R. ornithinolytica is an underreported, emerging hospital-acquired infection and is particularly associated with invasive procedures. R. ornithinolytica should never be considered simply a saprophytic bacterium that occasionally contaminates bronchial lavage or other deep respiratory samples or surgical sites. Physicians should be aware of the high rates of antimicrobial resistance of R. ornithinolytica isolates so that immediate broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment can be established before accurate microbiological results are obtained.

Background.Rift Valley Fever epizootics are characterized by numerous abortions and mortality among young animals. In humans, the illness is usually characterized by a mild self-limited febrile illness, which could progress to more serious complications.Objectives. The aim of the present prospective study was to describe severe clinical signs and symptoms of Rift Valley Fever in southern Mauritania.Patients and methods.Suspected cases were enrolled in Kiffa (Assaba) and Aleg (Brakna) Hospital Centers from September 1 to November 7, 2015, based on the presence of fever, hemorrhagic or meningoencephalitic syndromes, and probable contact with sick animals. Suspected cases were confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results.There were thirty-one confirmed cases. The sex ratio M/F and the average age were 2.9 and 25 years old [range, 4-70 years old], respectively. Mosquito bites, direct contact with aborted or dead animals, and frequent ingestion of milk from these animals were risk factors observed in all patients. Hemorrhagic and neurological manifestations were observed in 81% and 13% of cases, respectively. The results of laboratory analysis showed high levels of transaminases, creatinine, and urea associated with thrombocytopenia, anemia, and leukopenia. All patients who died (42%) had a hemorrhagic syndrome and 3 of them had a neurological complication. Among the cured patients, none had neurologic sequelae.Conclusion.The hemorrhagic form was the most common clinical manifestation of RVF found in southern Mauritania and was responsible for a high mortality rate. Our results justify the implementation of a continuous epidemiological surveillance.

C rimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) occurs in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (1). The virus is transmitted to humans through tick bites or direct contact with blood, secretions, or infected tissue of a viremic animal or person. The incubation period in humans is usually ≈5-6 days and hemorrhaging often occurs on the fourth or fifth day after onset of illness; ≈30% of human case-patients die. In Mauritania, CCHF was first documented in 1983 (2). Although several cases have been reported since, its current distribution is not well known. We report 2 cases of CCHF in 2019 in southern Mauritania. The first patient, a 51-year-old man, a cattle breeder who resided in Tintane, Hodh Elgharbi, was admitted to Kiffa Regional Hospital, Assaba, Mauritania, on June 17, 2019, for hemorrhagic syndrome. The patient began having symptoms, including abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting, 5 days prior. At admission, the patient was in a coma (Glasgow coma scale 8) and had a fever (temperature 41°C), epistaxis, gingivorrhagia, diffuse ecchymosis (Figure 1), pallor, rapid respiratory rate (20 breaths/min), and hypotension (60/40 mm Hg). Laboratory examinations showed severe anemia (3.5 mmol/L); leucocytosis (1.3 × 10 9 cells/L); severe thrombocytopenia (20 × 10 9 /L); prolonged prothrombin time (61%); and elevated urea (35 mmol/L), creatinine (2,298 µmol/L

IntroductionTo estimating the seroprevalence of HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis among blood donors in the Aïoun hospital.MethodsThis is a retrospective study from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2015.ResultsOn the five-year study period, 1,123 donors were collected. Of these, 182 were HIV-positive, an overall prevalence of 16.2% with predominance in male with a sex ratio Man/Woman of 5.2. The average age of donors was 32.7 ± 10 years (range 17-73 years). The most represented that age group 21-30 years (40.5%). The seroprevalence found were 1.2% for HIV, 11.8% for HBV, HCV 0.2% and 3% for syphilis. Co-infection was found in 0.7% of which 0.5% of dual HIV HBV/Syphilis and 0.2% in HBV/HIV.ConclusionThe transmission of infectious agents related to transfusion represents the greatest threat to transfusion safety of the recipient. Therefore, a rigorous selection and screening of blood donors are highly recommended to ensure blood safety for the recipient.

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that mainly affects the skin, mucous membranes, and peripheral nervous system. The clinical manifestations of leprosy are numerous and polymorphic with the most frequent signs involving skin and neurological damage. Some of its manifestations, such as joint pain, are unusual. Its elimination as a public health problem in many countries seems to lead to a lack of practical knowledge among health care personnel and as a consequence a risk of late diagnosis. As in other countries, leprosy has become rare in Mauritania. We report two cases of misdiagnosed leprosy in two male patients aged 17 and 65 years. Clinical manifestations included polyarthritis, bilateral plantar perforation, and severely deformed hands and feet in the first case and lichenoid lesions, hypopigmented papules, and unilateral bronchial rales in the second case. The duration of development and persistence of clinical signs before establishment of correct diagnosis was seven to ten years despite the presence of anesthetic, hypochromic maculopapular skin lesions and neurologic signs suggestive of leprosy in both cases. A multilevel chemotherapeutic regimen recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) was effective, and the patients' condition evolved satisfactorily. The scarcity of leprosy in our health care facilities often leads to a wrong diagnosis. It is imperative to inform physicians to increase their vigilance for appropriate screening and reporting of these cases. The prognosis depends largely on early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.