Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Gabon”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1980

[Erythrocyte phenotypes in Gabon. II. Estimation of the gene frequencies of the ABO, MNSs, Rh, Lu and Jk systems in 6 ethnic Bantus and a Pygmy group in Gabon (Lower and Upper Ogooué regions)].

There does not seem to be any noticeable difference between the various Bantu groups tests. One can note a higher frequency of the O gene in the High Ogooué (0,77) than in the Ogooué Lolo (0,73). The Powi group shows very few MSU or NSU alleles but because of the small number, no firm conclusions can be drawn. The collection of these Bantu populations is characterised by a high frequency of O, u, and Ro. The tested Pygmies match up with these characteristics and only differ from the Bantus by a very high frequency of u (0,33), especially of the MU haplotype, and by an increased frequency of Ro. The small number does not enable these differences to be considered as statistically valid. It should be noted that the Bawandji group is similar to the Pygmy group as regards ABO and Rhesus, i.e. a marked B and Ro frequency.

Blood Group Antigens↗
PubMed1993

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Gabon and its relation to HTLV-I.

A case-control study was performed in Libreville, Gabon, to determine whether a relationship can be established between the relatively high proportion of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) among all cancer cases and the high seroprevalence rate of HTLV-I observed, and to discover whether cases of adult T-leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) related to HTLV-I exist in Gabon. From November 1987 to April 1989, a total of 32 patients with NHL were recruited; 6 were infants with Burkitt's lymphoma and 26 were adults with NHL. Each patient was matched with 2 asymptomatic controls for age, sex and ethnic group. HTLV-I serology was done by ELISA and Western blot. Comparison of the groups was done by chi-square analysis. None of the 6 infants with Burkitt's lymphoma and none of their controls had antibodies to HTLV-I. Of the 26 patients with NHL, 7 (26.9%) had HTLV-I antibodies. Among the 52 controls, the HTLV-I rate was 13.4% (n = 7). There was no difference between cases and controls (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.16). Among the 26 NHL, 4 cases fitted the criteria of ATLL and were HTLV-I-positive; 3 others who were positive for HTLV-I were a woman with lymphoblastic gastric NHL and 2 old men with an unclassified lymphoma. From the results of this limited series it is not possible to state that there is an association between NHL and HTLV-I infection. Nevertheless, cases of ATLL related to HTLV-I are reported from this area. Based on the HTLV-I seroprevalence rates reported in Gabon, the estimated incidence rate of ATL among seropositive people in Gabon appears much lower than in Japan. Different explanations can be proposed, but under-diagnosis of ATLL is probably one of the main factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Gabon black population data on the ten short tandem repeat loci D3S1358, VWA, D16S539, D2S1338, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, D19S433, TH01 and FGA.

Allele frequencies for ten short tandem repeat (STR) loci D3S1358, VWA, D16S539, D2S1338, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, D19S433, TH01 and FGA were determined in a Black African sample population from Gabon. All loci were highly polymorphic and except for TH01, D21S11 and D16S539, all met Hardy-Weinberg expectations. There was little evidence of association of alleles between the loci in this database. The combined power of exclusion for the ten STR loci was 0.999981. While significant differences between the Gabon population and the Austrian Caucasian population were found at all loci, significant differences were found between the Gabon population and Zimbabweans only for D3S1358 and between the Gabon population and African Americans only for TH01 and D8S1179.

Black People↗
PubMed2006

Morbidity and mortality of wild animals in relation to outbreaks of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Gabon, 1994-2003.

