Geographic and temporal stability of HIV seroprevalence among pregnant women in Bujumbura, Burundi.

OBJECTIVE: To establish whether HIV seroprevalence in Bujumbura is stable or continuing to increase. METHODS: HIV seroprevalence data among pregnant women from 1986 were compared with comparable data from 1991-1992. RESULTS: HIV seroprevalence among antenatal clinic attendees at three sites was 10.5, 28.0 and 11.9% in 1986, compared with 7.7, 25.6 and 12.4%, respectively, in 1991-1992. A weighted least squares analysis showed significant differences in HIV seroprevalence between the different sites (chi 2, 71.71; P > 0.0001), but no evidence of any differences between the 1986 and the 1991-1992 prevalence levels (chi 2, 0.51; P = 0.6). CONCLUSIONS: Bujumbura appears to be in the endemic phase of the spread of HIV. The stable geographic variation among clinic populations in Bujumbura suggests the need for focused interventions, and a general need for surveillance data to be gathered from numerous sites so to identify those with the highest incidence of HIV infection.

PIP: The authors compared HIV seroprevalence data among pregnant women from 1986 with comparable data from 1991-92 to establish whether HIV seroprevalence in Bujumbura is stable or continuing to increase. They found HIV seroprevalence among antenatal clinic attendees at 3 sites to be 10.5%, 28.9%, and 11.9% in 1986, compared with 7.7%, 25.6%, and 12.4%, respectively, in 1991-92. Significant differences were found between the different sites in HIV seroprevalence, but not between the 1986 and 1991-92 prevalence levels. HIV therefore appears to be endemic in Bujumbura. The stable geographic variation among clinic populations suggests the need for and appropriateness of focused interventions, as well as a general need for surveillance data to be gathered from numerous sites in order to identify those with the highest incidence of HIV infection.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and human immunodeficiency virus infection in Bujumbura, Burundi.

In the first seroepidemiological survey in Burundi in 1984, only 59 acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases were recognized. We report here clinical surveillance of AIDS cases in the 4 hospitals in Bujumbura during a 4-month period in 1986. The project was combined with a seroprevalence study of pregnant women in the 6 dispensaries in Bujumbura. 258 AIDS patients were recorded. 16% of the 925 pregnant women were seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The clinical characteristics of 120 adult AIDS patients were similar to those reported in Kinshasa or Kigali. From demographic findings we presume that the major mode of HIV transmission in Bujumbura is by sexual contact. The results of this study formed the starting point of prevention activities against AIDS in Burundi.

[Thyroid ectopia and Basedow's disease]. / Ectopie thyroïdienne et maladie de Basedow.

Graves' disease was diagnosed in a 35-year old woman with a history of myxoedema in childhood. Clinical data, ultrasonography and radioisotope scanning showed that the disease had developed in an ectopic subhyoid thyroid gland. Although numerous thyroid diseases associated with an ectopic thyroid have been described, Graves' disease does not seem to be frequent since only one case has been published so far.