[Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in Gabon. Apropos of 23 cases at the internal medicine service of the hospital centers in Libreville and Franceville, 1985-1987].

In 1986 prevalence rates of anti-HIV1 antibodies in randomly selected asymptomatic gabonese population ranged from 0.2% in rural areas to, 1.8% in Libreville (the largest town). We report the first description of AIDS cases observed in the hospitals of Libreville and Franceville between 1985 and 1987. 23 patients (14 males, 9 females) met the clinical diagnosis criteria for AIDS according to the provisional WHO clinical case definition for AIDS. 21 of them were gaboneses. The mean age of patients was 32.8, only one child was observed (blood transfused sickle-cell anemia). The only risk factor that we observed three times was blood transfusion. The clinical presentation of those cases will be described. 22 were positive for anti-HIV1 antibodies by Western-Blot analysis of their sera, one was anti-HIV2 positive (a congolese man hospitalized in Franceville for severe weight loss and pulmonary tuberculosis).