Trinidad and Tobago malaria cases rise to 8
In a follow-up on the malaria situation in Trinidad and Tobago, health officials withn the Ministry of Health (MOH) report three additional cases since my last report, bringing the total to eight to date.
The detection of the cases, also from the same area as the first five cases, were identified by the Insect Vector Control Division (IVCD) as part of ongoing monitoring under the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) malaria prevention and control protocols.
The MOH noted malaria is not endemic to Trinidad and Tobago at this time. From 2015 to 2024, there have been 153 confirmed cases, which is an average of 15 cases per year, and majority of these cases are imported
“The public is advised that Malaria is a vector borne infectious disease caused by parasites of the Plasmodium species. The vector for Malaria is predominantly the Anopheles species of mosquito. This mosquito primarily bites during the night. It is noteworthy that unlike Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika, Malaria is not spread by a virus. It is also important to note that the Aedes species of mosquito is not the primary vector for Malaria,” the ministry stated.
“Early symptoms of Malaria include fever, chills, headaches and fatigue, which may start within 10-15 days of being bitten by an infected female Anopheles mosquito. Persons experiencing any of these symptoms should visit their nearest health facility.”
High-risk groups, like people living in and around forested areas, farmers, hunters, members of the protective services who visits these areas, hikers and environmentalists, are advised to take necessary precautions.
People should wear long sleeved, loose-fitting and light colored clothing when possible, use mosquito nets when sleeping, and use insect repellents, coils and vaporizers, where applicable.