Dengue fever devastates Mauritania's capital

The government has been criticised for failing to respond adequately to an outbreak of dengue fever in Nouakchott.

4 min read

02 December, 2014

Mauritania has recently joined the list of countries with dengue fever [Getty]

Twelve-year-old Mohammed Ismail lies on a bed in the intensive care unit at the district medical centre in Teyarett, a suburb of Nouakchott. Mohammed is suffering from dengue fever in what is threatening to be a fullblown outbreak.

Authorities have so far been unable to contain the spread of the disease in the area especially among children. The Mauritanian government is also staying tight lipped about the issue, prompting public anger.

Mohammed's father, Ismail, told al-Araby al-Jadeed that the Teyarett hospital he brought his son to had been full of dengue fever sufferers. "I was surprised to see so many other people suffering from the same illness. Doctors told me they had many patients, especially from Teyarett, and the fever is now known locally as Teyarett fever."

A nurse at the medical centre, speaking on condition of anonymity, said staff had been told not to disclose how many cases were been treated at the centre. However, off the record, officials estimated that 700 people had received treatment so far, and there had been three fatalities.

What is dengue fever?

People have been asked to use insecticides in their houses, and to sleep under mosquito nets to prevent the disease spreading.

Dengue fever, also known as "breakbone fever", is a tropical mosquito-borne disease caused by the dengue virus. The disease is transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitos, and is common in both rural and urban areas. Dengue fever cannot be spread from person to person.

According to the World Health Organisation, two and half billion people are at risk of the disease, and there are approximately 500 million cases each year. It is endemic in over 100 countries, with Mauritania having recently joined the list.

Mohammed Weld Wedadi, chief doctor at Tayarett medical centre, said the main symptoms are diarrhoea, vomiting, and a rash. Officials have been advising locals to use insecticides in their homes and sleep under mosquito nets.

He assured al-Araby al-Jadeed that all patients received "medical care, and some have been discharged in good condition."

Quality of care

But not everyone is confident about the quality of treatment offered. A visitor to the medical centre, al-Salik Weld Mahmoud, said the standard of care at the centre was poor and there was a shortage of beds. Patients were being sent to other medical centres in the capital as a result. Some patients, Mahmoud said, were simply going to other centres hoping to receive better treatment.

Reports also suggest, though there has been no official confirmation, that the Central National Hospital in Nouakchott has refused to accept patients with dengue fever, fearing the disease will spread. The hospital is located north of the city and close to the government's administrative offices, as well as the city's largest markets and public institutions.

The ministry of health has been criticised for failing to make any public announcement about the spread of dengue fever in Teyarett and other parts of Nouakchott. The ministry's media spokesman and the regional health director refused to talk to al-Araby al-Jadeed about the outbreak. They only gave assurances that the disease does not present a significant danger.

The ministry of health has failed to explain why it is staying silent, or why it has not sent specialist medical teams to affected areas. It has only reacted by forming what it calls a "vigilance committee" and by handing out leaflets about the Ebola virus and its symptoms.

Public condemnation

The official silence, however, has caused growing public anger. Hundreds of youths demonstrated in front of the press centre in Teyarett this week, condemning authorities for failing to stop the disease spreading and neglecting patients in poorly equipped medical facilities.

One of the protesters, Sidi Weld al-Sheikh Mohammed, said: "We will continue protesting and demanding the authorities deal seriously with the fever."

He said protestors were demanding the government implement a wide-ranging health campaign to contain the disease and improve facilities and services in health centres. He also expressed dismay that Teyarett, one of the most important areas in Nouakchott and the epicentre of the disease, only has one medical centre.

This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.

Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the original author, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of al-Araby al-Jadeed, its editorial board, or staff.