Development of Multiplex Molecular Assays for Simultaneous Detection of Dengue Serotypes and Chikungunya Virus for Arbovirus Surveillance.

The major arboviruses mainly belong to the Bunyaviridae, Togaviridae, and Flaviviridae families, among which the chikungunya virus and dengue virus have emerged as global public health problems. The main objective of this study was to develop specific, sensitive, and cost-effective molecular multiplex RT-PCR and RT-qPCR assays for the rapid and simultaneous detection of CHIKV and the four serotypes of DENV for arbovirus surveillance. Specific primers for all viruses were designed, and one-step multiplex RT-PCR (mRT-PCR) and RT-qPCR (mRT-qPCR) were developed using reference strains of the CHIKV and DENV serotypes. The specificity of the test for all the viruses was confirmed through sequencing. The standard curves showed a high correlation coefficient, R2 = 0.99, for DENV-2 and DENV-3; R2 = 0.98, for DENV-4; and CHIKV; R2 = 0.93, for DENV-1. The limits of detection were calculated to be 4.1 × 10-1 copies/reaction for DENV-1, DENV-3, and CHIKV and 4.1 × 101 for DENV-2 and DENV-4. The specificity and sensitivity of the newly developed mRT-PCR and mRT-qPCR were validated using positive serum samples collected from India and Burkina Faso. The sensitivity of mRT-PCR and mRT-qPCR are 91%, and 100%, respectively. The specificity of both assays was 100%. mRT-PCR and mRT-qPCR assays are low-cost, and a combination of both will be a useful tool for arbovirus surveillance.

Assessment of Culicidae collection methods for xenomonitoring lymphatic filariasis in malaria co-infection context in Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: Entomological surveillance of lymphatic filariasis and malaria infections play an important role in the decision-making of national programs to control, or eliminate these both diseases. In areas where both diseases prevalence is low, a large number of mosquitoes need to be sampled to determine vectors infection rate. To do this, efficient mosquito collection methods must be used. This study is part in this framework, to assess appropriate mosquito collection methods for lymphatic filariasis xenomonitoring in a coexistence context with malaria in Burkina Faso. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Mosquito collections were performed between August and September 2018 in four villages (Koulpissi, Seiga, and Péribgan, Saptan), distributed in East and South-West health regions of Burkina Faso. Different collection methods were used: Human Landing Catches (HLC) executed indoor and outdoor, Window Exit-Trap, Double Net Trap (DNT) and Pyrethrum Spray Catches (PSC). Molecular analyses were performed to identify Anopheles gambiae s.l. sibling species and to detect Wuchereria bancrofti and Plasmodium falciparum infection in Anopheles mosquitoes. A total of 3 322 mosquitoes were collected among this, Anopheles gambiae s.l. was the vector caught in largest proportion (63.82%). An. gambiae s.l. sibling species molecular characterization showed that An. gambiae was the dominant specie in all villages. The Human Landing Catches (indoor and outdoor) collected the highest proportion of mosquitoes (between 61.5% and 82.79%). For the sampling vectors infected to W. bancrofti or P. falciparum, PSC, HLC and Window Exit-Trap were found the most effective collection methods. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This study revealed that HLC indoor and outdoor remained the most effective collection method. Likewise, the results showed the probability to use Window Exit-Trap and PSC collection methods to sample Anopheles infected.

Epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic features of histoplasmosis: A systematic review.

Histoplasmosis is a mycosis due to a dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. This study aimed at providing an overview of histoplasmosis epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects from the last 30 years. This review was carried out using a systematic literature search on histoplasmosis from 1992 to 2021. We describe the clinical features, diagnostic methods and treatment. Empirical searches were conducted via the databases PubMed, Google Scholar and Science Direct. Between 1992 and 2021, 190 manuscripts were published and reported 212 cases of histoplasmosis. These publications included 115 and 97 cases of American and African histoplasmosis respectively. The number of publications increased over the last ten years with a maximum in 2020 (12.34 % of the cases reported). The disseminated forms of histoplasmosis were the most frequently reported cases as compared to the localized forms. This was the case with the American histoplasmosis (75.65 %) as well as with the African histoplasmosis (55.67 %). Itraconazole (31.17 %) and Amphotericin B (26.62 %) were the most used drugs in the management of these cases. American histoplasmosis is distributed worldwide whereas African histoplasmosis is mainly present in intertropical Africa. There is a critical need for setting up a global surveillance system, towards a better understanding of the disease.

