Due to a lack of resources, the diagnosis of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a challenge in Burkina Faso and West Africa, making MRSA surveillance difficult. In our study, we included 33 beta-lactam resistant S. aureus isolates from the Ouagadougou region which we further tested for susceptibility to cefoxitin using standard methods.Isolates resistant to cefoxitin were further investigated using Chrom MRSA ID® agar medium. In addition, genetic determinants including the mecA gene and SCCmec cassettes were searched using conventional PCR. Fourteen isolates (42.42%) were resistant to cefoxitin, out of which six (18.18%) tested positive when using the Chrom MRSA ID ® agar medium. Six S. aureus isolates (18.18%) tested positive for mecA, and seven (21.21%) tested positive for the SCCmec IVa cassette. This study described circulating MRSA in the city of Ouagadougou. These MRSA harbor mecA resistance genes and SCCmec IVa cassettes.

Uncontrolled urbanizations, combined with lack of management strategies in low-income countries, have raised big concern about the sustainability of urban centers, particularly in West Africa. The increasing human pressures, climate variability, and inconsistency of policies have exacerbated the urban crisis in West Africa. For this reason, we have updated the reviews of potential threats in urban environments, including water bodies, and addressed holistic approaches for successful integrated management of urban centers. To do so, the method used in the study is based on a detailed tracking of specific keywords in the literature using Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Academia.edu, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Based on recent relevant literatures, we have conceptualized knowledge on pressures in urban areas and their interactions with their relationships to water quality. We found that urban centers in West Africa are under severe threats, including water contamination by faecal and heavy metals, physical environment degradation by waste dumps resulting in smelling waters and undesirable air, and soiled vegetables. The results also showed that microbiological contamination in vegetables and water columns largely exceeded the reference standards. Therefore, following the conceptual framework of building a new paradigm, including policy implementation, creating a new urban landscape design through well adapted urban engineering and integrated water management, good management of municipal waste, and educating citizens about environmental responsibility are crucial for long-terms sustainability of urban centers. This research outputs may help to increase awareness and state-of-the-art development of suitable cities for the well-being of the population in Burkina Faso.

Résumé La santé est considérée aujourd’hui comme un bien faisant l’objet de marchandage. Nonobstant cet état de fait, une controverse existe sur les méthodes et les techniques de sa vente. Une des formes la plus critiquée est la corruption et autres pratiques assimilées des actes de soins dans les services publics de santé. L’objectif de cette recherche est de faire un état des lieux du phénomène et de ses conséquences, sur la qualité du service public de santé et des relations soignants – soignés dans les structures sanitaires publiques dans la ville de Bobo-Dioulasso. La démarche de recherche est fondée sur les principes des devis mixtes simultanés avec triangulation. Elle a consisté à réaliser une enquête par questionnaire et des entretiens individuels semi-directifs auprès des soignants, des soignés, des autorités sanitaires et des responsables des organisations professionnelles des travailleurs de la santé. Des résultats, il ressort que 24,4% des bénéficiaires de soins au moment de l’enquête ont affirmé avoir été victimes d’actes de corruption et 76,8% des agents de santé interrogés perçoivent cette réalité qui du reste, impacte entre autres : les recettes des structures sanitaires et le niveau de satisfaction des soignés sur les soins médicaux qui leur sont offerts. En outre, la corruption et autres pratiques assimilées induisent des conflits dans les relations de soins en raison d’un traitement supposé inéquitable entre les malades.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of orientation on the thermal comfort of bioclimatic buildings in general, and in particular those built with compressed earth blocks. A first experimental study confirmed that compressed earth blocks have good thermal inertia, and made it possible to determine the number of annual hours of thermal comfort in the room. The results showed a thermal phase shift of 6 hours with a temperature difference of 10°C between the outside and the inside of the room, for an annual total of 4788 hours of comfort (54.65%) compared to 2158 hours of discomfort (49.80%), with a hygrothermal index (HIT) of 1.6 and an annual cooling requirement of 753.55 kWh. Subsequently, dynamic thermal simulations (DTS) carried out on different orientations made it possible to optimize the thermal comfort and energy consumption of the premises studied. The NORTHEAST and SOUTH-EAST orientation of the facades, with the two windows of the premises, made it possible to achieve 78.1% thermal comfort, or 6833 hours, a HIT of 0.5 and an annual power requirement of cooling of 523.78 kWh. Finally, similar work was carried out to propose optimal orientations for bioclimatic buildings in the three climatic zones of Burkina Faso.

This study was designed to assess the antimicrobial properties of the paired combinations of the essential oils (EOs) of Cymbopogon citratus, Cymbopogon giganteus, and Lippia multiflora on Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli in roselle and tamarind drinks. The chemical composition of the EOs was characterized by GC-MC and GC-FID. The microdilution and checkerboard methods were used to assess antimicrobial activities and interactions of the EOs, respectively. The three EOs mainly consisted of oxygenated monoterpenes followed by monoterpene hydrocarbons. The three paired combinations of EOs exhibited synergetic effects against the three bacteria strains in the tamarind water extract and against E. coli in the roselle water extract. The combination of EOs decreased MIC values from 0.5 to 1333 folds. These results showed that paired combinations of the EOs of this study can be used as preservatives in roselle and tamarind water extracts.

