Bahamas: Case of malaria confirmed

[Ronan Kelly]

Case of malaria confirmed

Published On:Wednesday, March 28, 2012
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
A MAN diagnosed with malaria in Exuma was living near an area where health officials recorded several cases of the disease six years ago, Health Minister Dr Hubert Minnis confirmed.
Malaria is not native to the Bahamas, but there have been sporadic cases from time to time over the years, Dr Minnis noted yesterday.
Claiming there are no other reported cases on the island, he said the ministry has closely followed the Pan American Health Organisation's (PAHO) protocols to curb potential outbreaks.
...
http://www.tribune242.com/sports/03282012_Malaria-Case_pg5

 

[alert]

Re: Bahamas: Case of malaria confirmed

Actually, I think this may be a second case and possibly indicative of an outbreak. Nothing in the first article identifies the victim as an American tourist.

http://www.promedmail.org/

Published Date: 2012-03-28 17:52:11
Subject: PRO/EDR> Malaria - Bahamas: (EM)
Archive Number: 20120328.1083643

MALARIA - BAHAMAS: (EXUMA)
**************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: Tue 27 Mar 2012
Source: CDC [edited]
http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/new_info/2012/malariabahamas.html


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recently received an official report of a confirmed case of malaria in a U.S. traveler to the island of Great Exuma, Bahamas. The traveler visited the island between February and March 2012 and reported no additional recent travel outside of the U.S.

An outbreak of malaria previously occurred on Great Exuma island, Bahamas in 2006, and the last documented case on the island was in 2008. Malaria is not endemic to the Bahamas, and no malaria cases have been reported from the country since then.

Malaria control measures have been implemented; environmental controls have been put into operation, and on-island surveillance has been enhanced. Officials will report any new cases of malaria if they are discovered.

Travelers should monitor their health during travel and for up to one year after return from the Bahamas for any symptoms of malaria, which are flu-like, such as fever and chills. If symptoms occur, the traveler should seek immediate medical care and inform their health-care provider of their travel to an area currently experiencing a malaria outbreak.

More information about malaria can be found at the CDC Malaria homepage. General health information for travel to the Bahamas can be found at the CDC Travelers' Health website. Health-care providers needing assistance with diagnosis or management of suspected cases of malaria should call the CDC Malaria Hotline: 770-488-7788 or toll-free at 855-856-4713 (M-F, 9 am-5:00 pm, Eastern Time). For consultation after hours, call 770-488-7100 and ask to speak with a CDC Malaria Branch clinician.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Brent Barrett

[The outbreaks in Great Exuma in 2006-2008 were most probably due to local transmission from refugees from Haiti, being asymptomatic carriers of malaria parasites. - Mod.EP

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1n1q.]