a French overseas entity in Amazonia, in order to guide potential interventions. METHODS: An observational multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out from October to December 2019 along the two borders of FG with Suriname and Brazil at rest sites used by the miners. RESULTS: Among the 499 participants, transactional sex was very prevalent, declared by 33.5% of men and 8.4% of women. Condoms were more frequently used for transactional sex than with a non-commercial partner (93.4% versus 42.1%). More women were tested for HIV than men (91.1% versus 55.2%). Excessive alcohol consumption (57.3%%) and tobacco use (41.2%) were very frequent, but cocaine or crack consumption was low (1.2%), which refuted our initial assumption. Consumers of alcohol had more sexual partners and reported condom use more frequently. Prevalence of HIV, HCV, HBV, and syphilis was respectively 0.5% (95% CI: 0.1-2.1), 2.1% (95% CI: 0.7-3.6), 1.6% (95% CI: 0.3-2.8), and 12.4% (95% CI: 9.0-15.7), which was higher than in the local population, especially for syphilis. CONCLUSION: This study documents for the first time the risk behaviors of gold miners in FG. Although the level of condom use was high, the prevalence of STIs combined with the high rate of transactional sex should encourage an increase in prevention and screening, in particular through rapid tests, given the mobility of the population concerned.

Zoonoses and gold mining: A cross-sectional study to assess yellow fever immunization, Q fever, leptospirosis and leishmaniasis among the population working on illegal mining camps in French Guiana.

BACKGROUND: Most emerging pathogens are zoonoses and have a wildlife origin. Anthropization and disruption of ecosystems favor the crossing of inter-species barriers. We hypothesize that the marginalized population of undocumented goldminers in the Amazon is at risk of acquiring zoonoses. METHOD: A multicentric cross-sectional study included consenting gold-mining adult workers in 2019. A clinical examination recorded dermatological signs of leishmaniosis and past history of yellow fever vaccination. Biological tests were performed for yellow fever, Q fever and leptospirosis serologies. Additional blood samples from a previous study in 2015 were also tested for leptospirosis. RESULTS: In 2019, 380 individuals were included in the study, along with 407 samples from the 2015 biological collection. The seroprevalence of leptospirosis was 31.0% [95%CI = 26.4-35.5] in 2015 and 28.1% [23.5-32.7] in 2019. The seroprevalence of Q fever was 2.9% [1.2-4.6]. The majority of participants reported being vaccinated against yellow fever (93.6%) and 97.9% had seroneutralizing antibodies. The prevalence of suspected active mucocutaneous leishmaniasis was 2.4% [0.8-3.9]. DISCUSSION: These unique data shed new light on the transmission cycles of zoonoses still poorly understood in the region. They support the existence of a wild cycle of leptospirosis but not of Q fever. Leishmaniasis prevalence was high because of life conditions and tree felling. High yellow fever vaccine coverage was reassuring in this endemic area. In the era of global health, special attention must be paid to these vulnerable populations in direct contact with the tropical ecosystem and away from the health care system.

Tailoring Mobile Data Collection for Intervention Research in a Challenging Context: Development and Implementation in the Malakit Study.

BACKGROUND: An interventional study named Malakit was implemented between April 2018 and March 2020 to address malaria in gold mining areas in French Guiana, in collaboration with Suriname and Brazil. This innovative intervention relied on the distribution of kits for self-diagnosis and self-treatment to gold miners after training by health mediators, referred to in the project as facilitators. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to describe the process by which the information system was designed, developed, and implemented to achieve the monitoring and evaluation of the Malakit intervention. METHODS: The intervention was implemented in challenging conditions at five cross-border distribution sites, which imposed strong logistical constraints for the design of the information system: isolation in the Amazon rainforest, tropical climate, and lack of reliable electricity supply and internet connection. Additional constraints originated from the interaction of the multicultural players involved in the study. The Malakit information system was developed as a patchwork of existing open-source software, commercial services, and tools developed in-house. Facilitators collected data from participants using Android tablets with ODK (Open Data Kit) Collect. A custom R package and a dashboard web app were developed to retrieve, decrypt, aggregate, monitor, and clean data according to feedback from facilitators and supervision visits on the field. RESULTS: Between April 2018 and March 2020, nine facilitators generated a total of 4863 form records, corresponding to an average of 202 records per month. Facilitators' feedback was essential for adapting and improving mobile data collection and monitoring. Few technical issues were reported. The median duration of data capture was 5 (IQR 3-7) minutes, suggesting that electronic data capture was not taking more time from participants, and it decreased over the course of the study as facilitators become more experienced. The quality of data collected by facilitators was satisfactory, with only 3.03% (147/4849) of form records requiring correction. CONCLUSIONS: The development of the information system for the Malakit project was a source of innovation that mirrored the inventiveness of the intervention itself. Our experience confirms that even in a challenging environment, it is possible to produce good-quality data and evaluate a complex health intervention by carefully adapting tools to field constraints and health mediators' experience. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03695770; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03695770.

