Studies have shown that climate may affect the distribution of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its incidence and fatality rates. Here, we applied an ensemble niche modeling approach to project the climatic suitability of COVID-19 cases in Brazil. We estimated the cumulative incidence, mortality rate, and fatality rate of COVID-19 between 2020 and 2021. Seven statistical algorithms (MAXENT, MARS, RF, FDA, CTA, GAM, and GLM) were selected to model the climate suitability for COVID-19 cases from diverse climate data, including temperature, precipitation, and humidity. The annual temperature range and precipitation seasonality showed a relatively high contribution to the models, partially explaining the distribution of COVID-19 cases in Brazil based on the climatic suitability of the territory. We observed a high probability of climatic suitability for high incidence in the North and South regions and a high probability of mortality and fatality rates in the Midwest and Southeast regions. Despite the social, viral, and human aspects regulating COVID-19 cases and death distribution, we suggest that climate may play an important role as a co-factor in the spread of cases. In Brazil, there are regions with a high probability that climatic suitability will contribute to the high incidence and fatality rates of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021.

The authors report on their experience of managing COVID-19 at the Regional hospital of Lambaréné, capital of the Moyen-Ogooué province in central Gabon.The infectious diseases department was the referral and follow-up site for COVID-19, with an intervention team to follow up outpatients. The department followed national recommendations for overall management with mild cases receiving vitamin therapy, moderate cases hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, severe cases azithromycin, another antibiotic and oxygen.Over 1 year in 2020, 495 cases (RT-PCR +) were recruited; 92 were hospitalized (comorbidities or severe signs). The average duration of hospitalization was 21 +/- 3 days.These 92 cases are composed of 38 mild cases all cured by symptomatic treatments; 32 moderate cases treated and cured; and 26 severe cases treated with azithromycin plus a second antibiotic with 24 cured without sequelae, 1 with sequelae and 1 death (co-infected with HIV).The 399 cases followed up in the outpatient department all recovered and are distributed as follows: 199 asymptomatic and without co-morbidity, untreated; 102 with mild signs under vitamins; 98 with moderate signs treated with azithromycin + HCHQ + vitamins.In total, all 495 cases recovered without sequelae except for 1 patient with sequelae and 1 death; 199 received no treatment. However, 6 deaths occurred before the diagnosis was made. This strategy encountered difficulties in terms of overloading the carers and feeding the patients.

In Côte d'Ivoire, a country of 28 million inhabitants in West Africa, a survey conducted by the Ministry of the Family in 2018 showed the extent of gender-based violence (GBV) in the Greater Abidjan area (5 million inhabitants), the country's economic capital. The social workers employed for this work were mobilized during the Covid-19 pandemic to raise awareness and help the population fight against SARS-CoV-2. The results collected by these workers during the first period (January 2019 - February 2020) and the second period (March 2020 - April 2021) are the subject of this article.From the first period to the second, the number of rapes increased from 41 to 77, sexual assaults from 4 to 7, physical assaults from 139 to 171, and forced marriages from 4 to 7. In total, the social workers helped 303 victims during the pre-pandemic period and 402 during the pandemic. This evolution varies from municipality to municipality in the Greater Abidjan area, and is not related to the number of inhabitants per municipality and without any link with the frequency of Covid-19 in each municipality. Despite possible biases, this study highlights a major health problem, GBV, and demonstrates the probable negative effects of the pandemic.

After a year of coronavirus epidemic, Côte d'Ivoire is completing a third wave of Covid-19. Although the epidemic has been confined mainly to Greater Abidjan, thanks in particular to the isolation measures imposed on the Ivorian economic capital, the impact of the health crisis has nevertheless been marked. Like other West African countries, Côte d'Ivoire did not experience the epidemic tsunami that some predicted in March 2020, but more than 45 000 cases and nearly 300 deaths have been reported, although these figures underestimate the epidemiological reality. With the advent of vaccination, Côte d'Ivoire hopes to control the epidemic, but the possible circulation of variants, particularly South African variants, and the difficulties in obtaining vaccine doses are challenges that the Ivorian health authorities will have to overcome. The resilience of the population has been significant during this crisis, illustrating the ability of Ivorians to withstand the impact of this crisis.

Vertical transmission, or pathogen transfer from female to offspring, can facilitate the persistence of emerging arboviruses, such as Zika virus (ZIKV), through periods of low horizontal transmission or adverse environmental conditions. We aimed at determining the rate of vertical transmission for ZIKV in its principal vector, Aedes aegypti, and the vector competence of vertically infected progeny. Aedes aegypti females that consumed a blood meal provisioned with ZIKV were maintained under three temperature conditions (27°C, 30°C, and 33°C) following the infectious blood meal and allowed to complete three reproductive cycles. The overall vertical transmission rate was 6.5% (95% CI = 3.9-9.9). Vertical transmission of ZIKV was observed across all temperature conditions and virus detected in adult progeny up to 2 weeks postemergence. In total, 3.4% (95% CI = 1.6-6.2) of adult progeny produced saliva with ZIKV, indicating their vector competence. These results suggest the virus may be maintained in Ae. aegypti populations without a vertebrate host for short periods.

A Day of Action against counterfeit medications was organized in Brazzaville on March 22, 2018, by the French Embassy, the French Institute of the Congo (IFC), and the Ministry of Health and the Population, with the participation of the Chirac Foundation. The success of this day, during which more than 1500 people came to the IFC, may be an original idea for mobilizing civil society on health subjects that directly affect the behavior of young people.

This article relates the problems initially encountered by an elected official of the French Republic in drawing the attention of authorities to the ravages of the chikungunya epidemic that occurred on Reunion Island in 2005-2006. Due to inadequate medical knowledge, the benign reputation of the disease, and slow reaction of authorities, the virus affected more than one third of the population. A great deal of further study will be needed to understand this public health crisis and to transform the lessons learned into a decisive breakthrough that will doubtless be of equal benefit for mainland France.

Settlement of medical malpractice claims was radically changed by the Kouchner Law that set up a rapid, effective system of indemnification. Victims can choose between conventional court proceedings and a non-judicial conciliation procedure. Choice between the two processes depends on the circumstances of the case.

The exceptionally large-scale chikungunya outbreak that struck Reunion Island in 2005-2006 raised numerous yet-unresolved issues for occupational medicine professionals such as massive use of insecticides and recognition of occupational diseases.

The chikungunya outbreak on Reunion Island in 2005-2006 was followed by a high incidence of persistent arthralgia. A small group of patients developed chronic, sometimes destructive, post-chikungunya inflammatory rheumatism presenting as rheumatoid polyarthritis or spondylarthritis that required disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs such as methotrexate. We describe two patients under this treatment confronted with financial health insurance issues due to the lack of administrative recognition of post-chikungunya rheumatism as a long-term affliction or an occupational disease.

The chikungunya epidemic that occurred on Reunion Island between 2005 and 2006 was covered by the French health insurance system. This coverage involved a major increase in the number of paid sick leave days and prescription drug refunds in the first quarter of 2006. Special governmental measures such as full reimbursement of certain medications and waiving of the waiting period for sick leave in case of relapse greatly reduced the impact of the epidemic. Five years after, the database of the health insurance systems indicates a low incidence of chronic forms. Only cases managed on an outpatient basis were included in this study.

Chikungunya virus is an arbovirus (alphavirus) transmitted by Aedes albopictus in Reunion Island. A huge chikungunya outbreak swept Reunion Island in 2005- 2006. We report the first case of chikungunya neonatal infection and the 5-years outcome of the 18 neonates hospitalized in neonatal intensive care unit between June 2005 and March 2006.