Prospecting for yaws in the Mbaïki Health District in the Central African Republic.

Introduction: yaws is endemic in the Central African Republic. The last cases of yaws notified by CAR to WHO date back to 2012. The objective of this study was to measure the prevalence of yaws in the health district of Mbaïki and to describe its clinical and epidemiological characteristics. Methods: this is a descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted from April 10 to 18, 2020 in the Mbaïki health district. Yaws cases were sought in 570 households in the 38 selected villages of the district. Any consenting individual over the age of one year with yaws-like skin lesions was a suspected case of yaws and included in the study. Blood was taken from suspected cases for serological testing (TDR, RPR and TPHA). Any suspected case of yaws with positive RPR and TPHA was considered a confirmed case. Results: a total of 1967 people were examined, of whom 113 were considered suspected cases of yaws. All suspected cases were RPR-positive, 41 TPHA-positive and 13 RDT-positive. Forty-one cases of yaws were confirmed in 18 (47.37%) villages. The prevalence of yaws in the Mbaïki health district was 2.08%. Among the cases, 38.94% were children aged 1 to 14. The sex ratio was 1.69. Lesions clinically suggestive of yaws were papilloma-like in 77.00% of cases, followed by micropapules (8.00%) and ulcerations (5.00%). Conclusion: eight of the nine communes in the Mbaïki health district are yaws-endemic. This result suggests the need to implement the Morges strategy in the Mbaïki health district.

Young women who sell sex in Bangui, Central African Republic: a neglected group highly vulnerable to HIV.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to determine the association between the vulnerability factors linked to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infection among the young women who sell sex (YWSS) group (15-24 years) and adult sex workers, engaged in consensual sex for money (AFSW). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among AFSW involved in commercial sex transactions. Prevalence ratios (PR) analysis was carried out using log-binomial regression model. RESULTS: The prevalence of HIV-1 was 29.4% among YWSS compared to 19.6% among female sex worker (PR = 1.43 [1.07-1.91]). Consistent condoms use last 3 months were very low at 22.3% and 41.2%, respectively (PR = 0.52 [0.37-0.74]), the low education level among YWSS versus AFSW (PR = 0.55 [0.40-0.76]); YWSS having been a victim of sexual violence in the last 12 months (PR = 2.00 [1.52-2.63]), were also more likely to be HIV positive. CONCLUSIONS: The YWSS had a high prevalence of HIV, experienced other socioeconomic vulnerabilities and remain a key population for comprehensive HIV programs. To reach all YWSS, programs need to consider many outreach programs and address the shared determinants of HIV risk.

Risk factors for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the Central African Republic: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) presents a challenge to the "End TB by 2035" strategy. This study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with MDR-TB in patients admitted to the pneumo-physiology clinic of the National University Hospital of Bangui in Central African Republic. METHODS: This was a "retrospective" chart review study. Cases were represented by patients more than 18 years of age treated for MDR-TB and controls were patients with "at least rifampicin-susceptible" TB treated "with first-line anti-TB regimen" and who at the end of treatment were declared cured. The status of "cured" was exclusively applicable to non-MDR TB. Risk factors associated with MDR-TB were identified by multivariate analysis. RESULTS: We included 70 cases and 140 controls. The median age was 35 years, IQR (22;46 years). The main factors associated with the occurrence of MDR-TB in multivariate analysis were male gender (0 R = 3.02 [1.89-3.99], p = 0.001), residence in a peri-urban/urban area (0 R = 3.06 [2.21-4.01], p = 0.002), history of previous TB treatment (0 R= 3.99 [2.77-4.25], p < 0.001) and the presence of multidrug-resistant TB in the family (0 R=1.86 [1.27-2.45], p = 0.021). CONCLUSION: The emergence of MDR-TB can be reduced by implementing appropriate strategies, such as preventive therapy in contacts of MDR-TB patients and detecting and appropriately treating MDR-TB patients to prevent further spread of infection.

Incidence and risk factors for tuberculosis among people living with HIV in Bangui: A cohort study.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence and risk factors of tuberculosis (TB) among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Methods: A cohort study was carried out in an HIV infection management centre in Bangui. PLHIV aged 18 or older, with no history of TB, enrolled between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2018 were included in the study. The chi-square test was used only to compare the proportions at the 5% significance level. To determine the risk factors, we used the Cox regression adjusted hazard ratio, using Epi Info 7 software. Results: A total of 677 patients including 618 (91.28%) on antiretroviral therapy were included in the study. The median age was 34 with extremes ranging from 18 to 57. Of the patients followed, 104 developed TB. The overall incidence of TB was 15.37 (104/677) cases per 100 PLHIV-years. This incidence was 13.10 (81/618) cases per 100 in patients on ART-years and 38.99 (23/59) cases per 100 patients on pre-ART-years. In pre-ART patients the incidence of TB was therefore almost 3 times higher than that of PLHIV on ART (p = 0.03). WHO clinical stages III and IV (p = 0.02), absence of ART (p = 0.03), poor adherence (p = 0.004) and low functional capacity (p = 0.04) were the risk factors associated with the occurrence of TB among PLHIV in Bangui. Conclusions: The high incidence of TB in our context is essentially linked to delay in diagnosis and the quality of care. Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy, systematic screening for TB in PLHIV upon entry into the active queue and better monitoring of patients on ART are strongly recommended.

[Incidence of snakebites in rural communities living in the Paoua savannah and Mbaïki forest areas in Central African Republic]. / Incidence de morsures de serpent dans les communautés rurales de savane de Paoua et de forêt de Mbaïki en République Centrafricaine.

