We report 1,327 probable cases of dengue in Burkina Faso in 2016. Of 35 serum samples tested by a trioplex test, 19 were confirmed dengue virus (DENV)‒positive: 11 DENV-2, 6 DENV-3, 2 nontypeable, and 1 DENV-2/DENV-3 co-infection. Molecular testing should be conducted to correctly identify causative agents in this complex infectious disease landscape.

BackgroundAlthough influenza surveillance has recently been improved in some sub-Saharan African countries, no information is yet available from Burkina Faso.ObjectivesOur study was the first to determine the prevalence of influenza viruses circulating in Burkina Faso through a sentinel surveillance system.MethodsWe conducted sentinel surveillance with oropharyngeal (OP) swabs collected from outpatients (1 month to 83 years) from six sites in Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou, among patients meeting the WHO/CDC case definition for influenza-like illness (ILI; fever ≥38°C, and cough and/or sore throat in the absence of other diagnosis) from July 2010 to May 2012. Influenza viruses were detected by real-time RT-PCR using CDC primers, probes, and protocols.ResultsThe first three ILI cases were enrolled each day; of 881 outpatients with ILI enrolled and sampled, 58 (6·6%) tested positive for influenza viruses (29 influenza A and 29 influenza B). Among the influenza A viruses, 55·2% (16/29) were influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 and 44·8% (13/29) were seasonal A (H3N2). No cases of seasonal A/H1N1 were detected. Patients within 0–5 years and 6–14 years were the most affected, comprising 41·4% and 22·4% laboratory-confirmed influenza cases, respectively. Influenza infections occurred during both the dry, dusty Harmattan months from November to March and the rainy season from June to October with peaks in January and August.ConclusionsThis surveillance was the first confirming the circulation of influenza A (H1N1)pdm09, A/H3N2, and influenza B viruses in humans in Burkina Faso.

Summary OBJECTIVETo study the quality of diagnostic practice in rural Burkina Faso. METHOD In 9 health centres of 3 districts, 313 outpatient consultations were observed, and 417 diagnoses by 15 nurses were analysed. Criteria for evaluation of patient history and clinical examination were based on the diagnostic guidelines distributed by the Ministry of Health. RESULTS In only 20% of the diagnoses the nurses took a sufficient history and in only 40% they conducted a sufficient clinical examination. In 21% patients underwent no clinical examination at all. Only 12% of all diagnoses were based on sufficient history-taking and adequate clinical examinations. The individual elements of clinical examination were performed correctly in 82% of cases. The variation between nurses was immense, but no correlation could be found with regard to their basic training. However, nurses who had received the diagnostic guidelines examined patients more carefully than those who had not. Larger numbers of patients per day are not associated with shorter nurse-patient contact, and neither is sufficiency of patient history associated with duration of the consultation. CONCLUSION The low diagnostic quality of the outpatient consultations in the studied area indicates that this issue has been neglected in national public health initiatives. But examination skills are good and diagnostic guidelines may have had a positive effect on the diagnostic quality.keywords diagnosis, history taking, Burkina Faso correspondence Dr Gérard Krause,

Our study showed a high HBsAg prevalence, but a low rate of HDV co-infection in HBsAg carriers from western Burkina Faso. The predominance of HBV genotype E in the country was confirmed. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the burden of HBV and HDV infection in western Burkina Faso.

BackgroundIn 2010, influenza, influenza-like illness (ILI) and acute respiratory infection (ARI) surveillance was established by the government of Burkina Faso. We provide preliminary descriptive results from this surveillance activity.MethodsThe study period was 2013 through 2015. Two primary healthcare facilities in Bobo-Dioulasso district reported ILI in outpatients. Influenza virology, using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR), was available for a proportion of ILI patients. One hospital, in the capital Ouagadougou, reported ARI in both outpatients and inpatients (hospitalized). Inpatients admitted with ARI were considered severe ARI (SARI). We estimated the proportion of primary care outpatient visits that were ILI, and the proportion of those that were due to influenza, by age. We estimated the proportion of hospital outpatient visits that were ARI and the proportion of those that were SARI, by age.ResultsAmong combined outpatient visits in the Bobo-Dioulasso facilities, 19.6% were for ILI. One half (49.9%) of outpatient visits in infants and 30.9% in 1–4 year-olds were ILI. Among ILI outpatient visits 14.8% were due to influenza virus and, of these, 58.5% were type A and 41.5% type B. At the Ouagadougou hospital, 6.7% of outpatient visits were ARI, and 22.3% of those were SARI. The highest proportions of ARI were among infants (19.8%) and 1–4 year-olds (16.0%). The proportion of ARI that was SARI was highest among ≥15 year-olds (31.5%) followed by 1–4 year-olds (22.4%). Overall, 4.1% of SARI patients died.ConclusionsThese preliminary data indicate the importance of respiratory infections among health care attendances in Burkina Faso, and influenza may be an important contributor to these.