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OBJECTIVES: Management of Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients, whether they are receiving treatment or not, necessitates long-term follow-up. This study evaluated the rate of lost to follow-up (LTFU) among HBV-infected patients and the feasibility of a callback strategy to re-engage these patients in HBV care. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study involving HBV-infected patients attending the outpatient clinic at Cayenne Hospital, French Guiana. LTFU was defined as patients who had not attended the clinic for more than 18 months. A callback strategy was implemented to re-engage LTFU patients in HBV care. RESULTS: Between 1st January 2015 and 31st December 2018, 203 HBV-infected patients were referred to the outpatient clinic; 95/203 (46.8 %) were LTFU, resulting in a crude LTFU rate of 2.6 (95 % CI, 2.1-3.2) per 100 person-years. At baseline, patients aged 30-40 years (aOR, 0.48; 95 %CI, 0.24-0.95) and those who initiated treatment (aOR, 0.26; 95 %CI, 0.10-0.60) were less likely to be LTFU. Through application of the callback strategy, 55/95 (58 %) patients were successfully contacted, and 46/55 (84 %) attended the outpatient clinic for a liver assessment. The EASL criteria for treatment eligibility were met by 3/46 (4 %) patients. Compared to non-LTFU patients, LTFU patients were more likely to be in informal employment (p = 0.03) and to be receiving state medical assistance (p < 0.01), and had lower levels of knowledge about their condition (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The callback strategy to re-engage LTFU patients in HBV care is feasible and effectively identifies those eligible for antiviral therapy.
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Hepatitis B , Perdida de Seguimiento , Migrantes , Humanos , Guyana Francesa/epidemiología , Estudios Retrospectivos , Femenino , Adulto , Masculino , Hepatitis B/tratamiento farmacológico , Hepatitis B/epidemiología , Persona de Mediana Edad , Migrantes/estadística & datos numéricos , Adulto Joven , Antivirales/uso terapéutico , AdolescenteRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Strategies for the control of scabies should be adapted to local settings. Traditional communities in French Guiana have non-Western conceptions of disease and health. OBJECTIVES: The objectives for this study were to explore knowledge, attitudes and practices to identify potential factors associated with the failure of scabies treatment in these communities. METHODS: Patients with a clinical diagnosis of scabies, seen at either the Cayenne Hospital or one of 13 health centres between 01 April 2021 and 31 August 2021, were included as participants, and were seen again after 6 weeks to check for persistence of lesions. Factors associated with treatment failure were looked for both at inclusion and at 6 weeks. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a diversified subsample of participants. RESULTS: In total, 164 participants were included in the quantitative component, and 21 were interviewed for the qualitative component. Declaring that the second treatment dose had been taken was associated with therapeutic success. Western treatments were not always affordable. Better adherence was observed with topical treatments than with oral ivermectin, whereas permethrin monotherapy was associated with failure. Scabies-associated stigma was high among Amerindians and Haitians but absent in Ndjuka Maroons. Participants reported environmental disinfection as being very complex. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of scabies in traditional Guianan communities may vary depending on local perceptions of galenic formulations, disease-associated stigma and differences in access to health care. These factors should be taken into account when devising strategies for the control of scabies aimed at traditional communities living in remote areas, and migrant populations.
