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The reliable and timely detection of poliovirus infection through surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), supplemented by environmental surveillance (ES) of sewage samples, is a critical component of the polio eradication programme. Since 1988, the number of polio cases caused by wild poliovirus (WPV) has decreased by >99.9%, and eradication of WPV serotypes 2 and 3 has been certified; only serotype 1 (WPV1) continues to circulate and transmission remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In this surveillance update, we evaluated indicators of AFP in surveillance, ES for polioviruses and data on the performance of the Global Polio Laboratory Network (GPLN) provided by 28 priority countries for the programme during 2022-2023. No WPV1 cases have been detected outside those countries since August 2022, when importation into Malawi and Mozambique resulted in an outbreak during 2021-2022. During 2022-2023, 20 of 28 priority countries (71.4%) met national AFP surveillance indicator targets, and the number of ES sites increased. Low national rates of reported AFP cases in priority countries in 2023 might have been due to lags in surveillance reporting; substantial national and subnational AFP surveillance gaps persist. Maintaining high-quality surveillance is critical to achieving the goal of global polio eradication. Monitoring surveillance indicators is important to identifying gaps and guiding surveillance-strengthening activities, particularly in countries at high risk for poliovirus circulation. La detection fiable et rapide de l'infection a poliovirus au moyen de la surveillance de la paralysie flasque aigue (PFA), completee par une surveillance des echantillons d'eaux usees, est un element essentiel du programme d'eradication de la poliomyelite. Depuis 1988, le nombre de cas de poliomyelite dus au poliovirus sauvage (PVS) a diminue de >99,9% et l'eradication des serotypes 2 et 3 du PVS a ete certifiee; seul le serotype 1 du poliovirus sauvage (PVS1) continue de circuler et la transmission demeure endemique en Afghanistan et au Pakistan. Dans ce rapport faisant le point sur la surveillance, nous evaluons les indicateurs de la PFA a des fins de surveillance pour la recherche des poliovirus et les donnees relatives aux performances du Reseau mondial de laboratoires pour la poliomyelite (RMLP) communiquees par les 28 pays prioritaires pour le programme en 2022-2023. Aucun cas du au PVS1 n'a ete detecte en dehors de ces pays depuis aout 2022, apres une flambee epidemique en 2021-2022 due a l'importation du virus au Malawi et au Mozambique. En 2022-2023, 20 des 28 pays prioritaires (71,4 %) ont atteint les cibles des indicateurs de surveillance de la PFA, et le nombre de sites de surveillance environnementale a augmente. Le faible nombre de cas de PFA signales dans les pays prioritaires en 2023 pourrait etre du a des retards dans la communication des donnees issues de la surveillance; d'importantes lacunes en matiere de surveillance de la PFA a l'echelle nationale et infranationale persistent. Il est essentiel de maintenir une surveillance de qualite afin d'atteindre l'eradication de la poliomyelite a l'echelle mondiale. Un suivi des indicateurs de surveillance est egalement important pour identifier les lacunes et orienter les activites de surveillance, particulierement dans les pays oU il existe un risque eleve de circulation du poliovirus., Introduction Since the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was established in 1988, the number of WPV cases has decreased by >99.9%, and WPV serotypes 2 and 3 have been declared [...]

Since the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was established in 1988, the number of cases due to wild poliovirus (WPV) has decreased by >99.9%, and WPV serotypes 2 and 3 have [...]