Sentinel laboratory compliance with best practices in Burkina Faso's antimicrobial resistance surveillance network.

Background: Standardising procedures is the best way to harmonise and strengthen the quality of laboratory-based antimicrobial resistance surveillance. Since 2018, Burkina Faso has developed and disseminated the national manual of procedures for performing antibiotic susceptibility tests in sentinel laboratories within its national antimicrobial resistance surveillance network. Objective: Our study aimed to assess these sentinel laboratories' compliance with good practices for antibiotics susceptibility tests. Methods: Four teams evaluated the antimicrobial resistance sentinel sites laboratories throughout Burkina Faso from 19 to 28 September 2022. Eighteen out of 19 sentinel laboratories were evaluated. A four-member technical committee designed and validated the evaluation tool composed of three Microsoft Excel sheets. The evaluation emphasised quality controls for culture media, antibiotic discs and compliance with antimicrobial susceptibility testing procedures by the laboratories. Excel software was used for data recording and graphs and table design. The free R software version 4.2.0 was used for descriptive statistics. An overall score below 80% was considered noncompliance. Results: Most (83.33%) of the sentinel laboratories conducted at least one quality control activity for culture media, and 66.67% conducted at least one quality control activity for antibiotic discs. Over three-quarters (76.47%) of the laboratories were more than 80% compliant with the modified Kirby Bauer antimicrobial susceptibility testing method. Conclusion: The evaluation revealed the noncompliance of sentinel laboratories with the national procedure manual, particularly in the quality control component. What this study adds: This study has provided baseline data on the sentinel laboratories' compliance with the national antimicrobial susceptibility testing procedures manual, particularly in areas performing quality control checks or meeting quality indicators for culture media and antibiotic discs.

Schistosomiasis in Burkina Faso: review on 60 years' research.

Schistosomiasis is a common neglected helminthic disease in the tropics and sub-tropics particularly in sub-Saharan countries including Burkina Faso. It is the second world parasitic endemic disease after malaria. The two prevalent species infecting human in Burkina Faso are are Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni which cause respectively the urogenital schistosomiasis and the intestinal schistosomiasis. This review aimed at providing an historical perspective of research on schistosomiasis from 1960 to 2020 and shedding some light on the gaps in knowledge useful for the disease control and the elimination efforts in Burkina Faso. Formal systematic review was not followed for this review. Published studies on the schistosomiasis in Burkina Faso over the period from 1960 to 2020, were search in Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE and the libraries of main universities in Burkina Faso namely: Joseph KI-ZERBO University and Nazi BONI University. The following key words used were: Schistosomiasis, Bilharzia, Bulinus, Biomphalaria, Upper-Volta and Burkina Faso. Over a period of 60 years, a total of 87 scientific research documents were identified. The original scientific research articles represent the majority of the scientific documents found (65.52%). Urinary schistosomiasis was the most common from the documentation. There has been a gradual decrease in the prevalence, more significantly since the implementation of the National Schistosomiasis Control Program (NSCP). The effectiveness of the NSCP could therefore contribute to the elimination of schistosomiasis in Burkina Faso.

Situation of onchocerciasis transmission in 2020 in the Cascades region of Burkina Faso.

Faced with the focal resurgence of onchocerciasis reported since 2004 in the South-West of Burkina Faso, the Neglected Tropical Diseases Control Program adopted a resumption of biannual community-directed treatment with ivermectin, since 2011 in the Cascades region and since 2013 in the South West region. The objective of this study was to assess the situation of onchocerciasis transmission in the Cascades region, nine years after the resumption of mass drug administration. This cross-sectional and descriptive survey concerned people over 5. The traditional method of skin snip on both iliac crests was performed for the parasitological diagnosis of onchocerciasis. The Ov-16 serological test was carried out in children aged 5 to 9 years. In 22 surveyed villages, the overall prevalence of microfilariae was 0.11% and below the tolerable threshold of 5%. It was less than 5% in all the villages (n = 22), less than 1% in 21 villages (99%) and zero in 19 villages (86.36%). The community microfilarial loads varied from 0.01 to 0.05 mf/b. Out of 946 children tested for OV-16, only one 9-year-old was positive and whose skin snip examination was negative. All the positive cases came from endemical areas in Côte d'Ivoire. Population migration is a risk factor for introducing the parasite into Burkina Faso; it also is risk factor for the effective elimination of onchocerciasis which requires the joint development of a control strategy between neighboring countries.

