Inadequate labeling of pork sausages prepared in Corsica causing a trichinellosis outbreak in France.

Three cases of human trichinellosis due to Trichinella britovi were reported in 2015 in the Southeast of France resulting from consumption of raw pork sausages (figatelli) prepared in Corsica. Fourteen other people ate figatelli from the same batch but were not infected due to the figatelli being well cooked. This is the first reported human trichinellosis outbreak due to consumption of Corsican sausages prepared from uncontrolled pork. Consumption of raw figatelli is a common tradition in Corsica. As a result, the health recommendation to cook the product well is not always applied. In the present case, the figatelli product label was not sufficiently visible to advise consumers of the risks associated with uncooked pork.

Low measles vaccination coverage among medical residents in Marseille, France: reasons for non-vaccination, March 2013.

BACKGROUND: During 2008-12, France and Europe experienced large measles outbreaks, involving also healthcare workers (HCW). We aimed to estimate the vaccination coverage (VC) of measles among medical residents of the University of Aix/Marseille, in South-Eastern France. METHODS: In March 2013, we conducted a cross-sectional study among all medical residents of the Medical Faculty of Aix/Marseille. We used a self-administered questionnaire to collect information on self-reported VC and reasons for vaccination and non-vaccination. We compared proportions, using the chi-squared test and prevalence ratios (PRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). RESULTS: Of 1152 eligible residents, 703 (61%) participated in the study and 95 (14%; 95% CI: 12-17%) reported having had measles in the past. Of all participants, 613 (93%; 95% CI: 91-95%) reported having been vaccinated against measles and 389 (76%; 95% CI: 73-80%) received two doses. Only 268 (38%) reported having visited an occupational health physician. Vaccinated individuals were more likely to report easy access to vaccination as the main motivation for measles vaccination, compared with unvaccinated residents (435; 71% and 21; 45%; P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: VC among the medical residents of the University of Aix/Marseille was well below the recommended 95% coverage for two doses of measles vaccination. The majority of the study participants had not visited an occupational health doctor. Lack of easy access seems to represent major barriers to measles vaccination. We recommend that the student union, occupational health services and hospitals co-operate and address these problems in order to improve VC in this group.

Capture-recapture method for estimating annual incidence of imported dengue, France, 2007-2010.

Imported dengue cases pose the public health risk for local circulation in European areas, especially southeast France, where the Aedes mosquito is established. Using a capture-recapture method with Chao's estimator, we estimated the annual incidence of dengue fever and the completeness of existing mandatory notification and laboratory network surveillance systems. During 2007-2010, >8,300 cases with laboratory evidence of recent dengue infection were diagnosed. Of these cases, 4,500 occurred in 2010, coinciding with intense epidemics in the French West Indies. Over this 4-year period, 327 cases occurred in southeast France during the vector activity period. Of these, 234 cases occurred in 2010, most of them potentially viremic. Completeness of the mandatory notification and laboratory network systems were ≈10% and 40%, respectively, but higher in southeast areas during May-November (32% and 69%, respectively). Dengue surveillance systems in France provide complementary information that is essential to the implementation of control measures.

[Screening and prevention of tuberculosis, an experiment in Marseille]. / Dépistage et prévention de la tuberculose, une expérience à Marseille.

In order to apply the recommendations of the French High Council on Public Health (CSHPF), the association "Médecins du Monde" and the departmental centre for the fight against tuberculosis led; in 2010-2011, two campaigns for on-site screening, in Marseille, with Roma families in situations of precariousness. These campaigns came up against a number of difficulties which must be addressed in order to make them more effective.

Health impact of unicellular algae of the Ostreopsis genus blooms in the Mediterranean Sea: experience of the French Mediterranean coast surveillance network from 2006 to 2009.

OBJECTIVE: Ostreopsis ovata and Ostreopsis siamensis are tropical unicellular algae that have been found recently in the Mediterranean. Both of these dinoflagellates produce palytoxin (PTX)-like toxins that are powerful vasoconstrictors in mammals. Since 2003, Ostreopsis blooms in Italy and Spain have been accompanied by reports of respiratory problems and skin/mucosa irritation in persons in contact with toxic microalgal cells (epiphytes, plankton, or sea spray) or associated toxins. METHODS: In France, a surveillance network has been set up to monitor water conditions and to protect swimmers from contamination due to Ostreopsis. RESULTS: Between 2006 and 2009, a total of nine blooms were observed on the French Mediterranean coast including five that led to manifestations in divers, swimmers, and shoreline inhabitants. A total of 47 patients presented symptoms of involving benign or mild skin, mucosal, and/or respiratory irritation that regressed spontaneously without treatment within 12-72 h (4-12 h with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). During the study period, five beaches were temporarily closed. DISCUSSION: In the Mediterranean, Ostreopsis blooms induce skin and respiratory disorders when human beings are exposed to saltwater with a high concentration of algal cells. However, palytoxin dosages carried out on the food chain (urchins, mussels) indicate that this risk of toxins accumulation in seafood must be taken into account and that the surveillance network should be upgraded accordingly.