Implementation of a novel malaria management strategy based on self-testing and self-treatment in remote areas in the Amazon (Malakit): confronting a-priori assumptions with reality.

BACKGROUND: A novel strategy to combat malaria was tested using a methodology adapted to a complex setting in the Amazon region and a hard-to-reach, mobile community. The intervention strategy tested was the distribution, after training, of malaria self-management kits to gold miners who cross the Surinamese and Brazilian borders with French Guiana to work illegally in the remote mining sites in the forest of this French overseas entity. MAIN TEXT: This article aims at presenting all process and implementation outcomes following the Conceptual Framework of Implementation Fidelity i.e. adherence, including content and exposure, and moderators, comprising participant responsiveness, quality of delivery, facilitation strategies, and context. The information sources are the post-intervention survey, data collected longitudinally during the intervention, a qualitative study, data collected during an outreach mission to a remote gold mining site, supervisory visit reports, in-depth feedback from the project implementers, and videos self-recorded by facilitators based on opened ended questions. As expected, being part of or close to the study community was an essential condition to enable deliverers, referred to as "facilitators", to overcome the usual wariness of this gold mining population. Overall, the content of the intervention was in line with what was planned. With an estimated one third of the population reached, exposure was satisfactory considering the challenging context, but improvable by increasing ad hoc off-site distribution according to needs. Participant responsiveness was the main strength of the intervention, but could be enhanced by reducing the duration of the process to get a kit, which could be disincentive in some places. Regarding the quality of delivery, the main issue was the excess of information provided to participants rather than a lack of information, but this was corrected over time. The expected decrease in malaria incidence became a source of reduced interest in the kit. Expanding the scope of facilitators' responsibilities could be a suitable response. Better articulation with existing malaria management services is recommended to ensure sustainability. CONCLUSIONS: These findings supplement the evaluation outcomes for assessing the relevance of the strategy and provide useful information to perpetuate and transfer it in comparable contexts. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov.  NCT03695770 . 10/02/2018 "Retrospectively registered".

Zika Virus Antibody Titers Three Years after Confirmed Infection.

BACKGROUND: In 2015-2016, a large Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak occurred in the Americas. Although the exact ZIKV antibody kinetics after infection are unknown, recent evidence indicates the rapid waning of ZIKV antibodies in humans. Therefore, we aimed to determine the levels of ZIKV antibodies more than three years after a ZIKV infection. METHODS: We performed ZIKV virus neutralization tests (VNT) and a commercial ZIKV non-structural protein 1 (NS1) IgG ELISA in a cohort of 49 participants from Suriname who had a polymerase-chain-reaction-confirmed ZIKV infection more than three years ago. Furthermore, we determined the presence of antibodies against multiple dengue virus (DENV) antigens. RESULTS: The ZIKV seroprevalence in this cohort, assessed with ZIKV VNT and ZIKV NS1 IgG ELISA, was 59.2% and 63.3%, respectively. There was, however, no correlation between these two tests. Furthermore, we did not find evidence of a potential negative influence of DENV immunity on ZIKV antibody titers. CONCLUSIONS: ZIKV seroprevalence, assessed with two commonly used serological tests, was lower than expected in this cohort of participants who had a confirmed previous ZIKV infection. This can have implications for future ZIKV seroprevalence studies and possibly for the duration of immunological protection after a ZIKV infection.

