| Malaria is currently “rampant” at Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) both official sources and residents have reported.An official source said that in recent weeks, seven out of ten smears taken from miners and residents are turning out to be positive for the mosquito borne illness.Residents have blamed the upsurge in cases to the absence of any effective programme to combat malaria in the area.“There has been no spraying going on, no nets, no preventative measures and this with the combination of the recent rains after the prolonged dry is responsible for the proliferation of the mosquitoes and the disease right now,” the source said.He added: “The situation is dire because 70 per cent of those tested positive for malaria can jeopardise the health of the 30 per cent not infected; mosquitoes which feed on them and then bite others will spread the disease.”The source who could not speak on behalf of the Ministry of Health called for an urgent intervention by the Ministry in the current state of affairs at Mahdia.He said that residents not infected are advised to take all the necessary precautions to avoid getting bitten by the malaria vectors.These precautions include wearing light coloured clothing, long sleeved shirts or jerseys, avoiding wearing dark coloured clothing,Cheap Nike Football Jerseys, use of insect repellent, use of impregnated mosquito nets, spraying of their homes at nightfall and removal of stagnant water within their environments. |