Antibody to Ebola virus was found in 14 (1.2%) of 1147 human sera collected in Gabon in 1981-1997. Six seropositive subjects were bled in the northeast in 1991, more than 3 years prior to recognition of the first known outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF), whilst eight came from the southwest where the disease has not been recognised. It has been reported elsewhere that 98 carcasses of wild animals were found in systematic studies in northeastern Gabon and adjoining northwestern Republic of the Congo (RoC) during five EHF epidemics in August 2001 to June 2003, with Ebola virus infection being confirmed in 14 carcasses. During the present opportunistic observations, reports were investigated of a further 397 carcasses, mainly gorillas, chimpanzees, mandrills and bush pigs, found by rural residents in 35 incidents in Gabon and RoC during 1994-2003. Sixteen incidents had temporal and/or spatial coincidence with confirmed EHF outbreaks, and the remaining 19 appeared to represent extension of disease from such sites. There appeared to be sustained Ebola virus activity in the northeast in 1994-1999, with sequential spread from 1996 onwards, first westwards, then southerly, and then northeastwards, reaching the Gabon-RoC border in 2001. This implies that there was transmission of infection between wild mammals, but the species involved are highly susceptible and unlikely to be natural hosts of the virus.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Occurrence of hepatitis viruses in wild-born non-human primates: a 3 year (1998-2001) epidemiological survey in Gabon.

Hepatitis B and C infections are endemic in human population in central Africa, particularly in Gabon. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and eventual occurrence of hepatitis C virus (HBC)-related strains in a variety of wild-born non-human primates living in Gabon and Congo. Plasma samples were screened for HBV and HCV markers. A non-invasive method of DNA extraction from faeces followed by specific HBV-DNA amplification was developed to study this infection in wild troops of chimpanzees and gorillas. No HCV infection in non-human primates, wild-born or captive, was detected among 596 samples tested. No HBV infection could be detected in samples tested and obtained from Cercopithecidae. In contrast, 14.7 and 42.2% of wild-born chimpanzees in Gabon and Congo were infected with HBV or had evidence of past HBV infection. At Centre International de Recherches Médicales (CIRMF) Primate Centre, 32.1% of chimpanzees and gorillas were HBV positive or had evidence of past infection. In the cases with past infection, 5.9% wild-born and 8.3% at CIRMF harboured HBV-DNA despite the presence of neutralizing HbsAb. Together with previous findings, we confirm the high HBV prevalence not only in humans but also in chimpanzees and gorillas in Gabon and Congo.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Sequence analysis of the GP, NP, VP40 and VP24 genes of Ebola virus isolated from deceased, surviving and asymptomatically infected individuals during the 1996 outbreak in Gabon: comparative studies and phylogenetic characterization.

The aims of this study were to determine if the clinical outcome of Ebola virus (EBOV) infection is associated with virus genetic structure and to document the genetic changes in the Gabon strains of EBOV by sequencing the GP, NP, VP40 and VP24 genes from deceased and surviving symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. GP and NP sequences were identical in the three groups of patients and only one silent substitution occurred in the VP40 and VP24 genes in asymptomatic individuals. A strain from an asymptomatic individual had a reverse substitution to the Gabon-94 sequence, indicating that minor virus variants may cocirculate during an outbreak. These results suggest that the different clinical outcomes of EBOV infection do not result from virus mutations. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that Gabon-96 belonged to the Zaire subtype of EBOV and revealed that synonymous substitution rates were higher than nonsynonymous substitution rates in the GP, VP40 and VP24 genes. In contrast, nonsynonymous substitutions predominated over synonymous substitutions in the NP gene of the two Gabon strains, pointing to divergent evolution of these strains and to selective pressures on this gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Observations on Schistosoma intercalatum in south-east Gabon.

Observations were made in the field and laboratory to determine the strain characteristics of Schistosoma intercalatum in south-east Gabon. For an isolate from Franceville, data are given for egg shape, behaviour of cercariae, seven enzyme systems separated by isoelectric focusing, and intermediate host specificity. Isolates from Cameroun (Edea) and Zaire (Kisangani) were included in a comparative study of the enzymes; Franceville and Edea isolates resembled each other but differed from the Zaire isolate in hexokinase and phosphoglucomutase. The Franceville isolate was polymorphic in phosphoglucomutase and glucosephosphate isomerase. The sum of characters indicates that S. intercalatum as known from south-east Gabon belongs to the strain found in Cameroun and western Gabon, rather than to the strain known from Zaire. More information is needed on strain distribution, particularly for an area including western Zaire and the Republic of the Congo, which appears to separate the two known strains.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed2003

Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnant women in Gabon.

