Malaria in Mauritania: the first cases of malaria endemic to Nouakchott

Abstract

SummaryThe current situation of endemic malaria in Mauritania is not clear since, in most health centres, suspected malaria cases are not confirmed by parasitological analysis and diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms alone. To obtain reliable data about malaria in this country, thin and thick blood smears were taken from patients with symptoms compatible with the illness, who attended two hospitals: Polyclinic of Nouakchott, which serves one-third of the country's population, where a malaria infection rate of 18.5% (77 of 446) was recorded; Plasmodium falciparum caused 61.85% of these, P. vivax 35.5% (28/77). In Kaedi Regional Hospital, provincial capital of the endemic Gorgol region, a prevalence of 25.49% (106 of 416) was recorded, with P. falciparum as the sole pathogenic species.Of the 77 cases of malaria diagnosed in Nouakchott, nine (seven of P. falciparum and two of P. vivax) were considered as endemic to the city. These cases were all children under 8 years of age except for one adult who had never left the capital, and this is the first time that cases endemic to this city have been detected.

Increasing Prevalence of Plasmodium vivax Among Febrile Patients in Nouakchott, Mauritania

“…The present data, and those of earlier reports, 12,14,15 strongly support the emergence and establishment of P. vivax in Nouakchott, where environmental, entomological, and human genetic factors favor autochtonous malaria transmission. Rare cases of P. falciparum diagnosed in Nouakchott, mostly during the rainy season, may be imported from southern Mauritania.…”

“…11 It was suggested for the first time in a study conducted in 1996 that, based on the observation of malaria-positive Mauritanian residents in Nouakchott without any recent travel history to endemic areas, P. vivax transmission may occur in Nouakchott. 12 In another study conducted in Rosso, situated along the Senegal River, during the dry season in 2004-2006, most P. vivax-infected patients had a recent travel history to Nouakchott, and the authors suggested that these patients had been infected in the capital city. 13 Studies conducted in Mauritania until 2006 were based on microscopic examination of blood smears.…”

“…13 Studies conducted in Mauritania until 2006 were based on microscopic examination of blood smears. [2][3][4]12,13 In more recent studies conducted between 2007 and 2010 in P. vivaxinfected children without travel history outside Nouakchott, Plasmodium species identification was confirmed by both rapid diagnostic test for malaria and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). [14][15][16] These studies support the hypothesis that P. vivax malaria has emerged in Nouakchott.…”

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Mauritania: a review of their biodiversity, distribution and medical importance

“…arabiensis has recently been reported further to the north, particularly in Nouakchott (18°32′N), the capital city [47] and Rachid (18°47′N) in the Tagant region [44]. Its presence in Nouakchott is probably the cause of the establishment of malaria transmission in this city which was considered until the recent past as malaria-free [14, 15, 47]. Conversely, An.…”

“…Moreover, malaria is endemic in the southern regions of the country and in parts of the Saharan region, including Nouakchott, the capital city, where peak transmission occurs in September and October during and shortly after the rainy season [14–17]. Approximately, two-thirds of the resident population of Mauritania is exposed to the risk of malaria.…”