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Indígenas Sudamericanos , Escabiosis , Humanos , Escabiosis/tratamiento farmacológico , Guyana Francesa , Ivermectina , PermetrinaRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: French Guiana is a French overseas territory in South America, marked by poverty and inequalities. Access to different services, including healthcare, is unequal depending on where people live. Several studies showed that among adults, the most precarious individuals had greater incidences of chronic and infectious diseases. Although the median age of the population living in this territory is 25, there is no specific focus on the pediatric population although it is documented that socioeconomic inequalities have an impact on child health. The objective of this scoping review is to shed light on health challenges concerning children living in French Guiana. METHODS: A literature search was performed on PubMed to identify relevant articles, and additional references were added if within the scope of this review. RESULTS: A total of 106 publications were reviewed. Perinatal health issues were linked to a high rate of teenage pregnancies with poor medical follow-up leading to complications such as preterm deliveries and congenital malformations and abnormalities. Infectious diseases were a significant burden with worrisome vaccination coverage figures for some bacterial infections, partly explaining a high mortality rate attributable to infectious diseases. Herbicide poisoning with paraquat was reported in children, and environment-related concerns such as wild animal attacks as well as lead and mercury exposure were reported. Some children living in remote Amerindian communities had a higher suicide rate than in mainland France, and chronic diseases such as sickle cell disease were reported to have more transfusion-related complications. CONCLUSION: Children living in French Guiana have worse pediatric health indicators in comparison with children from mainland France.
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Atención a la Salud , Disparidades en el Estado de Salud , Adolescente , Animales , Niño , Femenino , Guyana Francesa/epidemiología , Humanos , Incidencia , Embarazo , Cobertura de VacunaciónRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: This study aims to assess the neonatal outcomes related to maternal SARS-COV-2 infection. METHODS: In this study, we identified newborns born between May 14 and August 31, 2020, to mothers who were PCR-SRAS-CoV-2 positive at the time of delivery. From the cohort of 974 infants, we performed a nested case-control study. RESULTS: During the study period, 133 (13.7%) mothers were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Among the 35 pregnant women with COVID-19 symptoms (26.3%), cough was the most common symptom, present in half of the cases. Four of them have progressed to critical pneumonia requiring transfer to intensive care unit. The neonates from mothers with positive SARS-CoV-2-RT-PCR, were routinely tested for COVID-19 within the first 24 h after labor, and 3 other newborns tested in the presence of symptoms. There was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to preterm birth, meconium-stained amniotic fluid distress, and neonatal asphyxia. Most infants were breastfed at birth, regardless of their mothers' COVID-19 status. In COVID-19-positive pregnant women admitted to intensive care unit, the proportion of preterm births (OR=12.5 [1.7-90.5]), fetal death in utero (OR=25.9 [2.2-305]) and admission in neonatal intensive care unit admission (OR=13.4 [3.0-60]), appeared higher than the controls. No maternal deaths were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest little neonatal morbidity associated with maternal COVID-19, except for those born to mothers admitted to intensive care unit. However, under breastfeeding conditions with rigorous hygiene precautions and parental education, the risk of transmission of SARS-COV-2 virus to the newborn was very low.
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COVID-19 , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo , Nacimiento Prematuro , COVID-19/epidemiología , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Femenino , Guyana Francesa/epidemiología , Humanos , Lactante , Recién Nacido , Transmisión Vertical de Enfermedad Infecciosa/prevención & control , Embarazo , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo/diagnóstico , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo/epidemiología , Resultado del Embarazo , Nacimiento Prematuro/epidemiología , SARS-CoV-2RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: French Guiana is an overseas territory of France with marked specificities in terms of populations, socioeconomic