Spatio-Temporal Determinants of Dengue Epidemics in the Central Region of Burkina Faso.

The aim of this study was to analyze the spatio-temporal distribution and determinants of the 2017 dengue epidemic in Burkina Faso. A principal component analysis of meteorological and environmental factors was performed to reduce dimensions and avoid collinearities. An initial generalized additive model assessed the impact of the components derived from this analysis on dengue incidence. Dengue incidence increased mainly with relative humidity, precipitation, normalized difference vegetation index and minimum temperature with an 8-week lag. A Kulldoff Satscan scan was used to identify high-risk dengue clusters, and a second generalized additive model assessed the risk of a health area being at high risk according to land-use factors. The spatio-temporal distribution of dengue fever was heterogeneous and strongly correlated with meteorological factors. The rural communes of Sabaa and Koubri were the areas most at risk. This study provides useful information for planning targeted dengue control strategies in Burkina Faso.

A continental and global assessment of the role of energy consumption, total natural resource rent, and economic growth as determinants of carbon emissions.

To limit the effects of carbon emissions and realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), countries worldwide seek efficient energy usage, economic sustainability, and natural resource blessing. Studies at the continental level mostly neglected the differences between the continents, while this study explores the long-run effect of natural resource rents, economic development, and energy consumption on carbon emissions and their interactions across the global panel of 159 countries divided into six continents from 2000 to 2019. Recently proposed panel estimators, causality tests, variance decomposition, and impulse response techniques were adopted. Findings from the panel estimator revealed that economic development contributed to environmental sustainability. At the same time, energy consumption increases ecological pollution globally and on most continents. The interaction between economic development and energy consumption positively impacted ecological pollution. Natural resources' rent was found to promote environmental pollution in Asia. The causality test results were mixed across continents and globally. However, findings from the impulse response and variance decomposition confirmed that economic development and energy consumption counted higher variations of carbon emissions than natural resource rents within the 10-year forecast. This study provides a valuable baseline for formulating policies related to the economy-energy-resources­carbon nexus.

Evaluation of the impact of COVID-19 in people coinfected with HIV and/or tuberculosis in low-income countries: study protocol for mixed methods research in Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: An issue of particular concern is the impact of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019 nCOV) on the people coinfected with the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) and/or tuberculosis (TB). Unfortunately, this interaction has not been well explored in African despite the large proportion of these risk populations living with HIV and/or patients and/or tuberculosis (TB) in the African region. This study aims to design a research protocol for assessment of the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on these risk populations in response to COVID-19 strategic plans in Burkina Faso by generating serological, epidemiological, virological, clinical and socio-anthropological evidence-based data. METHODS: A multidisciplinary research will be conducted in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso using mixed methods. Data will be collected from a cohort of people living with HIV and/or TB patients in the city (i) to determine the proportion of people with specific antibodies against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) using retrospective data ; (ii) to determine the proportion of people infected with Covid-19 and the dynamics of viral loads and antibodies in these people based on prospective data; (iii) to identify circulating SARS-COV-2 variants and novel biomarkers using prospective data ; (iv) to analyze perceptions, community experiences and response strategies during the public health emergencies imposed by COVID-19 through a qualitative study. DISCUSSION: This study will generate factual and comprehensive data that will contribute in improving response strategies to COVID-19 and the other possible emerging diseases with keen interest on the risk populations living with HIV and/or TB infected patients.

Impact of mentoring on the implementation of the quality management system in clinical laboratories in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

In Burkina Faso, the implementation of the quality management system remains weak in diagnostic laboratories. Integrating mentoring into the life of clinical diagnostic laboratories, a qualified mentor is essential for quality system control. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the mentoring process on quality improvement. Mentoring process was implemented at nine laboratories. The process consisted of a one-week mentor stay in the laboratory as one visit, with four in total. The SLIPTA checklist was used as a measurement tool. Two audits were performed (before and after the implementation of the mentoring process. The audit data were analyzed to estimate the effect of mentoring on quality improvement. A score difference of 24.55% was found significant between the two audits (paired Student's t-test p-value = 0.0002). The variables non-conformities, corrective/preventive actions, and facilities/safety have factored more than eight points between the two audits. However, the management/customer service and information one have only slightly increased (2.27 and 0.63, respectively). Mentoring has improved the quality management system in laboratories. However, some points of the process need to be improved to bring these laboratories toward international accreditation.

Spatial-temporal pattern of malaria in Burkina Faso from 2013 to 2020.

