@article{fdi:010046167,
  title = {{P}reliminary study of malaria incidence in {N}ouakchott, {M}auritania},
  author = {{L}ekweiry, {K}.{M}. and {A}bdallahi, {M}.{O}. and {B}a, {H}. and {A}rnathau, {C}{\'e}line and {D}urand, {P}atrick and {T}rape, {J}ean-{F}rancois and {S}alem, {A}.{O}.{M}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground: {M}alaria is one of the main motives for outpatient consultation and hospitalization in {M}auritania. {H}owever, its incidence remains unclear because of diagnostic problems and insufficient epidemiological data. {M}ethods: {B}etween {A}pril and {A}ugust 2007, a study on malaria incidence was carried out in {N}ouakchott city. {A} total of 237 febrile outpatients, from all {N}ouakchott districts, attending the two main hospitals of the city were investigated. {F}inger prick and blood dried filter paper samples were performed to prepare thick and thin films and nested-{PCR} for malaria parasite species identification and density. {T}he accuracy of diagnosis of 'presumptive malaria', assigned by clinicians and based on fever and other malaria suggestive symptoms, was assessed. {E}ntomological investigations based on morphological and molecular characterization of {A}nopheline species were conducted in {D}ar {N}aim district. {R}esults: {M}alaria prevalence rate was 25.7% (61/237), the majority of positive blood slides as well as nested-{PCR} products were due to {P}lasmodium vivax 70.5% (43/61) and {P}lasmodium ovale 24.6% (15/61). {T}wo malaria patients, both with {P}. vivax, have never travelled out of {N}ouakchott and seem likely to have been autochthonous (3.3%). {O}f the 237 individuals included in the survey, 231(97.5%) were clinically diagnosed and treated as malaria cases. 26.4% of clinically diagnosed cases were positive for {P}lasmodium using microscopic examination and {PCR}. {T}hus, false positive cases constituted 73.6% (170/231) of the clinically diagnosed malaria cases. {T}he search for mosquito vectors in {D}ar {N}aim district allowed morphological and molecular identification of {A}nopheles arabiensis and {A}nopheles pharoensis. {C}onclusion: {T}his study demonstrates that, during the hot and dry season, {P}lasmodium species responsible of recurrent malaria ({P}. vivax and {P}. ovale) are the dominant species in {N}ouakchott city and autochthonous malaria cases exist but are rare. {C}linical diagnosis of malaria has a very low positive predicted value. {T}he systematic use of microscopy-based diagnosis and/or rapid diagnostic tests should be considered to appropriately manage malaria and non-malaria cases.},
  keywords = {{MAURITANIE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{M}alaria {J}ournal},
  volume = {8},
  numero = {},
  pages = {92 [7 ]},
  ISSN = {1475-2875},
  year = {2009},
  DOI = {10.1186/1475-2875-8-92},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010046167},
}