factors, risk factors, and an access to care. In this context, the objective of the present study was to describe the epidemiology of acute coronary syndromes in French Guiana and to make comparisons with mainland France and neighbouring country. METHODS: The data were obtained from a retrospective descriptive hospital-based cohort conceived to describe the incidence of acute coronary syndromes and their epidemiologic and clinical characteristics. It included patients aged 18 or more hospitalised for a first coronary syndrome in the reference centre for coronary syndromes in Cayenne French Guiana between Jan 1st 2012 and Dec 31st 2014. Overall, 266 patients were analysed. RESULTS: The mean age was 64 years (SD=12.54). A majority of patients were men (sex ratio=1.83). The proportion of patients born in an overseas French territory (44.36%) was similar to that of those born in a foreign country (43.98%), and 11.65% were born in mainland France. Only 59% of patients had regular health insurance. Moreover, 33.21% had universal medical insurance (CMU for those below a minimal income), 4.91% had state insurance (for illegal foreign patients) and 2.64% had no insurance at all. The main risk factors were high blood pressure (73.68%), diabetes (39.85%), hypercholesterolemia (40.23%), and smoking (37.97%). Overall, 82/266 patients developed an ST elevation coronary syndrome (STEMI) and 184/266 had a non-ST elevation coronary syndrome NSTEMI or unstable angina pectoris. Thrombolysis was only performed in 20.73% of patients with STEMI. Mortality at 1 month was 8/82 (9.76%) for STEMI and 2/184 (1.09%) for NSTEMI. CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiologic profile of acute coronary syndromes in French Guiana is different from that of mainland France and Europe to the neighbouring country Brazil. Mortality of STEMI also seems higher than in mainland France, but similar to Brazil. In a context of frequent health inequalities, interventions targeting the major risk factors, notably high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes, have the potential to significantly impact cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
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Síndrome Coronario Agudo/epidemiología , Femenino , Francia/epidemiología , Guyana Francesa/epidemiología , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud , Humanos , Hipertensión/epidemiología , Cobertura del Seguro/estadística & datos numéricos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Infarto del Miocardio sin Elevación del ST/epidemiología , Estudios Retrospectivos , Factores de Riesgo , Infarto del Miocardio con Elevación del ST/epidemiología , Distribución por Sexo , Factores SocioeconómicosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: HIV prevalence in correctional facilities may be 2 to 10 times higher than in the general adult population. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) interruption is frequent after an incarceration. This, in combination with post-release high-risk behaviors, may have detrimental consequences on the epidemic. Although return to care after release from correctional facilities has been described in many North American settings, data from South America seemed scarce. French Guiana is the only French territory located in South America. In 2014, HIV prevalence was estimated at 1.2% among pregnant women and oscillated around 4% in the only correctional facility. METHOD: HIV-infected adults released from the French Guiana correctional facility between 2007 and 2013 were included in a retrospective cohort survey. The first objective was to describe the cascade of care in the 4 years following release. The secondary objectives were to describe contacts with care and to identify factors associated with return to HIV care, 1 year after release. RESULTS: We included 147 people, mostly males (81.6%). The median time before the first ambulatory consultation was 1.8 months. Within 1 year after release, 27.9% came for unscheduled emergency consultations, 22.4% were hospitalized. Within 4 years after release, 40.0-46.5% were in care, 22.4% archieved virological success. Being on ART when incarcerated was associated with HIV care (aIRR: 2.0, CI: 1.2-3.0), whereas being HIV-diagnosed during the last incarceration was associated with poor follow-up (aIRR: 0.3, CI: 0.1-0.9). CONCLUSION: The risk of HIV-follow-up interruption is high, after an incarceration with HIV. ART supply should be sufficient to cover the timespan following release, several months if possible. Those not on ART at the time of incarceration may require special attention, especially those newly HIV-diagnosed while in custody. Comprehensive programs are necessary to support ex-offenders to stay on ART after incarceration.
