MALARIA – PERU: (CUSCO) URBAN TRANSMISSION

Date: Mon 7 Feb 2011
Source: Peru.com [in Spanish, trans. Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ, edited]

Julio Bejar, executive director of the Health Services Network of La
Convencion [province in Cusco region] reported that 9 cases of
autochthonous malaria were registered in the city of Quillabamba
[capital of La Convencion province].

Those affected by this disease are among people who invaded a vacant lot located in the Urpipata sector, which lacks basic sanitation
services. According to RPP [Peru Radio Programs] there are 400
families currently living there.

Health authorities indicated that the problem was a result of work
done by the Cosapi [engineering] company on the Cusco-Quillabamba
road, which left puddles of stagnant water that favored the
reproduction of the mosquitoes that transmit malaria.

The affected people are receiving appropriate care to control the
disease.

—
Communicated by:
ProMED-ESP

[It is not clear whether the patients had _Plasmodium falciparum_ or
_P. vivax_ malaria. Quillabamba is located north west of Cusco town at
an altitude of approximately 1000 meters (3280 ft). According to
weather information available, the average temperature at this time of
the year is below 20 deg C (68 deg F), which should exclude local
transmission of _P. falciparum_ malaria.

It is stated that the malaria cases were diagnosed in people who
recently moved into the area. Therefore it cannot be excluded that the
patients were infected elsewhere. Given the altitude and local
climatic conditions local transmission is expected to be very
limited.

Maps of Peru can be seen at
and
. – Mod.EP]
[see also:
1998
—-
Malaria, vivax, resistant? – Peru: RFI 19980703.1231]
………………………………………….ep/mj/dk
Archive Number 20110209.0438
Published Date 09-FEB-2011
Subject PRO/EDR> Malaria – Peru: (CS) urban transmission

MALARIA – PERU: (CUSCO) URBAN TRANSMISSION
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