The Pan African medical journal
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In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), several influenza epidemics are ignored because they are confused with other infectious diseases which have similar symptoms. Our study aims to assess influenza epidemics occurred in the DRC before 2008, year of the implementation of the influenza surveillance program in the DRC. We searched all the documents [articles, report,…] about influenza epidemic or acute respiratory infections [ARI] in the DRC before 2008 by using chosen key words. ⋯ Their attack rates ranged between 22.6 and 57.7% and lethality rates ranged between 3.2 and 3.7%. The two epidemics in Bosobolo and Kinshasa were associated with H3N2 influenza virus. This literature review highlights a high morbidity and mortality due to rare influenza epidemics in the DRC.
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Review Case Reports
Von Willebrand's disease: case report and review of literature.
Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) is the most common human inherited bleeding disorder due to a defect of Von Willebrand Factor (VWF), which a glycoprotein crucial for platelet adhesion to the subendothelium after vascular injury. VWD include quantitative defects of VWF, either partial (type 1 with VWF levels < 50 IU/dL) or virtually total (type 3 with undetectable VWF levels) and also qualitative defects of VWF (type 2 variants with discrepant antigenic and functional VWF levels). The most bleeding forms of VWD usually do not concern type 1 patients with the mildest VWF defects (VWF levels between 30 and 50IU/dL). ⋯ The child presented one days before his admission trauma to the inner face of the lower lip that caused an external acute bleeding loss. The laboratory data showed unfortunately, the most severe form of Von Willebrand's Disease; Type 3. The management was based on erythrocyte and fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) transfusions with administration of factor VII with good evolution.
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Despite the existence of a highly effective measles vaccine and the decrease in worldwide deaths from measles by more than 79% from the 2000 baseline levels, measles today remains one of the leading causes of vaccine-preventable deaths in the world. The African region is a key player in the global fight against measles. Africa has made tremendous progress in its effort to immunize children and to control the disease, increasing its regional measles vaccination coverage from 56% in 2001 to 85% in 2010. ⋯ Alternative serosurveys such as Dried Blood Spot and Urine sample surveys were also tested in Kenya. In 2013 and 2016, two studies were also conducted in Kenya on the use of SMS reminder system for routine immunization. These studies, which showed SMS to significantly improve the vaccination coverage, paved way for use of SMS in a larger scale in Kenya.