BACKGROUND: In areas where malaria is endemic, pregnancy is associated with increased susceptibility to malaria. It is generally agreed that this risk ends with delivery and decreases with the number of pregnancies. Our study aimed to demonstrate relationships between malarial parasitaemia and age, gravidity and anaemia in pregnant women in Libreville, the capital city of Gabon. METHODS: Peripheral blood was collected from 311 primigravidae and women in their second pregnancy. Thick blood smears were checked, as were the results of haemoglobin electrophoresis. We also looked for the presence of anaemia, fever, and checked whether the volunteers had had chemoprophylaxis. The study was performed in Gabon where malaria transmission is intense and perennial. RESULTS: A total of 177 women (57%) had microscopic parasitaemia; 139 (64%)of them were primigravidae, 38 (40%) in their second pregnancy and 180 (64%) were teenagers. The parasites densities were also higher in primigravidae and teenagers. The prevalence of anaemia was 71% and was associated with microscopic Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia: women with moderate or severe anaemia had higher parasite prevalences and densities. However, the sickle cell trait, fever and the use of chemoprophylaxis did not have a significant association with the presence of P. falciparum. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the prevalence of malaria and the prevalence of anaemia, whether associated with malaria or not, are higher in pregnant women in Gabon. Primigravidae and young pregnant women are the most susceptible to infection. It is, therefore, urgent to design an effective regimen of malaria prophylaxis for this high risk population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Surveys on seroprevalence of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis among dogs living in the Ivory Coast and Gabon and evaluation of a quick commercial test kit dot-ELISA.

Canine monocytic ehlichiosis (CME), an enzootic disease in Africa, has been studied in canine blood samples (serum). These dogs, without any clinical sign of disease, were living in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and in several small villages located in northeasst Gabon (Ogooué Ivindo). The results obtained by indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test, used as a point of reference, and by a quick test dot-Elisa were compared. Blood samples taken from 390 asymptomatic dogs in 2003 (137 in Ivory Coast and 253 in Gabon) were screened by IFA (antigen from Symbiotics Europe, Lyon) with a positive threshold set at 1/80. Afterwards, CME was detected by the commercial test kit Dot-Elisa in solid phase Snap 3Dx (Idexx, Westbrook, Maine, USA), using recombinant proteins which belong to Ehrlichia canis, p30 and p30-1. Using the IFA test, CME seroprevalence in the Ivory Coast is found to be 67.8%. Among 93 Ivorian seropositive blood samples, 76 samples show an antibody titer >1/2560. In Gabon, IFA showed that seroprevalence is only 3.1%. Among 8 seropositive Gabonese dogs, only one sample shows an antibody test titer> 1/2560. Results from the Snap 3Dx test used on 390 blood samples are 100 positive samples and 290 negative ones. Comparison between IFA and Snap test 3DX revealed that the Snap test shows 97.9% specificity, 93.1% sensitivity, a 94% positive predictive value, a 97.6%, negative predictive value, and 96.6% reliability. In conclusion, CME seroprevalence in Abidjan is very high. Dogs studied for CME were watchdogs, living in kennels, where infection transmitted by Rhipicephalus sanguineus seems to be higher in the Gabonese area called Ogooué Ivindo, where semi-stray dogs were subjected to the test. These dogs where carried ticks identified as Haemaphysalis leachi, but this kind of tick is not considered as bearing Ehrlichia canis. Finally, results of the Snap 3Dx show that it is a simple and reliablemeans for quickly detecting dogs suspected of asymptomatic canine ehrlichiosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Leptospirosis and Ebola virus infection in five gold-panning villages in northeastern Gabon.

An exhaustive epidemiologic and serologic survey was carried out in five gold-panning villages situated in northeastern Gabon to estimate the degree of exposure of to leptospirosis and Ebola virus. The seroprevalence was 15.7% for leptospirosis and 10.2% for Ebola virus. Sixty years after the last seroepidemiologic survey of leptospirosis in Gabon, this study demonstrates the persistence of this infection among the endemic population and the need to consider it as a potential cause of hemorrhagic fever in Gabon. There was no significant statistical correlation between the serologic status of populations exposed to both infectious agents, indicating the lack of common risk factors for these diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

[Epidemics and related cultural factors for Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Gabon].

