Albert Dovonou’s research while affiliated with University of Parakou and other places

Objectives Little is known about adverse food reactions. The aim of this study was to investigate the sensitization and allergy to two tropical fruits, pineapple ( Ananas comosus ) and coconut ( Cocos nucifera ), among patients followed up for allergic disease in Borgou Teaching Hospital in Parakou, Benin. Materials and Methods A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021. Adult patients (≥18 years) who were followed up for allergic asthma, rhinitis, or conjunctivitis were included in the study. Information on clinical manifestations following pineapple juice or coconut water drinking was collected, and skin prick testing was carried out. Results Overall, 101 patients were enrolled, male-female ratio of 0.4:1 and mean age of 33.4 (±14.4) years. Clinical manifestations were triggered by pineapple in 53.5%, mainly mouth and lip pruritus (38.6%). The prevalence of sensitization was 36.6%. Allergy was diagnosed in 24.8% (or 46.3% of those who complained) and was associated with mouth and lip pruritus (odds ratio [OR] = 4.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.6–10.6; P = 0.003), bronchospasm (OR = 3.7;95%CI = 1.1–12.7; P = 0.031), allergic rhinitis (OR = 3.5; 95%CI = 1.2–10.4; P = 0.020), and conjunctivitis (OR = 4.4; 95%CI = 1.6–12.5; P = 0.007). Clinical manifestations after ingestion of coconut water reportedly occurred in 18.8% and were mostly bronchospasm (8.9%). The prevalence of sensitization was 20.8%. Allergies were diagnosed in 6.9% (or 33.3% of those who complained), with no association found with demographic or clinical characteristics. Conclusion Pineapple is a common cause of food allergy among patients who are followed up in Borgou Teaching Hospital, while coconut is less responsible for this disorder. More studies are required to improve knowledge of allergic diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa, which is facing an epidemiological transition.

Aims: The aim was to study sexual practices at risk of sexually transmitted infections among students. Study Design: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study with analytical aims. Place and Duration of Study: University of Parakou, from June 06 to 26, 2022. Methodology: The sampling technique used was simple random sampling, in which five entities were selected from the eleven basic campus entities. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire distributed electronically to students via the KoBoToolbox server. The dependent variable was condom use. The independent variables were sociodemographic, cultural, environmental, behavioral and sexually transmitted infection (STI) history. Data were entered into KoboCollect. Data analysis was performed using Epi-Info software version 7.1.3.3. The difference was statistically significant for a p-value of less than 0.05. Results: A total of 420 students were surveyed out of the 2626 who had read the link on the forums, giving a participation rate of 15.99%. Of the 420 students surveyed, 220 (52.38%) were male and 200 (47.62%) females, giving a sex ratio (M/F) of 1.09. The mean age of the students was 21.8 ± 2.8 years, with extremes of 17 and 35 years. Sexually active students accounted for 73.57%. Condom use was 32.04%. In 45.16% of cases, students had contracted an STI in the previous three months. Vaginal penetration was practiced in 93.20% of cases. Factors associated with condom use in univariate analysis were gender (p=0.002), vaginal penetration (p<0.001) and types of sexual penetration practiced during the last sexual intercourse (p=0.002). Conclusion: The relatively low frequency of condom use among students at the University of Parakou suggests high-risk sexual relations for STIs. There is a need to raise awareness among students of the importance of condom use.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic auto-immune disorder that preferentially affects the joints. Extra-articular manifestations and comorbidities observed during rheumatoid arthritis are multiple and frequent. They are the cause of high morbidity and mortality in this population and make rheumatoid arthritis serious. Systematic screening for the extra-articular manifestations and comorbidities is therefore necessary in order to optimize its management in affected subjects. The various studies carried out on rheumatoid arthritis in developing countries have explored less the extra-articular manifestations as well as the comorbidities. This work reviews the literature on the extra-articular manifestations as well as the comorbidities encountered in subjects with rheumatoid arthritis in Sub saharia Africa in order to draw the attention of the nursing medical staff to their extent in order with a view to systematic screening and treatment.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease mainly affecting the mediastinum and the lungs. The other manifestations are much rarer and lead to diagnostic and therapeutic wanderings. The present study reports a case of lymph node sarcoidosis revealed by a long-lasting fever. The diagnosis is based on clinical and paraclinical arguments and the elimination of other causes of lymphadenopathy. The evolution is favorable after 6 months of corticosteroid therapy.

Introduction: Cancer is a global public health problem. This study focused on the the profile of people living with cancer in Parakou. Study method: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study which enrolled people living with cancer followed in the palliative heath care of the internal medicine unit at the Regional University Health Center of Borgou who had given their consent. The variables of the study were: sociodemographic data, nutritional status, comorbidities, circumstances of cancer screening and their location. Data analysis was performed using Epi Data 3.1 software. Results: The study population consisted of 264 people with cancer. A male predominance was observed with a sex ratio of 2.66. The average age was 47.51 years ±13.20. Alcohol consumption was observed in 15.2%. Arterial hypertension was found in 63.6% of subjects. On the nutritional level, malnutrition and weight loss were observed respectively in 68.2% and 98.1% of patients. Abdominal pain, asthenia and weight loss were the main circumstances for cancer screening and were present in 37.1%, 27.6% and 16.7% of participants respectively. Liver cancer was found in the majority (72%) of the participants. Viral hepatitis B was the most common cause with 98.3% Conclusion: cancer affects young adults and is often detected at an advanced stage. The main site is the liver and infection with the hepatitis B virus is found in most of the cases.

Introduction: Systemic inflammatory diseases (autoimmune and autoinflammatory) are quite infrequent and challenging to diagnose. The intent of this study is to determine the hospital frequency, clinical, and immunological aspects of these diseases in the internal medicine department of the CNHU-HKM of Cotonou. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study that was conducted from March 30 to October 30, 2018, and involved patients followed in the Internal Medicine Department of the CNHU-HKM for systemic inflammatory diseases Results: During the study period (7 months), 699 patients had consulted the service. We counted 23 patients for our study, i.e. a frequency of 3.3%. The average age was 44 (±12) years with extremes of 24 to 64 years. The majority of our patients were women with a sex ratio (M/F) of 0.09. Prolonged fever was the primary reason for admission (34.8%), followed by polyarthralgia (25%). Systemic lupus was the most represented (52.2%), followed by scleroderma (13%), mixed connectivity (13%). As for the class of systemic inflammatory diseases, systemic autoimmune diseases were the most represented (87.0%). Anti-nuclear antibodies were the most frequent (56.5%). Conclusion: Systemic inflammatory diseases are little known in Benin Republic. In fact, their clinical and immunological presentations are quite polymorphic.

Background Lassa fever is one of the most lethal neglected tropical diseases in West Africa. It is a serious public health problem in this region of Africa where it is endemic in several countries. However, it remains a very little known disease by healthcare workers. The lack of specificity of its clinical manifestations makes its diagnosis difficult even in an epidemic context. Case presentation We report here a confirmed case of Lassa fever whose diagnosis could not be suspected until 11 days after the symptomatology began. This case was recognized as a suspected case of Lassa fever in the Internal Medicine Department of the Regional and Teaching Hospital of Borgou due to the persistence of the fever and the worsening of the patient’s clinical condition despite triple antibiotic therapy in general and especially due to the appearance of hemorrhages. Confirmation of the presence of Lassa fever virus by Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) assay on blood sample was obtained after his death despite late initiation of Ribavirin treatment. Conclusion This case challenges Benin’s health authorities on the need to facilitate access to diagnosis of viral hemorrhagic fevers and to train caregivers at all levels of the health system for better management of these diseases.