Introduction: Snakebite is one of the most deadly neglected tropical diseases in Africa with more than 20,000 deaths reported each year. According to recent data from hospital in Central African Republic studies, the Paoua health district reports between 300 and 400 cases of ophidian envenomation each year. However, no epidemiological study on snakebites has been conducted at national level, nor a control strategy developed. The objective of this study is to describe the epidemiological aspects of snakebites in two rural communities, one located in savannah zone and the other in forest zone (both secondary and primary forest) in order to ensure adequate management of snakebites in these regions. Method: Prospective community-based study in two health districts in the Central African Republic, the health district of Paoua in savannah area and the health district of Mbaïki in forest area, from December 2019 to January 2021. Snakebites were investigated in the community by selected trained people in charge of reporting data regarding all known cases of snakebites occurring during the study period. The data were actively notified either by health personal or community health workers in order to determine the circumstances and severity of the bite, its management and the clinical course in case of envenomation. Results: A total of 412 snakebite cases were recorded during the study period, of which 198 cases occurred in the rural community of the forest zone and 214 in the community of the savannah zone. Case fatality rate was 5% in the forest zone and 1% in the savanna zone. The incidence rate of snakebite was significantly higher in savannah children compared to those in the forest (98/100,000 vs. 25.1/100,000; p<0.00001) while this incidence rate was significantly lower from age 45 onwards in the savannah area compared to the forest area (167/100,000 vs. 200/100,000; p=0.02). The case fatality rate of children and adults up to 44 years of age appeared to be significantly higher in the forest zone (7 deaths vs 1 death). Snakebites occurred significantly more frequently during field activities in the savannah zone than in the forest zone (51% vs 26%; p<0.0001). The symptomatology of bites was dominated by edema of the bitten limb and bleeding in the two study areas, compatible with cytotoxic and hemorrhagic syndromes due to viper bites. Conclusion: With an incidence rate of more than 160 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the active population aged 15-44 years in rural communities of the forest and savannah zone, snakebites remain a public health problem in Central African Republic. A study on the toxicity of snakebites in Central African Republic is recommended. Besides, it is urgent to make anti-venomous serums available in health facilities in order to reduce the mortality related to the envenomation.

Risk factors for HIV infection among female sex workers in Bangui, Central African Republic.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of the study were i) to categorize female sex workers (FSW) according to socio-anthropologic criteria in Bangui; ii) to examine the association between a selection of demographic and risk variables with the different categories of female sex work as outcome, and iii) to investigate factors associated with HIV status. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted to describe the spectrum of commercial sex work in Bangui among 345 sexually active women. After collection of social and behavioral characteristics, each woman received a physical examination and a blood sample was taken for biological analyses, including HIV testing. The relationships between sociodemographic characteristics, behavioral variables involved in high risk for HIV as well as biological results were investigated by bivariate analysis in relationship with FSW categories as main outcomes, and by bivariate analysis followed by multivariate logistic regression analysis in relationship with HIV as the main outcome. The strength of statistical associations was measured by crude and adjusted Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: The typology of FSW comprised six different categories. Two groups were the "official" professional FSW primarily classified according to their locations of work [i) "kata"(18.55%) representing women working in poor neighborhoods of Bangui; ii) "pupulenge" (13.91%) working in hotels and night clubs to seek white men]. Four groups were "clandestine" nonprofessional FSW classified according to their reported main activity [i) "market and street vendors" (20.86%); ii) "schoolgirls or students" (19.13%) involved in occasional transactional sex (during holidays); iii) "housewives or unemployed women" (15.65%); iv) "civil servants" (11.88%) working as soldiers or in the public sector]. The overall prevalence of HIV-1 was 19.12% (66/345). HIV varied according to FSW categories. Thus, among professional FSW, the HIV prevalence was 6-fold higher in "kata" than "pupulenge" (39.13% versus 6.30%; P = 0.001). Among nonprofessional FSW, the "vendors" showed the highest HIV prevalence (31.91%), which was higher than in "students" (6.10%; P = 0.001), "civil servants" (9.83%; P = 0.005), and "housewives" (13.00%; P = 0.01). In bivariate analysis, the following variables showed statistically significant association with risk for HIV infection: nationality; age of first sexual intercourse; self-assessment of HIV risk; knowledge of HIV status; anal sex practice with last clients; irregular condom use in last week; consumption of alcohol; other psycho-active substances; past history of STIs; HBs Ag; HSV-2 and bacterial vaginosis. However, the variable "sex workers categories" dichotomized into professional versus nonprofessional FSW was no longer associated with HIV. In multivariate logistical regression analysis, HIV infection was strongly associated with nationality (15.65% versus 3.77%) [adjusted OR (aOR) 3.39: 95% CI:1.25-9.16, P<0.05]; age of first sexual intercourse (21.10% versus 14.00%) (aOR 2.13: 95% CI: 1.03-4.39, P<0.05); anal sex practice with last clients (43.40% versus 11.50%) (aOR 4.31: 95% CI:2.28-8.33, P<0.001); irregular condom use in past week (33.50% versus 3.00%) (aOR 5.49: 95% CI:1.89-15.98, P<0.001); alcohol consumption before sex (34.70% versus 7.80%) (aOR 2.69: 95% CI:1.22-4.96, P<0.05); past history of STIs (41.00% versus 10.80%) (aOR 2.46: 95% CI:1.22-4.97, P<0.05) and bacterial vaginosis (29.80% versus 4.29%) (aOR 6.36: 95% CI: 2.30-17.72, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our observations highlight the high level of vulnerability for HIV acquisition of both poor professional "kata" and nonprofessional "street vendor" FSW categories. These categories should be particularly taken into account when designing specific prevention programs for STIs/HIV control purposes.