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Continuidad de la Atención al Paciente/estadística & datos numéricos , Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital/estadística & datos numéricos , Infecciones por VIH/terapia , Aceptación de la Atención de Salud/psicología , Aceptación de la Atención de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Prisioneros/psicología , Prisioneros/estadística & datos numéricos , Adulto , Estudios de Cohortes , Femenino , Guyana Francesa/epidemiología , Infecciones por VIH/epidemiología , Humanos , Masculino , Embarazo , Prevalencia , Estudios RetrospectivosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: French Guiana faces singular health challenges: poverty, isolation, structural lag, difficulties in attracting health professionals. Hospital stays exceed the recommended durations. The present study aimed to model the impact of precariousness and geographic isolation on the hospital duration performance indicator and to recalculate the indicator after incrementing severity by 1 unit when patients were socially precarious. METHODS: Cayenne hospital data for 2017 were used to model the hospital duration performance indicator (IP-DMS) using quantile regression to study the impact of geographic and social explanatory variables. This indicator was computed hypothesizing a 1 unit increment of severity for precarious patients and by excluding patients from isolated regions. RESULTS: Most excess hospitalization days were linked to precariousness: the sojourns of precarious patients represented 47% of activity but generated 71% of excess days in hospital. Quantile regression models showed that after adjustment for potential confounders, patients from western French Guiana and Eastern French Guiana, precarious patients and the interactions terms between residence location and precariousness were significantly associated with IP-DMS increases. Recalculating the IP-DMSafter exclusion of patients from the interior and after increasing severity by 1 notch if the patient was precarious led to IP-DMS levels close to 1. CONCLUSION: The results show the nonlinear relationship between the IP-DMS and geographical isolation, poverty, and their interaction. These contextual variables must be taken into account when choosing the target IP-DMS value for French Guiana, which conditions funding and number of hospital beds allowed in a context of rapid demographic growth.
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Vías Clínicas , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud , Tiempo de Internación/estadística & datos numéricos , Pobreza/estadística & datos numéricos , Aislamiento Social , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Niño , Preescolar , Vías Clínicas/organización & administración , Vías Clínicas/normas , Vías Clínicas/estadística & datos numéricos , Femenino , Guyana Francesa/epidemiología , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud/organización & administración , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud/normas , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Humanos , Lactante , Recién Nacido , Masculino , Cuerpo Médico/organización & administración , Cuerpo Médico/normas , Cuerpo Médico/estadística & datos numéricos , Cuerpo Médico/provisión & distribución , Persona de Mediana Edad , Administración en Salud Pública/normas , Administración en Salud Pública/estadística & datos numéricos , Derivación y Consulta/organización & administración , Derivación y Consulta/normas , Derivación y Consulta/estadística & datos numéricos , Tiempo de Tratamiento/organización & administración , Tiempo de Tratamiento/normas , Tiempo de Tratamiento/estadística & datos numéricos , Poblaciones Vulnerables/estadística & datos numéricos , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The border area between French Guiana and Brazil is an active HIV-transmission zone. The aim of the present study was to describe HIV knowledge, risk and the level of stigma among inhabitants of this border area. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 621 inhabitants over 18 years of age in the border cities of Saint-Georges-de-l'Oyapock in French Guiana and Oiapoque in Brazil. It was conducted between October 2017 and February 2018. An anonymous standardized questionnaire was filled out by culturally-trained mediators, then analyzed using STATA 12. RESULTS: Almost half (45.9%) of the individuals had a low education level. Participants whose native language was Portuguese or French demonstrated better HIV knowledge than other populations, notably native Amerindian and creole-speaking people. HIV risk behavior was more frequent in men and in younger age groups. People with good HIV knowledge reported having performed more HIV tests in the last year than participants with poor knowledge. The stigma level was high and reported in 74.8% of respondents. CONCLUSIONS: These results illustrate the need for initiatives to improve HIV prevention among autochthonous populations on both sides of this border area. Cross-border collaboration on health policies could produce common key messages adapted to the education level and multi-linguistic populations who live in this area.