OBJECTIVE: The Republic of Gabon experienced epidemics of Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) three times between 1994 and 1997. This study aimed at exploring cultural factors related to the outbreaks. METHODS: We collected information about EHF epidemics from the Gabon Ministry of Health, district hospitals and other facilities and conducted in-depth interviews with 20 villagers and 2 traditional healers in the village where the third epidemic occurred. RESULTS: All three epidemics were supposed to have direct or indirect relationship with great apes, the victims having cooked or eaten chimpanzees meat. Although the reuse of syringes and needles in hospitals which had worsened past EHF outbreaks in Sudan and Zaire did not contribute to the outbreak in Gabon, traditional practices as family members remaining close to the patient to nurse him/her, and hugging and touching the dead at funerals were suspected to be crucial sources of infection. Interviews with traditional healers revealed that traditional treatment methods as cutting a patient' skin with an unsterilized knife and applying blood to the skin were risky and might have been contributory factors in the deaths of one traditionals healer and his assistant in the third EHF outbreak. In one village where EHF had reached epidemic proportions, in-depth interviews were conducted with 2 traditional healers and 20 persons of mean age 33 (20-46) years with a sampling method of selecting every tenth household from the entrance. Even though they lived in a village suffering an EHF outbreak, only two thirds of them knew the name of the disease and about half of them could not explain what kind of disease it was. One quarter felt it was fatal and another quarter felt fearful. Three persons thought it had been due to evil spirits; others responded the mosquitoes or patient's sweat/saliva were the cause. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that cultural factors might be very crucial to EHF outbreaks in developing countries. Quick intervention with health education is needed to disseminate appropriate knowledge and persuade people that traditional practices could carry a high risk of infection.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of a panel of commercial kits for the detection of serum HIV-specific antibodies, and choice of alternative strategies for the serological diagnosis in Libreville (Gabon)].

Nine commercially available kits for the screening of serum antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were evaluated with a panel of 170 serum samples from adults in Gabon. The reference procedures showed that 96 samples had no antibodies, while 74 produced antibodies to HIV-1 (n=72) or HIV-2 (n=2). The sensitivity for 2 kits was less than 99% and the specificity of 3 less than 95%. Based on the panel of Gabonese serum samples, 4 of the 9 kits met the World Health Organization (WHO) acceptability criteria: sensitivity greater than 99% and specificity greater than 95%. Three kits available in Gabon that met these criteria were finally retained: Determine HIV-1/2, Genscreen Plus HIV Ag-Ab, and Immunocomb II HIV1&2 BiSpot. Of 18 configurations of alternative diagnosis strategies for HIV infection with these three kits, some WHO strategy II configurations (2 sequential assays) and all the WHO strategy III configurations (3 sequential assays) provided the maximum accuracy in diagnosing HIV infection in Gabon (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of 100%). The configuration using the Determine HIV-1/2 kit as first screening assay, followed by Genscreen Plus HIV Ag-Ab as a confirmatory assay, and finally, Immunocomb II HIV1&2 BiSpot as the third assay to discriminate samples discordant with the two first assays, was best, with high accuracy and less expense. The configuration of the two sequential rapid assays, Immunocomb II HIV1&2 BiSpot followed by Determine HIV-1/2, was also very accurate and reliable, as well as easiest to carry out (no need for ELISA technology), but it was twice as expensive as the first configuration with three sequential kits. In conclusion, when the laboratory facilities are available, the sequential diagnostic strategy of two rapid assays and a combined ELISA assay constitutes the best configuration, in terms of both accuracy and cost. When laboratory facilities are unavailable, sequential use of two rapid assays constitutes a convenient and accurate configuration, but is much more expensive.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMed2005

[Multiple Ebola virus haemorrhagic fever outbreaks in Gabon, from October 2001 to April 2002].