Human Q Fever on the Guiana Shield and Brazil: Recent Findings and Remaining Questions.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In this review, we report on the state of knowledge about human Q fever in Brazil and on the Guiana Shield, an Amazonian region located in northeastern South America. There is a contrast between French Guiana, where the incidence of this disease is the highest in the world, and other countries where this disease is practically non-existent. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent findings are essentially in French Guiana where a unique strain MST17 has been identified; it is probably more virulent than those usually found with a particularly marked pulmonary tropism, a mysterious animal reservoir, a geographical distribution that raises questions. SUMMARY: Q fever is a bacterial zoonosis due to Coxiella burnetii that has been reported worldwide. On the Guiana Shield, a region mostly covered by Amazonian forest, which encompasses the Venezuelan State of Bolivar, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and the Brazilian State of Amapá, the situation is very heterogeneous. While French Guiana is the region reporting the highest incidence of this disease in the world, with a single infecting clone (MST 117) and a unique epidemiological cycle, it has hardly ever been reported in other countries in the region. This absence of cases raises many questions and is probably due to massive under-diagnosis. Studies should estimate comprehensively the true burden of this disease in the region.

Setting-up a cross-border action-research project to control malaria in remote areas of the Amazon: describing the birth and milestones of a complex international project (Malakit).

BACKGROUND: In French Guiana, gold miners working illegally represents a major reservoir of malaria. This mobile population, mainly of Brazilian descent, enters the French Guianese forest from neighbouring countries, Suriname and Brazil. A complex and innovative intervention was piloted as a cooperation with the three involved countries involved to control malaria in this specific population. The principle was that health workers called "facilitators" provide the participants with a self-diagnosis and self-treatment kit along with adequate training and material to rapidly manage an episode of malaria symptoms on their own, when they find themselves isolated from health care services. METHODS: This paper describes the design, development, content of the intervention and players' organization of this multi-country project, the opportunities and constraints encountered, and the lessons learnt at this stage. RESULTS: The choice not to implement the usual "Test and Treat" approach within the community is mainly driven by regulatory reasons. The content of medical messages tends to balance the tension between thoroughness, accuracy and efficacy. The wide range of tools developed through a participatory approach was intended to cope with the challenges of the literacy level of the target population. Despite the difficulties encountered due to language, regulation differences and distance between partners, cooperation was fruitful, due to the complementary of stakeholders, their involvement at all important stages and regular face-to-face meetings. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This experience shows the feasibility of an ambitious project of action-research in a border malaria context, involving several countries and with a mobile and undocumented population. It reveals some factors of success which may be transferable in analogous settings.

Self-diagnosis and self-treatment of malaria in hard-to-reach and mobile populations of the Amazon: results of Malakit, an international multicentric intervention research project.

Background: Illegal gold miners are currently key hosts for malaria in French Guiana (FG), with a risk of emergence of resistance linked to improper use of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). The remoteness of the mines and regulatory issues hinder their access to health care. Methods: A quasi-experimental researched project (Malakit) implemented in FG borders with Brazil and Suriname aimed at determining the effectiveness of distributed kits for self-diagnosis and self-treatment to illegal gold miners, after training, at strategic border staging areas. Evaluation relied on questionnaires at inclusion and follow-up visits, and pre/post intervention surveys. The primary outcome was the proportion of persons reporting a use of certified ACT after a positive malaria diagnosis. The secondary outcomes assessed antimalarial adherence, kit use and impact on malaria epidemiology. Findings: The proportion of patients reporting a use of certified ACT after a positive diagnosis increased after the intervention (OR 1.8, 95%CI [1.1-3.0]). From April 2018 to March 2020, 3,733 persons participated in the intervention. The kit was used correctly by 71.7% [65.8-77.7] of the 223 persons reporting having used a malakit during the follow-up visits. No serious adverse events related to the misuse of malakit have been reported. The intervention appears to have accelerated the decline in malaria incidence in the region by 42.9%. Interpretation: This innovative international project showed that people with low education can correctly self-manage their malaria symptoms. This strategy could be integrated in the malaria control programs of the countries involved and considered in other regions with residual malaria in remote areas. Funding: This project was funded by the European Union, the Global Fund, Brazil MoH, Cayenne Hospital and FG Health Regional Agency. Editor's note: This translation in French was submitted by the authors and we reproduce it as supplied. It has not been peer reviewed. Our editorial processes have only been applied to the original abstract in English, which should serve as reference for this manuscript. The Lancet Group takes a neutral position with respect to territorial claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Contexte: Les chercheurs d'or illégaux sont actuellement un réservoir clé du paludisme en Guyane, avec un risque d'émergence de résistance lié à une mauvaise utilisation des combinaisons thérapeutiques à base d'artémisinine (ACT). L'isolement de ces sites miniers clandestins et des contraintes règlementaires entravent leur accès aux soins. Méthodes: Un projet de recherche opérationnelle quasi-expérimental (Malakit) a été mis en œuvre aux frontières de la Guyane avec le Brésil et le Suriname. Il visait à déterminer l'efficacité de la distribution de kits d'autodiagnostic et d'autotraitement à des orpailleurs illégaux, après une formation adaptée, dans des zones stratégiques transfrontalières. L'évaluation s'est appuyée sur des questionnaires lors des visites d'inclusion et de suivi, et sur des enquêtes pré/post intervention. L'indicateur principal était la proportion de personnes déclarant avoir utilisé une ACT certifiée après un diagnostic positif de paludisme. Les indicateurs secondaires reposaient sur l'adhérence aux traitements antipaludiques, l'utilisation des kits et l'impact sur l'épidémiologie du paludisme. Résultats: La proportion de patients déclarant une utilisation d'ACT certifiée après un diagnostic positif a augmenté après l'intervention (OR 1,8, 95%CI [1,1-3,0]). D'avril 2018 à mars 2020, 3 733 personnes ont participé à l'intervention. Le kit a été utilisé correctement par 71,7% [65,8-77,7] des 223 personnes revues en visites de suivi ayant déclaré avoir utilisé un malakit. Aucun événement indésirable grave lié à une mauvaise utilisation du malakit n'a été signalé. L'intervention semble avoir accéléré la diminution de l'incidence du paludisme dans la région de 42,9%. Interprétation: Ce projet international innovant a montré que les personnes ayant un faible niveau d'éducation peuvent se prendre en charge par eux-mêmes pour des symptômes de paludisme. Cette stratégie pourrait être intégrée dans les programmes de lutte contre le paludisme des pays impliqués et envisagée dans d'autres régions où du paludisme résiduel persiste dans des zones isolées. Financement: Ce projet a été financé par l'Union Européenne, le Fonds Mondial, le Ministère de la santé du Brésil, le Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne et l'Agence Régionale de Santé de Guyane.

