The authorities of Public Health and Tourism, as well as the Pan American Health Organization (OPS), confirmed yesterday that the recent outbreak of malaria in the DR is under control, reports Hoy newspaper.
Doctors Rafael Schiffino of the Public Health Ministry, Jose Manuel Puello of the Center for Tropical Diseases, Gerardo Alfaro of the OPS, and Luis Simo of the international chapter of the Ministry of Tourism spoke at a press conference, where they said they believed as many 11 deaths this year could be attributed to malarial infection in the DR, but that no cases at all had been reported since 5 December. They all felt the media had exaggerated the severity of the situation and caused undue panic. In their opinion, reports Hoy, the DR is not experiencing an epidemic, despite at least eight cases of malaria found in Canadian tourists having visited the Punta Cana area. Canada will disallow anyone who has been in the DR from donating blood for six months as a cautionary measure, while, locally, the officials signaled that doctors had been sent to construction sites to periodically check workers and that special control teams will be looking for potential areas in which the Anopheles Albimanus mosquito is bred.
El Caribe reports that Schiffino said the situation had been sensationalized by jealous competitors trying to steer tourists to their countries and that the alarm caused was unnecessary. He reminded that the area was hit by Hurricane Jeanne in September, which could have something to do with the recent malaria cases. “Everyone knows that we receive a great number of visitors and of the war that exists between countries fighting to get more tourists, and that the Internet spreads many alerts that are not official.”
Health authorities affirmed that the incidence of malaria in the DR has increased by 31% this year, with confirmed cases totaling 1,529 in 2003 and 2,012 to date in 2004. The Pan American Health Organization’s official, Gerardo Alfaro, reassured that what was happening was an ordinary situation being treated in an extraordinary manner.