The Central African Republic (CAR) is characterized by widespread HIV epidemic with notable prevalence and genetic diversity. We herein analysed the genetic diversity of atypical non‐M HIV‐1 strains. In‐house serotyping assays for variants of HIV‐1 (M, N, O, P) and HIV‐2 were used to test a biological collection of 6092 HIV‐seropositive blood samples collected between 2003 and 2014 at the Institut Pasteur de Bangui. Samples indicative of recombinant M/O groups, HIV‐2, or those that yield doubtful/negative results underwent further PCR tests and sequencing. We found six atypical HIV strains: specifically, three (0.05%) HIV‐1 group O strains (subtype H) detected in samples from 2005, 2008 and 2009, alongside three (0.05%) HIV‐2 strains (two group A and one group B) identified in samples from 2007 and 2009. HIV‐1/O strains showed a genetic link to Cameroon and Gabon strains. This study highlights the dominance of HIV‐1/M in the CAR's HIV epidemic over time and underscores the infrequent occurrence of HIV‐1 group O and HIV‐2 strains. These findings validate the efficacy of WHO‐recommended HIV testing protocols and emphasize the need for adaptive surveillance and management strategies to confront the complexities introduced by the genetic diversity of HIV strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reliable and timely detection of poliovirus cases through surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), supplemented by environmental surveillance of sewage samples, is a critical component of the polio eradication program. Since 1988, the number of polio cases caused by wild poliovirus (WPV) has declined by >99.9%, and eradication of WPV serotypes 2 and 3 has been certified; only serotype 1 (WPV1) continues to circulate, and transmission remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This surveillance update evaluated indicators from AFP surveillance, environmental surveillance for polioviruses, and Global Polio Laboratory Network performance data provided by 28 priority countries for the program during 2022-2023. No WPV1 cases have been detected outside of Afghanistan and Pakistan since August 2022, when an importation into Malawi and Mozambique resulted in an outbreak during 2021-2022. During 2022-2023, among 28 priority countries, 20 (71.4%) met national AFP surveillance indicator targets, and the number of environmental surveillance sites increased. However, low national rates of reported AFP cases in priority countries in 2023 might have resulted from surveillance reporting lags; substantial national and subnational AFP surveillance gaps persist. Maintaining high-quality surveillance is critical to achieving the goal of global polio eradication. Monitoring surveillance indicators is important to identifying gaps and guiding surveillance-strengthening activities, particularly in countries at high risk for poliovirus circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) from HBV-positive mothers to their infants is common and usually occurs when the mother is hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positive and/or has a high HBV DNA load. In this study, we determined the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBeAg among pregnant women with known HIV status. Findings A total of 650 pregnant women with a mean age of 26.2 years including 301 HIV-positives and 349 HIV-negatives were screened for HBsAg (Monolisa AgHBs Plus Biorad, France). Among the HBsAg-positives, HBeAg and anti-HBe were tested (Monolisa Ag HBe Plus Biorad, France). Overall, 51 (7.85%) were positive for HBsAg. The prevalence of HBsAg was not statistically different between HIV-positive and HIV-negative pregnant women [28/301 (9.3%) vs 23/349 (6.59%); p = 0.2]. None of the 45 HBsAg-positive samples was reactive for HBeAg. Conclusions Our study indicates a high prevalence of HBsAg with very low proportion of HBeAg in Cameroonian pregnant women. Since perinatal transmission of HBV is mostly effective when the mother is also HBeAg-positive, our data could suggest that perinatal transmissions play a minor role in HBV prevalence in Cameroon. In line with previous African studies, these findings further suggests that horizontal transmission could be the most common mechanism of HBV infections in Cameroon.

Abstract Background The placenta plays an important role in the control of in utero HIV-1 mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). Proinflammatory cytokines in the placental environment are particularly implicated in this control. We thus investigated the effect of TNF-α on HIV-1 expression in human placental tissues in vitro. Results Human placental chorionic villi fragments were infected with varying doses of luciferase reporter HIV-1 pseudotypes with the R5, X4-Env or the vesicular stomatitis virus protein G (VSV-G). Histocultures were then performed in the presence or absence of recombinant human TNF-α. Luciferase activity was measured at different time points in cell lysates or on whole fragments using ex vivo imaging systems. A significant increase in viral expression was detected in placental fragments infected with 0.2 ng of p24 antigen/fragment (P = 0.002) of VSV-G pseudotyped HIV-1 in the presence of TNF-α seen after 120 hours of culture. A time independent significant increase of viral expression by TNF-α was observed with higher doses of VSV-G pseudotyped HIV-1. When placental fragments were infected with R5-Env pseudotyped HIV-1, a low level of HIV expression at 168 hours of culture was detected for 3 of the 5 placentas tested, with no statistically significant enhancement by TNF-α. Infection with X4-Env pseudotyped HIV-1 did not lead to any detectable luciferase activity at any time point in the absence or in the presence of TNF-α. Conclusion TNF-α in the placental environment increases HIV-1 expression and could facilitate MTCT of HIV-1, particularly in an inflammatory context.

