One of many 42 Haitians who landed at Ross Craig, Lengthy Bay, Portland, on Could 18 examined constructive for malaria earlier than being repatriated to Haiti two days later.
The disclosure was made by Dr. Sharon Lewis, Portland’s Medical Officer of Well being, throughout a gathering of the Portland Municipal Company on Thursday.
Dr. Lewis defined that after the group of Haitians arrived by boat, they have been processed at Port Antonio Hospital, the place routine assessments have been carried out.
“One grownup male examined constructive for the malaria parasite; nonetheless, the outcome returned two days after he was repatriated. This male had no fever or different signs on presentation; he solely gave a historical past of fever a very long time in the past,” mentioned Dr. Lewis.
She famous that the vector management staff acted swiftly to include any doable threat by destroying the boat and conducting fogging within the touchdown space to restrict the unfold of any mosquito-borne or viral illnesses.
“The vector management staff promptly destroyed the boat and carried out fogging within the touchdown space to scale back the unfold of every other viral illnesses that those that arrived might have had,” Dr. Lewis mentioned, whereas warning towards harbouring undocumented guests and the well being threats that will come up.
“I exploit the chance to warn the general public that malaria in an individual from a rustic the place the illness is endemic usually presents with delicate signs, and as within the case with that man, no signs. On this case, the male had no signs,” she added.
“That’s the reason we warn our residents to alert the police and the well being staff when individuals who should not Jamaicans arrive by boat on our shores with out going by the official ports. These individuals needs to be assessed instantly after their arrival in order that we are able to take the mandatory public well being measures to guard our residents from the doable introduction or reintroduction of infectious illnesses to our nation.”
Jamaica was first licensed malaria-free by the World Well being Group (WHO) in 1965 and was reinstated on the official register of areas the place malaria eradication was achieved in 2012.
Since then, the nation has recorded solely imported circumstances of malaria, a mosquito-borne illness brought on by the malaria parasite, which is transmitted to people by the chunk of contaminated feminine Anopheles mosquitoes.
By way of robust surveillance and well timed public well being responses, Jamaica has been in a position to forestall the reintroduction of malaria, even when imported circumstances have occurred.
