Hemorrhagic forms of Rift Valley fever in Mauritania

During and after a Rift Valley fever (RVF) epidemic in Southern Mauritania, we collected 600 clinical observations. 348 were confirmed to be RVF cases. Among the 5 clinical forms we observed, some are benign but others, especially those with hemorrhagic signs are serious. We observed 48 icterohemorrhagic forms with 25 deaths. An icterus was associated with hemorrhagic signs, varying from gingivorrhagia to abundant bleeding. Biological hepato-nephritis was always present in major hemorrhagic forms. Fulminant forms, spectacular and characteristic are excellent markers for epidemiological studies in the field.