Mauritania - Measles outbreak 2023

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Mauritania: Vigilance in the face of the census of measles cases in Nouakchott

- According to a press release from the Director General of Public Health at the Mauritanian Ministry of Health

Mhamed Bakaye |
09.03.2023 - Update: 09.03.2023


The Mauritanian Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that it had detected cases of measles in the capital, Nouakchott.

The Director General of Public Health at the Ministry of Health, Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Eal Mahmoud, said in a statement posted by the ministry on his Facebook account, that the cases recorded concern a number of children who had not received all vaccines.

The registration of three cases of this disease is considered an epidemic, and is the subject of rapid and appropriate care, said Ould Eal Mahmoud.

And to add: “The state of alert has been launched, the health teams have met in the sectors concerned, as well as the areas which will be the subject of the intervention have been identified.

The Mauritanian official insisted on "the importance of everyone's contribution to the necessary prevention efforts, in order to prevent the spread of this disease in the country".
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https://www.aa.com.tr/fr/afrique/ma...ement-de-cas-de-rougeole-à-nouakchott/2841319

 

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WEEKLY BULLETIN ON OUTBREAKS
AND OTHER EMERGENCIES

Week 18: 24-30 April 2023
Data as reported by: 17:00; 30 April 2023
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All events currently being monitored
by WHO AFRO
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Mauritania Measles Ungraded

Date notified to WCO 7-Mar-23
Start of reporting period 26-Dec-22
End of reporting period 23-Apr-23

Total cases 247
Cases Confirmed 182
Deaths 3
CFR 1.2%

Since the beginning of 2023, cases of measles have been reported in the three wilayas of Nouakchott and seven other wilayas in the interior of the country. As of 23 April 2023, the country has reported 247 suspected measles cases of which 170 cases were collected and tested with 107 positive IgM+ cases. Active contact tracing resulted in 75 epidemiologically confirmed cases. Three deaths including two community deaths have been recorded to date (CFR 1.2%).
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https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/367498/OEW18-2430042023.pdf​

 

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WEEKLY BULLETIN ON OUTBREAKS
AND OTHER EMERGENCIES

Week 20: 8-14 May 2023
Data as reported by: 17:00; 14 May 2023

...

Mauritania

Measles

186 Cases
3 Deaths
1.6% CFR​

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Since the beginning of 2023, cases of measles have been
reported in the three wilayas of Nouakchott and eight
other wilayas in the interior of the country. As of 7 May
2023, the country has reported 285 suspected cases
of measles of which 186 cases were confirmed positive
with 111 testing IgM positive and 75 epidemiologically
linked cases. Three (3) deaths including two community
deaths have been recorded to date. The national attack
rate is 4.2 cases per 100 000 habitants.

Since the beginning of the 2023, 27 Mouaghataas
(61.3%) out of 44 total have reported measles cases. The
Mouaghataas reporting the most cases are Bassikounou
(60, 32.3%) of Hodh Ech Chargui wilaya, Touil (20,
10.8%) of Hodh el Gharbi wilaya, and Ksar (17, 9.1%) of
Nouakchott Ouest wilaya.

However, Mouaghataas with the highest attack rates are
Bassikounou (52.7 cases per 100 000 habitants), Touil
(39.5 cases per 100 000 habitants), Aoujeft (31.7 cases
per 100 000 habitants) of Adrar wilaya, and Ksar (25.2
cases per 100 000 habitants). In total, 14 Mouaghataas
have crossed the epidemic threshold in 2023 and as of
week 18, seven Mouaghataas (Aleg, Aoujeft, Dar Niam,
Ksar, Magta-Lahjar, R’Kiz, and Toujounine) are currently
in active outbreak status. Out of 185 samples collected
since the beginning of 2023, 111 have returned IgM+
yielding a case positivity rate of 60.0% as tested at
Mauritania’s National Institute of Public Health Research.
Two of the samples tested returned IgM positive for
rubella.

The outbreak began in week 52 of 2022 followed by
a period of significant increase in cases until with an
epidemic peak recorded during week 4 of 2023. Weekly
case totals have gradually decreased in subsequent
weeks. In recent years, the country had recorded at total
of 22 confirmed cases in 2020, 747 cases in 2021, and
502 cases in 2022.

