The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

A MAN diagnosed with malaria in Exuma was living near an area where health officials recorded several cases of the disease six years ago, Health Minister Dr Hubert Minnis confirmed.

Malaria is not native to the Bahamas, but there have been sporadic cases from time to time over the years, Dr Minnis noted yesterday.

Claiming there are no other reported cases on the island, he said the ministry has closely followed the Pan American Health Organisation's (PAHO) protocols to curb potential outbreaks.

Dr Minnis said: "A non-Bahamian national who was working in Exuma and visited America (was) subsequently diagnosed with malaria over there and was being treated. They informed us about this particular case.

"There are no other cases in Exuma, but when we checked where he lived it was close to the area that we've had several cases in 06 and 08. Since then we've been following the protocols that PAHO has put forth to us."

Dr Minnis attributed "occasional instances of diseases" including malaria to the relatively open borders of the Bahamas. He said: "We have individuals from different parts of the world, especially Central and South America or Caribbean countries near us, that are endemic with malaria and from time to time they'll visit our shores, whether legally or illegally. Therefore, from time to time, we will have diseases like malaria or others introduced."

For this reason, Dr Minnis said, health care workers should ensure they remain on the cutting edge of research into such diseases.

In August 2011, another single case of malaria was reported, which health officials said was contracted in Nigeria.