Spodoptera frugiperda is an exotic Lepidoptera that causes enormous damage to cereal crops worldwide. The study was conducted at a research station in western Burkina Faso during two consecutive ...rainy seasons in 2020 and 2021. The objective of this work was to estimate crop damage and yield losses by S. frugiperda. Each scenario was tested according to a split-plot design with four randomized replicates. The main plots were the varieties and the secondary plots the levels of insecticide treatments. Three varieties of each cereal crop were tested and the insecticide Lambda-cyhalothrin (15 g/l) + Acetamiprid (10 g) was used in three levels of protection: no insecticide application, 4 insecticide applications and 6 insecticide applications. The results showed that the highest average infestation rate was recorded on maize (50.27% of the plants attacked), followed by sorghum (38.61%) and millet (33.19%) in 2020. In 2021, these rates were 41.38%, 26.80% and 26.38% for maize, sorghum and millet, respectively. The average damage score on the Davis scale associated with maize cobs was 2.13 in 2020 in control plots, 1.74 in plots receiving 4 times the insecticide and 1.54 in those receiving 6 times the insecticide. In 2021, the same trend was observed. S. frugiperda infestation on grain of the three crops studied were only recorded on maize, leading to yield losses of around 22.19% in 2020 and 22.18% in 2021.
These results may help technical and political decision-makers in the management policy of S. frugiperda, in Burkina Faso.
•Maize is the main host plant of Spodoptera frugiperda in Burkina Faso.•As a result, losses due to the insect pest are 2–3 times higher on maize than on other cereals.•These results may help decision-makers in the management policy of Spodoptera frugiperda in Burina Faso.
Abstract
The effect of transgenic cotton
Bollgard II
on the abundance of nontarget arthropods was assessed under field conditions in three areas in
B
urkina
F
aso for four successive years ...(2010–2013).
The experiment was carried out on two 0.5‐ha plots of which one was seeded with the
B
ollgard
II
and one with the non‐
B
acillus thuringiensis
Berliner (
Bt
) isogenic cultivar.
Over four collection methods plastic bagging (28 collections), water trap (28 collections),
b
eat cloth (six collections) and
p
itfall
t
raps (six collections) and 4 years, no statistically significant differences were detected between
B
ollgard
II
and the conventional control for 45 out of 48 comparisons.
Differences detected were rather random and not consistently detected across collection methods, sites and/or years. Thus, these differences were not indicative of a consistent response associated with the trait and are not considered biologically meaningful in terms of an adverse environmental impact (nontarget arthropod abundance) of
B
ollgard
II
compared to conventional cotton receiving six insecticide sprays.
The effect of transgenic cotton Bollgard II on the abundance of nontarget arthropods was assessed under field conditions in three areas in Burkina Faso for four successive years (2010–2013).
The ...experiment was carried out on two 0.5‐ha plots of which one was seeded with the Bollgard II and one with the non‐Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) isogenic cultivar.
Over four collection methods plastic bagging (28 collections), water trap (28 collections), beat cloth (six collections) and pitfall traps (six collections) and 4 years, no statistically significant differences were detected between Bollgard II and the conventional control for 45 out of 48 comparisons.
Differences detected were rather random and not consistently detected across collection methods, sites and/or years. Thus, these differences were not indicative of a consistent response associated with the trait and are not considered biologically meaningful in terms of an adverse environmental impact (nontarget arthropod abundance) of Bollgard II compared to conventional cotton receiving six insecticide sprays.
Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) is a marker of wild-type hepatitis B virus replication. In resource-limited countries where access to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) remains a challenge, ...rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) constitute a good alternative. The HBeAg status is employed to evaluate eligibility for antiviral therapy and to prevent the transmission of hepatitis B from mother to child (PMTCT). The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of the SD-Bioline®HBeAg RDT commonly used for detecting HBeAg in laboratories in Burkina Faso. The sample panel used was collected from HBsAg-positive patients received in the laboratory for the detection of HBeAg with the rapid test. The samples were retested for HBeAg using the VIDAS HBe/Anti-HBe enzyme-linked fluorescent assay (ELFA) (Gold standard). Then, the viral load (VL) of HBV DNA was determined using the GENERIC HBV CHARGE VIRLAE kit (GHBV-CV). The diagnostic performances of the SD-Bioline®HBeAg and its agreement with the gold standard were calculated with their 95% confidence intervals. Overall, 340 sera obtained from HBsAg-positive patients were included in this evaluation Compared to the VIDAS HBe/Anti-HBe ELFA test, the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of the SD-Bioline®HBeAg test were 33.3% and 97.9%, respectively. The concordance between the two tests was 0.42. Depending on the viral load, the Se and Sp varied from 8.8% and 98.3% for a VL < 2000 IU/mL to 35.5% and 98.4% for a VL > 2,000,000 IU/mL. The results showed a low sensibility of the SD-Bioline®HBeAg RDT test, indicating that its use is inappropriate for the clinical management of HBV-infected patients. They also highlight the urgent need to develop HBeAg rapid tests with better sensitivities.