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Infecciones por VIH/epidemiología , Conocimientos, Actitudes y Práctica en Salud , Estigma Social , Síndrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida/epidemiología , Adolescente , Adulto , Factores de Edad , Brasil/epidemiología , Estudios Transversales , Etnicidad/psicología , Etnicidad/estadística & datos numéricos , Femenino , Guyana Francesa/epidemiología , Infecciones por VIH/prevención & control , Infecciones por VIH/psicología , Humanos , Conocimiento , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Factores de Riesgo , Factores Sexuales , Factores Socioeconómicos , Adulto JovenAsunto(s)
Oro , Hepatitis B/epidemiología , Mineros , Sífilis/epidemiología , Adulto , Femenino , Guyana Francesa/epidemiología , Hepatitis B/diagnóstico , Virus de la Hepatitis B/inmunología , Virus de la Hepatitis B/aislamiento & purificación , Humanos , Masculino , Prevalencia , Pruebas Serológicas , Sífilis/diagnóstico , Treponema pallidum/inmunología , Treponema pallidum/aislamiento & purificación , Inmigrantes Indocumentados , Poblaciones VulnerablesAsunto(s)
Congresos como Asunto , Internado y Residencia , Médicos , Medicina Tropical , Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes/diagnóstico , Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes/patología , Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes/terapia , Congresos como Asunto/organización & administración , Educación Médica/organización & administración , Educación Médica/normas , Guyana Francesa , Humanos , Internado y Residencia/normas , Malaria Vivax/epidemiología , Malaria Vivax/patología , Malaria Vivax/terapia , Médicos/normas , Médicos/estadística & datos numéricos , Medicina Tropical/organización & administración , Medicina Tropical/tendencias , UniversidadesRESUMEN
The situation of the Amerindian village of Camopi in French Guiana is particular because of its geographical isolation and its socio-cultural environment. Does this unique context affect the morbidity of the children? This study describes the morbidity of children aged 0-5 years in Camopi. The study population included all the children living in Camopi, born between 01/01/2009 and 31/12/2013. Sociodemographic and medical data were collected from Child Health Record until 05/01/2016, with a maximum of five years. 149 children were included and received 5916 consultations during the period of study. ENT and upper respiratory diseases were the most frequent diseases that were followed by digestive disorders. Lower respiratory conditions were the leading cause of hospitalization. Tropical diseases were rare. Antibiotics were delivered in 32.5% of the consultations. The vaccination coverage exceeded 95% for BCG, DTP, HBVand yellow fever, remove than that of MMR which was little lower (89.9%) and only 4 children were vaccinated against pneumococcus. Despite the Amazonian context, the morbidity of Camopi's children mainly includes classic disorders. Traumas seem uncommon but can be violent. Facilitating access to rapid diagnostic tests, setting up protocols, and training staff could reduce the prescription of antibiotics.
La situation du village amérindien de Camopi en Guyane française est particulière de par son isolement géographique et son environnement socioculturel. Ce contexte singulier influe-t-il sur la morbidité des enfants de ce village ? Le but de cette étude était de décrire lamorbidité des enfants âgés de zéro à cinq ans dans ce village. La population étudiée comprenait tous les enfants résidant à Camopi, nés entre le 1er janvier 2009 et le 31 décembre 2013. Des données sociodémographiques et médicales ont été recueillies à partir des carnets de santé jusqu'au 1er mai 2016, avec une durée maximale de suivi de cinq ans. Les 149 enfants inclus ont bénéficié de 5 916 consultations au cours de la période étudiée. Les pathologies ORL et respiratoires hautes étaient les plus fréquentes suivies par les affections digestives. Les affections respiratoires basses étaient la première cause d'hospitalisation. Les pathologies tropicales étaient peu fréquentes. La prescription d'antibiotiques concernait 32,5 % des consultations. La couverture vaccinale dépassait les 95 % pour le BCG, le DTP, le VHB et la fièvre jaune, celle du ROR un peu inférieure (89,9 %), et seuls quatre enfants avaient été vaccinés contre le pneumocoque. Malgré le contexte amazonien, la morbidité des enfants de Camopi regroupe majoritairement des affections classiques. Les traumatismes semblent peu fréquents, mais peuvent être violents. La facilitation de l'accès aux tests de diagnostic rapide, la mise en place de protocoles et la formation du personnel devraient permettre de diminuer la prescription d'antibiotiques.
