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| Mauritania Image/CIA |
The West African country, which officially declared a Rift Valley fever outbreak 4 weeks ago, has reported 34 cases of the viral zoonotic disease since mid-September,according to a World Health Organization (WHO) Global Alert and Response Nov. 1.The Islamic Republic of Mauritania Ministry of Health (MoH) reports from 16 September 2012 (the date of onset of the index case) to 30 October 2012, a total of 34 cases, including 17 deaths have been reported from 6 regions.The six regions include Assaba, Brakna, Hodh Chargui, Hodh Gharbi, Tagant and Trarza. All the cases had history of contact with animals.The most recent case was recorded Oct. 27. The MoH officially declared an outbreak Oct. 4.Laboratory testing on patients was performed at the National Reference Laboratory of the National Institute of Public Health Research (INRS) in Nouakchott and at the Institut Pasteur in Dakar. Testing revealed 25 positive cases by ELISA and PCR.Animal testing has shown virus circulation in several regions of Mauritania.A task force has been put together to strengthen epidemiological surveillance in both human and animal health, education and awareness campaigns.An international team of experts will be deployed to provide technical assistance starting Saturday.The WHO says Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a viral zoonotic disease of domestic ruminants in Africa and, recently, the Arabian Peninsula that was first identified in Kenya in 1931. This mosquito-borne disease primarily affects animals but that also has the capacity to infect humans.The vast majority of human infections result from direct or indirect contact with the blood, organs or aborted fetuses of infected animals. Such contact may occur during the care or slaughtering of infected animals or possibly from the ingestion of raw milk. Human infection can also result from the bites of infected mosquitoes.Most human cases of RVF are generally mild; however, a small percentage of patients develop a much more severe form of the disease that appears as one or more of three distinct syndromes: ocular disease, meningoencephalitis and viral hemorrhagic fever.Mauritania experienced an outbreak of RVF in 2010.The WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions with respect to Mauritania.For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
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