Despite the implementation of different strategies to fight against malaria in Burkina Faso since 2005, it remains today the leading cause of hospitalization and death. Adapting interventions to the spatial and temporal distribution of malaria could help to reduce this burden. This study aims to determine the structure and stability of malaria hotspots in Burkina Faso, with the objective of adapting interventions at small geographical scales. Data on malaria cases from 2013 to 2020 were acquired at municipalities level. Municipality-wise malaria endemicity levels were mapped through geographical information system (GIS) tools. Spatial statistical analysis using Kulldoff sweeps were carried out to identify malaria hotspots. Then we mapped the monthly malaria risk. Malaria is endemic in all the municipalities of Burkina Faso. However, two stable main spatial clusters (South-Western and Eastern part of the country) are emerging with seasonal reinforcement. Interventions targeting the identified clusters could significantly reduce the incidence of malaria in Burkina Faso. This also prompts for further studies to identify the local determinants of this high transmission for the future success of malaria control.

Antimalarial drugs resistance genes of Plasmodium falciparum: a review.

Malaria remains the most common parasitic disease on the planet, with 229 million cases and 409,000 deaths worldwide in 2019, including 274,030 children under the age of 5. It is one of the most important infectious diseases in the world and its control is compromised by the spread of the parasite's resistance to antimalarial drugs. This study aims to review the literature of resistant Plasmodium falciparum genes over the past twenty years. One hundred and five (105) articles were collected and read while the resistance of P. falciparum was being studied. Several P. falciparum gene resistances antimalarial drugs were discovered over the past twenty years. The most recent one is the Kelch13 gene of P. falciparum (Pfkelch13) which has showed resistance to artemisinin in Asia. In Africa, this gene represents a potential candidate for resistance to artemisinin, although no resistance was reported.

Serological and molecular detection of Leishmania species in dog peripheral blood from Bobo-Dioulasso city, a confirmation of canine leishmaniasis enzootic area for Burkina Faso.

Canine leishmaniasis is increasingly reported worldwide and represent a threat to both animal and human health. In a previous pilot study conducted in Bobo-Dioulasso, the second town of Burkina Faso, we reported five cases of canine leishmaniasis. With the perspective of a One Health action plan, and in the context of increasing urbanization, this study aimed to provide new information on Leishmania spp in dogs in this city. A cross-sectional survey was carried out from May to August 2018 in six districts of the city in order to record clinical and biological data from domestic dogs randomly selected per district. Blood samples were collected into EDTA tubes (4-5 mL), treated and stored at -20 °C until further analyses. The infection status of the dogs was performed by serological tests using plasma, and real time-PCR (RT-PCR) to detect Leishmania parasites using buffy coats. Nested PCR was used for typing the Leishmania species in dogs which were found to be RT-PCR positive. A total of 147 dogs were examined clinically and sampled for blood collection, including 53.7% females and 46.3% of males with a median age of 3 years. The seroincidence of Leishmania parasites within this dog population was 4.76% (95% CI:2.26-9.72). The incidence of Leishmania was 10.88% (95% CI: 6.73-17.11) by RT-PCR which was significantly more sensitive (p = 0,047) and a fair concordance was observed between both tests (Kappa = 0.39, p < 0.001). The characterization of Leishmania species revealed that L. major was circulating in this domestic dog population. Our results confirmed the persistence of zoonotic circulation of Leishmania parasites such as L. major currently in Bobo-Dioulasso city and highlight the need for targeted interventions in order to control transmission of leishmaniasis in this region.

Climate factors and dengue fever in Burkina Faso from 2017 to 2019.

Dengue is now a major health concern in sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding the influence of local meteorological factors on the incidence of dengue is an important element for better prediction and control of this disease. This study aims to assess the impact of meteorological factors on dengue transmission in the central region of Burkina Faso. We analyzed the lagged effects of meteorological factors on the weekly incidence of dengue from 2017 to 2019 in the central region of Burkina Faso using a General Additive Model. The results show that maximum and minimum temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed have a significant non-linear effect on dengue cases in the region with 83% of case variance explained. The optimal temperature that increases dengue cases was 27°C to 32°C for the maximum temperature and 18°C to 20°C for the minimum temperature with a decrease beyond that. The maximum temperature shifted by six weeks had the best correlation with dengue incidence. The estimated number of dengue cases increases as the maximum relative humidity increases from 15 to 45% and then from 60 to 70%. In general, an increase in daily wind speed is estimated to decrease the number of daily dengue cases. The relationship between rainfall and dengue cases was not significant. This study provides local information about the effect of meteorological factors on dengue that should help improve predictive models of dengue cases in Burkina Faso and contribute to the control of this disease.