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Indígenas Norteamericanos/estadística & datos numéricos , Morbilidad , Pediatría/estadística & datos numéricos , Preescolar , Femenino , Guyana Francesa/epidemiología , Humanos , Lactante , Recién Nacido , Masculino , Registros Médicos/estadística & datos numéricosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Malaria is endemic in French Guiana (FG), South America. Despite the decrease in cases in the local population, illegal gold miners are very affected by malaria (22.3% of them carried Plasmodium spp.). Self-medication seems to be very common, but its modalities and associated factors have not been studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate parasite susceptibility to drugs and to document behaviours that could contribute to resistance selection in illegal gold miners. METHODS: This multicentric cross-sectional study was conducted in resting sites along the FG-Surinamese border. Participating gold miners working in FG completed a questionnaire and provided a blood sample. RESULTS: From January to June 2015, 421 illegal gold miners were included. Most were Brazilian (93.8%) and 70.5% were male. During the most recent malaria attack, 45.5% reported having been tested for malaria and 52.4% self-medicated, mainly with artemisinin derivatives (90%). Being in FG during the last malaria attack was the main factor associated with self-medication (adjusted OR = 22.1). This suggests that access to malaria diagnosis in FG is particularly difficult for Brazilian illegal gold miners. Treatment adherence was better for persons who reported being tested. None of the 32 samples with Plasmodium falciparum presented any mutation on the pfK13 gene, but one isolate showed a resistance profile to artemisinin derivatives in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: The risk factors for the selection of resistance are well known and this study showed that they are present in FG with persons who self-medicated with poor adherence. Interventions should be implemented among this specific population to avoid the emergence of artemisinin resistance.
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Antimaláricos/uso terapéutico , Artemisininas/uso terapéutico , Malaria Falciparum/tratamiento farmacológico , Mineros/estadística & datos numéricos , Plasmodium falciparum/efectos de los fármacos , Automedicación , Adolescente , Adulto , Conducta Criminal , Estudios Transversales , Resistencia a Medicamentos , Femenino , Guyana Francesa , Oro , Humanos , Masculino , Tamizaje Masivo , Persona de Mediana Edad , Suriname , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Cumplimiento y Adherencia al Tratamiento , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Optimized elimination strategies are needed to control transmission of malaria. As part of an elimination campaign, active detection of asymptomatic Plasmodium carriers by highly sensitive methods is deemed necessary. Asymptomatic carriage leads to complex scientific, ethical, and operational issues regarding individual or collective detection and treatment. To address this issue, a crosssectional study was carried out in French Guiana to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium carriage during an inter-epidemic season in the whole population of a neighborhood of Saint-Georges-de-l'Oyapock, along the Brazilian border. Fifty-eight participants out of 63 residents were screened. The median age was 23.3 years (range: 2 months-72 years), with a male/female sex-ratio of 0.56. The majority of the participants (74%, N = 43/58) reported a history of malaria, 12% (N = 7/58) during the past 12 months. All rapid diagnostic tests for malaria were negative. Among the 58 participants, malaria prevalence detected by nested-PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) was 3.6% (N = 2/56). Two asymptomatic carriers of Plasmodium were identified: one child with Plasmodium vivax and one adult with Plasmodium falciparum. These two carriers were treated and did not develop malaria within the eight months following the diagnosis. This study confirmed the presence of asymptomatic parasitaemias outside hyperendemic areas. However, the benefits of such an active detection and patient treatment to eliminate malaria in French Guiana need to be evaluated at a larger scale.