Among the confirmed cases, 70% of cases were under
the age of 15 years. Among children aged 9-59 months,
57% were found to be unvaccinated for measles.
The last follow-up campaign for measles was reported to
have taken place in 2018 and may have contributed to the
current outbreak scenario.

The WHO and UNICEF national immunization coverage
for measles containing vaccines in 2021 for Mauritania
was 63% while national administration coverage reported
89% in 2021. Both estimates fall below the 95% coverage
required to sustain population immunity. Other reasons that
may be a cause for outbreaks is the high density of people
where outbreaks are occurring such as in the M’berra
refugee camp located in Bassikounou Mouaghataa and
the highly populated wilayas of Nouakchott. The first
reported case of the current outbreak was reported from
a refugee from the M’berra camp.

PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONS

The Ministry of Health activated the Centre for Public
Health Emergency Operations response mode with
the implementation of an incident management
system

Joint fact-finding missions and case investigations
were conducted in the wilayas of Hodh Ech Chargui
and Hodh el Gharbi.

Weekly situation reports are developed and
disseminated.

Active case surveillance is ongoing with sample
collections, albeit at a slow pace.
An emergency vaccination campaign for the
Nouakchott area is in development in response to the
outbreak.

Further documentation is to be submitted to GAVI for
a follow-up measles campaign in early 2024 which
will support other regions.

SITUATION INTERPRETATION

Mauritania’s measles outbreak began in the last week of 2022 and peaked in week 4 of 2023. The highest number
of cases were reported in the wilayas of Hodh Ech Chargui, Hodh el Gharbi, and Nouakchott Ouest. Fourteen
Mouaghataas have crossed the epidemic threshold this year, and seven are currently in an active outbreak status.
The heavily affected areas are those where the population is dense like urban Noukachott and the congregate setting
of M’berra refugee camp.

https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/367952/OEW20-0814052023.pdf​

 

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Translation google

Measles reappears in Tagant: one dead and dozens of cases

Sahara Media 2 days ago

The wilaya of Tagant has recorded the reappearance of the measles disease which has already caused one death in addition to dozens of cases hospitalized in the hospital of the city of Tidjikja, according to Sahara Medias sources.

According to the same sources, the situation of the disease is "worrying" especially after the death of an elderly woman and the discovery of cases from different localities of the wilaya.

The city hospital receives an average daily of 6 cases of different age categories from different localities such as the city of Rachid and its surroundings.

Unfortunately, the city hospital does not have the infrastructure to isolate and treat people affected by this disease.

Faced with the growing number of new cases, the Tidjikja hospital proposed to the regional health directorate in Tagant to erect tents to quarantine the sick or to dedicate the old health center of the city to them.


https://fr.saharamedias.net/la-rougeole-reapparait-au-tagant-un-mort-et-des-dizaines-de-cas/

 

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Translation google​

Measles in R'Kiz: The Ministry of Health assures that the health situation is under control

admin1 admin1
2 days ago

No deaths have been recorded due to contracting measles, attests the Ministry of Health in a clarification relating to a rumor on this subject.

According to the ministry and after an alert given on the presence of cases of measles in the moughataa of R'Kiz, south of the country, medical teams were dispatched to the scene to take stock of the situation.
After an analysis of the situation and opinion of the epidemiological monitoring advisory council, the authorities decided to vaccinate all the inhabitants of the moughataa as a preventive measure. The medical teams should, according to the ministry's opinion, strengthen for better vaccination coverage.

Finally, the ministry assures that contrary to widespread rumors, no deaths among the population have been reported.
Note that since the beginning of 2023, cases of measles have been reported in regions of Mauritania including Nouakchott, eight other wilayas in the interior of the country with peaks of contamination in Bassikounou (60, 32.3%) in Hodh Ech Chargui, Touil (20, 10.8%) in Hodh el Gharbi, and in Ksar (17, 9.1%) Nouakchott West.

https://ladepeche.mr/?p=7304​