We report the isolation of chikungunya virus from a patient during an outbreak of a denguelike syndrome in Cameroon in 2006. The virus was phylogenetically grouped in the Democratic Republic of the Congo cluster, indicating a continuous circulation of a genetically similar chikungunya virus population during 6 years in Central Africa.

BackgroundSevere acute respiratory illness (SARI) is recognized as an important cause of morbidity, mortality, and hospitalization among children in developing countries. Little is known, however, in tropical countries like Cameroon about the cause and seasonality of respiratory infections, especially in hospitalized settings.Objectives: Our study investigates the viral etiology and seasonality of SARI in hospitalized children in Yaounde, Cameroon.MethodsProspective clinic surveillance was conducted to identify hospitalized children aged ≤15 years presenting with respiratory symptoms ≤5‐day duration. Demographic and clinical data, and respiratory specimens were collected. Nasopharyngeal samples were tested for 17 respiratory viruses using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction. The viral distribution and demographic data were statistically analyzed.ResultsFrom September 2011 through September 2013, 347 children aged ≤15 years were enrolled. At least one virus was identified in each of 65·4% children, of which 29·5% were coinfections; 27·3% were positive for human adenovirus (hAdV), 13·2% for human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV), 11·5% for rhinovirus/enterovirus (RV/EV), 10·6% for human bocavirus (hBoV), 9·8% for influenza virus (Inf), 6·6% for human parainfluenza virus (hPIV), 5·7% for human coronavirus (hCoV), and 2·3% for human metapneumovirus (hMPV). While hRSV showed seasonal patterns, hAdV and RV/EV were detected throughout the year and no evident temporal patterns were observed for the remaining viruses.ConclusionRespiratory viruses were associated with a high burden of hospitalizations among children in Cameroon. Nevertheless, additional studies evaluating asymptomatic Cameroonian children will be important in understanding the relationship between viral carriage and disease.

BackgroundA large proportion of the 2.5 million new adult HIV infections that occurred worldwide in 2007 were in stable couples. Feasible and acceptable strategies to improve HIV prevention in a conjugal context are scarce. In the preparatory phase of the ANRS 12127 Prenahtest multi-site HIV prevention trial, we assessed the acceptability of couple-oriented post-test HIV counseling (COC) and men's involvement within prenatal care services, among pregnant women, male partners and health care workers in Cameroon, Dominican Republic, Georgia and India.MethodsQuantitative and qualitative research methods were used: direct observations of health services; in-depth interviews with women, men and health care workers; monitoring of the COC intervention and exit interviews with COC participants.ResultsIn-depth interviews conducted with 92 key informants across the four sites indicated that men rarely participated in antenatal care (ANC) services, mainly because these are traditionally and programmatically a woman's domain. However men's involvement was reported to be acceptable and needed in order to improve ANC and HIV prevention services. COC was considered by the respondents to be a feasible and acceptable strategy to actively encourage men to participate in prenatal HIV counseling and testing and overall in reproductive health services.ConclusionsOne of the keys to men's involvement within prenatal HIV counseling and testing is the better understanding of couple relationships, attitudes and communication patterns between men and women, in terms of HIV and sexual and reproductive health; this conjugal context should be taken into account in the provision of quality prenatal HIV counseling, which aims at integrated PMTCT and primary prevention of HIV.

A simple prenatal intervention taking into account the couple relationship increases the uptake of HIV testing among men in different socio-cultural settings. COC could contribute to the efforts towards eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

BackgroundMultidrug antiretroviral (ARV) regimens including HAART and short-course dual antiretroviral (sc-dARV) regimens were introduced in 2004 to improve Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) in Cameroon. We assessed the effectiveness of these regimens from 6–10 weeks and 12 months of age, respectively.Methodology/FindingsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study covering the period from October 2004 to March 2008 in a reference hospital in Cameroon. HIV-positive pregnant women with CD4 ≤350 cells/mm3 received first-line HAART [regimen 1] while the others received ARV prophylaxis including sc-dARV or single dose nevirapine (sd-NVP). Sc-dARV included at least two drugs according to different gestational ages: zidovudine (ZDV) from 28–32 weeks plus sd-NVP [regimen 2], ZDV and lamuvidine (3TC) from 33–36 weeks plus sd-NVP [regimen 3]. When gestational age was ≥37 weeks, women received sd-NVP during labour [regimen 4]. Infants received sd-NVP plus ZDV and 3TC for 7 days or 30 days. Early diagnosis (6–10 weeks) was done, using b-DNA and subsequently RT-PCR. We determined early MTCT rate and associated risk factors using logistic regression. The 12-month HIV-free survival was assessed using Cox regression. Among 418 mothers, 335 (80%) received multidrug ARV regimens (1, 2, and 3) and MTCT rate with multidrug regimens was 6.6% [95%CI: 4.3–9.6] at 6 weeks, without any significant difference between regimens. Duration of mother's ARV regimen <4 weeks [OR = 4.7, 95%CI: 1.3–17.6], mother's CD4 <350 cells/mm3 [OR = 6.4, 95%CI: 1.8–22.5] and low birth weight [OR = 4.0, 95%CI: 1.4–11.3] were associated with early MTCT. By 12 months, mixed feeding [HR = 8.7, 95%CI: 3.6–20.6], prematurity [HR = 2.3, 95%CI: 1.2–4.3] and low birth weight were associated with children's risk of progressing to infection or death.ConclusionsMultidrug ARV regimens for PMTCT are feasible and effective in routine reference hospital. Early initiation of ARV during pregnancy and proper obstetrical care are essential to improve PMTCT.