Background
Penile fracture is relatively a rare urological emergency and has been the topic of a few publications in the literature through clinical cases or case series. Despite this relative ...scarcity, it is increasingly reported as one of the andrological emergencies in Burkina Faso. The purpose of this study was to report our experience of the management of such andrological emergency in the two main university teaching hospitals of Burkina Faso.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional study, including retrospectively patients managed for a penile fracture between January 2016 and September 2021, and having a minimum postoperative follow-up of 6 months. The literature review was performed by analyzing the content of the following documents: consultation logs, patient records, operative report protocol. The parameters studied were age, mechanism of occurrence, clinical data, delay of management, operative technique and functional and morphological results after surgery. Erectile function was assessed by the IIEF5 score and rigidity by the EHS scale.
Results
Among the 24 cases of penile fracture, 21 patients were included with a median age of 32.7 ± 5.74 years (23–43 years). The most common mechanism was a coital misstep or coitus interruptus (14 patients or 66.7%). Forced self-manipulation/masturbation was noted in 4 cases (19%), and direct trauma to the penis was noted in 3 cases (14.3%). Urethrorrhagia was reported by 5 patients. The mean delay of management was 65 h (6–432 h). The main sign found was the painful swelling of the penis with an “eggplant” appearance. The surgical approach was a circumferential balanopreputial incision in all our patients. Involvement of the spongy body and urethra associated with involvement of the cavernous body was noted in 4 patients, with a single case of spongy body and urethral involvement. The mean length of hospital stay was 3 days. Postoperatively, erectile dysfunction was noted in 6 patients. A palpable nodule at the penis was observed in 12 patients. No patient reported curvature of the penis.
Conclusion
Penile fracture is a clinical diagnosis requiring early exploration and surgical repair to ensure better functional and morphological outcomes.
Background and Aims
hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) represent the major transfusion–transmissible pathogens worldwide. The risk of ...transmission is relatively high in African countries, mainly due to unreliable screening methods of blood donations. In Burkina Faso, predonation screening using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) is widespread, raising the major question of the transfusion safety in the country. The objective of this study was to assess the risk of transmission of HBV, HCV, and HIV through blood transfusion in the context of the use of RDTs for screening of the blood donations.
Methods
In this cross‐sectional study, a total of 417 serum samples obtained from blood donors tested negative for HBsAg, anti‐HCV, and anti‐HIV using RDTs were retested for the same markers using chemiluminescent immunologic assays. Total antibodies to HBV core (anti‐HBc) were tested on randomly selected samples. HBV‐DNA and HCV‐RNA viral loads (VLs) were quantified on HBsAg and anti‐HCV positive samples, respectively. To assess possible occult hepatitis B infection (OBI), HBV‐DNA‐VL was quantified on 313 randomly selected HBsAg‐negative samples.
Results
HBsAg and anti‐HCV were found respectively in 6 (6/417; 1.4%) and 11 (11/417; 2.6%) samples. No samples were reactive for anti‐HIV. Total anti‐HBc were detected in 217 out of the 319 randomly selected samples (217/319; 68.02%). HBV‐DNA was detected in four (4/313; 1.27%) samples, including two (2/6; 33.33%) of the six HBsAg positive samples and two (2/313; 0.6%) of the HBsAg‐negative samples, suggesting two cases of occult HBV infection. All anti‐HCV antibody‐positive samples were HCV‐RNA negative.
Conclusion
This study shows that RDTs are not sufficiently sensitive for the screening of blood donations. Our results highlight the urgent need to think about the extension of sensitive immunological tests in all blood transfusion centers and also the implementation of nucleic acid amplification techniques.
In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, hepatitis B virus (HBV) coinfection increases the risk of disease progression. Tenofovir plus emtricitabine/lamivudine (TDF/XTC)-based ...antiretroviral therapy (ART), which suppresses HIV and HBV replication, has the potential for decreasing this risk. Here, we analyze the association between HBV replication, early ART, and mortality in West African adults.
The Temprano randomized controlled trial assessed the benefits of immediately initiating vs deferring ART in HIV-infected adults with high CD4 counts. After trial completion, participants continued follow-up in a posttrial phase. We analyzed the association between HBV status, immediate ART, and mortality over the entire trial and posttrial follow-up using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression.
A total of 2052 HIV-infected adults (median baseline CD4 count, 464 cells/μL) were followed for 9394 person-years. At baseline, 1862 (91%) were HIV monoinfected and 190 (9%) HIV/HBV coinfected. Of the latter, 135 (71%) had plasma HBV DNA <2000 IU/mL and 55 (29%) HBV DNA ≥2000 IU/mL. The 60-month probability of death was 11.8% (95% confidence interval CI, 5.4%-24.5%) in coinfected patients with HBV DNA ≥2000 IU/mL; 4.4% (95% CI, 1.9%-10.4%) in coinfected patients with HBV DNA <2000 IU/mL; and 4.2% (95% CI, 3.3%-5.4%) in HIV-monoinfected patients. Adjusting for ART strategy (immediate vs deferred), the hazard ratio of death was 2.74 (95% CI, 1.26-5.97) in coinfected patients with HBV DNA ≥2000 IU/mL and 0.90 (95% CI, .36-2.24) in coinfected patients with HBV DNA <2000 IU/mL compared to HIV-monoinfected patients. There was no interaction between ART strategy and HBV status for mortality.
African HIV/HBV-coinfected adults with high HBV replication remain at heightened risk of mortality in the early ART era. Further studies are needed to assess interventions combined with early ART to decrease mortality in this population.
NCT00495651.
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