Introduction: In Sub-Saharan Africa, the true extent of the COVID-19 pandemic is not known due to the low number of tests performed and the large proportion of asymptomatic cases in the populations. This was a seroprevalence study of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in blood donors to assess the extent of virus circulation in Burkina Faso. Methodology: It was a cross-sectional study that included unpaid blood donors between March and April 2022. A rapid diagnostic test was used to screen SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in donors' plasma. Adjustment was made based on the performance of the test evaluated in a national quality control. Results: A total of 3,084 blood donors were recruited, of whom 58.7% were male and 59.8% were from urban areas. The mean age was 22.9 ± 5.8 years, with donors aged 20 to 29 years accounting for 64.2%. The adjusted seroprevalence was 87.2%; 95% CI (86.4– 87.9). There was no difference in SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity between men and women, and between urban and rural areas. Donors aged 30-39 years had 0.5-fold lower odds of having SARS-CoV-2 antibodies than those under 20. Similarly, compared to Bobo-Dioulasso, blood donors from the Dédougou, Fada N'Gourma, and Koudougou centres had 0.5, 0.2, and 0.5 times lower odds of having SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, respectively. Conclusions: The study indicates a high population exposure to SARS-CoV-2, in contrast with the official reports from the national surveillance system. It underscores the need to strengthen surveillance and public health interventions both in urban and rural areas.

In this experimental study, a solar panel was exposed to different intensities of an Electromagnetic Field (EMF) emitted by a base transceiver station (BTS). To avoid influences from other electromagnetic (EM) waves sources the current-voltage characteristics of the PV silicon solar panel was measured, outdoor in free space on an isolated site, in the sub-urban Boassa in West of the Ouagadougou city in Burkina Faso. The solar photovoltaic (PV) panel has been moved from 37 to 500 m from the antenna in order to investigate the effect of the amplitude of the EMF on its output power production. The experimental results showed that from 37 to 50 m, the fill factor (FF), the maximum power output (Pmax) and the conversion efficiency (η) increase respectively by about 2.62, 7.54 and 7.96% for the last two, while the short circuit current (Isc) decreases by about 2.23% compared to the values obtained at the 50 m position. Beyond the distance of 50 m, (r > 50 m) an opposite phenomenon is observed: increase of Isc by about 15%, decrease of fill factor, conversion efficiency (η) and maximum power output respectively of about 2.1, 25.44, and 8.86% for the last two compared to the values obtained at the 50 m position. The behavior of the fill factor shows that despite the small variation of Voc compared to that of Isc, the behavior of certain electrical parameters such as the conversion efficiency and the maximum power out-put remain strongly influenced by Voc.

Food safety is a global concern, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria. Hence, this study aims to identify and rank food safety priorities in the red meat industry in Ilorin, Northcentral Nigeria, as a first step towards targeting interventions and resource allocation. A cross-sectional study involved 496 participants in various roles within the red meat industry, including butchers, meat traders, veterinarians, and others. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered over eight months in ten slaughterhouses and slaughter slabs in Ilorin. The study assessed knowledge about major concerns on food safety and ranked these concerns based on perceived importance by the participants. The study revealed that 89.5% of 496 participants were aware of food safety, with less than 40.0% having received formal training. However, >85% of participants were aware of contamination risks during carcass processing, and sanitation practices needed more consistency. Participants ranked antemortem and postmortem inspections as the most critical concerns (48.8 and 26.7%, respectively) and meat handling by retailers (0.42%) as the least important concerns. Socio-demographic factors such as age, gender, years of experience, level of education, and role within the industry significantly influenced participants' knowledge and prioritization of food safety issues. The findings indicate a need for a comprehensive training program tailored to the diverse roles within the red meat industry. Improvements in sanitation, transportation, storage, and regular inspections are recommended to enhance food safety standards. These efforts aim to mitigate the risks associated with foodborne diseases while improving red meat products' quality. However, the gap between intent and actual outcomes underscores the need for effective implementation and continuous monitoring of food safety practices.

Diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major public health issue and a global development challenge today. However, governance responses to these diseases remain in their infancy in most low-income countries, including Burkina Faso. How Burkina Faso organizes itself institutionally and financially to adequately address NCDs is still unknown to the scientific community. This study aimed to analyze Burkina Faso’s institutional framework and budget allocations related to NCDs. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, using a mixed-methods approach (qualitative and quantitative data collection). The analysis highlighted several institutional challenges hindering effective NCD prevention and management in Burkina Faso. These include(i) the absence of a multi-sectoral policy or strategic plan involving all stakeholders, (ii) the lack of a multi-sectoral coordinating body, and (iii) insufficient financial resources. A total of twenty-nine (29) budget lines related to NCD prevention and/or management were identified, amounting to 17.33 billion FCFA ($29.8 million), or an average of $2.72 million per year. Thier represents only 1.55% of the total budget of the Ministry of Health over thesame period. To address these challenges, we recommend the development of a national multi-sectoral policy that clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder, the establishment of a coordinating body, increased funding, and greater integration of NCD prevention and management into primary healthcare services.

Attiéké, a popular food in Burkina Faso, is often produced under variable hygienic conditions, which favors the proliferation of pathogenic microorgan- isms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a growing threat to the health of consumers. This study assessed the health risks asso- ciated with the presence of MRSA in attiéké consumed in Burkina Faso. A survey was carried out on 300 vendors to assess their sales conditions. Of the 225 samples analyzed using standardized microbiological analysis methods, 89 strains of S. aureus were identified, of which 37% were methicillin-re- sistant and 76.4% were multidrug-resistant. However, 77.53% of the strains were sensitive to linezolid. The survey findings indicated that a significant proportion (57.33%) of attieké sellers lack training in proper hygiene and modern food processing techniques. Key risk factors identified included in- adequate hygiene practices, suboptimal fermentation methods, and the qual- ity of water used in production. These results highlight the urgent need for an antibiotic resistance surveillance system and better awareness of good hy- giene practices. Health authorities are called upon to strengthen controls throughout the production chain and to encourage producers and consum- ers to adopt safer practices to reduce the risks of antibiotic-resistant infec- tions.