Zoonoses and gold mining: A cross-sectional study to assess yellow fever immunization, Q fever, leptospirosis and leishmaniasis among the population working on illegal mining camps in French Guiana.

• Published in: PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
• Main Authors: Maylis Douine, Timothée Bonifay, Yann Lambert, Louise Mutricy, Muriel Suzanne Galindo, Audrey Godin, Pascale Bourhy, Mathieu Picardeau, Mona Saout, Magalie Demar, Alice Sanna, Emilie Mosnier, Romain Blaizot, Pierre Couppié, Mathieu Nacher, Antoine Adenis, Martha Suarez-Mutis, Stephen Vreden, Loïc Epelboin, Roxane Schaub
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2022
• Subjects: Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010326; https://doaj.org/article/290b4e8fd2f94f13ad4ee55788860ee3

Background Most emerging pathogens are zoonoses and have a wildlife origin. Anthropization and disruption of ecosystems favor the crossing of inter-species barriers. We hypothesize that the marginalized population of undocumented goldminers in the Amazon is at risk of acquiring zoonoses. Method A multicentric cross-sectional study included consenting gold-mining adult workers in 2019. A clinical examination recorded dermatological signs of leishmaniosis and past history of yellow fever vaccination. Biological tests were performed for yellow fever, Q fever and leptospirosis serologies. Additional blood samples from a previous study in 2015 were also tested for leptospirosis. Results In 2019, 380 individuals were included in the study, along with 407 samples from the 2015 biological collection. The seroprevalence of leptospirosis was 31.0% [95%CI = 26.4-35.5] in 2015 and 28.1% [23.5-32.7] in 2019. The seroprevalence of Q fever was 2.9% [1.2-4.6]. The majority of participants reported being vaccinated against yellow fever (93.6%) and 97.9% had seroneutralizing antibodies. The prevalence of suspected active mucocutaneous leishmaniasis was 2.4% [0.8-3.9]. Discussion These unique data shed new light on the transmission cycles of zoonoses still poorly understood in the region. They support the existence of a wild cycle of leptospirosis but not of Q fever. Leishmaniasis prevalence was high because of life conditions and tree felling. High yellow fever vaccine coverage was reassuring in this endemic area. In the era of global health, special attention must be paid to these vulnerable populations in direct contact with the tropical ecosystem and away from the health care system.