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Schistosomiasis treatment entirely relies on a single drug, praziquantel, prompting research into alternative therapeutics. Here we evaluated the efficacy and safety of the antimalarial combination artesunate–mefloquine for the treatment of schistosomiasis in a proof-of-concept, pragmatic, open-label, randomized controlled trial in primary schools of six villages endemic for schistosomiasis in northern Senegal. Children (6–14 years) were eligible if Schistosomaeggs were detected by microscopy in urine and/or stool. In total, 726 children were randomized 1:1 to praziquantel (standard care: 40 mg kg−1single dose; n= 364) or to artesunate–mefloquine (antimalarial dosage: artesunate 4 mg kg−1and mefloquine 8 mg kg−1daily for three consecutive days; n= 362). Eight children not meeting the inclusion criteria were excluded from efficacy analysis. Median age of the remaining 718 participants was 9 years; 399 (55.6%) were male, and 319 (44.4%) female; 99.3% were infected with Schistosoma haematobiumand 15.2% with S. mansoni. Primary outcomes were cure rate, assessed by microscopy, and frequency of drug-related adverse effects of artesunate–mefloquine versus praziquantel at 4 weeks after treatment. Cure rate was 59.6% (208/349) in the artesunate–mefloquine arm versus 62.1% (211/340) in the praziquantel arm. The difference of −2.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) −9.8 to 4.8) met the predefined criteria of noninferiority (margin set at 10%). All drug-related adverse events were mild or moderate, and reported in 28/361 children receiving artesunate–mefloquine (7.8%; 95% CI 5.4 to 11.0) versus 8/363 (2.2%; 95% CI 1.1 to 4.3) receiving praziquantel (P< 0.001). Artesunate–mefloquine at antimalarial dosage was moderately safe and noninferior to standard-care praziquantel for the treatment of schistosomiasis, predominantly due to S. haematobium. Multicentric trials in different populations and epidemiological settings are needed to confirm these findings. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03893097.

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease of global medical and veterinary importance. As efforts to eliminate schistosomiasis as a public health problem and interrupt transmission gather momentum, the potential zoonotic risk posed by livestock Schistosomaspecies via viable hybridisation in sub-Saharan Africa have been largely overlooked. We aimed to investigate the prevalence, distribution, and multi-host, multiparasite transmission cycle of Haematobiumgroup schistosomiasis in Senegal, West Africa.

Background:Stunting is among the main obstacles to human development affecting millions of children worldwide, particularly in the sub-Saharan Africa region. Randomized clinical trials have shown the positive effects of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics in improving growth in children and toddlers. However, although the global mobilization to tackle its challenges in their different aspects is visible, it remains to define effective large-scale up interventions and strategies to obtain long-lasting impacts. Objective:The objective of this review is to re-evaluate the efficacy of prebiotics, probiotics, and/or synbiotics on growth in children 0 to 5 years in Africa including recently published studies. Methods:Systematic search will be carried out in Pubmed, Science Direct, clinicaltrial.org, and Google Scholar. Both randomized and observational studies that assess the association between prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics, and health benefits and growth in children under 5 years of age will be included in the review. PRISMA-P (preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols) will be used used for this protocol, and PRISMA will be used for the systematic review. The Cochrane Risk Assessment Tool will be used to assess the quality of eligible studies. If the compiled data are appropriate and sufficient enough, we will perform a meta-analysis using RevMan software. Conclusion:This review will provide up-to-date and reliable information on the efficacy of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics on the growth of children under 5 years of age especially in developing countries. PROSPERO registration number CRD42022343138.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an infectious disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania. Sporadic cases are observed in nonendemic areas and often associated with limited foci; therefore, the disease is easily overlooked. In addition, other diseases have similar clinical symptoms, which make it difficult for clinicians to make an accurate diagnosis and to provide effective treatment. We identified visceral leishmaniasis in a 4-year-old child in Pikine, Senegal. The patient was admitted to the Pikine National Teaching Hospital for haemorrhagic, tumoral, and infectious syndromes. At admission, the patient presented with epistaxis and gingivorrhagia, a severe anaemic syndrome poorly tolerated, a systemic inflammatory response syndrome with fever at 39.5°C, a tumoral syndrome with 11 cm of hepatomegaly and 12 cm of type IV splenomegaly, and noninflammatory macropoly adenopathies. A spinal cord puncture was performed, and direct microscopy examination of the sample after GIEMSA staining revealed amastigote forms of Leishmania. The PCR amplification of extracted DNA from the bone marrow aspiration using specific primers for VL (forward and reverse) confirmed that VL was responsible for the infection. A treatment with meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime) was given and it gave a successful outcome with remission of clinical symptoms and favourable evolution with 3 months hindsight. Conclusion. This visceral leishmaniasis case diagnosis in Senegal has shown that, apart from haematological malignancies, this disease must be considered in combination with a tumor syndrome, haemorrhagic syndrome, and infectious syndrome.

Introduction : L’adhésion aux tissus dentaires est un sujet en permanente évolution tant pour le choix des matériaux que des protocoles proposés au praticien, rendant ainsi difficile sa réalisation en clinique. Il l’est d’autant plus pour les lésions cervicales non carieuses du fait de leur localisation et de la qualité du substrat.

La gale est une maladie tropicale négligée (MTN) qui touche entre 150 à 200 millions de personnes au monde. Nos objectifs étaient d’évaluer l’impact de la gale sur la qualité de vie (QDV) et d’évaluer le retentissement psychologique, social, professionnel et scolaire de la gale chez des patients consultant dans des services de dermatologie à Dakar.

L’objectif général de cette étude était de faire l’état des lieux sur les essais cliniques réalisés à Dakar afin de formuler des recommandations pour la réalisation d’essais cliniques de qualité au Sénégal.

Cette étude avait pour objectif d’évaluer les connaissances et attitudes des médecins généralistes du privé à Dakar, par rapport à la prescription des benzodiazépines, en vue de proposer, éventuellement, des recommandations pour leur usage rationnel.

Male Wistar rats were fed for 40 d a purified diet whose lipid source (60 g/kg diet) was coconut, peanut, corn or fish (herring) oil. A low lipid (lipid-deficient) diet (corn oil, 2 g/kg diet) was also fed to some rats. There were no significant differences in final body weights of rats fed the coconut, peanut, and corn oil diets. Rats fed the fish oil diet gained less weight than those fed any other diet. However, liver weight, ratio of liver to body weight, and protein content were not affected by any of the diets. The plasma cholesterol concentration of rats fed fish oil was lower than that of the other groups of rats. This diet resulted in the highest cytochrome P-450 concentration and markedly enhanced epoxide hydrolase activity. No difference in the level in cytochrome P-450 was noted between the groups of rats fed the vegetable oils. Epoxide hydrolase activity was also significantly higher with the corn oil diet. Interestingly, only glucuronidation of group I substrates was stimulated by the fish or corn oil diets and lowered by the coconut oil diet. Liver microsomes of rats fed fish oil contained a high level of lipid peroxides; this diet greatly stimulated NADPH-dependent peroxidation. The differential stimulation of UDPglucuronosyltransferase activity towards group I substrates could be the results of a toxic action of the fish oil diet as suggested by the concomitant enhancements of epoxide hydrolase, transaminase activities and peroxide content.