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Volume 1 No 1; 5 January 2007

 

 

Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Jamaica - update

As of 29 December 2006, there have been 163 cases of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum, reported in Jamaica [1]. The outbreak began in late October 2006 [2] and has been confined to the Kingston and St Andrew's Corporation, with an additional two cases confirmed in neighbouring St Catherine's province [3]. One case was also reported in a United States resident who travelled to the island from 29 October to 6 November 2006. Active surveillance, prompt diagnosis and treatment, and vector control activities have been implemented with technical assistance provided to the Jamaican Ministry of Health by the Pan American Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Caribbean Epidemiology Center. Three thousand bed nets have also been donated to affected areas by the United Nation Development Fund [4]. The outbreak is now believed to be in decline, although active surveillance is continuing.

Around 160,000 United Kingdom (UK) residents travel to Jamaica every year [5], and to date, malaria has not been documented in any UK travellers returning from Jamaica. The HPA Advisory Committee for Malaria Prevention in UK Travellers (ACMP) does not recommend preventive malaria medication for UK travellers to Jamaica. Travellers to Jamaica, in particular to the Kingston area, should be aware of the risk and protect themselves against evening and night-time biting mosquitoes (see NaTHNaC insect bite avoidance information sheet [6]).

Any traveller who develops a febrile illness during travel, or for up to a year following their return to the UK, should be promptly evaluated and have a blood test for malaria without delay. In the unlikely event that any travellers do contract malaria after visiting Jamaica, the appropriate treatment is chloroquine.

For further information about the prevention of malaria in UK travellers, go to the malaria page <http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/malaria/default.htm> on the HPA website or see the information sheet on malaria <http://www.nathnac.org/pro/factsheets/malaria.htm> on the NaTHNaC website.

References
  1. Ministry of Health, Jamaica. Vector control and fever surveillance for Horizon Adult Remand Centre. JIS E-Newsletter 29 December 2006; 6 (51) [cited 3 January 2007]. Available at <http://www.moh.gov.jm/vector_fever.htm> .
  2. HPA. Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Jamaica. Commun Dis Rep CDR Wkly [serial online] 2006 [accessed 5 January 2007]; 16 (49): news. Available at <http://www.hpa.org.uk/cdr/archives/2006/cdr4906.pdf>.
  3. Public Health Agency of Canada. Malaria in Kingston, Jamaica. Travel Health Notices and International Reports 19 December 2006 [online] [cited 3 January 2007]. Available at <http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/tmp-pmv/2006/mal_jam061219_e.html>.
  4. Ministry of Health, Jamaica. 3000 Mosquito Nets For Children in Affected Areas. JIS E-Newsletter 29 December 2006; 6 (51) [cited 3 January 2007]. Available at <http://www.moh.gov.jm/MosquitoNets.htm> .
  5. World Tourism Organization (WTO). Yearbook of tourism statistics, 2005 [CD ROM ]. Madrid: WTO, 2006.
  6. Insect bite avoidance. [online] [accessed 3 January 2007]. London: NaTHNaC, 2006. Available at <http://www.nathnac.org/pro/factsheets/iba.htm>.

 

Public health issues related to Polonium-210 incident

The Health Protection Agency is continuing to provide expert advice on the public health issues surrounding the death of Mr. Alexander Litvinenko. For more information the latest statement (5 January) is available on the Health Protection Agency's website.

 

Health Protection Report goes live

Welcome to the Health Protection Report ( HPR ), which replaces the CDR Weekly. The layout of HPR refelect that of the old CDR Weekly and the HPA Website, to help regular readers find their way around.

For infectious diseases we will be following the cycle of subject matter that was used in CDR Weekly: the data in each section has been copied over from CDR and will be updated as usual during the course of the month. The entire content of CDR Weekly back to 1991 will remain available at its former url, and will be linked to from the HPR archives as appropriate.

As with any new development there is likely to be a number of minor improvements over the coming weeks. We therefore particularly welcome any feedback on the presentation and content of Health Protection Report which should be emailed to the Managing Editor <neil.hough@hpa.org.uk>.