Tuberculosis remains a significant public health issue; according to WHO estimates, nearly 8 million people contract tuberculosis each year, and 2 million die from the disease. More than...

Systemic meningococcal infection (meningococcal meningitis or meningococcemia) is a rare disease in France that primarily affects children; its severity lies in the fact that it is fatal...

The success of the global eradication of smallpox, certified in 1980, encouraged the World Health Organization to launch the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988. At that time,...

This update follows BEH No. 19/2000 of May 9, 2000, and outlines the main developments since that date. Following the occurrence of cases of serogroup W135 meningococcal infection among...

Since 1986, whooping cough has no longer been included on the list of reportable diseases. A pediatric hospital "sentinel" network (RENACOQ) was established in April 1996, following the...

On April 6, 2000, the National Reference Center for Meningococci (C.N.R.M.) alerted the DGS to the occurrence in France of two cases of meningococcal infection of serogroup W135 among...

As part of its surveillance and investigation mandate, the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS) is frequently asked to provide guidance on how to respond to outbreaks...

Natural resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to antituberculosis drugs is rare. Drug resistance results primarily from inappropriate treatment. Resistance to antituberculosis drugs,...

Tetanus is an acute infection caused by exotoxins produced by a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium, Clostridium tetani. The vaccine to prevent this disease, which is virtually 100%...

Leptospirosis, an acute infectious disease caused by a spirochete of the genus Leptospira following a 10-day incubation period, has not been a reportable disease since 1986. Current...