HB S [beta 6(A3)GLU -> VAL, GAG > GTG] AND beta-GLOBIN GENE CLUSTER HAPLOTYPE DISTRIBUTION IN MAURITANIA

Abstract : Of 1050 Mauritanian blood donors screened from the two main racial groups, i.e., the Moors and Black Africans, 60 were found to carry Hb S [beta 6(A3) Glu -> Val, GAG>GTG], giving a global frequency of 5.71%. The prevalence observed in the Black African Mauritanians (10.69%) is almost five times that found in the Moor group (2.25%). Four of the five main beta(S) haplotypes were detected in this study: Senegal (77.8%), Benin (8.8%), Arab-Indian (5.5%) and Bantu (4.4%). These data showed that Hb S is a serious public health problem in Mauritania. They also confirm the ethnic heterogeneity of the Mauritanian population.