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Tuberculosis (TB) is endemic in the Central African Republic (CAR) with an incidence rate of 391 per 100,000 population in 2015. This study aims to analyze current epidemiological and clinical features of TB at the Hôpital de l'Amitié in the Central African Republic. We conducted an analytic retrospective study of patients hospitalized in the Department of Medicine at the Hôpital de l'Amitié from 15 April 2010 to 14 October 2011. Data were collected using a questionnaire and then analyzed with Epi info software 3.5.3. Chi-square test was used to compare proportions, using a threshold significance level of 5%. The study included 220 patients, of whom 128 were women (58.18%). The average age of patients was 35.69± 10.65 years. In 42.70% of cases, patients had no professional activity. Prevalence of tuberculosis in hospital was 10.99%. On average, 12 cases of TB were recorded each month. Most common clinical signs included: chronic cough (71.81%), fever (96.82%), alteration of the general state (91.36%) and pulmonary condensation syndrome (63.64%). The diseases most commonly associated with tuberculosis were HIV/AIDS (73.36%), malaria (48.63%) and anemia (31.81%). The mean time between symptom onset and diagnosis was 37.65 days. Mortality rate was 18.63%. TB/HIV co-infection and neuromeningeal TB were associated with a high mortality rate (p < 0.05). Tuberculosis is a common disease in Bangui and it is often associated with HIV infection. Prognosis is poor in the case of neuromeningeal involvement. Prevention and routine monitoring in HIV infected patients may contribute to reduce the extent and severity of TB., Competing Interests: Les auteurs ne déclarent aucun conflit d'intérêts.

An outbreak of monkeypox occurred in the district of Bangassou in 2015. The monkeypox is a re-emerging zoonosis of viral origin highly contagious. It is an eruptive fever which evolves in an epidemic manner. An investigation was held December 10, 2015, to February 10, 2016 in the focus of the epidemic. Its objective was to describe the epidemic according to the time, places and people and to determine the incidence and lethality of the disease. This was a descriptive study. The data collection was made by interview and using a linear plug composed of several sections. All suspected cases were taken into account. The interview was done with patients or the parents of sick children. The blood and the contents of the lesions were collected and sent to the laboratory of the Institut Pasteur in Bangui for confirmation. Our data were analyzed with Epi info7. In total 12 patients had been registered including 9 secondary cases. Patients aged 31 to 40 years and less than 10 years were most affected. In addition, adults were most affected by the disease (8/12). The average age was 25 years with extremes at 15 months and 41 years. The sex male/female ratio was 1. The overall attack rate of disease and lethality were 0.2 per 1000 inhabitants and 25% respectively. The fatality was 67% among children less than 10 years. Fever and rash were the main symptoms of the disease. Lymphadenopathy was present in 54.5%. Ten of the 12 patients were hospitalized (83%). The average duration of hospitalization was 13 days with the extremes 6 and 28 days. The monkeypox like smallpox remains a serious and fatal disease in children. A survey of animal reservoirs complained to identify strains of the virus is essential. During an outbreak, good communication and isolation of patients may break the chain of transmission. Other measures to limit their contact with the forest or virus reservoirs are to be encouraged.

Depression is a complication occurring frequently after a stroke. It negatively affects the physical, cognitive and social recovery. Authors report the results of a casecontrol study section was performed in neurology of the friendship hospital and psychiatry of the general hospital in Bangui, from January to August 2012 to ascertain the existence of a link between stroke and depression in hospitalized patients and to identify factors limiting taken into efficient load. On one hundred five subjects included, thirty five were stroke victims matched with seventy witnesses. The prevalence of post stroke depression was 88.6% (31/35) versus (20/70) 28.5% in controls (p <0.001). This post stroke depression occurred in 58% of men with a sex ratio of 1.4. The mean age of subjects with post stroke depression was 49.1 years, with extremes ranging from 33 to 76 years of age. Most (64.5%) subjects with post stroke depression was no occupation; 71.5% of them had a stroke dating back more than six weeks, and 92% had a motor deficit with a Barthel Index <100. Subjects with stroke suffered mostly moderate depression (48.1%) whereas the controls usually had mild depression (80.4%). This depression was not correlated with motor deficit, or the laterality of the lesion, or cognitive disorder. But, some Central African specificities could explain this phenomenon. These results demonstrate the reality of post stroke depression in Africa, hence the need to think in support of any subject with stroke topic. Moreover, questions about the tools used to evaluate the post stroke depression and the time interval between stroke onset and the onset of depressive symptoms remain and require further consideration.

Given the gradual improvement of living conditions and aging, dementia and related syndromes are becoming serious problems in the developing countries. A cross-sectional door to door type study in neighbourhood, was conducted from October 2008 to January 2009, in the general population in Bangui, order to help get a better understanding of the prevalence and risk factors of dementia among people over 65 living in the Central African capital. Of the 496 elderly respondents, 188 had cognitive disorders. After a neuropsychological examination, 40 of these subjects were diagnosed with dementia. The prevalence of dementia was 8.1% (IC 95% = [5.7-10.5]). The average age of subjects with dementia, ranging from 65 to 90 years, was 76.0 ± 7.1 years. There was a significant risk of developing dementia for an increase of ten years old (OR = 2.6, 95% CI [1.5 to 4.5]). The sex-ratio was 6/34. 82.5% of the demented had never attended school. 70.0% showed a state of malnutrition (BMI ≤ 18,5 kg/m(2)), significantly associated with dementia (OR = 3.3; IC 95% = [1.5-7.3]). The blood pressure was high in 67.5% of demented which is significantly associated with dementia (OR = 2.4; IC 95% = [1.1-5.4]). A recent change in financial status was a factor significantly associated with dementia (OR = 6.4; IC 95% = [1.8-22.5]). These results support the existence of dementia in urban Africa. The observed prevalence is close to those found in high-income countries. Further studies should be conducted which includes both the rural and urban Africa, to better understand the problem and solutions consider to comprehensive care and prevention axes adapted to our context.

Introduction: Konzo is a neuromyelopathy characterized by permanent spastic paraparesis, linked to a subacute poisoning by cyanide found in cassava. The purpose of the study is to describe the epidemiological aspects of konzo in health region No. 2 in the Central African Republic., Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients collected during a one-month period (July 16 to August 16, 2007) of active surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis., Results: Eighty-one cases of konzo were identified during the study period, representing a prevalence of 10 per 100,000. Mean age of patients was 10.7+/-7.7 years. Children and women were most affected. The main warning signs were fatigability (97.6%), tremor (88.9%), walking difficulty (100.0%), dysarthria (67.9%) and a loss of visual acuity (65.4%). The predominant neurological signs were lower limb paresis (90.0%) and hyperesthesia (66.7%)., Conclusion: Konzo is a serious public health problem in this region of the Central African Republic. A prevention program should be set-up.