Spatiotemporal analysis of dengue fever in Burkina Faso from 2016 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: Burkina Faso experienced an epidemic resurgence of dengue in 2016, which led to the implementation of several control strategies. In order to allow a better adaptation of these strategies, we studied the spatio-temporal distribution of dengue. METHODS: Monthly dengue cases from 2016 to 2019, aggregated at the health district level, were used to map the crude incidence, excess risk, and smoothed incidence of dengue in Burkina Faso with GeoDa software. A Kulldoff scan on Satscan software was then used to identify spatio-temporal clustering of cases. RESULTS: The results show that the distribution of dengue fever across the health districts of Burkina Faso is heterogeneous. Dengue was considered non-endemic in 9 out of the 70 health districts, minimally endemic in 45 districts (< 10 incidences), moderately endemic (10-100 incidences) in 12 districts, and highly endemic (> 100 incidences) in 4 districts. The main cluster covered the health districts of Baskuy, Nongr-massom, Sig-noghin, Boulmiougou, and Bogodogo. The months of October and November corresponded to the peak of cases and a significant temporal cluster in 2017. CONCLUSION: This study identified the spatial and temporal clustering of dengue cases in Burkina Faso. These results may help to develop better preventive strategies.

Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among pregnant women in Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso).

Pregnant women are the most vulnerable populations exposed to intestinal parasitoses. To develop strategies to fight against these infections, it is essential to carry out regular surveys in order to provide reliable epidemiological data on intestinal parasitoses in at-risk populations. A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out from February to April 2015 in pregnant women seen during the prenatal consultation. The study took place in 3 health centers located in Health District of Dafra at Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso. The parasitological examination consisted in carrying out a standard stool parasitological examination and the modified Ziehl Neelsen staining. A total of 315 stool samples were collected and analyzed. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitosis was 66.7% [95% CI: 61.1­71.8] with prevalences of 60.9% in Bolomakot., 69.2% in Guimbi and 69.8% in Y.gu.r.sso. Protozoa were the most encountered with of 66.0% prevalence and 1.3% of helminths. The most common protozoa species were Entamoeba coli (36.2%), Giardia lamblia (16.2%), Entamoeba histolytica (14.9%), Cryptosporidium sp. (12.1%) and Trichomonas intestinalis (10.5%). The helminths were represented by Hymenolepis nana (0.6%), Strongyloides stercoralis (0.3%) and Dicrocoelium sp. (0.3%). The prevalence of intestinal parasitosis is very high in pregnant women and dominated by protozoa. Most recently, it has been shown that metronidazole can be administered at all ages of pregnancy at a dosage of 1 g/day for 5 days for the treatment of intestinal protozoa in pregnant women. It would therefore be essential to evaluate this strategy in Burkina Faso by administering metronidazole concomitantly with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine.

Prevalence and factors associated of Trichomonas vaginalis infection among pregnant women in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

Epidemiological studies of vaginalis trichomonosis, especially in pregnant women are rare in Africa due to the lack of screening programs. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of T. vaginalis infection and its associated factors in pregnant women who attended the antenatal care clinics in three primary health centers of Bobo-Dioulasso. We carried out a cross-sectional study for descriptive and analytical purposes from February to April 2015 in pregnant women seen in prenatal consultations. The study took place in 3 primary public health centers: Guimbi (Central Urban), Bolomakoté (Peri-urban) and Yéguérésso (rural). The trophozoites of Trichomonas vaginalis was carried out by microscopy on vaginal swabs and urine samples. Sociodemographic, obstetric and biological variables were also collected. A total of 315 pregnant women were included in the study. The overall prevalence of urogenital trichomonosis was 3.2%. It was 1.9% in Guimbi, 2.9% in Bolomakoté, and 4.7% in Yéguérésso. The prevalence of HIV infection was 2.2%. Married women were less exposed to T. vaginalis infection than single women (p=0.03). The prevalence of urogenital trichomonosis obtained was considered lower compared to the previously reported from Burkina Faso. Thus, it is essential to extend this study to the whole country periodically by integrating other STIs not subject to a surveillance system and by integrating molecular epidemiology tools.

