The world’s media has now begun reporting on the outbreak of malaria in The Bahamas.
It was just over one week ago that local health officials revealed that an Exuma man had contracted the potentially deadly disease, whose symptoms include fever, chills, aches and pains. Since then that number has risen to 16.
Yesterday afternoon major world media houses such as CNN, Reuters, and the Associated Press carried headlines such as “Bahamas tries to contain malaria outbreak” and “Malaria outbreak in The Bahamas prompts screening.”
Meanwhile, officials at the Ministry of Tourism have told the media that they are ready to carry out damage control should the international media pick up the story. Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe maintained that the product of The Bahamas stands strong enough to overcome this latest incident.
Still one of the problems the Health Ministry is now facing is the number of rumours about the spread of the disease. This has reached almost “epidemic levels” with people saying they had heard there were cases in Long Island and even in New Providence, but none of these rumours have so far have turned out to be accurate.
A public healthcare worker on Long Island told The Guardian yesterday, “That is totally untrue, there are no cases of malaria here as far as I know. The only thing that happened was we sent off a patient who came across from Exuma but that patient was already infected. It did not originate from here. So we are free from it as far as we know.”
Meanwhile the Health Ministry did reveal that on June 10 several illegal immigrants were apprehended in Exuma and subsequently detained at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre. One of those detainees who had been living in Exuma for the past three months is believed to have been infected with malaria on that island. As a result, all incoming apprehended detainees, as well as staff at the centre will be screened for malaria.
In addition, the Ministry of Energy and Environment has adulticided two areas within a mile-and-a-half radius of the Detention Centre. According to a Ministry press release, the areas fogged included Spikenard Road, Faith Avenue, Carmichael Road, Cowpen Road, Gladstone Road, and Firetrail Road.
“Additionally, the Vector Control Unit of the department conducted site inspection of the Detention Centre to identify potential breeding sites. No anopheles [the mosquito that carries the malaria disease] breeding was found,” the statement read.
“At present the department is continuing site inspection and light trapping within the mile-and-a-half radius,” it continued. “Larviciding to prevent mosquito emergence has been conducted of all standing water sites in New Providence. All vector activities will continue throughout New Providence for the duration of the rainy season.”
Fogging exercises are also expected to continue in Exuma, where the first case of malaria was discovered almost one month ago. Meanwhile, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has sent out a notice for tourists planning to travel to Exuma.
While it noted that malaria is not considered endemic in The Bahamas, the group recommended chloroquine as an antimalarial medication for travellers to Great Exuma.
“This recommendation is expected to be temporary and does not apply to other islands of the Bahamas,” a CDC press statement read.
By: JASMIN BONIMY, The Nassau Guardian