Outbreaks of Ebola virus haemorrhagic fever have been reported from 1994 to 1996 in the province of Ogooué Ivindo, a forest zone situated in the Northeast of Gabon. Each time, the great primates had been identified as the initial source of human infection. End of November 2001 a new alert came from this province, rapidly confirmed as a EVHV outbreak. The response was given by the Ministry of Health with the help of an international team under the aegis of WHO. An active monitoring system was implemented in the three districts hit by the epidemic (Zadié, Ivindo and Mpassa) to organize the detection of cases and their follow-up. A case definition has been set up, the suspected cases were isolated at hospital, at home or in lazarets and serological tests were performed. These tests consisted of the detection of antigen or specific IgG and the RT-PCR. A classification of cases was made according to the results of biological tests, clinical and epidemiological data. The contact subjects were kept watch over for 21 days. 65 cases were recorded among which 53 deaths. The first human case, a hunter died on the 28th of October 2001. The epidemic spreads over through family transmission and nosocomial contamination. Four distinct primary foci have been identified together with an isolated case situated in the South East of Gabon, 580 km away from the epicenter. Deaths happened within a delay of 6 days. The last death has been recorded on the 22nd of March 2002 and the end of the outbreak was declared on the 6th of May 2002. The epidemic spreads over the Gabon just next. Unexplained deaths of animals had been mentionned in the nearby forests as soon as August 2001: great primates and cephalophus. Samples taken from their carcasses confirmed a concomitant animal epidemic.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Drug prescription practices in public medical centres in Gabon].

CONTEXT OF THE PROBLEM: Inappropriate drug use constitutes a major problem of health programs in developing countries. The objective of this study was to describe and assess the quality of drug prescription practices in public medical centres in Gabon. METHOD: Using the Drug Use Prescribing Indicators developed collaboratively by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Network for Rational Use of Drugs (INRUD), we retrospectively evaluated the drugs prescribed during 1,200 randomly selected outpatient consultations that took place in 20 randomly selected public medical centres during the period between July 1, 1997 and June 30, 1998. RESULTS: A total of 3,054 drugs were prescribed during the 1,200 consultations under study, for an average of 2.6 (Standard Deviation: +/- 1.2) drugs per consultation. Of all the drugs prescribed, 13.5% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 12.3-14.7) were prescribed under their international nonproprietary name (INN), while 57.1% (CI: 55.3-58.9) appeared on the national list of essential drugs. 64.5% (CI: 61.8-67.2) consultations resulted in the prescription of an antibiotic, while 21.8 % (CI: 19.5-24.1) led to the prescription of at least one injection. On average, six key drugs out of eleven were available in the medical centres visited. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that drug prescriptions are far from optimal in the public medical centers in Gabon. Among other things, the prescription of drugs under their INN is very low. These findings highlight the need to develop and implement programs that seek to improve the quality of drug prescriptions in Gabon.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Cancer in Gabon, 1984-1993: a pathology registry based relative frequency study.

A pathology based cancer registry was established in 1977 in the pathology department of the faculty of health sciences of the University of Omar Bongo in Librevile, Gabon, which is the only pathology service catering to the needs of the population of approximately 1 million of Gabon. Analysis of the histologically diagnosed cancers during 1984 through 1993 revealed 1,367 male and 1,235 female cases. The leading sites in males were: skin (11.0%), liver (8.9%), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (8.7%), prostate (7.8%), lung (6.9%), mouth (4.9%) and tongue (4.7%). The predominant sites in females were: uterine cervix (26.3%), breast (13.9%), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (7.1%), skin (5.1%), liver (3.9%) and ovary (3.3%). Considering the little information available on cancer patterns in Africa, even relative frequency data for different periods from different sources are of considerable interest. We propose to establish population based cancer registration in Libreville (pop 400,000) where 40% of the national population lives, in the near future, which should provide reliable information on the cancer burden and patterns in Gabon.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Evidence in Gabon for an intrafamilial clustering with mother-to-child and sexual transmission of a new molecular variant of human T-lymphotropic virus type-II subtype B.

