Abstract
In October 2003, 9 human cases of hemorrhagic fever were reported in 3 provinces of Mauritania, West Africa. Test results showed acute Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) infection, and a field investigation found recent circulation of RVFV with a prevalence rate of 25.5% (25/98) and 4 deaths among the 25 laboratory-confirmed case-patients. Immunoglobulin M against RVFV was found in 46% (25/54) of domestic animals. RVFV was also isolated from the mosquito species Culex poicilipes. Genetic comparison of virion segments indicated little variation among the strains isolated. However, phylogenetic studies clearly demonstrated that these strains belonged to the East-Central African lineage for all segments. To our knowledge, this is the first time viruses of this lineage have been observed in an outbreak in West Africa. Whether these strains were introduced or are endemic in West Africa remains to be determined.
Highlights
In October 2003, 9 human cases of hemorrhagic fever were reported in 3 provinces of Mauritania, West Africa
We describe the results of a multidisciplinary investigation to determine extent of the outbreak and the key factors responsible for Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) reemergence in Mauritania
The combination of ELISA, reverse transcription–PCR (RT-PCR), and isolation assays has permitted the rapid and efficient identification of RVFV as the cause of the extended hemorrhagic fever outbreak reported in Mauritania during the last quarter of 2003
Summary
In October 2003, 9 human cases of hemorrhagic fever were reported in 3 provinces of Mauritania, West Africa. Phylogenetic studies clearly demonstrated that these strains belonged to the East-Central African lineage for all segments To our knowledge, this is the first time viruses of this lineage have been observed in an outbreak in West Africa. In West Africa, the first extensive RVF outbreak recorded to date occurred in Mauritania in 1987 and resulted in 220 human deaths [6]. After this outbreak, an active surveillance system led to the detection of several animal cases in Mauritania, Senegal, and other West African countries [7,8,9]. During 1998, an outbreak of RVF occurred in southeastern Mauritania, resulting in 300 to 400 human cases and 6 deaths [13]
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