Ultrasonography in Schistosomiasis in Africa

Approximately 50 publications have become available in the international literature on ultrasonography in schistosomiasis in Africa. Geographically these cover Congo, Egypt, Kenya, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania and East African Islands as well as Zimbabwe. Further studies are ongoing in many countries, such as Burundi, Ghana, Madagaskar and Uganda. It was shown that ultrasonography is useful in the detection of morbidity induced by schistosomiasis on an individual basis and on the community level. There is indication for varying morbidity patterns in different African foci. Post-treatment monitoring has provided evidence for reversibility of pathological lesions induced by Schistosoma (S.) haematobium and S. mansoni, even though evidence for reversibility of periportal fibrosis in adults is not yet satisfactorily substantiated. A standardized set of criteria for ultrasonographical observations has been worked out and is presently in the process of being refined. It is thus hoped that standardization will contribute to render studies in different endemic settings comparable on a global basis.

RFLP clusters of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains from the Indian Ocean Region: local and South Asian characteristics

This is the first study describing the genetic polymorphism of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in the Indian Ocean Region. Using IS6110 RFLP analysis, 475 M. tuberculosis isolates from Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius, Mozambique and La Reunion were compared. Of the 332 IS6110 profiles found, 43 were shared by clusters containing 2-65 strains. Six clusters were common to at least two countries. Of 52 families of strains with similar IS6110 profiles, 10 were common to at least two countries. Interestingly, another characteristic was the frequency (16.8%) of IS6110 single-copy strains. These strains could be distinguished using the DR marker. This preliminary evaluation suggests genetic similarity between the strains of the Indian Ocean Region. However, additional markers would be useful for epidemiological studies and to assess the ancient transmission of strains between countries of this region.