Insecticide resistance profiles in malaria vector populations from Sud-Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

BACKGROUND: Insecticide resistance has become a widespread problem causing a decline in the effectiveness of vector control tools in sub-Saharan Africa. In this situation, ongoing monitoring of vector susceptibility to insecticides is encouraged by the WHO to guide national malaria control programmes. Our study was conducted from April to November 2018 in Tchonka (Sud-Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo) and reported primary data on the resistance status of Anopheles funestus and Anopheles gambiae. METHODS: Insecticide susceptibility bioassays were performed on wild populations of A. funestus and A. gambiae using WHO insecticide-impregnated papers at discriminating concentration. In addition, PCR was performed to identify mosquito species and to detect kdr and ace-1R mutations involved in insecticide resistance. RESULTS: Bioassay results show resistance to all tested insecticides except pirimiphos-methyl, propoxur, fenitrothion and malathion with a mortality rate ranging from 95.48 to 99.86%. The addition of piperonyl butoxide (PBO) increased the susceptibility of vectors to deltamethrin and alpha-cypermethrin by exhibiting a mortality ranging from 91.50 to 95.86%. The kdr mutation was detected at high frequencies (approximately 0.98) within A. gambiae while ace-1R was not detected. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides useful data on the insecticide resistance profiles of malaria vector populations to better manage vector control. Our results highlight that, despite the high level of resistance, organophosphorus compounds and pyrethroids + PBO remain effective against the vectors.

[Biodiversity of isolated fungal flora at the reanimation service of the University Hospital Souro Sanou of Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso]. / Biodiversité de la flore fongique isolée au service de réanimation du Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Souro Sanou de Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

INTRODUCTION: nosocomial diseases are a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa particularly in Burkina Faso. The purpose of this study was to determine the biodiversity of the fungal flora identified at the reanimation service of the University Hospital Souro Sanou of Bobo-Dioulasso. METHODS: we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study from August 2016 to January 2017. The purpose of the study was to investigate the fungal flora in the ambient air and in the reanimation environment. Samples were seeded and incubated for 3-4 days at 37°C in the oven. The identification of colonies of filamentous fungi was macroscopic and microscopic. Blastesis test, chromogenic medium and latex agglutination test were used to identify Candida species. RESULTS: out of 200 samples collected, 176 grew in Sabouraud-Chloramphenicol agar. The overall prevalence of fungal flora was 88% (176/200). Molds were the most common fungal agents found (66.9%). Among the eight types of mold identified, Aspergillus was the most common family (48.9%) while Aspergillus fumigatus was the most detected species (32.9%). CONCLUSION: regular decontamination of fungal niches should be systematic at the reanimation service of the University Hospital Souro Sanou of Bobo-Dioulasso.

Prevalence and risk factors of Schistosoma mansoni infection among preschool-aged children from Panamasso village, Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: Schistosomiasis remains a major public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa. Although schistosomiasis is well documented in school-aged children in Burkina Faso, prevalence data among preschool-aged children (PSAC) are limited and outdated, and its risk factors in this group remain poorly documented. The main objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors associated with Schistosoma (S.) mansoni infection among PSAC from Panamasso village, western Burkina Faso. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 228 children under 6 years old from Panamasso village. Sociodemographic and water contact data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Kato-Katz and formol-ether concentration techniques were used to detect S. mansoni eggs in stool samples. Urine samples were subjected to a point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) cassette test and a centrifugation method to check for both S. mansoni and S. haematobium infection, respectively. Potential risk factors for S. mansoni infection were explored using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: The mean age of children was 40.2 ± 15.0 months. The prevalence of S. mansoni infection as determined by Kato-Katz, formol-ether concentration and POC-CCA was 42.1%, 39.5% and 80.7%, respectively. Based on the combined results of the three methods, the overall prevalence of S. mansoni infection was 81.1%. No case of S. haematobium infection was found. The geometric mean intensity of S. mansoni infection was 107.2 eggs per gram of feces with 54.2%, 33.3% and 12.5% of the children having light, moderate and heavy infections, respectively. Girls (AOR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.3-6.1), a household located within 500 m from the pond (AOR = 3.0, 95% CI 1.0-8.6) or between 500 and 1000 m from the pond (AOR = 3.0, 95% CI 1.2-7.2), and the child's history of going to the pond (AOR = 5.0, 95% CI 1.7-14.3) were the variables significantly associated with S. mansoni infection. CONCLUSION: S. mansoni was the sole species infecting a high proportion of PSAC in the study area. A mass drug administration program with praziquantel is therefore urgently required for those below 6 years old. Other control strategies should include increased community-awareness and provision of safe water.