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Enfermedades Asintomáticas/epidemiología , Malaria/epidemiología , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Portador Sano/epidemiología , Niño , Preescolar , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Guyana Francesa/epidemiología , Humanos , Lactante , Malaria/microbiología , Malaria Falciparum/epidemiología , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Plasmodium falciparum/genética , Plasmodium falciparum/aislamiento & purificación , Plasmodium vivax/genética , Plasmodium vivax/aislamiento & purificación , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa , Prevalencia , Características de la Residencia/estadística & datos numéricos , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Leptospirosis is a cosmopolitan zoonosis caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. Whether the distribution is worldwide, the hot and humid climate of the tropics is particularly conducive to its expansion. In most French overseas departments and territories, leptospirosis is considered as a public health problem. In French Guiana, a French department located in the northeastern part of the Amazon rainforest, it is supposed to be rare. The objective of this review was to make an inventory of the knowledge on human and animal leptospirosis in French Guiana and neighboring countries. A comprehensive search was conducted through the indexed and informal medical literature in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Thus, respectively ten and four publications were identified on human and animal leptospirosis in French Guiana, published between 1940 and 1995 in the form of case reports or case series. The publications concerning this disease in the other countries of the Guiana Shield, eastern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and Brazilian state of Amapá, also scarce or nonexistent. However recent data from the French National Centre of leptospirosis showed a recent and sudden increase in the number of cases in the department, probably partly due to the development of diagnostic tools such as Elisa IgM serology. It is likely that leptospirosis is a neglected disease in the region, due to the lack of diagnostic tools readily available, the lack of knowledge of the local clinicians on this disease and the existence of many other pathogens with similar clinical presentation such as malaria, arboviruses and Q fever and Amazonian toxoplasmosis. The establishment of more large-scale studies on animal and human leptospirosis is necessary and urgent to know the true burden of this disease in our region.
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Leptospirosis/epidemiología , Adolescente , Adulto , Animales , Niño , Preescolar , Femenino , Guyana Francesa/epidemiología , Guyana/epidemiología , Humanos , América Latina/epidemiología , Malaria/epidemiología , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Embarazo , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo/epidemiología , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo/virología , Toxoplasmosis/epidemiología , Adulto Joven , Zoonosis/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Cervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer in women in French Guiana. Studies have shown that populations living in the remote areas of the interior have early sexual debut and that multiple sexual partnerships are common. The objective of the present study was thus to determine the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in these areas. A study was conducted in women aged 20-65 years with previous sexual activity. Women were included on a voluntary basis after using local media and leaders to inform them of the visit of the team. HPV infection was defined by the detection of HPV DNA using the Greiner Bio-One kit. In addition to HPV testing cytology was performed. The overall age-standardized prevalence rate was 35%. There was a U-shaped evolution of HPV prevalence by age with women aged >50 years at highest risk for HPV, followed by the 20-29 years group. Twenty-seven percent of women with a positive HPV test had normal cytology. Given the high incidence of cervical cancer in French Guiana and the high prevalence of HPV infections the present results re-emphasize the need for screening for cervical cancer in these remote areas. Vaccination against HPV, preferably with a nonavalent vaccine, also seems an important prevention measure. However, in this region where a large portion of the population has no health insurance, this still represents a challenge.
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ADN Viral/análisis , Papillomaviridae/aislamiento & purificación , Infecciones por Papillomavirus/epidemiología , Adulto , Anciano , Técnicas Citológicas , ADN Viral/genética , Estudios Epidemiológicos , Femenino , Guyana Francesa/epidemiología , Genotipo , Técnicas de Genotipaje , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Papillomaviridae/clasificación , Papillomaviridae/genética , Infecciones por Papillomavirus/virología , Prevalencia , Frotis Vaginal , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Started in 2015 in Brazil, an outbreak linked to a little known arbovirus, Zika virus spread throughout Latin America. This virus, considered until recently as responsible of only mild symptoms, made mention of previously unsuspected complications, with severe neurological manifestations in adults and malformations of the central nervous system, including microcephaly, in newborns of mother infected during the pregnancy. While the continent is more accustomed to the succession of arbovirus epidemics, suspected complications and the many unknowns keys of the latter arriving raise many public health issues. French Guiana, a French territory located in the north-east of the continent, combines both European level of resources and climate and issues specific to the Amazon region and Latin America. We discuss here the issues for 2016 Zika virus epidemic in our region, many of them are generalizable to neighboring countries.