Following the observation of an HTLV-II seropositive 60-year-old woman living in Gabon (Central Africa), a serologic and molecular study of her family members was conducted in an attempt to determine the duration of the HTLV-II infection and the modes of transmission of the virus. Among 41 family members, five were HTLV-I seropositive and 7 exhibited specific HTLV-II antibodies in their sera as demonstrated by high immunofluorescence titers on C19 cells and/or specific Western-blot pattern. The second husband of the index case and two of his sisters were infected by the virus, suggesting the presence of HTLV-II in this family over two generations. Sequence analysis of an amplified fragment of 172 nucleotides within the gp21 of the env region (6469-6640) of four HTLV-II infected individuals revealed a new HTLV-II molecular variant of the subtype b diverging from the prototypes NRA and G12 by seven (4.1%) and five (2.9%) bases substitutions, respectively. Molecular analysis of the total env gene (1462 bp) and fragments of the pol and pX regions confirmed that this new African variant was the most divergent HTLV-II subtype b yet described, exhibiting 2.3% of nucleotide substitutions in the env gene (33 bases) as compared to the two HTLV-II b prototypes. These data demonstrate, for the first time in Africa, intrafamilial both mother-to-child transmission and sexual transmission between spouses of an HTLV-II b molecular variant, and also suggest that this virus has been present in Gabon for a long period of time.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Epidemiology of HTLV-I in Gabon (Western Equatorial Africa).

In 1986 a survey to determine the distribution of HTLV-I infection was conducted in Gabon in a representative sample of adults and children. Five samples were taken in adults and 2 samples in children living in urban and rural areas. Samples were taken by the cluster sampling technique, i.e., clusters of randomly selected households. Sera were tested for IgG antibodies to HTLV-I by ELISA. ELISA-positive sera were retested by Western blot. The study comprised 1,874 adults and 684 children, all apparently healthy. In the adults the crude prevalence rates of anti-HTLV-I antibodies ranged from 5.0% in urban areas to 10.5% in the southern province. In rural areas, the age-adjusted prevalence rate (9.1%) was significantly higher than in urban areas (5.0%) (p less than 0.01). In children there was no significant difference between urban (2.4%) and rural (2.0%) prevalence rates. Prevalence increased with age but was not related to sex. This survey shows that HTLV-I infection is common in Gabon but varies considerably by region.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Prevalence of HTLV-I and HTLV-II infection in Gabon, Africa: comparison of the serological and PCR results.

A cluster sampling survey was performed in 1989 in Libreville, Gabon, to determine HTLV-I and HTLV-II prevalence and to compare the efficacy of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and serology in detecting HTLV-I and HTLV-II infections. A total of 322 sera from adults were tested by ELISA and by Western blot (WB). The WB patterns were interpreted according to WHO criteria and those of the manufacturer. PCR analysis using primer pairs in the gag and pol region, with a specific probe for HTLV-I and HTLV-II, was performed on the lymphocytes of the 322 adults. In addition, 134/322 samples were re-tested with tax primers, in a second laboratory. Using WHO criteria, 8/322 (2.5%) samples were positive on WB and 25 were indeterminate; with the criteria of the kit, 26/322 (8.1%) were positive and 7 were indeterminate by WB. By PCR, 13 (4%) samples were positive, including 12 for HTLV-I (3.7%) and one for HTLV-II (0.3%). All 8 seropositive samples (by the WHO criteria) were positive by PCR, as were 4 out of 25 indeterminate samples. Only one out of 289 seronegative samples was positive by PCR. In contrast, only 12/26 positive samples by the kit criteria were confirmed by PCR. These results confirm the relatively high HTLV-I/II seroprevalence observed in Gabon. HTLV-I infection is preponderant, but HTLV-II is also present. The WHO criteria for WB give a better fit with PCR results than the kit criteria for WB. In the absence of a specific confirmatory test and based on the uncommon "seronegative" HTLV-I/II infection, the indication for PCR appears limited to the positive WB samples (to differentiate HTLV-I and II infection) and to the indeterminate WB samples.

Blotting, Western↗