Zika Virus Seroprevalence in Urban and Rural Areas of Suriname, 2017.

In 2015-2016, a Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak occurred in the Americas. In 2017, we conducted a ZIKV serosurvey in Suriname in which 770 participants were recruited from 1 urban area and 2 rural villages in the tropical rainforest. All collected samples were tested for presence of ZIKV antibodies using a ZIKV immunoglobulin G enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a virus neutralization assay. We found that 35.1% of the participants had neutralizing antibodies against ZIKV. In 1 remote village in the rainforest, 24.5% of the participants had neutralizing antibodies against ZIKV, suggesting that ZIKV was widely spread across Suriname.

Histoplasma capsulatum antigen detection tests as an essential diagnostic tool for patients with advanced HIV disease in low and middle income countries: A systematic review of diagnostic accuracy studies.

INTRODUCTION: Disseminated histoplasmosis, a disease that often resembles and is mistaken for tuberculosis, is a major cause of death in patients with advanced HIV disease. Histoplasma antigen detection tests are an important addition to the diagnostic arsenal for patients with advanced HIV disease and should be considered for inclusion on the World Health Organization Essential Diagnostics List. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to systematically review the literature to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Histoplasma antigen tests in the context of advanced HIV disease, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: A systematic review of the published literature extracted data on comparator groups, type of histoplasmosis, HIV status, performance results, patient numbers, whether patients were consecutively enrolled or if the study used biobank samples. PubMed, Scopus, Lilacs and Scielo databases were searched for published articles between 1981 and 2018. There was no language restriction. RESULTS: Of 1327 screened abstracts we included a total of 16 studies in humans for further analysis. Most studies included used a heterogeneousgroup of patients, often without HIV or mixing HIV and non HIV patients, with disseminated or non-disseminated forms of histoplasmosis. Six studies did not systematically use mycologically confirmed cases as a gold standard but compared antigen detection tests against another antigen detection test. Patient numbers were generally small (19-65) in individual studies and, in most (7/10), no confidence intervals were given. The post test probability of a positive or negative test were good suggesting that this non invasive diagnostic tool would be very useful for HIV care givers at the level of reference hospitals or hospitals with the infrastructure to perform ELISA tests. The first results evaluating point of care antigen detection tests using a lateral flow assay were promising with high sensitivity and specificity. CONCLUSIONS: Antigen detection tests are promising tools to improve detection of and ultimately reduce the burden of histoplasmosis mortality in patients with advanced HIV disease.