Background Little is known about impact of genetic divergence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 group O (HIV-1/O) relative to HIV-1 group M (HIV-1/M) on therapeutic outcomes. We aimed to determine if responses to standardized combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) were similar between groups despite strain divergence. Methods We performed an open nonrandomized study comparing the immunological, virological, and clinical responses to cART based on 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors plus 1 ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor, in naive and paired HIV-1/O vs HIV-1/M infected (+) patients (ratio 1:2), matched on several criteria. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with undetectable plasma viral load (pVL, threshold 60 copies/mL) at week (W) 48. Secondary endpoints were the proportion of patients with undetectable pVL at W24 and W96 and CD4 evolution between baseline and W24, W48, and W96. Results Forty-seven HIV-1/O+ and 94 HIV-1/M+ patients were included. Mean pVL at baseline was significantly lower by 1 log for HIV-1/O+ vs HIV-1/M+ patients. At W48, no significant difference was observed between populations with undetectable pVL and differences at W24 and W96 were not significant. A difference in CD4 gain was observed in favor of HIV-1/M at W48 and W96, but this was not significant when adjusted on both matched criteria and pVL at baseline. Conclusions Our data demonstrate similar immunovirological and clinical response between HIV-1/O+ and HIV-1/M+ patients. They also reveal significantly lower baseline replication for HIV-1/O variants, suggesting specific virological properties and physiopathology that now need to be addressed. Clinical Trials Registration NCT00658346. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Replication of the human immunodeficiency virus involves an obligatory step of reverse transcription of the viral ribonucleic acid genome into a double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid, and subsequent integration of the deoxyribonucleic acid into the human chromatin to form the proviral deoxyribonucleic acid. This proviral human immunodeficiency virus deoxyribonucleic acid is a critical marker for the diagnosis of acute infections, mother-to-child transmissions and for the confirmation of indeterminate serological reactions. We describe a case of a human immunodeficiency virus positive woman, naïve to antiretroviral treatment, who was persistently negative for human immunodeficiency virus proviral deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase chain reaction. This observation, to the best of our knowledge, is the first time that it has been described in Africa.Case Presentation: A 28-year-old Gabonese woman living in Cameroon requested a human immunodeficiency virus diagnosis in our laboratory. She had an unprotected heterosexual contact 6 months earlier while on vacation in Gabon. The request for a human immunodeficiency virus test was as a result of apprehensions developed after the exposure episode. Human immunodeficiency virus serological examinations were ambiguous and confirmatory tests (including human immunodeficiency virus proviral deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase chain reaction) were carried out. Apart from the human immunodeficiency virus proviral deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase chain reaction that was persistently negative, all other polymerase chain reactions carried out were positive. The deoxyribonucleic acid sequences have been submitted to the GenBank database with accession numbers: KC626022, KC626023 and KC626024 for the protease, reverse transcriptase and gp41 genes respectively.Conclusion: The persistently negative human immunodeficiency virus proviral deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase chain reaction in a person with a confirmed human immunodeficiency virus infection is of immense importance in the human immunodeficiency virus diagnostic field. This could highlight the fact that cases of false negative human immunodeficiency virus proviral deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase chain reactions exist especially with the high genetic variations observed with human immunodeficiency virus. The challenges presented by such false negative tests in the identification of acute infections, mother-to-child transmissions and the confirmation of indeterminate serological reactions are daunting. These data therefore would be invaluable especially to clinicians in Africa where non-B human immunodeficiency virus subtypes circulate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]