Asunto(s)
Brotes de Enfermedades , Infección por el Virus Zika/epidemiología , Virus Zika , Adulto , Brotes de Enfermedades/prevención & control , Brotes de Enfermedades/estadística & datos numéricos , Femenino , Guyana Francesa/epidemiología , Salud Global , Humanos , Recién Nacido , Transmisión Vertical de Enfermedad Infecciosa/estadística & datos numéricos , América Latina/epidemiología , Masculino , Embarazo , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo/epidemiología , Salud Pública , Enfermedades Virales de Transmisión Sexual/epidemiología , Enfermedades Virales de Transmisión Sexual/transmisión , Virus Zika/aislamiento & purificación , Infección por el Virus Zika/prevención & control , Infección por el Virus Zika/transmisiónRESUMEN
In French Guiana, the age-standardized incidence rate of cervical cancer is four times higher than in France and the mortality rate 5.5 times higher. A survival study revealed that stage at diagnosis was the main factor influencing the prognosis, showing that early detection is crucial to increase cervical cancer survival. The present study aimed at evaluating the cervical cancer screening rate between 2006 and 2011 by age and for a 3-year period in French Guiana. All pap smears realised in French Guiana were analysed in two laboratories allowing exhaustive review of screening data. The screening rate was estimated at about 54% from 2006 to 2011, with a statistical difference between coastal and rural area (56.3% versus 18.7%). Although the methodological difference did not allow comparisons with metropolitan France, these results could be used to evaluate the impact of organised cervical cancer screening by the French Guiana Association for Organized Screening of Cancers which has been implemented in French Guiana since 2012.
Asunto(s)
Detección Precoz del Cáncer , Tamizaje Masivo/organización & administración , Neoplasias del Cuello Uterino/epidemiología , Adulto , Factores de Edad , Detección Precoz del Cáncer/estadística & datos numéricos , Femenino , Guyana Francesa/epidemiología , Humanos , Incidencia , Tamizaje Masivo/estadística & datos numéricos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Invasividad Neoplásica , Prueba de Papanicolaou/estadística & datos numéricos , Estudios Retrospectivos , Neoplasias del Cuello Uterino/diagnóstico , Neoplasias del Cuello Uterino/patología , Neoplasias del Cuello Uterino/prevención & controlRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The use of 2 live attenuated vaccines (LAV) is recommended to be simultaneous or after an interval of at least four weeks between injections. The primary objective of this study was to compare the humoral response to yellow fever (YF) and measles vaccines among children vaccinated against these two diseases, either simultaneously or separated by an interval of 7-28 days. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A prospective, multicenter observational study was conducted among children aged 9-15 months. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of positive yellow fever antibodies after YF vaccine by estimating the titers of neutralizing antibodies from venous blood samples. Children vaccinated against YF 7-28 days after receiving the vaccine against measles (test group) were compared with children vaccinated the same day against these two diseases (referent group). RESULTS: Analysis was performed on 284 children. Of them, fifty-four belonged to the test group. Measles serology was positive in 91.7% of children. Neutralizing antibodies against YF were detected in 90.7% of the test group and 92.9 of the referent group (p=0.6). In addition, quantitative analysis of the immune response did not show a lower response to YF vaccination when it took place 1-28 days after measles vaccination. DISCUSSION: In 1965, Petralli showed a lower response to the smallpox vaccine when injected 4-20 days after measles vaccination. Since then, recommendations are to observe an interval of four weeks between LAV not injected on the same day. Other published studies failed to show a significant difference in the immune response to a LAV injected 1-28 days after another LAV. These results suggest that the usual recommendations for immunization with two LAV may not be correct. CONCLUSION: In low income countries, the current policy should be re-evaluated. This re-evaluation should also be applied to travelers to yellow fever endemic countries.