Data were examined from a day-to-day clinical practice in Yaounde, Cameroon to evaluate the efficacy and safety of peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin in treatment-naive Cameroonian patients with chronic hepatitis C. Ninety adults with chronic hepatitis C (mean age, 53 +/- 8 years; 79% males; 37.8% genotype 1; 23.3% genotype 2; and 38.9% genotype 4) were given at least 12 weeks of combination therapy between February 2003 and August 2007. Of these, 54 completed the treatment and the 24-week follow up. Subsequently, 18 continued treatment and 18 (20%) discontinued the treatment, 6 (6.7%) due to adverse effects. An intention-to-treat analysis showed that 38 (52.8%) had an end-of-treatment virologic response and 34 (47.2%) had a sustained virologic response. Sustained virologic response were significantly higher among patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2 (83.4%) than in those with genotype 1 (31%) or genotype 4 (42.3%) (P < 0.05). Non HCV-2 genotype, pretreatment fibrosis score >2, HCV RNA level >8.0 x 10(5) IU/ml and a non-virologic response at 12 weeks of treatment were associated with poor sustained virologic response (P < 0.05). Thus, HCV can be treated in a Sub-Saharan African country. It indicates that Cameroonian HCV-1 and -4 patients have a poorer sustained virologic response than the published results for Western and Middle-East countries. Virus subtype may influence the treatment outcome, since there is a great genetic diversity within Cameroonian HCV-1 and -4 genotypes.

We provide, for the first time, molecular evidence of direct transmission of an HIV-1  M/O recombinant, highlighting the potential spread of these divergent viruses. The importance of HIV-1 recombination on genetic evolution and public health when implying divergent strains as group O has to be carefully considered.

BackgroundDespite the progress in the Prevention of the Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT), the paediatric HIV epidemic remains worrying in Cameroon. HIV prevalence rate for the population of pregnant women was 7.6 % in 2010 in Cameroon. The extent of the paediatric HIV epidemic is needed to inform policymakers. We developed a stochastic simulation model to estimate the number of new paediatric HIV infections through MTCT based on the observed uptake of services during the different steps of the PMTCT cascade in Cameroon in 2011. Different levels of PMTCT uptake was also assessed.MethodsA discrete events computer simulation-based approach with stochastic structure was proposed to generate a cohort of pregnant women followed-up until 6 weeks post-partum, and optionally until complete breastfeeding cessation in both prevalent and incident lactating HIV-infected women. The different parameters of the simulation model were fixed using data sources available from the 2011 national registry surveys, and from external cohorts in Cameroon. Different PMTCT coverages were simulated to assess their impact on MTCT. Available data show a low coverage of PMTCT services in Cameroon in 2011.ResultsBased on a simulation approach on a population of 995, 533 pregnant women, the overall residual MTCT rate in 2011 was estimated to be 22.1 % (95 % CI: 18.6 %–25.2 %), the 6-week perinatal MTCT rate among prevalent HIV-infected mothers at delivery is estimated at 12.1 % (95 % CI: 8.1 %–15.1 %), with an additional postnatal MTCT rate estimated at 13.3 % (95 % CI: 9.3 %–17.8 %). The MTCT rate among children whose mothers seroconverted during breastfeeding was estimated at 20.8 % (95 % CI: 14.1 %–26.9 %). Overall, we estimated the number of new HIV infections in children in Cameroon to be 10, 403 (95 % CI: 9, 054–13, 345) in 2011. When PMTCT uptake have been fixed at 100 %, 90 % and 80 %, global MTCT rate failed to 0.9 % (95 % CI: 0.5 %–1.7 %), 2.0 % (95 % CI: 0.9 %–3.2 %) and 4.3 % (95 % CI: 2.4 %–6.7 %) respectively.ConclusionsThis model is helpful to provide MTCT estimates to guide the national HIV policy in Cameroon. Increasing supply and uptake of PMTCT services among prevalent HIV infected pregnant women, as well as HIV-prevention interventions including the offer and acceptance of HIV testing and counselling in lactating women could reduce significantly the residual HIV MTCT in Cameroon. A public health effort should be made to encourage health care workers and pregnant women to use PMTCT services until complete breastfeeding cessation.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-016-1336-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.