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Malaria in the Dominican RepublicUpdate: November 7, 2005 The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has been notified of a total of two cases of P. falciparum malaria in European travellers returning from the province of La Altagracia in the southeastern region of the Dominican Republic. [Map] The initial case, referenced in the Agency's previous advisory on Malaria in the Dominican Republic dated October 20, 2005, involved a 24-year-old female tourist from France who acquired P. falciparum malaria during travel to the Bavaro area in the province of La Altagracia in August and September of 2005. A second case was later confirmed in a 20-year-old male tourist from Spain, who also travelled to the Bavaro area in late-August of 2005. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is working with the Ministry of Health in the Dominican Republic to ensure that intensive measures to interrupt transmission of malaria, including intensified surveillance and vector control, continue to be implemented in the province of La Altagracia. The Agency continues to collaborate with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Pan American Health Organization in the monitoring and reporting of new cases of malaria in returning travellers from the Dominican Republic. Source: GEOSentinel, Eurosurveillance, Pan American Health Organization Malaria is an acute flu-like illness caused by one of four species of parasite of the genus Plasmodium; Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malariae. Infection with P. falciparum malaria can be fatal. The disease is most commonly transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito, specifically the female Anopheles mosquito, a dusk-to-dawn biter. Malaria is endemic (i.e., constantly present) in most of sub-Saharan Africa; in large areas of the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, Oceania, Haiti, Central and South America; and in parts of Mexico, North Africa and the Dominican Republic. For comprehensive information, please refer to the Public Health Agency of Canada 's Disease Information Backgrounder on malaria. P. falciparum malaria is known to be endemic (i.e., constantly occurring) in rural areas of the Dominican Republic, with the highest risk in areas bordering Haiti. On average, close to 1000 cases are reported each year. However, in 2004 this figure jumped to more than 2000 cases due to increased rainfall, an increase in the mosquito population, and increased movement of migrant workers between rural and resort areas. Although resort areas in the Dominican Republic are generally not risk areas, small localized outbreaks have occurred in recent years in and around resorts in the province of La Altagracia.
Recommendations
How to prevent malaria infectionTwo important measures can help you prevent malaria infection: avoiding mosquito bites and using effective anti-malarial medications. Personal Measures to Avoid MosquitoesFemale Anopheles mosquitoes bite mainly during the evening and night. Using personal insect protective measures will reduce your risk of being bitten by these mosquitoes.
These precautions will also help to prevent other mosquito-borne infections such as dengue fever. Antimalarial Medication (Prophylaxis)Antimalarial medications decrease the risk of developing symptomatic malaria. However, they do not provide 100% protection against the disease. Your individual need for antimalarial medications should be discussed with your physician or travel medicine professional several weeks before travel. If your physician or travel medicine clinic prescribes an antimalarial medication, it is important that you take it as directed in order to maximize the protective effect. Each drug has its own dosing regime that should be strictly followed. Because of the incubation period of the disease, these medications must be taken both before, during, and after travel. Travellers are reminded to complete their prescribed regimen of prophylaxis on their return. Except for atovaquone/proguanil which must be taken for one week after returning from a malaria-endemic area, chloroquine, doxycyline and mefloquine must be taken for four weeks after returning from a malaria-endemic area. For travellers who opt not to take malaria prophylaxis during their travel to La Altagracia, PHAC does not recommend that they start chemoprophylaxis on their return home to Canada but advises that individuals seek immediate medical attention should they develop a fever and inform their physician that they have visited an area where malaria occurs so that they can be tested without delay. Important to NoteIf you develop a fever within 3 months after returning from an area where malaria occurs, you should seek medical advice immediately. Be sure to inform your physician that you have visited an area where malaria occurs so that you can be tested without delay. Malaria must be ruled out by the examination of one or more blood films under a microscope. As a reminder...The Public Health Agency of Canada routinely recommends that Canadian international travellers consult their personal physician or a travel clinic prior to international travel, regardless of destination, for an individual risk assessment to determine their individual health risks and their need for vaccination, preventative medication, and personal protective measures. The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends, as well, that travellers who become sick or feel unwell on their return to Canada should seek a medical assessment with their personal physician. Travellers should inform their physician, without being asked, that they have been travelling or living outside of Canada, and where they have been. For additional information on malaria:
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Last Updated: 2005-11-07 |