TORONTO, Canada -- As the Caribbean island of Jamaica battles an outbreak of malaria, Canada’s Blood Services is asking for a temporary deferral of blood donations from people who have visited the island.
The agency is hoping to have the deferral in place by Jan. 8, and to keep it in place for six months.
Meanwhile, the Public Health Agency of Canada, continues to advise travelers heading for winter vacations to Jamaica, to take anti-malarial medications. And health alert" cards are being provided to arriving and departing air passengers advising of the malaria outbreak.
Jamaica’s govenrment this week approved an allocation of J$30.2 million, to provide an emergency response to the outbreak of the disease. AS of Dec. 7, the number of confirmed cases of malaria across the island was put at 43.
The World Health Organization estimates that each year 300-500 million cases of malaria occur and more than 1 million people die of malaria. Usually, people get malaria by being bitten by an infected female anopheles mosquito. Symptoms include fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness, according to the Center for Disease Control.
The disease may also cause anemia and jaundice (yellow coloring of the skin and eyes) because of the loss of red blood cells. Infection with one type of malaria, if not promptly treated, may cause kidney failure, seizures, mental confusion, coma, and death. There are no vaccines against malaria but your doctor can prescribe several good antimalarial early on, added the CDC.
Meanwhile, the Barbados Ministry of Health has issued a circular to travel agents and airlines in the wake of the outbreak of malaria in Jamaica, warning travelers who experience any malaria symptoms on arrival in Barbados to immediately report to the port health nurse, stationed at the arrivals hall at the Grantley Adams International Airport.
Persons residing in Barbados and plan to travel to Jamaica or other territories, such as Guyana, are also advised that in order to protect themselves from contracting malaria they should obtain appropriate prophylaxis treatment, prior to traveling.
