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Persons with malaria undergoing treatment
by Bahamas Information Service
Posted: Jun 19, 2006 19:17 UTC
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FREEPORT (BIS) - Twelve persons have tested positive for malaria in Exuma, prompting a quick and concentrated response from local and international health officials, Minister of Health and National Insurance Dr. the Hon. Bernard Nottage revealed Tuesday, June 13.
Minister Nottage said that nine of the persons affected with malaria were admitted to hospital and are responding well to treatment. Six persons will complete their treatment today. Those not requiring hospitalisation are being treated in Exuma.
“Presently we are following the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) gold standard guidelines for Malaria Case investigation. We have stepped up our reporting and investigation of procedures as well as our control and prevention activities,” Minister Nottage said.
The Minister’s statement was made five days after it was first revealed that a contractor acquired the disease in Exuma from a female anopheles mosquito.
“We have medical teams going house to house in areas where the known patients live and work and for a one mile radius,” said Minister Nottage. He added that health officials are paying special attention to the travel history of all affected persons and others around
them who may have travelled.
Blood smears from each person are being taken and sent to the Princess Margaret Hospital for analysis.
“To speed up this process we have secured the services of additional laboratory technologists with the assistance of
the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to enable us to carry out our reading of smears on location in Exuma,”
Minister Nottage said.
The Minister said the additional lab technologists were due in Exuma Wednesday (June 14) to assist local experts “who have been working tirelessly”.
In addition, a fresh team of public health physicians and nurses are in Exuma to help the teams already on the island with their screening efforts.
“This brings the combined team up to six physicians, eight public health nurses and eight Environmental Health Officers,” said Dr. Nottage.
He said the following strategies have been undertaken:
* Prompt investigation of suspected and high risk cases
* Immediate commencement of treatment of confirmed cases
* Investigating all contacts
* Identifying the source of infection…the index case
* Carrying out “Active Fever Surveillance”
* Carrying out “Active Geographical Surveillance”
* Educating the public on the mode of transmission and precautions which they can take
* Carrying out chemical larvaciding, adulticiding, and fogging to eliminate or reduce the mosquito count
* Rigid anti-malaria control at the airports and docks
The Minister said Environmental Health officers have indicated that preventative measures taken to date, including fogging to the airport area, the natural ponds and other areas with large water collections, have been successful. Furthermore, no more anopheles mosquitoes have been found.
Female anopheles mosquitoes are the carriers of the disease, but this type of mosquito is not prevalent in The Bahamas.
Minister Nottage said he received reports during his visit to Exuma on Saturday, June 10, that “the general mosquito counts were low and that more importantly, there were few anopheles mosquito larvae detected in the mosquito traps”.
“One was found in the Farmers Hill area, and three or four in the Georgetown area. There were also few adult anopheles mosquitoes detected in either location, even when members of the team used themselves as human bait and exposed areas of their bodies that the mosquito usually bites,” he said.
Minister Nottage said Dr. Christian Fredericsson, an expert entomologist made available from CAREC by PAHO to assist the Ministry of Health, has stated that there is no further active transmission of malaria.
However, the Minister reminded the public to remain vigilant as the incubation period is between seven to 14 days, so other cases may still present themselves over the next few weeks.
“We remind the public that malaria is not endemic in The Bahamas. It is an imported disease. Persons in Exuma should
take precautions, discard stagnant water, and cover their bodies at night and use insecticide spray,” Minister Nottage said.
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