Institut de veille sanitaire

About: Institut de veille sanitaire is a healthcare organization based out in Saint-Maurice, France. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 1055 authors who have published 1547 publications receiving 56945 citations. The organization is also known as: INVS & InVS.

Emergence of New Virulent Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup C Sequence Type 11 Isolates in France

Abstract: In France, there have been variations in the incidence of invasive meningococcal infection due to serogroup C isolates. Infection peaks were observed in 1992 and 2003 that involved isolates of phenotypes C:2a:P1.5,2 and/or C:2a:P1.5, which belong to the sequence type 11 (ST-11) clonal complex. We report an emergence of isolates belonging to the ST-11 clonal complex since 2003. These isolates displayed a new phenotype, C:2a:P1.7,1, caused infections that occurred as clusters, and were associated with increased infection severity and high virulence in mice. These isolates may be responsible for a peak in the incidence of serogroup C meningococcal infection in France, for which there is no routine vaccination to date.

Phylogenetic Analysis of Rubella Viruses Involved in Congenital Rubella Infections in France between 1995 and 2009

Abstract: Rubella is an acute infectious disease that normally has a mild clinical course. However, infections during pregnancy, especially before week 12 of gestation (WG), can cause severe birth defects known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). The aim of this study was to perform genotyping and molecular characterization of rubella viruses involved in congenital infections in France over the past 15 years (1995 to 2009). Amniotic fluid (AF) specimens (n = 80) from pregnant women with congenital rubella infections (CRI) before week 20 of gestation, and a few other samples available from children/newborns with CRS (n = 26), were analyzed. The coding region of the rubella virus E1 gene was amplified directly from clinical specimens by reverse transcriptase PCR, and the resulting DNA fragments were sequenced. Sequences were assigned to genotypes by phylogenetic analysis with rubella virus reference sequences. Sufficient E1 gene sequences were obtained from 56 cases. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences showed that at least five different genotypes (1E, 1G, 1B, 2B, and 1h) were present in France and were involved in congenital infections, with a strong predominance of genotype 1E (87%). This is one of the very few comprehensive studies of rubella viruses involved in CRI. The results indicated that over the past 15 years, multiple introductions of the dominant genotype E caused most of the CRI cases in France. A few sporadic cases were due to other genotypes (1B, 1G, 1h, 2B).

[Infant botulism in France, 1991-2009].

Abstract: Infant botulism is caused by the ingestion of spores of Clostridium botulinum and affects newborns and infants under 12 months of age Ingested spores multiply and produce botulinum toxin in the digestive tract, which then induces clinical symptoms A single French case was described in the literature prior to 1991 We describe the cases of infant botulism identified in France between 1991 and 2009 All clinical suspicions of botulism must be declared in France Biological confirmation of the disease is provided by the National reference laboratory for anaerobic bacteria and botulism at the Pasteur Institute During this period, 7 cases of infant botulism were identified, 1 per year from 2004 to 2008 and 2 in 2009 The median age of affected infants was 119 days and all were female All infants presented with constipation and oculomotor symptoms All were hospitalized and required mechanical ventilation The infants recovered from their botulism The diagnosis of infant botulism was biologically confirmed for all patients One 4-month-old infant was treated with a single dose of the human-derived botulism antitoxin specific for infant botulism types A and B (BabyBIG®) The infants all had different feeding habits ranging from exclusive breast feeding to a mix of formula feeding and solid food consumption The consumption of honey, the only documented risk food for this disease, was reported for 3 of the infants The honey had been placed on the pacifier of 2 infants and directly in the mouth of the 3rd by the mother Infant botulism, a form of botulism that was previously rarely recognized in France, has been reported more frequently during the last 6 years This disease remains rare but nonetheless severe In light of recent epidemiological data, efforts to raise awareness among parents of infants and health professionals on the danger of infant botulism and particularly, its association with honey consumption seems necessary

Ascertainment of meningococcal disease in Europe.

Abstract: Meningococcal disease surveillance in most countries is based upon a combination of statutory notification systems and laboratory reporting, both of which are recognised to underestimate the true burden of disease. The incidence of meningococcal disease varies throughout Europe, and although there are many reasons for this, it is important to quantify the degree of under-ascertainment in order to validate international comparisons. Here, we review the literature on the ascertainment of meningococcal disease in Europe and the available methods for estimating the degree of under-reporting. We found that the sensitivity of surveillance varies between countries and over time, with estimates ranging from 40% to 96%. We identified five methods suitable for conducting ascertainment studies, from simple comparative studies to more complicated capture-recapture and regression analyses. Studies of ascertainment may be used to identify weaknesses and biases in surveillance data, and facilitate the improvement of these systems. These findings are relevant to the surveillance of other infectious diseases, particularly those with lower mortality and a lower public profile than meningococcal disease, for which ascertainment may be worse.